Council approves audit engagement, utility and assessment changes; adopts cannabis ordinance

The Austin City Council approved a series of administrative and policy items Thursday, ranging from budget adjustments and contract approvals to a change in the sewer billing average and final action on a city cannabis ordinance.

Key actions included adopting the cannabis ordinance on second reading after a 6–1 roll call, approving a revision to the sanitary sewer summer‑averaging program (7–0), adopting the city’s 2025 street assessment rates (7–0), authorizing a $400,000 budget adjustment to purchase a replacement tactical vehicle for the police department (7–0), and approving a preliminary plat for Nature’s Ridge Fourth subdivision.

Why it matters: the sewer averaging change alters how customers’ winter and summer usage determine summer sewer bills; the street assessment rates set the per‑unit charges that may be assessed to property owners for reconstruction and sidewalks; the cannabis ordinance completes the council’s adoption steps for local regulation of cannabis activities.

Votes at a glance

- Cannabis ordinance (preparation, adoption and summary publication): Preparation motion passed 6–1; adoption (second reading) passed 6–1; summary publication vote passed 7–0. - Sanitary sewer summer averaging program (resolution): approved 7–0. The program changes to a 6‑month on / 6‑month off model where November–April sewer use will be billed and used to calculate the average; May–October bills will be billed at actual consumption or the average, whichever is lower. - 2025 street assessment rates (resolution): approved 7–0. The council approved a roughly 7% increase across assessment rates, with proposed figures including sidewalk at $7.50/sq ft, 6‑inch sidewalk at $11/sq ft, curb & gutter $22.50/lineal ft, residential street reconstruction at $68.82/lineal ft and commercial at $98.28/lineal ft. - Audit engagement letter with CliftonLarsonAllen: approved (motion carries). The proposed contract reflects a 6.7% increase to an estimated $54,117 for the audit engagement. - Budget adjustment No. 2 (General Fund) — Police vehicle (BearCat replacement): approved 7–0. Council authorized use of $400,000 of fund balance to purchase a replacement tactical vehicle; Police Chief described the vehicle as a long‑term (30‑year) investment in officer safety. - Budget adjustment No. 3 (Central Garage Fund): approved 7–0. The adjustment reallocates existing central garage funds to allow Park & Rec to replace a field groomer and for public works to jointly purchase a new chipper with the county (rough total cited ~$115,000 for chipper replacement). Savings were identified by reducing an AG tractor line ($24,000) and eliminating a gator ($11,000) from the budget to offset costs. - Preliminary plat — Nature’s Ridge Fourth subdivision (30 lots, ~12.5 acres): preliminary plat approval motion carried (unanimous). The Planning Commission had previously approved the preliminary plat 5–0 with conditions including final state engineer and utilities approvals, submission of a development agreement and completion of civil drawings; one unresolved 30‑foot strip at the north end (related to a stormwater berm) must be addressed before final plat. - Sale of 2016 Elgin sweeper at Hamilton Auction Company: authorized for auction in March to apply proceeds to replacement purchase. - Gambling permit (Hayward Fire Relief Association to sell e‑tabs/pull tabs at Applebee’s): approved 7–0.

Council roll calls and motions were recorded on the record for each item. Where the transcript did not name a mover or seconder, the motion was recorded as “moved” and “second” without an attributed member in the minutes.