The City Council of Austin is in hot water as the Save Our Springs Alliance has filed a lawsuit against them for what they claim are violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act, according to the Austin Monitor. Bill Bunch, the executive director of the organization, which is committed to the protection of Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer, is leading the charge and is looking for an emergency hearing before next week’s council meeting. The lawsuit has grown since its April 5 filing, now including allegations against the city's regulations and its charter.
Last week, in a contentious exchange, Bunch faced off against Mayor Kirk Watson over the allotted time to speak on several agenda items. The city leader denied Bunch's request to have two minutes for each of the four items, deducting the time he spent disputing the mayor's rule interpretation. Left with a mere 61 seconds to deliver his remarks on all four concerns, Bunch was spurred into legal action. The alliance's legal move is a bold statement against the council's understanding of public speaking rights within the governmental process, launching a lawsuit that carries the spirit of long-held fights over environmental guardianship.
In a statement obtained by the Austin Monitor, Bunch reminisced about the pivotal all-night 1990 meeting on the Barton Creek PUD, which saw no such restrictions on speech and which ignited the Save Our Springs movement. The legal claim insists on court-ordered injunctions mandating the City Council to not restrict public speakers, removing a practice from proceedings that isn't enshrined in an officially adopted city ordinance.
Bunch's dissatisfaction with how the meeting was conducted also extends to trying to invalidate some decisions made by the Council, notably on the April 4 consent agenda. A city spokesperson was quick to rebut, defending their position to the Austin Monitor, saying, "We believe the council is following the Texas Open Meetings Act by allowing the public to speak on all matters before the council acts." They also highlighted alternative methods for public engagement, such as conversations and written communications with council members.
The lawsuit also demands the court throw out all Council decisions regarding consent agenda and addendum items from April 4, particularly targeting a $3 million contract with HDR Engineering Inc., a contract for a land stewardship program with American YouthWorks, and a public hearing set for creating a new zoning district. Bunch vocalized his opposition to these items, indicating the stakes of the suit are more than procedural but also about significant environmental and developmental implications for the Austin community.
