Tomorrow and Thursday, the Austin City Council will begin discussions about the process for the performance review of City Manager Marc Ott. We must insist on an open review.

Will the City Council decide to do Ott’s performance review in Executive Session, out of the public view?

Or, will they allow YOU, as a city resident and affected party, to see and hear their deliberations on the performance of the City’s top executive?

As you know, we have been urging new management for the 10-1 Council. That will be Council’s decision.

But, will Austin – we, the people – have the open government we deserve on this important decision?

We still believe in this Council as much as we do 10-1. But withholding this process from the public, especially now, is unacceptable.

This a great test for the 10-1 Council.

It’s also a great test of YOU, dear Austin.

Contact your Council member and the Mayor. Urge them to OPEN UP THE OTT REVIEW. (For more details on the review read the 7 points below our signatures.)

Don’t know who your council member is, go here.

Mayor Steve Adler: steve.adler@austin.texas.gov, 512-978-2100

District 1 Councilmember Ora Houston: ora.houston@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2101
District 2 Councilmember Delia Garza: delia.garza@austintexas.gov  512-978-2102
District 3 Councilmember: Pio Renteria: sabino.renteria@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2103
District 4: Councilmember Greg Casar: gregorio.casar@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2104
District 5: Councilmember Ann Kitchen:  ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov 512-978-2105
District 6: Councilmember Don Zimmerman: don.zimmerman@austintexas.gov 512-978-2106
District 7: Councilmember Leslie Pool: leslie.pool@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2107
District 8: Councilmember Ellen Troxclair: ellen.troxclair@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2108
District 9: Councilmember Kathie Tovo: kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov 512-978-2109
District 10: Councilmember Sheri Gallo: sheri.gallo@austintexas.gov 512-978-2110

Don’t be sheeple, that is herded, Austin.

Austin Deserves an Open Review of the City Manager

1. Hold the Council discussion with the City Manager on his evaluation in public. There is no legal reason Council cannot do that. At a minimum, if there are some truly confidential issues that need to be discussed, the Council can retire to executive session just for that, and return to the public session.

2. Require the City Manager to complete a written performance evaluation and have Council put it’s individual and collective evaluation of his performance in writing.  Make it available to the public for comment.

3. The citizens of Austin deserve a chance to review the manager of the city, a city in an affordability crisis. A time certain is guaranteed by a public hearing.

4.  Performance metrics should be tied to the outcomes laid out in Imagine Austin.

5. A major responsibility of the City Manager is to inform the council on major projects. Have the City Manager explain his performance on projects that have affected Austin’s affordability like Biomass ($2.3B), Water Treatment Plant #4 ($1B), Waller Creek, Seaholm, and just recently, Pilot Knob $100M and a host of high tech company recruitment incentives whose high paid employees have driven up housing costs dramatically.

6. The city is a $3B per-year corporation. Most corporations in America, this size or larger, routinely evaluate their chief executive officer with a 360-review. The same can be said for many public institutions including our own UT-Austin and Huston-Tillotson University. The City Manager should be reviewed by those who work under him – anonymously. Allows them to comment on his performance, just like HT and UT students do of their faculty.

7. What does the City Manager do to enhance the city’s relationship with other government entities and other civic organizations?

8. Is the City Manager providing information to the council requested of him in a timely manner for making decisions?