Members of the Austin City Council's Audit and Finance Committee on April 16 postponed action on proposed bylaw amendments for the Commission on Immigrant Affairs and the Commission on Aging and recommended that the council send forward a change to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission that would remove an inactive organic management committee.

Two members of the Commission on Immigrant Affairs urged the committee to approve the immigrant commission's proposed bylaws amendment before the committee's discussion. Melissa Ortega, who identified herself as chair of the commission but spoke in a personal capacity, told the committee the amendment would add three community stakeholder seats and increase quorum flexibility to reduce delays caused by inactive appointed members. "Approving the proposed bylaws will help the Commission on Immigrant Affairs break through the existing gridlock," Ortega said. Miriam Dorantes, vice chair of the commission, said the changes would help center the lived experience of immigrant residents and deepen outreach in a city of roughly 987,000 people.

Stephanie Hall, assistant city clerk, presented staff summaries of three commission-proposed bylaw changes. Hall said the Commission on Aging proposed creating a five-member Age-Friendly Advisory Committee to monitor the Age-Friendly Austin action plan and that clerks' office would now staff that commission rather than Austin Public Health. Staff noted creating a formal subcommittee would require additional staff time and must comply with Texas Open Meetings Act requirements.

On the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Hall said the commission requested three commission-approved stakeholder positions and an increase in quorum from seven to eight. Staff said they did not recommend the stakeholder positions because historically those stakeholder seats have been difficult to fill and add additional administrative responsibilities. Hall added that if the immigrant commission's changes proceed, an ordinance would be required to amend the city code.

For the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, the proposed bylaw change would remove the organic management committee; staff supported that change because the committee's duties are covered elsewhere and it had not met in several years.

Committee members voiced several concerns during discussion. Council members asked how staffing for the new aging subcommittee would be handled and whether formal action could be delayed until after the budget cycle to avoid adding duties amid possible staff reductions. Members also probed the immigrant commission's quorum history: staff reported the immigrant commission had struggled with quorum in the prior year, at one point not meeting for about six months because of vacancies and attendance issues, but said the commission had been meeting recently and had one new vacancy after a recent resignation. Hall confirmed any stakeholder positions would be subject to the commission's same training and attendance requirements.

To allow more time for follow-up, the committee voted to postpone action on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs and the Commission on Aging until the next Audit and Finance Committee meeting and to move forward its recommendation to the full council on the Zero Waste Advisory Commission amendment. The motion was made and seconded and approved "without objection," according to the meeting record.

The committee said staff should return with more detail about timing and staffing, and with any additional information council members request prior to final council consideration.

Ending: The committee did not adopt either of the two contested bylaw changes at the April 16 meeting; the zero-waste removal will be recommended to full council. Staff noted the immigrant commission's change would require an ordinance to amend code if the council ultimately approves it, and committee members asked that staff bring additional implementation and staffing details when the items return for consideration.