Highland Park West Balcones Area
HIGHLAND PARK WEST BALCONES AREA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION VOLUME 18, NUMBER 07 • JULY 2022 • WWW.HPWBANA.ORG
The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
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IMPORTANT NUMBERS Highland Park West Balcones Area
Austin Citywide Information Center... 974-2000 or 311 Emergency Police, Fire and EMS.............................. 911 Non-emergency Police (coyote sighting, etc.)......... 311 Social Services (during work hours)........................ 211 APD REP. - Officer Darrell Grayson........ 512-974-5242
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Jason Lindenschmidt................ president@hpwbana.org VICE PRESIDENT Bill McMillin.........................................vp@hpwbana.org TREASURER George Zwicker........................ treasurer@hpwbana.org SECRETARY Dawn Lewis.............................. secretary@hpwbana.org NEWSLETTER EDITOR Carolyn Heath........................ newsletter@hpwbana.org WEBMASTER Henry Tang.............................webmaster@hpwbana.org BOARD MEMBERS Bill Hyland...................................... board@hpwbana.org Rebecca Spratlin............................. board@hpwbana.org Shannon McNeil............................. board@hpwbana.org
The HPWBANA Board meets on the fourth Monday of each month except December. Please go to HPWBANA. org for our current meeting location or contact president@ hpwbana.org. HWPBANA is bordered on the north by 2222, on the south by 35th Street, on the west by Mt. Bonnell Road, and on the east by MoPac and by Bull Creek Road between Hancock Drive and 45th Street. Mail your membership dues to HPWBANA, P.O. Box 26101, Austin, Texas 78755.
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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
Highland Park West Balcones Area
SHORT TERM RENTALS IN AUSTIN Written By Jason Lindenschmidt
Short Term Rentals (STR) are a hot topic of conversation these days. What exactly are they? Which ones are allowed in Austin? As a landlord, what are the pros and cons? In the simplest terms, a short-term rental is a residential dwelling unit that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days. Think Airbnb and VRBO. Currently, per the City of Austin (COA), we have three types of short-term rentals: Type 1 are owner occupied principal residences. They can be single family homes, multifamily or a duplex. Basically, you live there, and from time to time, you rent the whole thing out or just a single room. This is the most common form or STR right now. Type 2 are NOT owner occupied. These are properties (single family or duplex) that are solely for the intent of renting out. Currently, the COA has a moratorium on issuing any new Type 2 licenses, so if you’re thinking about going this route, you can go ahead and stop. In 2019 some Austin property owners sued the COA, saying the ordinance was unconstitutional, and they won. No matter, the COA is currently not issuing any new Type 2 permits. However, they will honor Type 2 permits issued before that ruling. Type 3 is also NOT owner occupied but extends to multifamily properties. So, anything more than a duplex. These are less common; you see them more on the larger investment house side. WHAT IS REQUIRED? Owners of STRs are required by the city to obtain an operating license and renew that license every single year. As of this writing, it costs $643 to apply for a new license and $355 to renew an existing license. Processing applications is currently taking 8-10 weeks. There are also density restrictions as they will only issue a pre-set number of licenses for any one geographic area, so getting a license is by no means guaranteed with your application.
PROS AND CONS Pros. In short, more money. You are going to get a much higher per night rate as a short-term rental than you will on a long-term lease. Big weekends like ACL and SXSW bring HUGE premiums. Sometimes these events alone can make the year for an owner. Compared to a long-term rental of 12 months, STRs have more upside earning potential. Cons. There are generally more expenses and time associated with running a short-term rental. You have the cost of the license. The cost of cleaning every time the property turns over. The cost of supplies to stock the house. Maybe you need some new furniture to really make the place shine. Hotel tax. State tax. Additional CPA cost. Also, to effectively run a short-term rental you need to keep up with market rates. Making sure ACL weekend is priced right, while slower times are adjusted accordingly, is critical. If your pricing is off, you’re going to get fewer rentals, which means less revenue. There is also all the filing and paperwork involved. Many people hire management companies to do this for them, and that may be the way to go, especially if you have several rentals, but keep in mind that management companies typically charge 20-30% of rents collected. That’s not an insignificant amount. Is it for you? Some people like the ease of long-term rentals and not having to fiddle with it all the time. They rent it and off it goes for 12 months. Hopefully the only time they hear from their tenant is when they send that rent check in at the end of the month. Others would rather go the STR route – despite the additional time and finances - and squeeze as much profit out of the property as possible. It’s worth it to them. What category do you fit in? For more info, visit the COA site: www.austintexas.gov/department/ short-term-rental-license-program
The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
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Highland Park West Balcones Area
LETTUCE RECYCLE by Dena Houston
WEIRD RECYCLING Many people would do a better job of recycling if the reasons were given for certain rules and guidelines. Some of these don’t seem to make sense at first, so they seem WEIRD. Let’s explore some of them.
WHY CAN WE PUT PLASTIC COAT HANGERS BUT NOT WIRE COAT HANGERS INTO OUR BLUE RECYCLING BIN? Wire coat hangers get wrapped around the
sorting machinery at the recycling facility. It is very costly to repair the damage caused by wire coat hangers. It is also very dangerous to the workers to remove them. Plastic coat hangers do not cause any problems.
to the employees at the recycling center who hand sort through the items to be recycled as they get placed on the conveyor belt. Put broken glass into a paper bag or wrap in newspaper and then put it into your trash cart.
WHY CAN’T PET LITTER GO INTO THE GREEN COMPOST CAN? ISN’T IT GREAT FERTILIZER? The animal waste in pet litter and paper from the bottom
of bird cages contaminates the compost pile. Also, there are workers who sort through the compost by hand when it comes into the facility to pull out plastic bags and other non-compostable materials. It is a health hazard to them.
MY PIZZA BOXES LOOK CLEAN. CAN I THROW THEM INTO MY BLUE REYCLING BIN? No. Even if the box looks clean, it has absorbed grease that is COMPOST COLLECTION UPDATE not visible. This grease makes the cardboard unable to be processed properly for recycling. All pizza boxes need to go into the green curbside compost bin or the trash can.
Clam and oyster shells – Please don’t put these into the green compost bin. The equipment at the compost facility is not able to crush these shells and, as a result, has to throw away these shells and the compost they are in.
MY NEWSPAPER GOT WET BUT DRIED OUT. CAN I PUT IT INTO MY BLUE RECYCLING BIN? No. When paper gets wet, the fibers deteriorate and are shrunk Tea bags – Only paper tea bags without a staple will compost. Also, by the liquid. Shorter fibers in paper are less valuable. Wet paper is also at risk for contamination. Wet paper needs to go into your green curbside compost bin or the trash can.
CAN I RECYCLE PLASTIC IF THERE IS NOT A RECYCLING TRIANGLE ON IT? No. The triangle mark on plastics tells what the plastic is made of. This helps the recycling facility sort the plastics properly. Plastic without this marking needs to go into the trash can.
WHY CAN’T BROKEN GLASS GO INTO THE BLUE BIN? DOESN’T GLASS BREAK WHEN IT IS COLLECTED BY THE RECYCLING TRUCKS? Glass is pretty durable and
rayon bags (now popular with some of the herbal teas) will not compost. Here is a very informative City of Austin recycling website: http://www.austintexas.gov/what-do-i-do Stay tuned for future tips that will include creative ways to recycle or reuse. If you have any questions or recycling ideas, please send them to: recycling@hpwbana.org
generally doesn’t break in the recycling truck. Broken glass is a danger
ANNOUNCING THE FIRST EVER HIGHLAND PARK WEST / BALCONES AREA NEIGHBORHOOD JEEP MEET-UP! Come meet your Jeep-lovin’, Jeep-drivin’ and Jeep aspirin’ neighbors and enjoy fresh coffee and breakfast tacos at a friendly, casual, and informative gathering for all-things Jeep in the parking lot of Highland Park Elementary School on Saturday, July 16th from 9 - 10:30am. A Jeep expert will be there to answer questions and offer tips, and we’ll also gather feedback for future events (including a future day-trip to Hidden Falls w/ Jeep trail guides) to make them as fun, social and informative as possible! Come on out! Sponsored by: Trey McWhorter, Moreland Properties & Bart Gunkel, General Sales Manager @ Covert Dodge / Jeep 4
The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
Highland Park West Balcones Area
HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY (HPE) PTA CORNER Have you registered your child for School Year 2022-23 at HPE?
Student registration is critical to confirm our staffing for next year! Please register your child ASAP! Registration for School Year 2022-2023 is now open in your AISD Parent Portal. https://www.austinisd.org/technology/parent-portal/ student-registration. We must require ALL families to submit proof of address this year, even if a returning HP family. Email Registrar, CC Luna, with your current proof of address or registration questions, cc.luna@austinisd.org, and Principal Katie Pena with any questions, katie.pena@austinisd.org.
Are you an incoming family to Highland Park Elementary?
Join us for a playdate to meet other families and kiddos (all grade levels welcome)! Saturday, July 23 at 9 am on the Highland Park playground.
The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
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Highland Park West Balcones Area
Four members of the Development Services Department and Neighborhood Assistance Center for the City of Austin presented information about their services at the May 23rd HPWBANA monthly meeting held at the Church @ Highland Park.
EVENTS AT YARBROUGH LIBRARY 2200 Hancock Travis Audubon presents Austin's Amazing Purple Martins Saturday, July 9 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Purple Martins and humans have a special connection that goes back hundreds of years. Purple Martins thrill people in a variety of ways throughout their life cycle. Sheila Hargis, past president of both Travis Audubon and Texas Ornithological Society will give a presentation covering the life cycle, dispel some of the myths surrounding Martins, touch on some of the recent research findings, and highlight some of the ways that birders and non-birders alike can connect with this spectacular bird. A special invite will also be extended to visit the stunning migration roost in Austin. All ages welcome. Older Adult Book Club
This City of Austin department helps homeowners, business owners, and contractors ensure compliance with applicable city and building codes when they build, demolish, remodel or perform any type of construction. Every development project is unique and has different requirements. That's why they are here to help you. Their mission is to build a better and safer Austin together. Reach out to this City of Austin department for: • Single point of contact support throughout the development process (eg.. review, permitting and inspections). They provide support materials such as flowcharts and handouts for each process and connect customers to the right resources. • Information about community and stakeholder engagement activities. • Assistance with how to use various City of Austin online tools to locate case-specific information for: - code regulations - the order in which land development processes occur - navigating the public hearings process, - how to contact commissioners and council members - interactive and ready-made maps - search for development & permit related information - sign-in for service - view geographic related information For more information or to schedule a free appointment: austintexas.gov/DevelopmentProcessTeam austintexas.gov/Neighbor Email: DevelopmentProcessTeam@austintexas.gov NeighborhoodAssistanceCenter@austintexas.gov Call: (512) 974-1040 | (512) 974-7219
Saturday, July 9 3:00 PM to 4 PM July’s book is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Join each month as popular and literary works of fiction and nonfiction are discussed with a group of adults ages 50 +. Meet in person 2nd on Saturdays. Virtual discussions are held 7-8 pm on the 4th Wednesday. Register on Eventbrite.
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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
Highland Park West Balcones Area
The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022
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Highland Park West Balcones Area
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PO Box 1148 Round Rock, Texas 78680
PAID
PEEL, INC.
HP
instant curb appeal COMING SOON
Let me plant something green in your yard this summer. TREY MCWHORTER 512.808.7129
Trey McWhorter REALTOR® 512-808-7129 cell trey.mcwhorter@moreland.com
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The Highland Park West Balcones Area Neighborhood Association News - July 2022 If you’re currently working with another Realtor®, this is not intended to solicit your business.