While debating land development procedures, Leslie Pool blew up at Sheri Gallo and Mayor Adler

~ dankeshet

So this happened last night (since deleted):

So maybe this is the nail in Gallo's coffin

And this too:

For those who prefer text to video, here’s a transcript:

Mayor, I think this change that you have offered up tonight is fundamentally explosive and it blows out of the water all the previous policy that the City of Austin has used with regard to the votes on its land use commissions and truly dilutes the ability of the community to have a voice in the face of the unlimited resources of the development community.

I am deeply troubled by this push of yours in particular because there was no posting of this on the message board for us to see in advance. I think this is a highly cynical move. I do not understand the impetus and the instinct–the impulse that brings this to us from you. I thought that this Council was the voice of the neighborhoods and the community and the values of this city and you here in one document propose to undercut the single tool that our neighbors have in order to ensure that our community values–these are the things that are intrinsic and you really can’t put a price to them. They’re not profit-driven but its where we live in our hearts and our souls and what makes this city special and you are taking that and casting it aside.

I am deeply concerned over this amendment that you have brought to us with no signals in advance although I get the idea that there were some people in this community who knew full well what was happening here. I am really–I don’t have words. I am so stunned and back on my heels by this. I absolutely oppose this. I do not understand where it’s coming from and I–I have no more words.

Later, Jeff Stensland reported that CM Pool had made the tweet public in error, intending it t be sent as a Direct Message (i.e. privately) to a staff member.

These kinds of dramatic personal attacks on one Council Member from another are really very rare at Austin City Council, leading to a lot of shock from Council watchers over the tone of both CM Pool’s speech and tweet.

Here is the amendment that got CM Pool so angry:

At its heart, CM Pool’s original proposal was about changing city’s approval process to make it harder for people developing large tracts (i.e. constructing buildings) to get approval, while Mayor Adler’s amendment changed the city’s process to make it easier. To understand the story more precisely, read the excellent background in the Austin Monitor.