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Have you encountered an e-moto on the streets of Austin? The high-speed electric bikes are capable of reaching motorcycle-like speeds, and the City Council is looking at stricter regulations. Austin Current’s Sam Stark tells us more.
The school year is over, but there’s no break for the many things the Austin Independent School District has to consider — including a budget deficit. How the money problems got so bad, and how they’re hoping to address it.
The dog days of summer are creeping up on us, but Austin dogs have one less place to beat the heat after Yard Bar closed down over the weekend.
This is My Thing Podcast host Mike Lee talking with Yael Ouzillou on Doodling.
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The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:08] Have you encountered an e-moto on the streets of Austin, these high-speed electric bikes that are capable of reaching motorcycle-like speeds? That’s got some Austinites concerned about their safety. We’re going to tell you what the Austin City Council is considering for these e-motos. And the school year is over, but there’s no break for the many things the Austin Independent School District has to consider, including a budget deficit, how the money problems got so bad, and how they’re hoping to address it. More about these stories coming up on today’s show.
KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:00:37] The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Jerry Quijano.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:42] And the dog days of summer are creeping up on us, but Austin dogs have one less place to beat the heat after a favorite hang closed down over the weekend. We’re gonna take you out there, and we’re gonna have some doodling for ya. It’s coming up next, and it’s right here on Austin Signal. Howdy out there, you are tuned in to Austin Signal. I’m your host, Jerry Kiechanel. It’s June 1st, the start of a new week and a new month. Glad you’re starting it here with us. Austin City Council passed recently new regulations aimed at regulating pocket bikes and other e-bikes. These bikes tend to be ridden by teenagers around neighborhood streets, and they’ve been growing in popularity, and they become a growing concern for some Austinites. For more, we are talking with Sam Stark, government reporter for Austin Current. Welcome back to the show, Sam. Thanks so much, Jerry. So first tell us exactly what we’re talking about when we’re taking about these electric bikes. Can you tell us, describe them a little bit for us and how are they different from like e-bikes that people might be used to seeing on their commute home?
Sam Stark [00:01:49] Yeah, so these are new class of electric bikes that have recently gotten more popular, especially among children and teenagers. They’re called e-motorcycles or pocket bikes, and the city is now kind of referring to them as e-Motos. But they can go much faster than your typical e-bike that you just described. Those typically cap out at around 28 miles per hour. I talked to a store owner who sells some of these bikes, he says that some of them can go over 60 miles per hours. So that’s the concern given the people who are mostly riding them, don’t have licenses, or know the rules of the road.
Jerry Quijano [00:02:23] Okay so yeah I’ve seen a few people riding these e-motos and they tend to have these big helmets like motorcycle riders versus like my tiny smaller bicycle helmet so is that why city council is discussing these e motos because they just present a little bit more danger.
Sam Stark [00:02:39] Yeah, they can go the speeds more so like a motorcycle rather than a bike. And the issue here is, like I said, a lot of people who are riding them are kids and teenagers. And who’s the Austin City Councilmember behind this? Yeah, so this has been an issue across the city, but it’s particularly been a challenge for Southwest Austin. And that’s the district that Councilmember Paige Ellis. Represents, so she filed a resolution aimed at further defining what these bikes in city code and regulating them could look like. So there currently is a Texas law already that says pocket bikes and mini motorbikes are not authorized for use on public streets, sidewalks, or bike paths, but still Ellis said there’s a legal ambiguity surrounding the vehicles, which may have contributed to the growing presence in neighborhoods.
Jerry Quijano [00:03:35] Okay, so we’ve heard about some of the neighborhood concerns. Who are the people that are selling these Emotos, and what do they have to say?
Sam Stark [00:03:41] Yeah, so I spoke to that store owner I said earlier. He said rarely, he never had children coming into his store, but in the past year, now it’s more of like a daily occurrence. He said that he’s even considering drafting up sort of like waiver, so if there is an issue with these bikes and these kids riding them, that he is not legally responsible. But just because it is kind of like an emerging. Technology, or not necessarily emerging technology, but just an emerging, you know, popularity among these bikes.
Jerry Quijano [00:04:15] Okay, do we know how quickly some kind of action might come on this?
Sam Stark [00:04:19] Yeah, so on Thursday, the Austin City Council approved that ordinance that Ellis pushed forward. And it does a few things. It directs the city manager to define and regulate emotos in the city code, develop rules for licensing and operation, and establish penalties for violations. The resolution also looks to create a public awareness campaign so more people can be aware of it. And then also review Austin Police Department training and enforcement practices, and then explore whether the city could establish a designated public area where riders could legally and safely use the vehicles. Because that was something that came up in the council meeting. We want kids to have somewhere to be outside, not stay on their phones all the time. And so they’re just looking at ways like how can we allow kids and teenagers to continue to use this technology, but just in a safer area where it’s not putting pedestrians and other vehicles at risk.
Jerry Quijano [00:05:16] All right, that is Sam Stark. He is the government reporter for Austin Current. They are a partner with the KUT Newsroom and Austin Signal in covering the city of Austin. We’re gonna have a link to his reporting in today’s show notes. Sam, great to see you. Thanks so much, Sherry. We have been talking a lot over the past school year about Austin ISD’s budget issues, but for today’s Reporter’s Notebook, we wanted to take a closer look at why the district is facing that deficit to begin with. Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez is KUT’s education reporter, and she’s with us now. Hi, Greta.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:05:53] Hey Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:05:54] So you have been reporting for a while on Austin ISD’s budget woes, how it’s affecting teachers, students, and parents, and how AISD is trying to balance the books. But let’s rewind a little and talk about how we got here in the first place. So broadly speaking, why is AISC dealing with this deficit?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:11] Yeah, so first of all, I want to talk about the number. It’s a one hundred and eighty one million dollar deficit for next school year. That’s what they’re looking at. That’s where they’re tackling. And I don’t think that there’s an easy answer to this because there’s inflation, less kids, more empty seats, but also the per student allotment, how it has not kept up with inflation. Recapture comes up a lot and we can discuss it. But really, how schools are funded in Texas is a big one.
Jerry Quijano [00:06:37] Yeah, and one thing that gets brought up a lot in those discussions of AISD’s budget woes is the Texas School Recapture System, sometimes referred to as the Robin Hood Plan. For people who might not be familiar, how does that plan work and how does it affect AIS?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:52] Yeah, so we would need to go back to how schools are funded to understand recapture, and this is going to be the simplified version. So there’s the per student allotment, which is how much each district gets for each kid. Um, and then that is also based on attendance rate, not enrollment. And then, so the district gets a certain amount of money according how many kids go to school and then, um, recapture comes in because Property-rich districts get more money than those that… Are not property rich. And so those districts will give money to the state so the state can give it to the non-wealthy districts. It’s really an equity tool across the state, but a lot of people say it really reduces state funding, the state’s obligation to fund public schools. Now how does it affect AISD? Well, AISd’s total revenue is a billion four hundred and fifty four million, that’s for next school year, but they have to give back to the $608,604 million. Why? Because they have a certain amount of kids and a certain amount of per student allotment that they’re receiving. And so just so we have an idea of how much they give, but they have given back to the state from 2000, from year 2000, 2001, that school year till 2024, 2025, AISD has given the state approximately $8.3 billion in recapture, but a lot of people also say recapture is not the problem, or at least not recapture itself. Because even if they didn’t pay that much in recapture, they wouldn’t be able to keep the rest. The per student allotment, that’s what people say. The real problem is the per student allotments because that’s how much AISD is able to keep. And if that amount doesn’t go up, then the district can’t keep more money. And so that amount had been at 6,160 per kid. It had been there since 2019. And then last year it went up $55. You can imagine that does not keep up with inflation. And so if that per student allotment doesn’t go up, then the districts will be struggling to keep up inflation.
Jerry Quijano [00:08:57] You mentioned property-rich districts. I gotta assume that Austin isn’t the only city that qualifies for these property- rich districts. Are other districts being affected by this?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:09:07] Yes, I do have to say AISD is the one that gives the most to recapture and by quite a bit. But yes, a lot of districts are struggling with budget deficits this year. In central Texas, we see it in Haysie ISD. We also see it in Pflugerville, Leander. So there’s a lot of districts across the state that are struggling. With budgets.
Jerry Quijano [00:09:27] Okay, so we’ve talked a lot today about the per-student allotment. What are the other factors that are more specific to Austin that are contributing to this budget shortfall?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:09:37] Yeah, so first of all, there’s lower property values that affects what they called golden pennies, which are not subjected to recapture. But then there’s also been a decline in enrollment in the last few years, which means the district gets less money and they still have to keep the same amount of buildings. We’re seeing 10 schools closing this year. But there’s also more recently impact of immigration. Families are afraid to take their kids to and so that affects attendance rates, which affects funding. AISD also offers a lot of extra things to student. And so just to give us an idea, the region average to spend per kid is $10,500. AISC spends 12,400. And this is because of a lot reasons, but there’s also a lot extra. So we are seeing right now the superintendent has says we’re looking at things line by line to make sure there’s no extras that they don’t need anymore and that that’s where they can cut.
Jerry Quijano [00:10:34] Well, the school year wrapped up last week. You’ve been taking a look at how these school closures have impacted the communities here in Austin. Can you tell us a little bit about the stories that you’ve been reporting on?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:10:45] Yeah, so as the school year came to an end, I’ve been working on what we unofficially called a series of lasts, which I’ve been going to the schools that are closing or some of them and just getting the last of something, right? So I went to Betachek and we got their last track meet. And if they won or they didn’t, it was their last chance at glory. I went to Becker. I got their last gardening class. Also last week, we went to the last senior walk and then the last lunch at top. So we’re spending time with different people from different communities, you know, like teachers, coaches, lunch ladies, everybody, the thing that keeps coming up is bittersweet. You know, people are happy to be coming together for a last thing, but they’re also sad that they won’t see each other again.
Jerry Quijano [00:11:31] Yeah, and you’ve been reporting a lot this year about the budget and about the closures, very heavy stories. But what was it like to get back and talk to the actual students who are being affected by all these things that we talk about?
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:11:44] Oh my God, I love it. I think I have really enjoyed my time speaking to kids, like with kids just asking questions because they surprise you with their answers. Last week I asked a kid what he liked the best about cafeteria, the food in his cafeteria and he said that he loved the food there, he loved burgers and that once he tried bringing food from home and that he didn’t like it so he wasn’t going to do that again. So yeah, it’s been a lot of fun and just also seeing how much love there is in these communities and how they talk about each other. It’s really heartwarming.
Jerry Quijano [00:12:22] Okay, we have been speaking with Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez. She is KUT’s education reporter. We’re gonna have a link to her reporting in today’s show notes. Greta, thanks for coming back on the show.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:12:31] Thank you, Jerry.
Jerry Quijano [00:12:32] And school leaders from across the state are testifying today at a Texas House Public Education Committee hearing focused on the implementation of House Bill 2. That’s the law passed last legislative session, increasing funding for teacher pay, educator training, and special education programs. We’re gonna have an update on that hearing. That’s tomorrow here on Austin Signal. The San Antonio Spurs are back in the NBA Finals where they will face the Eastern Conference Champion, New York Knicks. Austin Spurs’ alums Kelden Johnson, Julian Ciampani, and Carter Bryan all scored in San Antonio’s decisive Game 7 victory over the defending champion Thunder. Spurs have won 74 games this season, including a pair of victories at the Moody Center back in February. Tip-off for Game 1 is set for just after 7.30 on Wednesday night. This is Austin’s Signal, and we will be back after this short break. This is Austin Signal, welcome back. After 11 years, the Dog Park plus bar combo, Yard Bar in Austin’s Allendale neighborhood, has closed. But before its last day on Saturday, KUT intern Valeria Cruz-Boutron met a few pups and their owners, who decided to make the best of those last days.
- Robert Cargill [00:13:49] Woof, woof. My name is C. Robert Cargill and my dog is Nix. We’ve been coming to Yard Bar for about four years now. It’s become a part of our daily routine. You know, we come here easily three, four times a week with her. Cause whenever she’s getting rambunctious and wants some clearly just a walk isn’t going to do, but she wants some, some dog play. This is where we like to bring her and wear her out. And also it allows us to sit and talk while she’s having fun and talk with other folks who have dogs and then get to because we’re dog lovers play with other dogs. So it’s, you know, there’s a whole lot of things that are going to absolutely leave a part of our, our routine.
Bailey Gilbert [00:14:32] My name is Bailey Gilbert. And I’m Cass Tasarchik. Mine is Burke, B-U-R-K. And she just turned 10 years old last week. And this is where she gets her interaction. Our other pup’s an old man, so she doesn’t necessarily get that playtime at home. So we come here so she can run around.
Dog Owner [00:14:53] And this is Oliver, he is 13 going on 14, and he’s a tabletop guy around these parts. So he spends most of the time, he’ll probably do a lap, sniff the perimeter, and then make his way to the top of the table and not leave.
Kristen Heaney-Clark [00:15:07] I am Kristen Heaney-Clark and I am the founder and operating owner of Yard Bar. I was always kind of conflicted between whether or not I was going to take my dog out to the park and run him around or go meet my friends for happy hour. And so it seemed like there was probably a better way to do it. You know, in the 11 years that we’ve been here, I think the most incredible thing has been. The community that got built here. I don’t know that I anticipated how much that would mean, how much this place would mean to other people. That’s something I’m really, really proud of. That’s that will live on long past Yard Bar’s days at 6700 Burnet Road.
Tim Harvey [00:15:54] Hi, my name is Tim Harvey. We’ve been coming to Yard Bar since 2019. It’s where I first took my rocket as I rescued him. He came from a kill shelter going out in Bastrop and from a skittish dog to the most friendly dog I’ve ever known of I’ve owned. So I’d say, yeah, this little community we have here it actually helped me raise my dog to be who he is today. So yeah, friendship and family here has been definitely up there, the number one.
Alyssa [00:16:23] Hi, my name is Alisa and my dog’s name is brisket. Wiki, Alisa Wiki. It’s just so fun to see him open up because when we first brought him, he was just hiding under the tables the whole time and he’s just blossomed. It’s so cliche to say, but he really has. He’s just, he owns the park as far as he’s concerned. And so it’s just been really lovely to see his personality come out through all of the interactions here too.
Kristen Heaney-Clark [00:16:47] Have a great week!
Jerry Quijano [00:16:55] That audio postcard feature sound from KUT intern Valeria Cruz Butron will have a link to her story in today’s podcast, Show Notes. Yael Ouzaloo started doodling as a way to process grief, and now she continues the practice as a creative outlet. For the KUT KUTX Studio podcast, this is my thing. Ouzalu told host Mike Lee that calling it doodaling and not art takes the pressure off and keeps it fun.
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:17:39] Everyone who does something creative does does the thing that kind of speaks to them and there’s I guess there’s no real knowing why Some people love pen and paper and some people love getting their hands on ceramics Some folks like glass blowing just kind of what works for you
Yael Ouzaloo [00:17:55] And I think for me, it’s accessible. Like you don’t need major equipment. You don’t even need the notebooks that I use. You can just pick up paper that you’ve got in your copy paper, right? You can pick up pens that you got. So I think it was just, it was accessible.
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:18:14] Every sense. This is a hobby you can get into completely for free if you just boost some stuff from the office of like, exactly, exactly.
Yael Ouzaloo [00:18:21] Yeah, if you’ve got your favorite pens and stuff. And it’s funny how many people I’ve spoken to who really have a love of pens and has their favorite pen that they have to write with or different color ink, you know, I only write with blue ink or I only with black ink or whatever it is. I mean, I can refer you to the fountain pen episode of this show. If you wanna…
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:18:43] You guys
Yael Ouzaloo [00:18:43] more about that. It’s really interesting to me how many people have a love for pens and paper and things like that. So it just kind of flows from that. I have different kinds of markers. I have the pasta markers which are acrylic paint. They’re really fun to use. They are very vivid. I have Sharpie pens and I have a bag full of different pens that I like to use my favorite Are the microns… I am trying to learn the lesson of letting it go, seeing how the process unfolds. And if it’s not perfect, it’s now perfect. And if doesn’t turn out exactly how I anticipated, well that’s okay because it turned out the way it was meant to be. So when I started, I was looking at a picture of the landing into the ocean, but at this point in time, I just have the picture in my head and I just interpret what I think it looks. I don’t know why there’s always this need to become perfect at something, right? I think that the journey is just as valuable in learning about it and doing it in a way that makes you feel happy and satisfied. But I think ultimately you have to think about what your goal is in this, right. And my goal in doing this was to find a way to deal with the grief that I was feeling, find a way to deal with what was happening. You know, in the world and find a way to process all of this. My goal was not to create the next beautiful piece of art, right? My goal is not to become perfect at watercolors or anything like that. It was to find an outlet. And I think that that’s just as worthy.
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:20:36] Perfection’s boring, anyway.
Yael Ouzaloo [00:20:40] When I was doing this, I accidentally colored in here, in this square. And in my day job, I’d be like, oh, damn, I messed that up. Now I’m like, all right, whatever. This just kind of gives me permission to take it wherever it goes and to incorporate the mistakes into the design and be OK with it.
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:21:04] It’s what Bob Ross calls a happy accident. Exactly. Exactly.
Yael Ouzaloo [00:21:09] I remember years ago, I started, I went to a couple yoga classes and I did like the intro to yoga lessons and all of this and I was, and I, I mean, this is my competitiveness. I got out, I was like, I want to be so good at, I wanna be the best at yoga that I can ever be. Years later, it was like I think I missed the point. Were you trying to win the yoga class? Yes, I was trying to win the Yoga class. And I’m like, this is real. And I was like, oh, I’m so good at like I’m still good at warrior pose, but I’m really bad at downward talk. I need to do better at some salutations. I’m why am I doing this to myself?
KUT Announcer: Mike Lee [00:21:43] I have a little inside knowledge here. My wife is a yoga instructor and she’s never returned from a class and told me who won.
Yael Ouzaloo [00:21:49] Right? So, so I know I’m like that. So I think that this becomes a vehicle to not be that, you know, like I, I have had highly stressful, very deadline oriented types of jobs. And so I’m trying to create a space that is not that.
Jerry Quijano [00:22:10] So That is Mike Lee, host of the This Is My Thing podcast, talking about doodling with Yael Ouzalu. That conversation is only available on the podcast version, so just a little special treat for you here on this first day of June. This Is my Thing has a new episode out tomorrow that talks about the calming effects one veteran feels when he crochets. We’ll have a link to the podcast in our show notes. That is it for us today here on Austin Signal. And as always, if you’re looking to find more from us or catch up on past episodes, you can do that at kut.org slash Signal. Rayna Sevilla is our technical director, Alexandra Hart is our producer, and Kristen Cabrera is our managing producer. I’m your host, Jerry Quijano. Thank you for spending the first day of June here with Austin Signal. We will be back at the same time tomorrow. We will talk to you then. Have a fantastic day.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
