Here's how Austin City Council voted on live music venues, APD data and windowless bedrooms

The Austin City Council voted on and discussed well over 100 items during its regularly scheduled meeting Thursday – ranging from a resolution to regularly publish more data from the Austin Police Department, the initial approval of a revenue-generating Tourism Public Interest District and initiating amendments to the land development code.

Items require a vote of six or more members on the 11-person City Council on an ordinance, resolution or a motion, according to the city's procedural rules. Items can also be passed on the consent agenda, which is a group of routine items voted on with one motion rather than voting on each item separately.

The council voted 8-0 on Thursday to pass the consent agenda. Council Members Leslie Pool, Alison Alter and Natasha Harper-Madison were off the dais Thursday.

Here are some of the items on Thursday's docket:

Live music venues

The council voted on an ordinance that would amend the city's land development code relating to live music venues and "creative spaces."

Live music venues are currently treated as cocktail lounges in city code, which heavily restricts the areas in which they're allowed to operate, Donald Jackson, business process consultant for the city's Economic Development Department, told the American-Statesman.

"The amendments modify what constitutes a personal improvement service, clarifies that theatersinclude venues with live music performances, and adds 'performance venue' land use," according to the recommendation for action listed for the item. "Additionally, the ordinance will establish site development regulations for performance venues and establishes when this use is conditional and permitted."

Advocates have said the current definition of live music venues in the city has been detrimental to the business model and have been pushing for a definition specific to the music venues. Others fear this change could spur the growth of venues more interested in selling alcohol than providing live music.

The item passed unanimously with no discussion between council members or any public discussion.

More: Austin City Council members want APD data published regularly online for more transparency

Windowless bedrooms

Sponsored by District 9 Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, item 82 on Thursday's agenda seeks to address windowless bedrooms in new buildings.

"Windowless rooms have been permitted and constructed throughout developments in West Campus, including 222 bedrooms, or 44% of rooms, in the Ion Austin, and 115 bedrooms, or 22% of rooms, in the 9 Legacy on Rio," the resolution draft states.

The resolution "initiates amendments to Title 25 (Land Development), to require access to natural light for all sleeping rooms in new buildings."

Initiating amendments to the land development code, according to Caleb Pritchard, a staff member in Qadri's office, means it directs the city staff to start drafting an amendment, which will be voted on by the council at a later date. No changes are made to the city code after the initial vote.

The item has been co-sponsored by Council Members Harper-Madison, Paige Ellis and José Velásquez. Pool asked to be added as a co-sponsor to the item on the City Council message board.

The item passed on the consent agenda.

RV's and tiny homes within single-family districts

Sponsored by Pool, Item 83 on Thursday's agenda seeks to initiate amendments to the city's land development code to "allow recreational vehicle use within single-family zoning districts," the resolution draft states.

"Austin’s current Land Development Code only allows RVs within lots zoned for campgrounds, mobile homes, and some other commercially zoned uses but not within single-family residential districts," the resolution draft states.

Pool posted an updated version of the draft resolution on the council message board after Tuesday's work session, stating: "I will be adding a requirement for tiny homes to be registered with the City if they are used as Short Term Rentals and require them to adhere to all aspects of the International Residential Code including maintaining required fire distances from other dwelling units. I will also clarify that they should count as dwelling units and adhere to zoning code limits."

This resolution, like Qadri's, also seeks to "initiate amendments" to the city's land development code, meaning no changes are made to the code after Thursday's vote. Rather, the city staff is directed to begin drafting language for a potential amendment.

The item is currently co-sponsored by Council Members Ellis, Harper-Madison, Qadri and José ''Chito'' Vela.

The item passed on the consent agenda.

The Austin Tourism Public Interest District

The city of Austin for over two years has been interested in creating a Tourism Public Interest District – an agreement that would require hotels in the city of Austin with 100 rooms or more to pay a percentage of their nightly revenue to the city in exchange for marketing and sales incentives.

City officials say the district would provide "critical funding for tourism in Austin during years of Convention Center closure," according to a presentation given to the City Council in August. The current project timeline estimates that the convention center will close in 2025 and the new facility will open in 2029. Construction on the convention center is estimated to cost $1.6 billion and is to be funded by revenue from the convention center and the Hotel Occupancy Tax.

Item 9 on Thursday was initially set to be voted on during the Aug. 31 council meeting but was postponed by District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes.

More: Austin City Council to consider new fundraising tool using hotel revenues

In a statement from District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter, he said he and Fuentes reached an agreement with the Austin Hotels Lodging Association, adding that he will propose an amendment to "guarantee that 20% of those new revenues will be used to reimburse the City for major event expenses and promotion of events at locations used in lieu of the Austin Convention Center."

"This agreement improves upon the prior proposal presented a few months ago. It will result in a greater investment in our local community while allowing the City to further address critical needs," Fuentes said in the statement.

The item, which approved the draft service plan and language in a petition to be signed by 60% of hotel ownership groups in the city, was passed unanimously on the consent agenda.

To view the full City Council agenda for Thursday's meeting, visit the City Council's website.

Ella McCarthy covers Austin city government for the American-Statesman. She will continue her coverage of the Austin City Council meeting and her additional work will be available at statesman.com following city council action. To share additional tips or insights with McCarthy, email her at emccarthy@statesman.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How Austin City Council voted on APD data, music venues and more