u/AndreaBallReporter

I have never been in love with Austin.

I’m not into the music scene. I’m not into the trails. Don’t care about UT football. Don’t hang out at Barton Springs. Don’t spend my days at the city’s parks, in the libraries or out exploring the food scene. 

And I have never, ever believed Austin is weird.

I am, essentially, a very boring person. I throw myself into my work, come home, watch movies or listen to books, go to sleep, then do it all over again.

Now. Let’s be fair. I have an intellectually engaging, sometimes exciting job. I have my family. I don’t need much else. I can live my boring life in Austin or anywhere else. And I have.

So for 27 years, I have lived here without any deep sense of connection to the city. 

Then, one day, I fell in love with Austin in the least expected place: City Hall.

I am a reporter with Austin Current. For months I’ve been covering Dog’s Head, a proposed 2,600-acre, mixed-use development in Southeast Austin. The project is spearheaded by a company named Endeavor. Dog's Head foes say the development is moving too fast and needs more environmental scrutiny.

On July 23, a major vote was headed to the council and I had to cover it.

More than 600 people signed up to speak. For 12 hours, while listening to people talk about Dog's Head and other government business, I sat in City Hall watching Austin do Austin.

Dog’s Head opponents clapped, snapped and cheered for speeches they liked. They heckled the ones they didn’t.

When Richard Suttle, lawyer for Endeavor, talked about the project, the audience rumbled its disapproval. 

Mayor Kirk Watson interrupted the crowd.

“Let’s act like we support our democracy and we allow the people to speak without interruption,” he said.

People hissed.

“You can hiss at me all you want,” Watson said.

“Democracy is dead here!” someone yelled.

I don't know about that. Public comment is one of the most unhinged and beautiful parts of democracy. And Austin was public commenting.

Singer-songwriter Bill Oliver showed up with a guitar.

“Oh my god, yes!” I said to the stranger next to me. “I LOVE when people sing at city council!”

“Oh you haven’t heard this one?” she responded. “It’s good.”

Oliver played a rousing song with words tailored to Dog’s Head. When he hit the chorus, half the crowd sang along.

“You’re in the dog house now!” they sang. “You’re in the dog house now!”

Some council members cheerfully pulled out their phones to capture the moment. Others remained stone-faced. I may or may not have swayed a little.

Then, later, another delightful surprise: A second guitar player with her own song!

“They want 2.2. billion of our taxpayer dollars..."

The "time’s up" chimes rang out. The musician stood and continued singing as she walked up the aisle.

Not weird. Just Austin.

I saw courage. A young man who signed up for public comment was so terrified to speak in public, he froze. His face contorted as he tried to will himself through the fear. His agony was palpable. He asked the council to come back to him. 

When they did, this young man pushed forward and spoke his piece. The crowd urged him on with applause. 

I saw kindness. The mayor sent well wishes to Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 weeks pregnant. She had to deliver early and is undergoing treatment.

I saw speeches by people I’d hoped to meet, like David Sides, who lives on Dog’s Head. He talked about how he was happy that someone was finally going to deal with the torn up land and abandoned mining pits near his home of 47 years. 

I saw 12 hours of debate, anger, laughter, tears, music, condescension and authenticity. It was so... human.

I didn’t just see those people. I saw myself in them. Just folks from all walks of life, doing their own thing for their own reasons.  

After spending years unmoved by parks and libraries and springs and food and music, the thing that finally made me fall in love with Austin was Austin being Austin for 12 hours in City Hall.

 It wasn’t weird. It was inevitable.