AUSTIN--During Tuesday's Zoning and Platting Commission meeting, Austin transportation engineer Scott Gross opted to use a "Judgmental Austin Map" during a presentation. He was briefing the Commission on Austin's Street Network Plan, which was last updated in 2004.
One commissioner questioned why the particular map was used. Gross chuckled as she began to read aloud neighborhood labels from the map.
"I see that the east side is labeled 'Blacks resisting gentrification,' and there is 'Indian engineering students, ultra-poor students,' and disparaging remarks that say 'Mexican H-E-B, XXL hookers, cougar apartments and homeless camp," Jolene Kiolbassa said. "I just thought that was a little inappropriate for a city presentation, and it detracted from the point that you were trying to make."
"I apologize if it offended you," Gross said. "I thought it would add a little bit of levity. This was something that got a lot of news a year or so ago. In looking for Austin maps online, I was looking for something that would identify different neighborhoods in context. It was a little tongue-in-cheek; I can take that out, though, for subsequent presentations."
City Manager Marc Ott apologized in a memo to the Austin City Council.
"Using this backdrop was completely inappropriate," he said. "Upon learning this morning of its inclusion in a staff presentation, I took immediate action to identify the employee who used such extremely poor judgement. That employee has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation into this matter."
According to the Texas Tribune Salaries Database, the City of Austin hired Gross in Nov. 2009. He is one of three consulting engineers within the Austin Transportation Department, and Gross makes $105,685 a year.