By Ciara O'Rourke
American-Statesman Staff
The city has indefinitely postponed voting on a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the Austin Fire Department’s hiring process in 2012 was discriminatory.
The Justice Department has not provided a final version of the proposed settlement, which is called a “consent decree,” and city officials don’t know when one will be available, according to a memo sent from City Attorney Karen Kennard to the mayor and council members Monday.
However, negotiations appear to be ongoing. The federal agency has arranged a Wednesday meeting with the city, the Austin Firefighters Association and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Kennard said in the memo. Former Travis County district judge Patrick Keel is expected to attend the meeting as a mediator.