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Latest Headlines for Thursday, December 1
Clogged wells, ongoing drought gum up Deep Eddy Pool’s opening hours
Deep Eddy Pool is facing delayed opening hours due to drought conditions and the clogged status of two of the wells the city uses to keep the spring-fed pool in operation. Although regular maintenance scheduled for January may alleviate some…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Dec 1, 2022
Still more questions than answers approaching Austin Energy rate case vote
City Council appears far from resolved heading into today’s vote on Austin Energy base rates, leaving last Tuesday’s work session with the case’s biggest questions still unanswered. On the top of the list is the issue of revenue requirement, with…
Energy • By Kali Bramble • Dec 1, 2022
Council working on rules for city-owned property
City Council Member Kathie Tovo has been working on resolutions intended to ensure that city staff follow certain policies when renting or selling city property. The policies relate to the requirements for construction projects, living wage, minority and women-owned business…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Dec 1, 2022
Events task force delivers recommendations for managing major gatherings
The city will likely begin collecting and publishing comprehensive information on major events and music festivals in the coming years as part of a widespread revision to the special events ordinance that regulates large gatherings impacting communities and city services.…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 1, 2022
Featured Collection: Austin Energy 2022 rate case
Austin Energy ramps up outreach for proposed rate changes
Austin Energy has entered the public hearing phase of its base rate review process, following its proposal to raise service costs. The monthslong dialogue with stakeholders and city staff, slated for resolution by City Council in November, has surfaced predictable…
More Headlines for Austin Energy 2022 rate case
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 12.1.22
As the clock winds down on this iteration of City Council, there is a certain amount of pressure on Council members who are on the way out to cement their legacies and tie up any loose ends before handing over…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • Dec 1, 2022
Austin leaders brace for state lawmakers to take up bills restricting library content and resources
After Texas lawmakers placed limitations on how Texas teachers approach lessons on history and racism and passed anti-trans legislation in recent sessions, Austin leaders are preparing for further action on these fronts when the Legislature convenes for its 88th session…
Education • By Andrea Guzman • Nov 30, 2022
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Lengthy delay predicted for some environmental rules
Environmentalists looking forward to changes in city regulations requiring new developments to include more green infrastructure may be disappointed to hear that the final piece in that project may be delayed until mid-2024. City Council adopted some of the rules…
Environment • By Jo Clifton • Nov 30, 2022
City reverses decision, granting variance from compatibility in storage unit case
City Council is set to consider the topic of compatibility on a larger scale Thursday. Meanwhile, the Board of Adjustment took a second swing at the issue on a more granular level, voting at its last meeting to overturn a…
Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Nov 30, 2022
Austin Police Department Budget, 2012-2022
During the 2020-21 budget process, City Council cut $31.5 million from APD’s budget, citing the protests and “community outcry against the disproportionate impact of police violence on Black Americans, Latinx Americans and other non-white ethnic communities,” according to the approved…
County gets creative to counter 'staggering' number of fentanyl deaths
In the first half of this year, from January to June, 118 people in Travis County died from an overdose of fentanyl. This equaled the number of fentanyl-related overdoses from the entirety of last year. The outsized opioid-overdose figures spurred…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Nov 29, 2022
November delivered more rain than usual to Austin, but not enough to shake the drought
It’s been a wet November in Central Texas, with cold, rainy days through the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. That weather might have affected your plans, but was a welcome break from continuing drought. It was also another unusual twist…
Austin • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Nov 29, 2022
Environmental Commission recommends Concordia sports complex variance
Earlier this month, the Environmental Commission recommended a variance for Concordia University’s sports complex project in North Austin. Concordia is working on a number of improvements to upgrade its sports facilities in compliance with NCAA rules, including an artificial turf…
Environment • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 29, 2022
It's been a pivotal year
One year ago we removed our paywall and set a new course for our organization. For a small nonprofit news organization, this was a big change. We knew our in-depth and independent reporting would be the throughline and engine for…
Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Nov 29, 2022
Nonprofit spotlight: Four questions for American Gateways
American Gateways ensures access to the justice system for low-income immigrants. We serve 23 counties in Central Texas and provide high-quality legal representation and accurate information about what is happening in our immigration system. What is the mission of American…
