Cap Metro wants French company to run bus service despite warnings from union leaders

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is moving to hire a Paris-based company to operate bus service in the Austin area – sidelining the current contractor, MV Transportation, and raising alarms among union leaders representing more than 1,200 bus drivers and maintenance…

Council considering allowing tiny homes, RVs as accessory dwelling units

City Council seems poised to initiate changes to city zoning regulations that will allow tiny homes and recreational vehicles to be used as accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. Council Member Leslie Pool is sponsoring a resolution on today’s Council…

Vela's call for transparency would require police to release detailed data monthly

Austin Police Department may soon be required to regularly publish comprehensive data on the city’s digital portal in a move to add transparency and address a backlog of thousands of public information requests. City Council is set to consider a…

Cap Metro board holds public hearing on proposed FY 2024 budget

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors on Wednesday held a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operating and Capital Budget. Kevin Conlan, deputy chief financial officer, presented an overview of the $871 million budget proposal to…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 9.14.23

At the risk of seeming optimistic and bad at defining “fun,” today’s City Council meeting seems like it could be just that. There are a few things in particular that caught our eye, and those are detailed below. The agenda…

Campaign to landmark Peter Pan Mini Golf gains traction at city's preservation office

After 75 years in business, Austin’s Peter Pan Mini Golf is hoping to celebrate many more, with a grassroots campaign to zone the site historic beginning to take shape at the city’s Historic Preservation Office. The one-of-a-kind golf course made…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Council hears details of proposed $1M incentive package for NXP Semiconductors

A Dutch semiconductor manufacturer with two factories in Austin has applied to receive the city’s first major economic incentive package since 2017. City Council heard details at Tuesday’s work session about the proposed agreement with NXP Semiconductors N.V., which is…

Vacancies at public safety agencies drive overtime costs

Staffing shortages in the city’s police, fire and emergency medical services departments are driving record-high reliance on overtime. Following a request from the city’s Public Safety Commission, public safety officials provided data on overtime use, as well as some possible…

Hotels adjust proposed new tax, giving city steady funds for homeless services

The city’s major hoteliers have agreed to adjust the terms of a proposed new tax that will provide the city consistent money to fund homelessness services even while tourism drops off during the forthcoming reconstruction of the Austin Convention Center.…

Austin delays removal of Flo, Barton Springs' century-old tree

Flo, Barton Springs’ iconic leaning pecan tree, will live to see at least a few more days. Just last week, Austin Parks and Recreation announced they would cut down the tree this Thursday because of Flo’s deteriorating condition – but today…

Commission looks into how Austin creates street crossings

There’s a simple explanation for why Austinites may have noticed more signaled crosswalks in recent years: There are more. A recent discussion on the state of pedestrian hybrid beacons in the city caught up Urban Transportation Commission members on the…

Travis Heights "gingerbread house" on track for historic landmark status

Travis Heights preservationists had cause for celebration last week, as a proposal to landmark an iconic neighborhood home broke up the typical routine of demolition and disappointment. The case to rezone the property at 2101 Travis Heights Blvd., known among…