Urban Transportation Commission discusses, makes recommendations on CAMPO’s draft regional plan for 2050

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is cooking up a quinquennial update to its regional transportation plan, and for its part, the Urban Transportation Commission is urging CAMPO to reflect the city’s priorities – and trash some highway projects –…

Roads • By Miles Wall • Apr 8, 2025

Public Health Commission looks at curbing heat illnesses, promoting drug counselor training

The Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission is fine-tuning recommendations on two initiatives aimed at expanding harm reduction services and protecting outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. During the latest meeting, commissioners reviewed draft recommendations on both issues but took no votes,…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 8, 2025

Council gets early look at public health cuts caused by federal funding losses

Austin Public Health leaders are working to manage an ongoing budget crisis caused by federal funding cuts that have destabilized programs across the city. City Council’s Public Health Committee heard last week that APH has already lost approximately $15 million…

Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 7, 2025

Austin’s redemption arc: The embarrassing recent failures and hard-fought reforms in our city’s response to sexual assault

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The city of Austin has garnered national attention for its prior failures to investigate cases and support survivors in their healing and, more recently, for its survivor-led reforms. The Austin Monitor took…

Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 7, 2025

Two bills compete to reform firefighters retirement fund

Two competing bills in the Texas Legislature aim to tackle the issue of reforming the funding structure of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund. In a message on the City Council Message Board (posted by the mayor’s chief of staff, Colleen…

Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Apr 7, 2025

Staffing isn't the only thing to blame for Austin's slow 911 response times

When someone calls 911 for help in Austin, about 93 percent of those calls are answered within 15 seconds. But once those calls are answered, police, fire or EMS must then respond. And those public safety agencies are not responding…

Public Safety • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Apr 4, 2025

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City Council expected to implement requirements for residential air conditioning

The city is revising its technical building codes. As part of this process, City Council is slated to adopt changes to Austin’s version of the International Property Maintenance Code on April 10. Most notably, these changes will include a requirement…

City Council • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 4, 2025

Workshops helping city gear up business expansion, place-based incentive programs

Ahead of a planned rollout in May, the city is hoping a series of workshops this month will generate interest in its updated business expansion and upcoming place-based enhancement incentive programs. The programs, which were recently approved by City Council,…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 4, 2025

SOS suing state agency over failure to provide information on MoPac expansion

The Save our Springs Alliance has filed suit against the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority because of the agency’s failure to release information about the proposed 8-mile expansion of MoPac Expressway South. SOS says that expansion is “one of the…

Courts • By Jo Clifton • Apr 3, 2025

Resource Management Commission, Austin Energy discuss reforms to homeowner solar incentives

The Resource Management Commission held an extended discussion on March 25 on a resolution urging Austin Energy, by way of City Council, to undertake several key reforms to residential solar incentive programs. The resolution, titled “Resolution on Changes to Residential…

Energy • By Miles Wall • Apr 3, 2025

Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland to retire following administrative leave

The city announced last week that Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland will retire, effective May 9, following his placement on administrative leave in early March. Bland, the director of the Austin Animal Center since 2019, was placed on administrative…

City Hall • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Apr 3, 2025

City to help preserve artworks threatened by convention center teardown

The city appears to have solutions to save a group of artworks installed in the Austin Convention Center that were in danger of being destroyed as the demolition and reconstruction of the facility moves forward. Late last month, artist John…

City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 2, 2025

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