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Most Popular Stories
- A plan to end night swimming at Barton Springs is over before it ever began
- Downtown report: Office vacancies up, infrastructure growth continues
- Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
- City to postpone UNO vote to consult with UT
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$9.1M emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard expected to open by end of August
City Council on Thursday approved a proposal to operate a $9.1 million temporary emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard, a city-owned facility located near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The move comes as Austin sees 10 straight days of temperatures…
City Council • By Andrea Guzman • Jul 21, 2023
Council orders overhaul of SMART housing program
City Council voted this week to proceed with an overhaul of the SMART housing program. The SMART (Safe, Mixed-Income, Accessible, Reasonably Priced, Transit-Oriented) housing program grants certain fee waivers to housing developments that agree to include affordable housing. The list…
Housing • By Nina Hernandez • Jul 21, 2023
Proposed budget emphasizes city basics, long-term financial stability
Interim City Manager Jesús Garza and city financial staff on Wednesday presented their proposed $5.5 billion budget for 2023-24. Austin taxpayers currently pay 46.27 cents per $100 taxable value. That rate will decline to 42.42 cents for next year, although…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Jul 20, 2023
Garza explains motivations behind proposed changes to Equity, Civil Rights offices
At Wednesday’s budget work session, interim City Manager Jesús Garza offered some of his rationale behind the proposed reorganization of four city offices, a change that has drawn criticism from community groups involved in equality and racial justice. During the…
Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 20, 2023
Council to formalize $200 minimum pay for musicians at city events
City Council will likely adopt a new pay scale for musicians performing for city events today, adopting a rate of $200 per musician as a base rate with a sliding scale for performers in larger groups. The resolution set for…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 20, 2023
County approves Travis Club development, despite community objections
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday passed a motion approving an initial phase of the Travis Club development, a 1,047-acre property – featuring golf course lots, a marina and more than 500 housing units – that is slated for…
Development • By Seth Smalley • Jul 20, 2023
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TipSheet: City Council, 7.20.23
Today, City Council returns from its summer break with a hefty 196-item agenda that may test the startling efficiency of Mayor Kirk Watson. Of course, not all of those items will warrant a discussion (or coverage), but we’ve done our…
City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jul 20, 2023
Council considers code amendments to relax single-family zoning rules
City Council will consider an item at this week’s meeting that would begin the process of relaxing the city’s strict single-family zoning rules. Item 126, sponsored by Council Member Leslie Pool, directs the city manager to propose code amendments that…
Land Development Code • By Nina Hernandez • Jul 19, 2023
Do Austin's new bus shelters cut it in the Texas heat?
Under Austin’s scorching afternoon sun, Elijah Archie finds himself at the outskirts of Capital Metro’s service area. He’s on Decker Lane, earbuds in, eyes scanning for the bus. He’s standing next to one of the public transit provider’s sleek, new…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jul 19, 2023
Council member asks for analysis of Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan, including homelessness aid
The plan for an Austin Tourism Public Improvement District is set for a deep-dive analysis, after City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes requested a briefing on it during a work session Tuesday. The draft plan would create an agreement with local…
City Council • By Andrea Guzman • Jul 19, 2023
City makes Barton Springs Road safety improvements ahead of pilot
The city recently began work on a series of safety improvements to the crash-prone stretch of Barton Springs Road between Stratford Drive – inside Zilker Park – and South Lamar Boulevard, ahead of a yearlong pilot program that has prompted…
Parks • By Emma Freer • Jul 19, 2023
Proposal to reorganize Equity, Civil Rights offices draws criticism ahead of budget release
The proposed reorganization of a handful of city offices under the early draft of the city budget is drawing criticism from community groups, who argue the changes will undermine years of work to improve equity, civil rights and services to…
