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Transit-oriented development plan prompts parking discussions

Parking has been at the center of discussions around the equitable transit-oriented development policy plan, a document City Council plans to vote on this week that will guide future housing and land use policies around Project Connect stations.  Elected officials…

HACA shifts voucher allocation to let housing groups assist homeless

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has shifted 300 of its housing vouchers to be more available to those experiencing homelessness, in a move aimed at helping the city reduce the number of people in chronic need of…

Changes to city lobbying rules OK'd by Ethics Review Commission

The Ethics Review Commission has given its OK to a series of amendments to the city’s lobbying regulations. The changes are set to be voted on by City Council on March 23. The city clerk’s office suggested them to clarify…

Behind a 'messed up' process to pick Austin's next light-rail leader

Lee esta historia en español The Austin Transit Partnership – a voter-created organization collecting almost $160 million a year in property tax to build a light-rail system – has chosen a permanent leader to oversee the single largest expansion of…

Jury says Austin Energy retaliated against employee

A Travis County district court jury has voted to award $750,000 to an Austin Energy employee after finding that other city employees retaliated against her after she filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination based on…

City announces police pay package ahead of police labor contract expiration

The city of Austin announced a plan to preserve police pay and benefits and to address long-standing staffing shortages when the current police labor contract expires at the end of this month with no likely successor in place. “We are…

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Lifeguard hiring back on track after wage increase and dedicated outreach

Austin is on pace to hire a sufficient number of lifeguards to open all of its pools and splash pads this upcoming summer – aided by the city’s minimum wage increase to $20 an hour and dedicated outreach from its…

Library legislative working group gets update on ‘bills of concern’

The Library Commission spent the majority of its regular meeting on Monday discussing proposed legislation viewed as potentially harmful to the mission of libraries in Austin and statewide. Commissioner Courtney Rosenthal, who is leading the commission’s legislative working group that…

695 homes – many of them affordable – planned on East Riverside

The Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended approval of a zoning change that could bring a large mixed-use project with affordable housing to Riverside Drive. Plans for the project at 6610 East Riverside Drive include 600 residential units, half of which…

Eligibility language confusion adds to frustrations over new Cultural Arts awards

Arts leaders dissatisfied with the city’s new Thrive program for funding established arts organizations are pointing to unclear wording in the program’s eligibility language for causing some groups to forgo applying. Some are also arguing that the requirements should have…

front of City Hall

Austin's interim city manager shakes up leadership team after initial organizational review

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza is ushering in a new era of leadership this week. On Wednesday, his office announced two high-profile departures from city management, as well as four new hirings that Garza billed as “a solid foundation for…

Travis County pushes TxDOT to modify I-35 plan to reduce land seizures, add crossings

Travis County commissioners are doing the same thing City Council did last week: asking Texas to tweak its gargantuan Interstate 35 expansion plan. The five-member panel of elected officials – led on this issue by Precinct 2 Commissioner Brigid Shea…