The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Winter storm prompts widespread power outages, with no estimate of restoration

Another historic winter storm left more than 147,000 Austin Energy customers without power and more than 100 work crews struggling to repair downed power lines, with no estimate of when the outages would be resolved.  “We had hoped to make…

Energy • By Emma Freer • Feb 3, 2023

Plans for cocktail lounge on Guadalupe draw neighborhood concerns

Residents of the Heritage neighborhood showed up in force last Tuesday at the Planning Commission to object to a proposed cocktail lounge at 3100 Guadalupe St.  The site, currently home to a dry cleaners, is set to be transformed into…

Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 3, 2023

children at day care

Council approves measures to help child care providers

At its first meeting of the year, City Council voted unanimously to direct the city manager to work on ways to lower the barriers to setting up new child care facilities and reduce parking requirements for such businesses. Council Member…

Austin • By Jo Clifton • Feb 2, 2023

New cultural arts awards bring opportunities, disappointment for applicants

Staff in the city’s Cultural Arts Division prepared themselves to hear some frustration in response to the selection of the first recipients of a radically structured system for awarding arts contracts. During last week’s Arts Commission meeting, staffers reviewed the steps…

Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 2, 2023

More than 170,000 Austin Energy customers lost power as a winter storm hits Central Texas

More than 30 percent of Austin Energy customers didn’t have power Wednesday as a winter storm continued to roll through Central Texas, causing ice to accumulate on power lines, utility poles and tree limbs. The electric utility says crews are…

Energy • By KUT News • Feb 2, 2023

Canally named sole finalist for ATP amidst confusion

Members of the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors have unanimously recommended that ATP interim Executive Director Greg Canally be presented to the community as the sole candidate for the permanent executive director job. Canally has served as interim director…

Transit • By Jo Clifton • Feb 1, 2023

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

Library Commission working group to track bills restricting access to library materials

Since the Texas Legislature reconvened for its 88th session in January, the city’s Library Commission has been tracking a number of bills concerning restriction of library materials. At last Monday’s regular meeting, commissioners expressed their concern about some of the…

Texas State Legislature • By Ava Garderet • Feb 1, 2023

City’s hotel tax on the upswing after pandemic

The city’s Arts Commission heard an update last week on the status of the Cultural Arts Fund and Hotel Occupancy Tax collection numbers for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-23. After a rough showing during the pandemic, there are…

Budget • By Nina Hernandez • Feb 1, 2023

Winter storm warning in Austin area extended through Thursday morning; road conditions worsen

Lee esta historia en español. The National Weather Service extended a winter storm warning in Central Texas until Thursday morning. Previously, the warning, which began Monday, was scheduled only through Wednesday afternoon, but NWS is now anticipating freezing rain through Wednesday night.…

Austin • By KUT News • Jan 31, 2023

City to start major push to recruit employees

The city of Austin announced Monday that it would begin a major campaign this week to promote difficult-to-fill jobs. Worker shortages have been particularly noticeable within Austin-Travis County EMS and the police department. According to information provided by Deborah Jennings…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 31, 2023

Parks board tables recommendation on Zilker vision plan after public debate

The city’s Parks and Recreation Board became an outlet for pent-up concern about the draft Zilker Park vision plan last week. For more than two hours, community members and organizations including the Texas Sierra Club and Save Our Springs Alliance testified…

Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 31, 2023

New City Council kicks off 2023 with UN biodiversity pledge

Austin’s brand-new City Council has officially begun legislating, kicking things off with an ambitious pledge to environmental stewardship. The resolution, sponsored by Council Member Leslie Pool, commits the city to adopt 23 targets established at the UN’s 15th Convention on…

Environment • By Kali Bramble • Jan 31, 2023

« Previous Page — Next Page »