ASPIRE project to bring affordable housing, business training to North Austin

BiGAUSTIN, the Black-led nonprofit group that has provided microlending, business training and workforce assistance for nearly 30 years, has announced plans to construct a massive new community resource center and affordable housing community in a partnership with Banc of America…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 11.3.22

City Council convenes for yet another regular meeting today and we’ve put together yet another TipSheet to guide our readers through the anticipated highlights of that meeting. As usual, the thorough and the curious can check out the full agenda…

Broken buses slow Capital Metro schedules

Capital Metro bus commuters, already coping with reduced schedules put in place last year, are this week facing further frustrations as they try to catch a bus. The regional transit agency says a shortage of bus parts is keeping a…

front of City Hall

Changes likely for City Council speaker rules

City Council has been operating under rules designed for a city living with a pandemic. Now that Covid rates have declined significantly, some Council members are thinking about how the rules for speakers addressing Council might be changed to allow…

Effort to designate West Austin house historic fails at Council

At its regular meeting last week, City Council did not pass an item that would have designated West Austin’s Delisle House a historic landmark. Before the vote, Mayor Steve Adler explained that the measure would need a nine-vote supermajority to…

Police union rejects city’s proposals to expand civilian oversight, raise pay

With the city of Austin eager to reach an expedited agreement for a new police labor contract that expands civilian oversight, the police union is demanding higher wages for officers – or no deal.  Lowell Denton, an outside attorney and…

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Council adopts new stormwater rules

After considerable delay and discussion, City Council finally approved new environmental regulations related to drainage, landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure on Thursday. Mackenzie Kelly was the only Council member to vote no, and Natasha Harper-Madison was off the dais. Last…

Ethics commission notifies D8 candidate of campaign materials violation

The Ethics Review Commission will file a letter of notification for a City Council candidate who neglected to put required disclaimers on some of his campaign materials. At last week’s meeting, the commission held the preliminary hearing for the complaint…

City Summit: Reflections and looking ahead

As we enter November we’re approaching the first anniversary of removing our paywall. Though it feels like a lifetime ago, this was a major, risky and mission-driven decision for our nonprofit organization. In the year that followed, we knew that…

Council hears push for offices, senior space at Nash Hernandez building

City Council could help decide the future of the Nash Hernandez building in East Austin in the coming months, as debate continues over whether to convert the long-idle building into office space or a senior center. At Thursday’s meeting, Lori…

Planning Commission supports North Austin townhome project

The Planning Commission recommended a rezoning Tuesday for a townhome project in North Austin amid objections from several neighbors. The property in question is a 5.5-acre tract at 10600 Jonwood Way. The owner hopes to rezone the property from Single…

Austin approves $1.75 million settlement in lawsuit over police conduct during 2020 protests

City Council has approved a nearly $2 million settlement in a lawsuit related to police use of force during racial justice protests in 2020. In his complaint, José “Joe” Herrera said Austin police shot him in the leg with a…