Speakers urge Council to increase community services budget

City Council heard from about two dozen speakers Tuesday, the majority of whom urged Council members to put more money into the upcoming budget for community services such as helping the homeless, helping people pay their rent and building more…

Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 3, 2022

Public Safety Commission discusses APD's protest response

The Public Safety Commission heard from the Austin Police Department Monday about how it responds to protests, including how it uses the LRAD, a powerful speaker that some fear could damage protesters’ and police officers’ hearing. APD Commander Corey Wroblewski…

Police • By Jonathan Lee • Aug 3, 2022

County holds listening session as part of effort to fight public health crisis

Travis County Health and Human Services updated the Commissioners Court last week on the county’s May declaration of a public health crisis due to a sharp increase in drug overdose and opioid addiction rates. The declaration included eight directives from…

Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Aug 3, 2022

ACC nearly doubles its spending on compensation in response to rising cost of living

Lee esta historia en español The Austin Community College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a budget for Fiscal Year 2023 on Monday that includes nearly $21 million for compensation, which is almost double what the college spent last year. “Last year was,…

Budget • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Aug 3, 2022

Dove Springs getting a new trail: Donde Corre el Agua

In the summer of 2020, in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dove Springs community members began to wonder how they could better use a section of the local greenbelt that had become neglected. The unmarked trail, which is overgrown…

Parks • By Willow Higgins • Aug 2, 2022

Council rejects historic zoning for East Seventh Street house

Lacking the nine votes needed to overcome the property owner’s objection, City Council denied a request last week from the Historic Landmark Commission to designate “a good example of folk Victorian architecture” as historic. The Carlson-Colunga house at 902 E.…

Preservation • By Jo Clifton • Aug 2, 2022

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

Development panelists share thoughts, and some silence, on Austin's affordability issues

It took a question about the political pressures involved in the slow-moving, fractured process of updating the Land Development Code to bring an uncomfortable silence to a recent panel of real estate leaders discussing housing affordability issues in Austin. During…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 2, 2022

Council extends HealthSouth redevelopment negotiations

After a series of delays, the proposed redevelopment of two city-owned downtown parcels inched a step forward Thursday when City Council extended negotiations with developer Aspen Heights Partners.  Aspen Heights plans to build 921 residential units, some affordable, in two…

Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Aug 1, 2022

Council approaches resolution on 12th Street conflict, but neighbors still dissatisfied

The city came close to settling a monthslong dispute over East 12th Street last week, postponing updates to the Urban Renewal Plan and Neighborhood Conservation Combining District perhaps one last time. With a valid zoning protest petition filed and Council…

Planning • By Kali Bramble • Aug 1, 2022

Austin Water safeguarding its facilities from wildfire risk

As Austin continues to grow, the city is expanding toward wildlands. This creates an increased risk of fire in areas where human development intersects with natural areas, known as the wildland-urban interface. Austin Water discussed its efforts to mitigate wildfires…

Fire • By Veronica Apodaca • Aug 1, 2022

Local campaign contribution limits to rise ahead of November election

Inflation isn’t only driving up mortgage interest rates, gas prices and the city’s living wage. It’s also behind proposed increases to the city’s campaign contribution limits, which cap how much money City Council candidates can accept from individual and out-of-town…

Elections • By Emma Freer • Jul 29, 2022

Austin explores increasing traffic enforcement to reduce growing fatalities

In a memo sent Wednesday, Austin’s police and transportation departments updated City Council on strategies to reduce an increasing number of severe crashes and fatalities on the city’s streets and highways. In 2021, there was the highest number of traffic…

Transportation • By Samuel Stark • Jul 29, 2022

« Previous Page — Next Page »