TipSheet: Austin City Council, 7.28.22

After a brief, special called meeting last week, City Council is back in earnest today. How earnest? Well, Mayor Steve Adler joked that there was a betting pool at City Hall about how long the meeting would last, so that’s…

City considers accreditation program for Sixth Street bars to improve security

City staff is considering an accreditation program for bars and nightlife businesses operating in the Sixth Street entertainment district downtown, pushing for more cooperation and standards for safety planning as part of the evolving plan to address safety concerns in…

Advocates call for free Cap Metro fares for Austin's unhoused

On Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved the implementation of a new system that caps the amount riders pay for fares. Another part of the system provides reduced fares for people with lower incomes, called Equifare. But before…

Budget season begins with arguments over 'riders'

It’s budget time again. Mayor Steve Adler got the ball rolling at Tuesday’s City Council work session by noting that staff had expressed concerns about the number of budget riders Council members might be bringing forward. He also said staff…

Workers Defense asks for construction standards on Statesman PUD

In anticipation of one of Austin’s next big construction projects, advocacy group Workers Defense Project demanded Tuesday morning that the redevelopment of the former Austin American-Statesman site at 305 S. Congress Ave. lead to safe and well-compensated construction jobs as…

Austin Energy amends initial proposal at base rate review conference, but critics say it's not enough

As the grid works overtime to absorb record-breaking heat, the battle over energy prices continues. Austin Energy met face-to-face with stakeholders earlier this month with its proposal to raise and restructure rates, citing mounting revenue gaps threatening the utility’s finances. The…

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Red River Cultural District seeks new director to succeed Cowan

The Red River Cultural District is searching for a new executive director to lead the nonprofit organization that seeks to stabilize and improve the city’s most prominent cluster of live music venues. The search comes on the heels of the…

Austin Water addresses effect of drought on agriculture

Texas’ current drought is affecting both Austin residents as well as the crops grown outside of the city. At Wednesday’s Water and Wastewater Commission meeting, representatives from Austin Water explained the far-reaching effects of the drought and efforts made to…

What Austinites should know about Covid-19 during this summer’s surge

Austin Public Health officials say they realize many people are tired of talking and hearing about Covid-19. But with “remarkably contagious and infectious” omicron subvariants circulating this summer, they say now is the time to “redouble our efforts” to protect ourselves and…

More public art is headed to the hike-and-bike trail

For the past several years, a moratorium has prevented the installment of any new public artworks in the vicinity of Austin’s hike-and-bike trail and Lady Bird Lake. With the expiration of that moratorium, the Trail Foundation, which has taken over…

Police union pushes for increased officers’ rights, standard transfer protocol

The Austin Police Association countered some of the city’s proposals regarding officers’ rights, discipline, assignment changes and dispute resolution during their latest negotiation session Wednesday.   With just over two months until the current labor contract expires, the bargaining teams continue to…

Austin Water set to address staff shortage

Austin Water discussed efforts to address its staff shortage at Wednesday’s Water and Wastewater Commission meeting. The discussion about recruiting and retaining employees was part of the department’s presentation on its 2022-23 budget, which was unanimously approved by the commission.…