Student-led civics project comes to life with passage of food equity resolution

Students with the St. Edward’s University Civics Lab celebrated the fruits of their labor this past Wednesday, as City Council members geared up to pass a resolution that would connect public transportation infrastructure to food equity initiatives. The resolution, which…

Travis County launched a program to provide lawyers at the county jail. It lasted nine days.

A pilot program to provide legal representation to people in custody at the Travis County Jail had to be put on hold after just nine days because of staffing shortages. The grant-funded program was part of a Texas A&M study to…

EDC waiting on TIRZ formation while moving ahead with cultural trust funding proposals

The city’s economic development corporation is moving ahead with evaluating proposals from creative groups vying for some of the $16.9 million in cultural trust funds for creative spaces, but its role in helping manage development south of Lady Bird Lake…

Parks supervisor resigns during inquiry into ethics allegations

A Parks and Recreation Department supervisor has resigned after running afoul of two ethics regulations. The fact that his supervisor misinterpreted one of the regulations likely compounded the problem. According to an audit released by the Office of the City…

Economic rebound, spending efficiency point to rosier budget picture

The city’s immediate financial outlook is looking more optimistic due to a strong rebound in sales tax collections, increased development, and City Council and city management’s efforts to slow the growth of city cost drivers over the last three years,…

Waterloo Greenway gets $9M federal grant for second phase of parks system

The parks system that is expected to rehabilitate Waller Creek and create a series of parks through downtown Austin has received a $9 million federal grant to reconstruct and enhance a portion of parkland between Lady Bird Lake and Fourth…

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Voters could decriminalize marijuana possession, ban no-knock search warrants

Voters will have a chance this month to determine whether the city of Austin will adopt two new ordinances that would eliminate low-level marijuana charges and ban no-knock search warrants. The special election, which began in-person early voting on Monday…

Early April is for respecting public health, county decrees

In a retroactive move that was unanimously approved last Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court proclaimed the week of April 4 Public Health Week. According to the American Public Health Association, the first week of April each year is National…

Advocacy orgs target compatibility, parking requirements in VMU2

As City Council discusses VMU2, a proposal to allow taller buildings on sites zoned Vertical Mixed-Use in exchange for more affordable housing, advocacy groups have rallied to scrap what they say are VMU2’s biggest shortcomings: compatibility and parking requirements. “Eliminating…

Construction material shortages are delaying TxDOT projects and driving up their costs

A shortage of building materials like steel and concrete is driving up costs for Texas Department of Transportation road projects and could delay some construction contracts. “We have also seen significant increases (over 100 percent in some cases) in some…

Downtown Commission wants private developer proposals for convention center expansion

The Downtown Commission wants the city to solicit proposals from private developers to pay for a portion of the expansion and reconstruction of the Austin Convention Center. At last week’s meeting, the commission approved a recommendation asking City Council to…

City wins digital billboard battle at Supreme Court

On a vote of 6-3, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Thursday that the city of Austin’s regulations prohibiting digital billboards and other off-premises digital signs are content-neutral and therefore do not violate the First Amendment. Reagan National Advertising and Lamar…