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As the pandemic drags on, 24/7 dining makes a return to Austin

Last month, Bennu Coffee was able to reach a milestone it had been after for months: resuming the 24/7 hours of operation it had gained a reputation for among Austinites. At the moment, only Bennu’s Highland location is open around…

Austin • By Sean Saldaña • Dec 16, 2021

County renews agreement for substance use treatment services

On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved and ratified an amendment to the substance use disorder managed services agreement for the 2022 fiscal year. The interlocal agreement between the city, the county and Integral Care is aimed at contracting…

Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Dec 16, 2021

Council extends masking rules to June

After hearing from Dr. Desmar Walkes, health authority for Austin-Travis County, at a joint meeting with the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday, City Council voted to extend the current health authority rules until June 10, 2022. Commissioners also acted to…

Public Health • By Jo Clifton • Dec 15, 2021

Council to allow ADUs in more places

In response to rising housing costs, last Thursday City Council proposed several changes to allow accessory dwelling units in more neighborhoods and to make them easier to build.  ADUs are set to become legal in Single Family Residence-Large Lot (SF-1)…

Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Dec 15, 2021

Austin continues to explore bus access on the future Lady Bird Bridge

Austin’s Urban Transportation Commission, which advises city departments on transportation-related matters, met last week and continued discussions around the possibility of expanding the modes of transportation accessible on the future Lady Bird Bridge. The topic was also discussed at an…

Transit • By Willow Higgins • Dec 15, 2021

Council opts to pursue settlements in police brutality suits, puts limit on legal spending

City Council has chosen to pursue settlements in two lawsuits stemming from protests last summer outside the Austin Police Department headquarters. Council last week unanimously approved two resolutions to cap legal spending on the cases brought by Justin Howell and…

Courts • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 14, 2021

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Austin ISD will make cuts at Central Office instead of reducing class periods at middle and high schools

The Austin Independent School District said it will not reduce the number of class periods at the middle and high school levels next year – a proposal floated as a way to save money. “I wanted to lower everyone’s anxiety and…

AISD • By Claire McInerny, KUT • Dec 14, 2021

Council debates path forward on paid family leave for emergency services employees

City Council weighed the implications of significantly expanding benefits for emergency services employees this past Thursday in a resolution that calls for a new family leave policy for the city’s EMS, police, and fire departments. The resolution, sponsored by Council…

Public Safety • By Kali Bramble • Dec 14, 2021

Moving encampments off public streets has made it more difficult to provide medical support to Austin’s unhoused 

The camping ban set back years of progress local emergency services made in serving people experiencing homelessness, making it harder and more expensive to respond to an increase in emergency calls, according to a top emergency services official. The ban…

EMS • By Samuel Stark • Dec 14, 2021

Fuel site for airport expansion put on hold to allow for more community input

The city has stepped in to address the concerns of residents who live close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and directed city staff to conduct a deeper analysis of the possible effects of a fuel tank farm proposed as part of…

City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 13, 2021

Amid affordability crisis, Austin will consider studying what it costs to build new housing

Austin City Council members on Thursday asked city staff to look into what it would cost to analyze how much it, well, costs to build new housing. The study, if given the green light early next year, would also focus…

Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Dec 13, 2021

City partners up to monitor particulate matter in the air

Austin has begun working to better monitor the quality of its air. The Clean Air Force of Central Texas is working in partnership with the city of Austin’s Office of Sustainability and the Austin Independent School District to install PurpleAir…

Environment • By Willow Higgins • Dec 13, 2021

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