City prepares to launch second round of rental assistance in August

City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee heard an update Tuesday on the city’s next round of Covid-19 rental assistance, known as the RENT program. The Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department hopes to help even more households and cover a…

Housing • By Nina Hernandez • Jul 22, 2020

Capital Metro board OKs MetroBike partnership for bus-oriented bike system

The city’s B-cycle program is set for expansion and rebranding this fall with the rollout of MetroBike, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s concept for an integrated bike-share and public transit system. The Capital Metro Board of Directors approved the MetroBike…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 22, 2020

County to identify funding source for implementing permanent teleworking

Following a successful emergency rollout of teleworking capabilities in response to Covid-19 this spring, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted in May to make the digital work environment permanent for 75 percent of eligible county employees. On Tuesday, commissioners took…

Travis County • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 22, 2020

Some Covid-19 economic recovery programs see progress while others stagnate

While six of the city’s 11 Covid-19 economic recovery programs have received or are about to receive applications for their grants and loans, the rest have yet to move on from the development stages. Austin’s economic recovery programs are designed…

City Hall • By Savana Dunning • Jul 22, 2020

Group says it has enough signatures to put Austin's homelessness ordinances on the November ballot

A GOP-backed group says it’s collected enough signatures to put a reversal of the city’s homeless ordinances on the ballot in November. Save Austin Now, a coalition led by longtime strategist and Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak, announced Monday…

Bonds & Propositions • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Jul 21, 2020

Public Safety budget discussion wrestles with demands to defund APD

Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo gave the Public Safety Committee a public safety budget overview at its meeting on Monday. Much of the discussion centered around the Austin Police Department budget. Community members and some City Council members have…

Budget • By Nina Hernandez • Jul 21, 2020

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Push for 2021 charter amendments could make Austin a 'strong mayor' city

A new group of community activists and political insiders intends to push for amendments to the city charter that could bring about a change to a “strong mayor” form of government, along with other changes focused on increasing voter turnout…

City Charter • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 21, 2020

Capital Metro to link transit trips with personal payment accounts

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority ticket-based fare system is due for an upgrade. Currently it lacks the flexibility to offer benefits like fare capping while encouraging more points of contact between customers and bus operators than contactless account-based ticketing can…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 21, 2020

Austin Energy Covid rates could revert as soon as November

During an Austin Energy budget presentation on Friday, the Electric Utility Commission learned that the rate cuts the utility put into place this spring as part of its Covid-19 recovery efforts will expire at the end of this fiscal year.…

Energy • By Nina Hernandez • Jul 20, 2020

Housing department seeks to move unused home repair funds toward homelessness

The city will likely redirect a $2.6 million unused Community Development Block Grant intended for home repairs to create more housing for the homeless in the next budget year. Last week the Community Development Commission voted 9-2 to approve the…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 20, 2020

Capital Metro to bring fleet electrification experts on board

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has purchased 12 electric buses this fiscal year, half of which have been delivered to the electric bus yard under construction at the North Operations facility. With the other six scheduled to arrive in the…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 20, 2020

Board of Adjustment says maintaining area character is not sufficient hardship

While neighborhood character is an important aspect of design in a historic neighborhood, it is not the only thing the Board of Adjustment takes into account when considering a variance request to modify a home. Architect Ryan Bollom proposed adding a…

Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 20, 2020

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