City gets parks board blessing to rename Metz Recreation Center

Austin is now one step closer to officially changing the name of the Metz Recreation Center at 2407 Canterbury St. to the Rodolfo “Rudy” Mendez Recreation Center. On June 24, the Parks and Recreation Board unanimously recommended that City Council…

Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 26, 2020

Area hospitals could reach capacity in mere weeks because of Covid-19, Austin officials warn

Austin-area medical professionals and health authorities warned that local hospitals could be overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients in the next several weeks as the number of cases in Central Texas has surged. “If we do not make significant change right now…

Public Health • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 25, 2020

Parks board recommends not installing metered parking at parks

Parking in Austin is a precious commodity. It has also become more expensive for many residents who use the city’s parks for recreation. After hiking the prices for metered parking to $2 an hour last year, the city announced it will…

Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 25, 2020

Arts Commission to decide on next year's funding, with deep cuts for all

Arts groups that have received contracts from the city’s Cultural Arts office in recent years will likely see significant decreases next year, with some groups in line to lose more than half of the funding they received in their most…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 25, 2020

Planning Commission punts MLK zoning case so applicant can work with neighbors

This story has been corrected to reflect a reconsideration of the case by the Planning Commission at the end of its meeting. The Planning Commission voted at its Tuesday meeting to postpone consideration of a zoning change for 5201 E.…

Zoning • By Nina Hernandez • Jun 25, 2020

Travis County considers 80% tax break to coax Tesla

Electric vehicle company Tesla is considering moving to southeastern Travis County to build its “Gigafactory” where it will construct its much-hyped Cybertruck. To entice the California company to make its home in Texas, Travis County is proposing giving the company…

Travis County • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 24, 2020

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Capital Metro prepares a budget for recession, another for quick recovery

With the economy in recession and regional unemployment high, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is preparing to keep spending flat next fiscal year, equal to this fiscal year’s $403.7 million budget, in the event that revenue sources don’t see a…

Budget • By Ryan Thornton • Jun 24, 2020

Kinder Morgan sued over drilling fluid spill in Blanco County

The pipeline company Kinder Morgan violated the Safe Drinking Water Act when it spilled tens of thousands of gallons of drilling fluid into Blanco County groundwater, according to a new lawsuit from local landowners and groundwater conservation groups. In late…

Courts • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Jun 24, 2020

City to give group auditing APD training materials more time

The next Austin Police Department cadet class is on hold indefinitely, City Manager Spencer Cronk reiterated Thursday during the Public Safety Committee meeting. The department will not proceed with the new cadet class, which it had hoped to begin in…

Police • By Nina Hernandez • Jun 24, 2020

Austin ISD school board approves $1.6 billion budget, after public calls to defund AISD Police

The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees passed a $1.65 billion budget early Tuesday, taking $47.6 million from the district’s reserve funds to make up for a shortfall partly caused by COVID-19 expenses. The budget also includes 2% raises…

Education • By Claire McInerny, KUT • Jun 23, 2020

City departments propose centralized trash cleanup effort to keep creeks clean

The city has taken a first look at trash in creeks and identified illegal dumping, littering, large public events and homeless encampments as the four primary sources of trash ending up in city waterways. In a cross-departmental background report posted…

Environment • By Ryan Thornton • Jun 23, 2020

Former Council Member Berl Handcox, who broke the color barrier, dies at 88

Berl Handcox, Austin’s first elected African American City Council member since Reconstruction, has died at the age of 88. Handcox was elected as part of the seven-member Council on May 1, 1971, and reelected on April 7, 1973. He received…

City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jun 23, 2020

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