College Student Commission recommends reallocating $30M from APD budget to fund minority scholarships

The College Student Commission passed a recommendation Monday asking City Council to reallocate at least $30 million from the Austin Police Department budget to college scholarships for low-income and racial minority students in Austin. The recommendation calls for APD Chief…

Environmental Commission recommends Watershed Protection Department budget

Among the coronavirus pandemic’s many consequences is an impact on the Watershed Protection Department’s proposed budget for the 2021 fiscal year. Even with the decision to cut back in areas, the department is still proposing a $107.1 million operating budget…

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will keep his job, city says, despite calls for his removal

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley will stay in his position, a city spokesperson confirmed in an email Thursday. “I have had very pointed conversations with Chief Manley over the last several weeks,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said in the email.…

Arts Commission endorses letter requesting $5M in economic relief for art nonprofits

The Austin Arts Commission voted in support of a letter from various creative sector organizations asking City Council to budget $5 million in Covid-19 disaster relief for arts-based nonprofits. The city has allocated $6.35 million in disaster relief funds to…

ZAP approves restaurant use for plot at Slaughter and Cullen despite neighborhood concerns

On Tuesday night, the Zoning and Platting Commission agreed to an applicant’s request to remove restaurant (general) and restaurant (limited) uses from the conditional overlay attached to the property. Rob Pivnick of LG Slaughter and Cullen LLC owns 116 W.…

With Abbott's green light, Austin will require businesses to enforce mask rules

While the governor has said Texans can’t face penalties for not wearing face coverings, cities and counties can apparently mandate that businesses require their customers to wear masks. Austin Mayor Steve Adler issued an order Wednesday requiring businesses to start…

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Downtown Commission to keep closer watch on downtown policing

Whatever actions City Council takes to address the Austin Police Department’s response to racial justice protests, the Downtown Commission has voted to keep closer tabs on downtown policing efforts going forward. The commission approved two proposals from Commissioner Meghan Skornia.…

Eckhardt leads in poll but trails in fundraising

According to a poll released by the Sarah Eckhardt campaign, the former Travis County judge has a wide lead in the race for Senate District 14 over both of her closest rivals, state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and former City Council…

Travis County $10M mortgage and rental assistance program to go live June 29

After spending a month working through the details of a proposed rent and mortgage assistance program for Travis County residents impacted by the economic fallout from Covid-19, the Commissioners Court unanimously voted to allocate $10 million of the county’s $61…

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Travis County plans to reopen facilities but with masking requirements

After nearly three months of quiet hallways and locked doors, Travis County facilities will begin reopening at the end of June. To ensure the continued safety of employees returning to the workplace as well as residents accessing county services, the…

Bicycle Advisory Council examines race and active transportation

In response to the confluence of Covid-19 mobility projects and renewed efforts for racial justice, the Bicycle Advisory Council has opened a conversation over its role as an advocacy group in city-led efforts that impact communities of color. “A lot…

Gov. Abbott says Texas has enough hospital beds to handle increase in Covid-19 cases

There’s no reason to panic over a recent uptick in hospitalizations due to Covid-19, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. Although Texas has had a record number of people being hospitalized for Covid-19 in the past several days, Abbott said during…