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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Montopolis rezonings draw community ire

The Planning Commission is scheduled to hear a cluster of five development cases in Montopolis today, and it hasn’t escaped the notice of community leaders. Eight separate addresses covering more than 10 acres of the Southeast Austin neighborhood are seeking…

Zoning • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 23, 2020

Travis County’s small business grant program sees $2.5M in requests in three days

In April, Travis County approved $10 million in grant funding to aid small businesses affected by the economic crisis caused by Covid-19. However, it was only last week that Travis County businesses outside of Austin had their first chance to…

Travis County • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 22, 2020

New working group eyes town centers to solve affordability pressures

A new working group from four of the city’s commissions hopes to identify ways that the town center planning concept spelled out in Imagine Austin could be used to combat affordability issues driving veterans, artists and other vulnerable populations out…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 22, 2020

City could see sharp decline in traffic fatalities after speed limit reductions

City Council recently made a decision to decrease speed limits to 25 mph on most residential streets. Now it’s up to the Transportation Department to implement the new limits, educate the public and partner with the Austin Police Department to…

Public Safety • By Nina Hernandez • Jun 22, 2020

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…

Police • By Savana Dunning • Jun 22, 2020

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…

Budget • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 19, 2020

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