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No rest for contractors hauling city waste, recycling

Council gave the official nod of approval last week for short-term contracts for collection, processing and disposal of trash, as well as recycling services and disposal of brush and compostable materials, to Central Waste and Recycling and Texas Disposal Systems.…

County to pause construction on some inessential public works projects

Travis County plans to pause construction on some of its public works projects to slow the spread of the coronavirus over the coming weeks. As a general rule, residential and commercial construction has been put on hold since the county’s…

City takes precautions for critical employees

Electricity. Water. Trash pickup. The city of Austin provides all these services and we take it as a given that they will be there when we need them. Even as most Austinites have been ordered to stay home, the employees…

Historic zoning, demolitions on hold for the time being

When it comes to zoning cases, the city has carved many different timelines into the code to keep cases moving forward. Those timelines are currently on hold. For historic zoning cases, non-administratively approved applications have been stopped in their tracks…

Abbott orders statewide limits on nonessential activity, but won't call it a 'stay-at-home' order

Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order Tuesday requiring Texans to limit personal interactions that could lead to the spread of Covid-19. The order states schools will remain closed until at least May 4. People may still leave their homes to…

Expanded hotel use among city's strategies for combating Covid-19 among homeless population

Increased availability of public hygiene facilities, emergency food access, coordination with health care organizations and expanded use of local hotels for shelter are some of the steps the city has taken to assist the homeless community in the midst of…

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City works out logistics to allow boards and commissions to meet virtually

After nearly a month of meetings being on hold, City Council voted last Thursday to temporarily waive a local ordinance requiring a quorum of board or commission members to be physically present in order for a meeting to take place.…

Austin Public Health is setting up two facilities to house nursing home residents with Covid-19

Austin Public Health announced Monday that its new nursing home task force is setting up sites to house nursing home residents who test positive for Covid-19. The city says these isolation facilities will give Covid-19 patients who don’t need hospitalization…

City clarifies new construction rules

As promised, the city has clarified its new rules for the construction industry under orders asking Austinites to stay home unless necessary. Since Mayor Steve Adler issued shelter-in-place guidelines March 25, the question of which construction is considered essential has…

Local groups call for $10 million to help struggling families

Last Thursday, a coalition of community groups called on City Council to allocate $10 million in emergency spending to be distributed to families struggling financially due to the Covid-19 crisis. “By allowing impacted families experiencing financial hardship brought by Covid-19…

Advocacy groups push for fast, centralized aid for musicians impacted by Covid-19 spread

More than a dozen local music nonprofits have signed on in support of City Council’s recent move to create aid programs to address the business impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a letter sent last week calling for quick relief…

Cap Metro to eliminate fares

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that it will implement free fares throughout the month of April to prioritize public health amid the coronavirus pandemic. Eliminating fares allows passengers to board through the rear bus door without stopping to pay…