HAAM seeks $500K in next year’s city budget to fund local musicians’ insurance

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is seeking ongoing support from the city and possibly Travis County to cover the costs of subsidized health insurance coverage for more than 2,000 local musicians annually. Tonight’s Music Commission meeting will feature a presentation…

Austin-area schools overwhelmingly reject hiring chaplains as counselors

State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, praised school boards across Texas on Thursday for rejecting a Republican-led effort to let religious chaplains provide mental health services to students. “We are here to celebrate an important victory in the fight against…

As Council prepped public support, local Google workers learned of layoffs

Some private-sector workplace drama took place in real time during Thursday’s City Council meeting, with a group of local Google workers learning they’d lost their jobs while commenting on a proposed city resolution intended to support their cause. On the…

Austin makes library cards free to people outside the city

People who live in unincorporated areas outside the city no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin Public Library card. In December, City Council voted to remove the fees after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation,…

Council passes a resolution calling for greener procurement practices

After its recent approval of a measure to create an investment strategy for financing the city’s climate plans, City Council on Thursday passed a complementary item to establish more sustainable procurement practices. Like the previous resolution, this one, too, was…

Austin apartments boomed and rents went down. Now, some builders are dismantling the cranes.

Ben Schwertner won’t pay next month’s rent. The 28-year-old from Lubbock isn’t forgoing payment out of protest or because he can’t afford it. He’s not paying because he doesn’t have to. When Schwertner signed a lease for a one-bedroom apartment…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Debate intensifies over code changes to Butler Hike and Bike trail

Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board drew a crowd this past Monday, gathering to debate a number of code amendments targeting the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake. The amendments, prompted by City Council direction…

Budget ‘headwinds’ could force tough Council decisions headed into summer

City Council members received an early look at some of the difficult budget decisions they could face this summer thanks to an expected decline in sales tax revenue and the end of federal funding related to the American Rescue Plan…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 2.29.24

Today, City Council will convene for its regular Thursday meeting. We’ve taken a look at the agenda and compiled our best guesses about what will be of interest below. The biggest item on this week’s agenda might be one of…

Council set to revisit zoning ordinance after court ruling

In the wake of last year’s court ruling invalidating the city’s Vertical Mixed Use 2 ordinance, a proposed remedy is now primed for a public hearing and consideration at Thursday’s City Council meeting. Council heard a preview of the revised…

Parks board blesses bathhouse renaming

More than 60 years ago, Joan Means Khabele jumped into Barton Springs Pool, launching a movement that led to its desegregation. Austin is now set to remember her legacy by renaming the Barton Springs Bathhouse after her. After being denied…

Council appears headed for pause on HealthSouth redevelopment plans

Members of City Council suggested Tuesday they’re inclined to hold off on selecting any redevelopment plans for the former HealthSouth site, in part because of the current real estate pipeline in the surrounding area and continued high interest rates that…