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Community leverages conundrum over hemp to advocate for marijuana decriminalization

Despite the technical difficulty of distinguishing marijuana from legal industrial hemp, the Austin Police Department told the City Council Judicial Committee on Tuesday that the city cannot afford to let the possession and sale of marijuana go unchecked. However, several…

Public Safety • By Ryan Thornton • Sep 4, 2019

Public Safety Commission questions path forward for EMS providers being assaulted

After reports from EMS personnel raised questions about the frequency of field officer assault by patients, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services conducted an internal survey. The results showed that the majority of Austin EMS personnel say they’ve been assaulted on the…

EMS • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 4, 2019

Commissioners must find replacement to head family violence court

It’s probably not a position most voters spend time thinking about, but members of the Travis County Commissioners Court stressed the importance of County Court #4 as they discussed appointing somebody to fill the vacancy created by departing incumbent Judge…

Courts • By Jack Craver • Sep 4, 2019

New Texas pipeline protest law is about more than pipelines

A law went into effect in Texas this week that increases penalties for demonstrators who interfere with oil and gas pipelines and other pieces of “critical infrastructure.” Oil and gas states have adopted such laws to crack down on demonstrations…

Texas State Legislature • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 4, 2019

Parks board vote could delay 'fast-tracked' health center for Dove Springs

A community health center proposed for the Dove Springs area in Southeast Austin could be delayed by several months after the city’s Parks and Recreation Board voted last week to delay approving the use of parkland to build the long-needed…

Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 3, 2019

Masonic lodge face-lift sent back to the drawing board, again

After the Historic Landmark Commission vetoed designs for a modern addition to the Royal Arch Masonic Lodge on the corner of Seventh and Lavaca for being a “desecration” of a landmark, a new design came before them at their Aug.…

Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 3, 2019

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Austin City Council could use e-scooter regulations to limit homeless encampments, memo says

City officials released additional guidelines Friday on how to limit homeless encampments in Austin, including spatial limitations on sidewalks and along waterways. The memo from the city manager and the Homeless Strategy Office is meant to guide the Austin City…

Austin • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Sep 3, 2019

Despite reduction in size, subdivision still troubles neighbors and ZAP

After failing to get his 82-lot subdivision at 9406 Morninghill Drive approved last fall, David Knapp refiled a subdivision application for his 51-acre ranch late last year. But this time he requested the approval of a plan that would include…

Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 3, 2019

Council looks beyond the budget

City Manager Spencer Cronk sat down with Council members at a special called work session Thursday to give an overview of four budget-related topics that have come up in recent weeks: the Hotel Occupancy Tax; an emergency-response report by the…

Budget • By Ryan Thornton • Aug 30, 2019

Youth outreach program is cut after city doubled funding

When the city funds grants, should it do so based on achievable objectives or program intent? That question was at the crux of a debate at the July 24 meeting of the Environmental Commission’s Urban Forestry Committee. Last budget cycle,…

City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 30, 2019

Travis County's public defender office is officially funded

Travis County is in the home stretch of its yearslong effort to establish a public defender office for low-income adult defendants. On Thursday the Texas Indigent Defense Commission OK’d a four-year grant to establish the office in the county –…

Travis County • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 30, 2019

Staff proposes exchanging parking for sidewalks

There is a controversial assumption informing the work of the Land Development Code revision team: That is, shrinking the city’s mode share of motorists driving alone from 74 percent to 50 percent in the next two decades will require, to…

Land Development Code • By Ryan Thornton • Aug 30, 2019

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