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Democrat Howard touts cash for Precinct 3 run

Although he hasn’t made an official announcement, a number of Democrats have made it clear that they plan to run for Travis County Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty’s seat. Daugherty said Tuesday he would announce his plans by mid-August, possibly…

Elections • By Jo Clifton • Jul 24, 2019

County unveils $1.19 billion preliminary budget

Travis County budget staff unveiled the preliminary draft of the county’s 2019-20 budget Tuesday. This year’s budget is particularly important since it’s the last one the Commissioners Court will approve before tough new restrictions on property tax revenue kick in…

Budget • By Jack Craver • Jul 24, 2019

City's new historic preservation grants offer more eligibility, higher limits

Nearly a year after City Council directed staff to increase eligibility for sites in need of funding for preservation of historic structures, a new program will greatly increase funding to those properties. The Heritage Grant Program opened its application process…

Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 24, 2019

City finds almost 7,000 unregistered short-term rentals, with enforcement on the way

A vendor hired by the city to determine the number of short-term rental properties active on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO told the Austin Monitor there are close to 11,000 operators, with less than a quarter of them licensed…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 23, 2019

Orange Line alignment brings up question of community priorities

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to have a community-supported recommendation for Project Connect’s central high-capacity Orange Line by the end of the year. The recommended “locally preferred alternative” will likely have some combination of details about the route cost…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 23, 2019

New Texas law aims to make sure students don't leave free college money unclaimed

When Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3 into law earlier this summer, in addition to increasing school funding and approving teacher raises, he also approved a requirement for all Texas high school seniors to fill out an application for…

Uncategorized • By Claire McInerny, KUT • Jul 23, 2019

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Water drainage fears force postponement at ZAP

Drainage engineering studies are site-specific and don’t always capture the concerns of adjacent properties. However, without addressing those concerns, a study doesn’t always tell the whole story. At the July 16 meeting of the Zoning and Platting Commission, Commissioner David…

Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 23, 2019

Longtime VP Todd Hemingson to leave Capital Metro

After more than a decade with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency’s executive vice president, Todd Hemingson, will step down Friday, July 26. His immediate plan, as he told the Monitor in an interview at the agency’s headquarters on…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 22, 2019

Disability committee pushes city to help address evictions

Advocates for the disabled community are pushing the city’s departments in charge of housing services to find ways to decrease the number of evictions their community experiences while also adding housing supply designed for accessibility. At this month’s meeting of…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 22, 2019

One year later: The new life of the old Onion Creek flood plain

Since 1999, the city of Austin has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to buy homeowners out of the Onion Creek flood zone. Last year, when the Watershed Protection Department completed the buyout program, 813 houses had…

Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 22, 2019

Reporter's Notebook: Hearsay and opinion

Careful what you read on the internet, folks… Capital Metro’s current incarnation of Project Connect is no different from anything else the agency ever does: complicated, controversial and confusing. Time, however, is running out for the community and the agency…

Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Jul 22, 2019

Austin Monitor Radio: Stream ecologist Mateo Scoggins

This week, Mateo Scoggins, who is a stream ecologist with the city’s Watershed Protection Department, sits down with Austin Monitor reporter Jessi Devenyns. Listen in below to learn all about the city’s natural waterways, their current and future health, and…

Radio • By Austin Monitor • Jul 22, 2019

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