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Austin Monitor Radio: Child care in Austin

This week, Austin Monitor reporter Jack Craver sits down with Cathy McHorse, who is the vice president of the United Way’s Success by 6. McHorse dives into some recent moves by the city to increase access to affordable quality child…

Radio • By Austin Monitor • Mar 25, 2019

Immigrants in Austin pay more taxes, have more spending power than in other large Texas cities

A new study shows immigrants have an outsized impact on Austin’s economy. Overall, 4.8 million immigrants in Texas paid $34.8 billion in taxes and had an economic footprint of $109.9 billion, according to an analysis of 2017 census data from…

Austin • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 22, 2019

As hotel tax growth slows, Tourism Commission targets short-term rentals

The growth of short-term rental activity in the city and a possible saturation of the local hotel market are seen as the biggest causes behind a flattening of Austin’s once fast-growing Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue. That was the conclusion at…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 22, 2019

County celebrates major renovations of affordable housing communities

The Housing Authority of Travis County hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration Thursday morning to honor the completion of the $10.4 million rehabilitation of two of its affordable housing communities. The project involved improvements to 51 units at Alexander Oaks in Oak…

Housing • By Ryan Thornton • Mar 22, 2019

BoA grants boat dock variance, swayed by trees

After being denied a variance to reconstruct an existing dock to 44 feet instead of the code-compliant 30 feet, the case of 1515 Manana St. returned before the Board of Adjustment at its March 11 meeting. Based on a “substantial”…

Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 22, 2019

Debate over rezone gets in the way of voluntary annexation deal

A decision by the Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday to push a zoning case hearing back to April could jeopardize an opportunity for the city to annex a 42-acre lot south of FM 2222. The heavily wooded property, east of…

Planning • By Ryan Thornton • Mar 21, 2019

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With new hiring, city adds focus to issues of growing senior population

The city’s recent hiring of a program coordinator for issues related to the local senior population, and a community session next week on possible future budget needs for senior services, have elevated the attention paid to one of Austin’s fastest-growing…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 21, 2019

BoA OKs wellness project on third try

While the Board of Adjustment has twice denied variance requests required to construct an integrated acupuncture clinic and multifamily residence at 1800 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, members approved variances for the third iteration of the project at their…

Development • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 21, 2019

Cronk announces final assistant managers, filling safety and mobility posts

A current assistant city manager and a newcomer to City Hall have been selected as the newest assistant city managers as part of a realignment of top city staff under City Manager Spencer Cronk. On Tuesday, the city announced the…

City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 20, 2019

Neighbor takes out grievances over ADU at the Board of Adjustment

Although the Board of Adjustment prefers not to take neighborhood disputes into account when members consider variance requests, sometimes these conflicts can be difficult to ignore. Before hearing any cases at its March 11 meeting, the Board of Adjustment warned…

Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 20, 2019

Higher fines for bikes and scooters raise questions of equity at UTC

Now that the Austin Transportation Department has decided to take extra time to consider feedback on three of its dockless mobility policy proposals, City Council will only be considering the department’s proposed changes to Chapter 12-2 of the city code,…

Transportation • By Ryan Thornton • Mar 20, 2019

Ethics violation raises questions about city laptop policies

DeShawn Scott, a temporary administrative specialist in the Public Works Department, left his position in December after the Office of the City Auditor opened an investigation into Scott’s use of his city computer for purposes related to his two outside…

City Hall • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 20, 2019

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