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City of Austin adds 136 acres south of Onion Creek

On Thursday, City Council voted to have the city of Austin annex the Cascades Municipal Utility District, 136 acres of undeveloped land south of Onion Creek. The landowner, Onion Associates Ltd., entered into an agreement with the city in 2014…

Development • By Jack Craver • Sep 21, 2018

Bird Dockless scooters

Parking, recklessness among scooter concerns for city's disability committee

Amid concerns over the safety of people in wheelchairs and the visually impaired, the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities pressed the Austin Transportation Department to take steps soon to improve the behavior of users of rentable motorized scooters, and…

Transportation • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 21, 2018

Figures show Austinites love and hate scooters

Members of Austin City Council have plenty of concerns about the operation of dockless vehicles, particularly electric scooters. But they all appear to agree that the vehicles are here to stay, if for no other reason than they have proved…

Transportation • By Jack Craver • Sep 20, 2018

An update on the Fayette Power Plant reveals no news, inspires working group

Almost five years ago, Council recommended that Austin Energy retire its portion of the Fayette Power Plant, which is run on coal, by 2022. Despite intense pressure from environmentalists to move that date up, the city utility is sticking to…

Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 20, 2018

Firefighter wins battle with city

Austin firefighters won their battle to get the city to drop its lawsuit against one of their own, Lt. Carrie Stewart, who filed a claim for workers’ compensation after she was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2015. After…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Sep 20, 2018

Council to put off hearing on tax credit property

At the request of Council Member Delia Garza, on Thursday City Council will likely postpone a scheduled hearing and consideration of whether to give the city’s blessing to 4 percent affordable housing tax credits to a proposed apartment complex for…

Development • By Jo Clifton • Sep 20, 2018

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City estimate: Preserving Montopolis Negro School would cost $5.7M

The city of Austin is beginning the process of using eminent domain to seize the 1-acre plot at 500 Montopolis Ave., home of an 83-year-old building that was once the Montopolis Negro School. The structure is a rare vestige of…

Preservation • By Jack Craver • Sep 19, 2018

zebra mussels

Zebra mussels found in Austin Water intake pipes

Divers have found large amounts of invasive zebra mussels at intake pipes that feed Austin’s water supply, opening up a costly new challenge for the city’s water utility. Austin Water had seen evidence of the small, rectangular mussels in water…

Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Sep 19, 2018

Commissioners Court considers its options, postpones Central Health budget vote

Public protest and confusion surrounding the Sept. 12 Central Health Board of Managers vote to dissolve Sendero Health Plans has the Travis County Commissioners Court questioning how to move forward. Central Health President and CEO Mike Geeslin presented its Fiscal…

Budget • By Ryan Thornton • Sep 19, 2018

EUC recommends code amendment to expand electric vehicle use

Soon Austin may have as many electric charging stations as gas stations. Currently, city code does not allow for the resale of city energy by third-party entities. However, the code was written before there was any inkling that electric vehicles…

Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 19, 2018

Austin renters and people of color are most likely to be displaced because of gentrification

A new study from the University of Texas points to widespread gentrification in Austin, stretching from northern neighborhoods to the eastern edge of South Austin. Researchers say the groups most impacted by displacement are low-income African-American and Hispanic renters. Jake…

Austin • By Syeda Hasan • Sep 18, 2018

Many, but not all, development fees to climb

Last year, Rodney Gonzales, director of Austin’s Development Services Department, asked Council to fund an additional 50 employees to increase his department’s efficiency in dealing with a multitude of permits, reviews and inspections. Council killed the plan by postponing it.…

Development • By Jo Clifton • Sep 18, 2018

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