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Signs fail to point the way at Planning Commission

Though it hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, local sign regulations could drastically change with the implementation of CodeNEXT. While that is still a ways away, that didn’t stop the image of Austin’s homey neighborhoods being overrun by digital billboards…

Flannigan races ahead in fundraising

Council Member Jimmy Flannigan has raised more than $9,200 so far this year, according to his campaign finance report, which was filed on Monday. Reports show that Council Member Ellen Troxclair was the only other City Council member to solicit…

'Agent of change' remains static for now

With a brand-new manager of Austin’s Music and Entertainment Division, there’s not expected to be any upcoming action on the so-called “agent of change” policy that dominated the bandwidth of that office for the first six months of 2017. That’s…

Hotel taxes key to 'downtown puzzle' to help area homeless

For all the interlinked pieces of the “downtown puzzle”-solving plan that Mayor Steve Adler unveiled Monday morning – and in a 20-minute speech he name-checked just about every relevant downtown Austin presence – the ambitious and far-reaching policy gambit boils…

Ethics complaint filed against ex-city employee

Nathan Wiebe, chief of investigations for the Office of the City Auditor, filed a complaint with the city’s Ethics Review Commission on Monday against a retired Austin Energy supervisor. In the complaint, Wiebe laid out a case against Stefan Sasko,…

City of Austin welcomes Texas AG opinion on local tree rules

In Austin, and in about 60 other Texas cities, you need to get a permit before you cut down some large or historic trees. Opponents of those tree preservation rules – including Gov. Greg Abbott – call them a violation…

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Commission decides mistake made in East Austin plan

Cold case zoning files may not have the same morbid allure as the cold case murders unearthed on late night television, but for the neighborhood and stakeholders involved in these mysteries, justice is still on the line. Last week, the…

City continues to work on Zilker special event parking

The city transportation department is adamant: Nothing has been determined yet about parking for special events held in Zilker Park. Hence, the meeting at the Austin Energy headquarters on Barton Spring Road Thursday evening was an opportunity for Austinites to…

Lawmakers to tackle local construction regulations during special session

Local control was a recurring theme during the 85th Texas Legislative session, and many of those policy debates will continue during the upcoming special session. When Gov. Greg Abbott announced the 20 items that will be taken up by lawmakers,…

Commission talks reversing institutional racism

Cast out of its usual place in the shadows, racism was put front and center as a topic of discussion during a briefing at the Planning Commission Tuesday night. Eric Tang and Jane Rivera, co-chairs of the Real Estate and…

Reporter's Notebook: Don't say that

Yeah, OK, on the record, then… During the May 9 meeting of the Community Development Commission, commissioners took up the issue of developing Levander Loop with affordable housing. After a bit of misunderstanding, Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Assistant Director…

African-Americans spend more time in Travis County jail for same offenses as whites

Travis County has a long way to go before its criminal justice system matches its progressive reputation, according to a report released Thursday by a local advocacy group. African-Americans booked into the county jail spend more time behind bars than…