City attorney presence could be scaled down at land-use commission meetings

The city’s land-use commissions may lose their on-call legal counsel, according to Mitzi Cotton, assistant division chief at the Law Department, who presented at the Nov. 29 joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the Zoning and Platting Commission. After…

New library cost could climb to $126 million with Council's OK

City Council will consider what is hoped to be the final spending increase for the long-in-the-works Austin Central Library on Thursday, with the total price tag for the project set to fall somewhere just under $126.6 million. The agenda item…

Legislature makes tax caps a priority, cities respond

Well-worn battle lines between the city and state were retraced Tuesday, as the Texas Legislature made it clear that it would be making property tax caps a priority this session. The response from area cities was just as clear. Sen.…

Commissioners Court tackles sanctuary communities, sexual assault in jail, and Trump

Uncertainty over federal immigration policy following the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump nearly derailed plans to fight back against sexual assault in Travis County jails. At its regular voting session on Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to…

Adler, Renteria in Mexico on trade, climate mission

Mayor Steve Adler and City Council Member Pio Renteria are on a two-pronged mission to Mexico this week – strengthening Austin’s economic ties with Mexico and championing efforts to combat climate change. In a prepared statement, Adler said, “Economic growth…

Historic zoning debate reaches new heights at BoA

Are brand-new houses just as eligible for historic zoning as older homes? The answer may not surprise you: No, they are not. The fact that this question was the subject of a half-hour discussion at the Board of Adjustment, however,…

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Politics, money at play even in polling places

The Dec. 13 runoff between incumbent City Council Member Sheri Gallo and challenger Alison Alter will cost the city about $470,000, according to City Clerk Jannette Goodall. That amount accounts for about 50 percent of the cost of the joint…

City works to create more aggressive response to major floods

As Austin adjusts to the reality of major flooding on a regular basis, City Council is working to create a more comprehensive set of policies to respond to the damage caused by heavy rainstorms. Last year, Council created a Flood…

Travis County bush

Commissioners Court could choose critic for Central Health board

The Travis County Commissioners Court is officially thinking about putting an outspoken critic of Central Health on the hospital district’s board of managers. On Tuesday, the court will interview attorney Fred Lewis for the open position along with three other…

Virtual reality expected to help city attract billions in foreign investment

Through the use of virtual reality, the city of Austin is turning to the thriving local video game industry to help attract overseas investors and billions of dollars in new economic development money. The hope is that local developers can…

BoA postpones interpretation case, disappoints developer

During a special called meeting on Nov. 21, the Board of Adjustment voted to postpone an interpretation case to its next meeting on Dec. 12. Leah Bojo, a senior manager at Drenner Group representing PSW Real Estate, cried “No!” from…

Survey finds a wealth of history in East Austin

At long last, the East Austin Historic Resources Survey is complete and ready for review. The survey covered the area of Austin east of Interstate 35, north of Lady Bird Lake, south of Manor Road and east of Pleasant Valley…