Austin Water in process of cost-of-service study

Austin Water, the city-owned water and wastewater utility, is currently in the midst of a lengthy cost-of-service study that will shape the rates it will charge Austin residents and businesses for water over the next decade. Unlike Austin Energy, the…

Water • By Jack Craver • Nov 23, 2016

Audit finds misuse of city resources

Two employees of Austin Water are facing possible disciplinary actions after an investigation by the Office of the City Auditor found that they used city computers for work on their secondary employment. Reports from both investigations demonstrate how difficult it…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Nov 23, 2016

CLEAT subpoenas Adler in officer's hearing

The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, or CLEAT, has subpoenaed Mayor Steve Adler to give testimony at an upcoming arbitration hearing in the firing of Officer Geoffrey Freeman. Freeman lost his job after shooting an unarmed, naked teenager in…

Courts • By Jo Clifton • Nov 22, 2016

Details of proposed CodeNEXT timeline revealed

City Council has a new road map charting the path toward the completion of CodeNEXT, the long and arduous re-engineering of the city’s Land Development Code. The new timeline separates the process into four phases and provides more clarity on…

Land Development Code • By Caleb Pritchard • Nov 22, 2016

City investigates whether spay/neuter clinics are reaching the people who need them

The city of Sunset Valley is leading other Austin-area locations in taking advantage of free spay/neuter clinics – a surprise, since these clinics are usually used more heavily in poorer neighborhoods. City staff is working to better understand who is…

Austin • By Cate Malek • Nov 22, 2016

Sheriff's Office works to recruit more women

This month, voters elected the second woman in history to serve as Travis County sheriff. Now, the department is working to recruit more female deputies and corrections officers to its ranks. Tracy Westbrook never saw herself working as a police…

Public Safety • By Syeda Hasan • Nov 22, 2016

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Broadstone 620 development limited by environmental risks

There are some limits to Austin’s breakneck expansion, and the developers of Broadstone 620 may have stumbled into them on Nov. 16. Austin’s Environmental Commission voted 7-2 not to recommend building a new wastewater system for the development because it…

Development • By Cate Malek • Nov 21, 2016

Auditors find waste, cover-up at Fleet Services

Employees of the city’s Fleet Services Department made mistakes in ordering a new pursuit vehicle for the Austin Police Department, receiving instead an SUV that neither APD nor any other department wanted. That error ending up costing the city approximately…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Nov 21, 2016

Musical infill: ZAP passes 'spot zoning' case

The Zoning and Platting Commission heard a rezoning case during its Nov. 15 meeting that drew criticism from neighborhood representatives who saw it as an example of “spot zoning.” The property is located in Northwest Austin at 7901 Ranch Road…

Zoning • By Joseph Caterine • Nov 21, 2016

Reporter's Notebook: Fuel for the fire

Austin Energy prepared for Trump’s coal revival… During a presentation on Austin Energy’s financial health at the Electric Utility Commission meeting on Monday, Commissioner Stefan Wray asked AE Deputy General Manager Mark Dombroski a question about the elephant in the…

Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Nov 21, 2016

Austin Monitor Radio: Safeplace and troubles with APD's DNA lab

Safeplace Director of Community Advocacy Emily LeBlanc joins Austin Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to chat about her work and issues surrounding Austin’s criminal DNA processing. Show is embedded below: This post has been updated to include Emily LeBlanc’s name.

Public Safety • By Michael Kanin • Nov 21, 2016

Uber wants to come back to Austin

Uber does not have hard feelings about Prop 1. In a forum hosted by the Austin Monitor, Glasshouse Policy and KUT on the patio of the Ginger Man bar downtown, a representative of the ride-hailing giant expressed regret about the…

Transit • By Jack Craver • Nov 18, 2016

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