Resource Management Commission continues to explore potential audit of Austin Energy district cooling system

Austin Energy may soon be on the hook to set the record straight on its District Energy & Cooling System, as a proposal to conduct an audit on its finances gathers momentum at the Resource Management Commission. The resolution, brought…

Energy • By Kali Bramble • Apr 24, 2025

Rite of spring: Dog-killing algae makes an early appearance in Austin waterways

Scientists with Austin’s Watershed Protection Department have spotted clumps of blue-green algae near Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake. This year marks one of the earliest seasonal reports of the algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which can be toxic…

Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Apr 23, 2025

Council looks to expand AI policies, examine energy and water needs for data centers

Later this week, City Council will consider a substantial expansion of the city’s artificial intelligence oversight, incorporating detailed guidance on workforce protections, public transparency, and the environmental impacts of growing AI infrastructure. The resolution on Thursday’s agenda builds on a…

City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 23, 2025

Animal Center gets interim leaders to help with five-year improvement plan

The city is moving forward with new leadership at Austin Animal Center, following a memo from city manager T.C. Broadnax announcing the appointment of an interim leadership team. As of last week, Rolando Fernandez took over as interim chief animal…

City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 23, 2025

Firefighters, city reach agreement on retirement fund

Negotiators for the city and Austin firefighters have finally reached agreement on how to deal with the Austin Firefighter Retirement Fund so that it complies with state law and can promise retirement benefits to current and future retirees. This has…

Fire • By Jo Clifton • Apr 22, 2025

City touts ongoing success in one-year update on micromobility program tweaks

Last April, Austin made changes to its micromobility program, cutting the number of scooters on the street by 2,000 and reducing speed limits among other things. In a one-year update, city staff say those changes have worked out as well…

Transportation • By Miles Wall • Apr 22, 2025

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Planning staff spells out steps for preservation and coordination in 78702 and beyond

The city is preparing to move forward with a long-term planning effort that would coordinate public and cultural investments in a portion of East Austin seen as under threat of gentrification and other growth pressures. A new memo from the…

Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 21, 2025

UT Austin professors fear Trump administration's funding cuts will derail life-saving research

Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at UT Austin, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a scientist. She said she always loved watching birds and bugs. “Even as a kid, I would watch the…

Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 21, 2025

Council Audit and Finance Committee hears updates on APD recruiting and hiring practices

On Wednesday, City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee heard a briefing on the Austin Police Department’s recruiting and hiring efforts. City leaders have been raising concerns about APD response times and staffing of sworn and non-sworn public safety employees for…

Police • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 18, 2025

Downtown Commission looks at partnerships, philanthropy to address homelessness

The city is establishing new partnerships with homelessness relief organizations and could announce new philanthropic partners later this month, while continuing to improve programs already in place to address the needs of the area’s growing homeless population. The most recent…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 18, 2025

Watershed report focuses on projects to prevent and prepare for floods

The Watershed Protection Department has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting a lengthy list of achievements in flood prevention, future flood preparedness and erosion control projects in several corners of the city. The department credits these efforts for Austin’s improved…

Environment • By Amy Smith • Apr 18, 2025

716,000 meals canceled for Austin-area food bank as federal funding is cut

The Central Texas Food Bank is feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s funding cuts after the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed more than a billion dollars in funding for programs that support food banks and help schools buy goods from local…

Public Health • By Becky Fogel, KUT • Apr 17, 2025

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