Body camera policies to be scrutinized

After the City Council Public Safety Committee heard from five people well versed on issues surrounding police body cameras, committee Chair Don Zimmerman asked Kim Rossmo, chair of the citizens group charged with vetting public safety issues, to get more…

Austin • By Jo Clifton • Sep 29, 2015

Festival organizers sue Travis County

Travis County’s controversial new restrictions on mass gatherings have formally drawn their first legal challenge. The organizers of the Euphoria Music & Camping Festival, held in the last two years at Carson Creek Ranch, filed a lawsuit against the county…

Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Sep 28, 2015

Austin Energy one step closer to energy storage

Local energy storage – essentially a giant battery connected to a power grid – seems like a simple idea, but for years it has been too costly for Austin Energy to pursue. That could change next year, though, when the…

Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Sep 28, 2015

Music school wins parking reduction variance

A future music school earned a parking reduction variance from the city of Austin’s Board of Adjustment two weeks ago when attorney David Cancialosi successfully argued that parking compliance would have run the property afoul of the city’s Save Our…

Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 28, 2015

Reporter's Notebook: Staying confused

Staying confused… Followers of the City Council Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee likely recall its Aug. 27 meeting, in which members opted to vote on a contentious solar energy item without taking input from the many members of the public…

Austin • By Michael Kanin • Sep 28, 2015

Austin Monitor Radio: Travis County mass-gathering permits

Austin Music People Executive Director Jennifer Houlihan and Assistant Travis County Attorney Tom Nuckols join Austin Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin and reporter Caleb Pritchard to talk about the county’s new mass-gathering permit regs. Show is embedded below:

Local Government • By Michael Kanin • Sep 28, 2015

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LCRA's transmission business prospers in wake of deregulation

Typically it’s not public entities that benefit from deregulation, but a 1999 law deregulating Texas’ electricity-generation market has been a boon for the Lower Colorado River Authority’s transmission business. “It’s a future of continued growth,” said Ross Phillips, LCRA executive…

Energy • By Jack Craver • Sep 25, 2015

Full-scale solar option remains on table

In spite of a lengthy debate about how much solar capacity the city should contract into next month, the City Council Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee did not appear to rule out any options at its meeting on Thursday. The…

Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Sep 25, 2015

Griffin School wins variances, though protests lingered

The Griffin School has finally received its variances from the city of Austin’s Board of Adjustment. Board members voted unanimously to amend a previous variance that decreased the minimum street width requirements for the school, which is located at 5000 Martin…

Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 25, 2015

Districts 1, 2 and 4 hardest hit by retail food deserts

Despite beating most others in population growth estimates, Districts 1, 2 and 4 are trailing the rest of the city when it comes to fresh, healthy and affordable retail food options. Edwin Marty, food policy manager for the Office of…

Austin • By Tyler Whitson • Sep 25, 2015

Debate heats up over solar energy contracts

There is a solar energy tug-of-war taking place at City Hall. Amid calls from solar advocates for the city to quickly procure 600 megawatts of utility-scale solar energy, Austin Energy will propose to City Council at an Oct. 1 meeting…

Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Sep 24, 2015

Courthouse proposal gets shut down in committee

A city proposal to relocate the county courthouse from downtown to East Austin didn’t gain any traction at the Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday, but it did spark a heated conversation. Though City Council Member Ellen Troxclair moved to…

Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 24, 2015

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