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

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

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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

Water utility relaxes rules for granny flats

After hearing complaints about new requirements for waterlines, water meters and wastewater lines from contractors, architects and people hoping to build granny flats in their backyards, Austin Water utility Director Greg Meszaros has issued three memos that allow exceptions to…

Development • By Jo Clifton • Sep 24, 2015

Committee gets preview of lobby registration fight

Two things became clear Wednesday when the Audit and Finance Committee heard a brief presentation and two speakers on proposed revisions to the lobby registration ordinance: First, the proposed changes will be controversial. Second, City Council Members Ellen Troxclair and…

The Code • By Jo Clifton • Sep 24, 2015

Council pursues unusual process for STRs

The debate over short-term rentals isn’t over in Austin. Not even close. After approving a series of recommendations for future restrictions Tuesday, City Council delayed further action on its ongoing resolution until Oct. 8. While the goal of the resolution…

The Code • By Jack Craver • Sep 23, 2015

City looks to strengthen contact team rules

The way that the city’s neighborhood-plan contact teams do business may be changing. City Council Member Pio Renteria is pushing for code amendments that will create clearer guidelines and more city oversight for Austin’s contact teams. On Monday, his resolution…

The Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 23, 2015

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