Citywide compost pickup plan faces resistance

Based on comments that a few City Council members made at Thursday’s budget work session, it appears that a proposed citywide, curbside organics collection rollout could get transformed into an opt-in program – if it remains in the forthcoming city…

Committees fail to agree on Whisper Valley deal

A relatively small change in an agreement between the city and the developer of the Whisper Valley and Indian Hills Public Improvement Districts has failed to win approval from two committees charged with making such decisions and passing them on…

AISD changes on the horizon after 84th session

Teachers, staff and students are no strangers to state legislators fiddling with school ratings or standardized testing, and this past legislative session was no exception. Monday, the Austin Independent School District board of trustees received an update on changes brought…

Committee to take a closer look at construction and demo recycling

Though it has been in the works for years, a plan to require more construction-site recycling and reuse of materials hit a small road bump at the Planning Commission last week. Commissioners voted unanimously to send the proposed code amendments…

Reporter's Notebook: A pornographic departure

We make news… Capital Metro Transportation Authority’s Twitter account went off the rails last week after an apparent security breach led to a decidedly non-family-friendly detour. Shortly after 11 a.m. on Thursday, Community Impact’s eagle-eyed reporter Jennifer Curington noticed that…

Austin Monitor Radio: EMS staffing

Austin/Travis County EMS Chief of Staff Jasper Brown and EMS Employees Association head Anthony Marquardt join Austin Monitor reporter Tyler Whitson to discuss staffing issues faced by the agency. Program is embedded below.

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Council sets tax rate, talks budget

On Thursday, City Council tackled the city budget once again. Though a deadline to finalize the budget is fast approaching, Council members opted to keep all of their budget proposals on the table for the time being. Although Council covered…

Council committee asks for ambitious solar plan

Solar advocates have scored a minor victory in their push for Austin to invest heavily in solar energy and to do it fast. The Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee recommended Thursday that City Council direct staff to bring a plan…

Committee is unanimous: Caswell Center tennis players need parking spots

A vacant court isn’t all it takes to play tennis in Austin. It also takes a vacant parking spot. To that end, City Council’s Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that 28 parking spaces be…

Pressure mounts to change demand charge policy

As City Council comes closer to adopting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, members of the public are stepping up their requests for amendments. One such push reached a turning point last week when the Electric Utility Commission passed…

Lobby rules move forward despite objections

After hearing expressions of both support and concern, the City Council Audit and Finance Committee voted Wednesday to send Council Member Leslie Pool’s resolution to alter city lobby regulations to the Ethics Review Commission for further vetting. The vote was…

AISD trustees lean toward transparent appointment process

The Austin Independent School District board of trustees laid out a timeline for potential District 7 applicants at a special meeting Tuesday night. Most of that process will be open to the public. In a 6-1 decision with District 1…