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Regional Affordability Committee takes first steps

Though they have a long road ahead of them, members of Austin’s Regional Affordability Committee are taking a measured approach to developing a strategic plan to achieve their goals. Rather than take action at their second meeting on Monday, members…

Austin • By Tyler Whitson • May 19, 2015

Neighbors lose fight against metal building

There was sympathy on the dais, but last week District 10 residents lost a City Council appeal against a building constructed without a permit. Though some Council members openly expressed regret about the decision, they voted 6-3-1 to deny the appeal.…

The Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 19, 2015

Council changes impervious cover deal

City Council on Thursday approved two changes to an impervious cover transfer agreement for property at 6308 Spicewood Springs Road, meaning the item will have to come back for a third and final reading. The property, owned by Roy Cavanaugh,…

Development • By Jo Clifton • May 19, 2015

Mountain City to Kyle: It’s not no, but let’s talk

Residents and guests packed into City Hall in Mountain City on Monday evening to hear more about the proposed interlocal agreement with Hays County and the City of Kyle involving a transfer of extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Located in Hays County,…

Local Government • By Kim Hilsenbeck • May 19, 2015

Austin Monitor Radio: D7 Council Member Leslie Pool

Austin City Council Member Leslie Pool (District 7) talks about her first months on Council with Monitor publisher Mike Kanin. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Embedded below:

Austin • By Michael Kanin • May 18, 2015

Conservation District preps for annexation

With two major bills pending in Texas’ legislative session, officials with the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District discussed a potentially rushed timeline at their regular meeting Thursday. In March, legislators put forward House Bill 3405 and Senate Bill 1440 to…

Local Government • By Courtney Griffin • May 18, 2015

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Animal Commission reviews audit criticisms

While members of the Animal Advisory Commission acknowledged Wednesday the deficiencies identified in the city’s first audit of Animal Services, they also argued that scrutinizing city animal shelters differs from auditing other city departments. “Housing animals is not an exact science,” said…

Austin • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 18, 2015

Almost half of Austin curbside trash recyclable

Despite the city’s ambitious goal to achieve zero waste by 2040, many Austin residents are sending items to landfills that they could be putting into the city’s blue recycling bins. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Robert Gedert told members of…

Environment • By Tyler Whitson • May 18, 2015

Reporter's Notebook: gates, pies and tracheotomies

Council ponders homestead exemption, pie… City Council members may have been craving pie Wednesday afternoon, having tossed the metaphor around while discussing ways to fairly distribute the costs and benefits of a proposed homestead tax exemption on residents. Council Member…

Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • May 18, 2015

Training fallout hits City Hall

Though he started the day seated on the dais, before the end of Thursday’s City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Anthony Snipes had been placed on administrative leave. The move comes after news broke that Snipes had organized a controversial…

Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 15, 2015

Zimmerman takes his turn criticizing nominations

City Council Member Don Zimmerman on Thursday doled out criticism usually targeted at his own nominations to boards and commissions, opposing an appointment to the Municipal Civil Service Commission and igniting a conversation about the merits of objectivity when it…

City Council • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 15, 2015

Website hack shines light on Project Connect

Project Connect, the grand vision for high-capacity transit in Central Texas, has spent a good chunk of 2015 completely out of sight. However, a top Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority official assured the Austin Monitor on Thursday that it’s just temporarily lying fallow…

Roads • By Caleb Pritchard • May 15, 2015

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