The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Commission drops secrecy, shares legal opinion

After some deliberation, the Planning Commission has released the legal interpretation that clarifies how much discretion it must deny subdivisions that include required connections to streets, if the commission disagrees with the connections. The city’s legal opinion, according to a…

Land Development Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 11, 2015

City lacks funding for pedestrian hybrid beacons

Transportation Department staff revealed that the city is out of funding for pedestrian hybrid beacons, leaving a backlog of more than 100 requests for beacons around the city. During the regular meeting of the Pedestrian Advisory Council, staff presented the…

Austin • By Sunny Sone • Mar 11, 2015

AISD board decides deadline for land purchase

The Austin Independent School District board of trustees directed district staff Monday to — after many years of discussion — create a timeline ending in January 2016  for the district to spend bond money to buy land for a proposed…

Education • By Courtney Griffin • Mar 10, 2015

Committee reaches few conclusions on new staff

The City Council Audit and Finance Committee had a wide-ranging discussion Monday about the possibility of hiring more staff to help Council, but arrived at no conclusions. The conversation was sparked by an attempt by Mayor Steve Adler to add…

Budget • By Jo Clifton • Mar 10, 2015

Council members lock down South Austin gate

The Planning Commission and the city’s legal department will address a section of city code today that could give commissioners discretion over connectivity in preliminary plans. Last week, City Council exercised its own discretion and passed a resolution that will…

City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 10, 2015

Springdale apartment complex appeal denied

City Council has rejected an appeal by DeWayne Lofton, who was seeking to overturn a decision of the Planning Commission to grant a conditional use permit for an affordable housing complex at 5905 Springdale Road. Lofton, president of Pecan Springs/Springdale…

City Council • By Jo Clifton • Mar 10, 2015

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

Aquifer board backs annexation of unregulated area

At its Thursday meeting, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board of directors voted unanimously to support proposed legislation that would expand the district’s territory and give the board authority over part of an unregulated area where water supply company…

Environment • By Kara Nuzback • Mar 9, 2015

Riverboat contract has a sewage problem

Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo and City Council Member Leslie Pool raised concerns last week about Lone Star Riverboat’s practices at the regular Council meeting Thursday, postponing the vote on a revenue contract until March 26. A memo to Council…

City Council • By Sunny Sone • Mar 9, 2015

Commissioners back new vehicle registration fee

The Travis County Commissioners Court has endorsed a proposal to raise vehicle registration fees to bolster funding for transportation projects. At their regular voting session Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously backed two bills at the Texas Legislature that would charge county…

Budget • By Caleb Pritchard • Mar 9, 2015

Explainer: The Zucker Report marginalia

There was a lot of unveiling in the Zucker Report. We saw that a third-party analysis of the City of Austin’s Planning and Development Review Department did, indeed, show what appears as evidence of multiple divisions in shambles, as had…

Austin • By Michael Kanin • Mar 9, 2015

Zucker Report released despite staff apprehension

After months of speculation, the City of Austin posted the draft Zucker Report on its website Thursday night. Last year, Zucker Systems performed an analysis of the Planning and Development Review Department, and while they did find “many exemplary features”…

Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 6, 2015

Two committees to take up Decker Golf questions

After raising numerous questions about the deal it is being asked to approve for creation of two high-end golf courses at the Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park in far East Austin, City Council voted 9-1-1 Thursday to send those questions…

Austin • By Jo Clifton • Mar 6, 2015

« Previous Page — Next Page »