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Commission backs plan to end free parking at Walsh Boat Landing

Kayakers, canoeists and partiers on barges won’t get to enjoy free parking at Lake Austin’s Walsh Boat Landing for much longer. At Tuesday’s Urban Transportation Commission meeting, Austin’s Parking Enterprise Manager Steve Grassfield told commissioners that nearby streets and lots…

Riley, Cole continue to oppose SH45 SW in CAMPO’s 2040 Plan

Austin Council Member Chris Riley and Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole voiced continued opposition to State Highway 45 Southwest toll road project at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board meeting Monday. Riley and Cole opposed including SH45…

Road extension causes concerns over Lamar Beach master plan

An item on today’s City Council agenda calling for the expedited perusal of a master plan for the Lamar Beach Metro Park merged with community and Austin Independent School District concerns about the extension of Pressler Street– included in the…

Council members grill Austin Energy over plans for new building

City Council members expressed concern at Tuesday’s work session over the transparency of the route taken by Austin Energy officials in search of roughly $9 million to design a new headquarters building in East Austin and an additional $5.2 million…

Transportation staff puts $400 million in road projects on the table

Austin Transportation Department Director Robert Spillar Tuesday presented Austin City Council members with a menu of options for road improvement projects that might grace a potential November 2014 city transportation bond. The full price of all the projects – much…

Tovo, Martinez disagree with Mayor over rejection of incentive deals

After learning Monday that National Instruments and Dropbox terminated economic incentive agreements with the city, Austinites learned Tuesday that a third company, U.S. Farathane, also ended its participation in the program which gives companies tax breaks or fee waivers in…

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Commissioners scrap petition to challenge commercial appraisals

Over the past two weeks, there has been a quickly escalating debate over the whether the Travis County Commissioner Court should file a challenge petition with the Travis Central Appraisal District regarding the undervaluation of county commercial properties.   However,…

West Lake Hills’ planner’s actions under ethical spotlight

Actions of a former West Lake Hills City Council member and former city planner are raising ethical and legal concerns since it appears he is representing a client he may have begun a business relationship with while still employed by…

Austin Monitor Radio, Show 2

Travis County Chief Appraiser, Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo, and Travis County Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein join the Monitor‘s Mike Kanin and Beth Cortez-Neavel to talk property tax appraisals.

Environmental Board OKs redevelopment in Barton Springs zone

The Environmental Board gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to redevelopment plans in the Barton Springs Zone Wednesday night.   Parkside Community School is moving from its current Toomey Road location, where rising rents have become unmanageable, to a new home at…

DOJ, city seek order to resolve hiring dispute over firefighters protest

The U.S. Department of Justice and the City of Austin filed a joint motion in U.S. District Court Monday seeking a consent decree to resolve claims that the city has discriminated against African-American and Hispanic firefighter candidates.   In the…

National Instruments nixes expansion; Mayor calls incentive rules onerous

National Instruments, the Austin-based high-tech firm with a global reach, has opted out of an estimated $7.4 million economic development deal with Austin, Travis County and the State of Texas. The deal, struck in mid-2013, would have brought as many…