Council members approve Lake Austin Overlay, shoreline rules

A new set of zoning regulations known as the Lake Austin Overlay got past its first City Council hurdle Thursday night.   Council voted on first reading to adopt the regulations, with two more to go before the overlay is…

Council OKs two measures to speed buyouts in flood-prone areas

More than six months have passed since Austin’s Halloween flood. At nearly 1 a.m. Friday, Onion Creek residents gathered at City Hall learned that relief may be in sight in the form of an expanded city buyout program.   Two…

Council accepts DOJ consent decree to settle firefighter hiring issue

With Council Members Mike Martinez and Chris Riley dissenting, Austin City Council members voted Thursday night to move forward with a proposed agreement with U.S. Department of Justice that would settle claims of hiring discrimination that have dogged the department…

Council sets up study process for ridesharing, taxi service issues

Taxicab drivers and safer-streets activists were among those with a heavy stake in two transportation-related items at Thursday’s City Council meeting. But in the end, all they got was a stakeholder process that will not be over until mid-November, making…

Despite hurdles, Hays County, Forestar move ahead with water deal

Hays County Commissioners are moving forward with a massive water supply contract, despite not clearing a legal hurdle called for by the water reservation and purchase agreement. Last October, Hays County officials entered into a contract with Austin-based Forestar Real…

City hires outside law firm to handle Capitol View Corridor violation

After a closed-door executive session, City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve $1.8 million in legal fees for an outside law firm to protect the interests for a possible violation of the Capitol View Corridor.   After some confusion and…

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CAMPO ponders some 800 projects for 2040 Transportation Plan

A massive list of proposed transportation projects filled out a packed agenda at Monday night’s meeting of theCapital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board.   More than 800 proposed transportation projects for the region filled 36 pages of the…

Kyle Council incumbent’s opponent seeks recount

Kyle City Council incumbent Becky Selbera, who won re-election Saturday by just six votes, is being accused by her opponent in the race of being unqualified to run under city charter rules. Jaime Sanchez also is seeking a recount of…

Planning Commission OKs permit for Megabus to use Whitis terminal

After a successful trip to the Planning Commission Tuesday, it looks like Megabus will be making its scheduled arrivals and departures in Austin.   The Planning Commission voted 6-2 to grant the Conditional Use Permit that will allow Megabus NE,…

Council questions management’s funding process

The question of funding for Austin’s African-American Cultural Heritage District got wrapped up in an ongoing City Council and management discussion over how mid-year funding for various projects should be vetted. The conversation took place at Tuesday’s work session  …

Grandfathering approved for 1600-unit development on Hamilton Pool Road

A hearing before the Travis County Commissioners Court for initial approval of a master development plan for the 1600-unit Masonwood subdivision on Hamilton Pool Road drew stiff opposition Tuesday from nearby residents, who objected to the plan’s proposed density and…

Clerical error causes city to overpay EMS employee by $200,000

The City of Austin has overpaid a former Austin/Travis County paramedic by perhaps as much as $200,000 over an eight-year period that began in 2004. Though the problem was first discovered in 2011, it took until 2013 for the city…