Commissioners to hear contentious Overlook Estates case again

Progress in Austin again reaches a standoff with neighbors in one Southwest Travis County community holding steadfast to their positions in a battle over development.   At issue is a new high-end community called Overlook Estates, owned by the Roy…

Austin Energy proposes new fee for extending lines

Austin Energy has proposed a major change to the way it charges – or doesn’t charge – for line extensions. If approved, the action would eventually assess a fee equal to 75 percent of the cost for constructing new lines…

Study suggests new metrics for determining number of police officers

The perennial discussion of how the Austin Police Department should determine the appropriate number of officers it should hire to serve the City of Austin took something of a turn on Wednesday. There, referring to the findings of a police…

Austinites sound off in redistricting commission’s first public hearing

The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission held its first public forum Wednesday night. The meeting was the first of the commission’s public meetings intended to solicit community input about drawing 10 single-member-district maps.   The commission was looking for input on…

Council OKs changes to rules on right-of-way encroachments

As of last week, the city is changing the way it deals with permanent encroachments into the public right-of-way.   Previously, there were three ways the city dealt with encroachments into the right-of-way. Temporary encroachments, like sidewalk cafes, could be…

Martinez, others grill city staff on vacant positions in FY2014 budget

It wasn’t exactly pitchforks and torches, but it came close.   Austin City Council members Wednesday hammered staff and management over multiple issues in their proposed FY2014 budget. Council members mostly hovered around the issue of more than 900 vacant…

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Austin Energy plans new rate structure for Green Choice programs

Austin Energy is planning a new structure for its Green Choice elective all-renewable generation program. If completed, it would transition customers off of a system that ties them to specific resources as part of batch sales and onto a more…

Commissioners OK plans for Community First Village for homeless

After two hours of passionate debate Tuesday, a unanimous Travis County Commissioners Court gave social outreach ministry Mobile Loaves & Fishes the go-ahead to build a recreational vehicle park for the homeless in eastern Travis County. At least two commissioners…

Martinez has blunt questions for staff over vacancies, budget requests

City of Austin staff and management will face a barrage of questions today from at least one very frustrated City Council member. Mike Martinez told In Fact Daily and the Austin American-Statesman Tuesday afternoon that he will look for opportunities…

Council approves East Slaughter Lane development on first reading

Despite neighborhood concerns, City Council unanimously – but provisionally – approved an East Slaughter Lane zoning change at last week’s meeting.   Council members voted 7-0 to approve the change from MF-2 zoning to MF-3 zoning at 515 Slaughter Lane…

New budget would move EMS medical director to City Manager’s staff

Austin city management is planning to absorb the office of Austin/Travis County Medical Director Paul Hinchey. According to staff’s FY2014 budget proposal – where word of the action first appeared – the department would bring with it the equivalent of…

Board of Adjustment refuses appeal of plans for Barton Hills home

Barton Hills residents had no luck barring a house at the Board of Adjustment, where their appeal was rejected unanimously.   Concerned neighbors asked the board to weigh in on staff’s decision to approve a single-family residence at 2904 Rae…