Austinites make up 6 of 10 employees at firms with economic agreements

Roughly  6 out of every 10 workers hired by companies that have economic development agreements with the City of Austin live in Austin, according to an informal survey by Austin’s Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office.   EGRSO officials say…

Landmark Commission blocks Co-op request to re-locate historic home

University Co-op’s plans to develop its land in West Campus were thwarted in a new way at Monday night’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting.   Earlier this year, the Co-op was unsuccessful in obtaining a variance that would allow removal of…

Holder vows to reinstate Voting Rights Act preclearance rules for Texas

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared his intention Thursday to intervene in the continuing battle over redistricting of Texas Congressional and state House seats, as well as the possibility of a challenge to Texas’ new voter ID law. Holder made…

Neighbors want to let the air out of tubing business below Longhorn Dam

Tubing has come to the east side of Austin, and it’s making waves at City Hall.   Since Memorial Day, East Side Tubes has been offering tube rentals and shuttles for a float from just below the Longhorn Dam to…

North Travis, Williamson cities to tap aquifer as added water source

An agreement announced this week by the Manville Water Supply Corporation for regions surrounding Round Rock, Pflugerville, Hutto, and Manor promises to increase water supplies for one of the highest growth regions of Texas. In a notable development, the agreement…

Travis Commissioners give go-ahead for new Civil and Family Courthouse

Under pressure to act, the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday approved a construction method for building a new Civil and Family Courthouse in downtown Austin. The unanimous endorsement came after a lengthy presentation, debate, impassioned argument and a bit of…

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Revised Watershed Ordinance clears Environmental Board

Changes to the city’s Watershed Protection Ordinance earned unanimous support from the Environmental Board last week after the measure endured a stakeholder process that lasted nearly two-and-one-half years.   The revisions are the first major changes to the city’s ordinance since…

Budget battle developing over amount of pay raise for city employees

In the wake of an April budget meeting that revealed that the City of Austin could not afford 3 percent wage increases for civilian staff – even at the rollback tax rate – city officials are considering a range of…

Commissioners move on new space for DA despite Daugherty’s objection

Despite eleventh hour pushback from Pct. 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, the Travis County Commissioners Court is moving ahead with plans to construct a new seven-story, 200,000 square-foot downtown building for the Travis County District Attorney’s office. That a plan that…

Opponents stymie plan for controversial East Austin recycling center

It’s back to the drawing board for a controversial recycling center plans in far Northeast Austin after four visits to the Zoning and Platting Commission.   Though the city administratively granted a six-month extension to the grading plan, which could…

Redistricting Commission elects officers, sets date for public input meeting

Members of the commission charged with drawing new geographically-based Austin City Council districts took two major steps forward Wednesday. With one, they appointed a Chair, Magdalena Blanco, and Vice Chair, T.J. Costello, for the duration of their work. With the…

Austin Water Utility could lose revenue over reclaimed water deal

The Austin Water Utility could lose more than $300,000 in revenue due to special reclaimed water rates proposed for the city’s parks system for the next fiscal year. The utility presented its final proposed rates for FY2014 to the budget…