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City of Austin management will explore whether to impose a moratorium on rental increases if landlords take advantage of Austin Energy’s weatherization rebates. The action comes after a resolution brought Thursday by Council Members Kathie Tovo, Mike Martinez and…
After months of negotiations, American Youth Hostels and city officials finalized a license agreement that will ensure Austin’s only youth hostel will remain at its South Lakeshore Drive location on the southeastern shores of Lady Bird Lake. Last spring,…
An audit of the Austin Fire Department’s worker safety efforts reveals gaps between the department’s safety programs and standards set forward by the National Fire Protection Association. The department’s shortcomings include a not-fully developed “comprehensive occupational and health safety…
Austin Council Member Chris Riley crafted a creative solution at last week’s Council meeting that he hopes would allow businesses near city parks to use under-utilized city lots in exchange for making park improvements. Such a change could be…
Austin’s two major private single-stream recycling partners are costing the city vastly differing amounts, according to a report that will be delivered to the city’s Zero Waste Advisory Commission this evening. Balcones Resources processed more than 2,500 tons of…
Austin City Council last week postponed until Jan. 17 a discussion on whether to open bike trails at night, a pilot program proposed by Council Member Chris Riley. Riley wants to allow 24-hour access to the Butler Hike and…
A split Austin City Council approved a controversial agreement with the Texas Facilities Commission late Thursday. The deal will offer the commission city staff, resources, and up to $400,000 to land the city a “seat at the table” as the…
City of Austin staffers have recommended Council members approve a set of major infrastructure changes to the emerging Rainey Street entertainment district to improve sidewalks, parking and traffic flow. City officials shared their ideas at last weeks meeting of…
Supporters of a successful 10-1 single-member district initiative continued to criticize a proposed timeline for implementation of the districts at a press conference last week. There, local NAACP head Nelson Linder, former State Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, and Republican attorney…
Austin City Council Thursday night unanimously approved an economic incentives package for a proposed 800-employee Visa Inc. computer center after the company added language to the agreement that includes a provision to pay all employees a living wage, including construction…
Council Members Thursday grudgingly approved what may be the final $15 million appropriation for Water Treatment Plant 4, a project whose cost now could top out $374 million. The vote was unanimous. The action came as some Council members…
After temporarily thwarting a would-be residential development, residents of a southwestern Austin neighborhood, want to permanently preserve a dozen acres of land they’ve used as an unofficial park for a generation. In July, Austin City Council, swayed by pleas…
