Stories by Amy Smith
Downtown Commission hears SXSW safety preparedness report
No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios turning large public events into devastating havoc, but such is the business of planning for major festivals like South by Southwest. Lessons learned from past events – the 2020 pandemic, the 2014…
Austin • By Amy Smith • Feb 23, 2024
Council approves climate funding and telework policies
Austin’s environmental activists don’t always agree with one another on local policy issues, but they spoke with one voice Thursday in support of a resolution to beef up funding for the city’s many ambitious climate plans. As expected, City Council…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 16, 2024
Council to weigh how the city will fund climate projects
Over the last decade, City Council has put forth several ambitious climate-related plans, building on the work of previous councils. But without a clear road map for financing and prioritizing projects to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the city against…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 14, 2024
Commissioners seek parking study, Polo Field restoration
Two parking items cleared the Environmental Commission last week, a notable achievement considering that certain parking issues tend to devolve into prolonged debates. At its Feb. 7 meeting, commissioners considered two proposals within the framework of City Council’s elimination of…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Feb 12, 2024
Parks board continues weighing Zilker Park outreach efforts
The fabled adage, “Please all and you will please none,” seems to be an apt description of many of the city’s community engagement endeavors, with the ongoing outreach around the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan serving as a timely example. …
Parks • By Amy Smith • Feb 28, 2022
Council adopts public safety initiative to address vacancy concerns
With staffing challenges at a critical juncture in each of Austin’s three public safety departments, City Council has directed the city manager to build a comprehensive plan to address the shortages. The ATX Public Safety Vacancy Staffing Plan lays out…
Public Safety • By Amy Smith • Feb 23, 2022
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Police academy shows progress in adopting reforms
With a new cadet class set to begin in late March, the Austin Police Department and consultants are fine-tuning a curriculum that more closely aligns with the city’s reimagined public safety process. APD Chief Joseph Chacon updated City Council in…
Police • By Amy Smith • Feb 17, 2022
EMS interim chief optimistic about future of the department
With 124 vacancies that need filling to round out the medic force, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services is applying a variety of methods to try to close the gaps, interim Chief Jasper Brown told the City Council Public Safety Committee…
EMS • By Amy Smith • Feb 11, 2022
With new EMS chief hire, Cronk shows commitment to change
In a somewhat surprising move, City Manager Spencer Cronk has selected an outsider with a diverse background as the new chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Robert Luckritz, chief operating officer of Transformative Healthcare, an EMS, medical transportation and…
EMS • By Amy Smith • Feb 9, 2022
City seeks to separate forensics lab from APD while complying with state law
It’s never too soon to talk about the 2023 city budget, especially as it relates to the Austin Police Department and the divisions that were separated out from under APD before the state Legislature penalized cities for thinking outside the…
Public Safety • By Amy Smith • Feb 8, 2022
Council committee assignments offer few surprises
By the looks of the new City Council committee assignments approved Thursday, the mayor and most Council members will continue serving in their same appointments – with a few changes. Incoming Council Member Chito Vela, who will be sworn in…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 4, 2022
Council meeting will be delayed, may be canceled
If you’re planning to speak at today’s City Council meeting, don’t go to City Hall. That’s the word from Mayor Steve Adler, who announced on the City Council Message Board that today’s meeting will have a delayed start time of…
