Stories by Audrey McGlinchy
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Activists say officers allege retaliation for speaking to investigators in racism probe of APD
Activists and a City Council member say they’ve heard claims of possible obstruction in the investigation into alleged racism and homophobia among the highest ranks of the Austin Police Department.“It seems that people are not able to wholeheartedly and openly…
Wednesday, January 8, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Roads
Traffic deaths went up in Austin last year. Safety advocates ask: Where’s the moral outrage?
Billy Brewster loved lawnmowers. The 15-year-old, who was autistic and nonverbal, would just admire them from afar.“Billy sometimes wouldn’t even want to use the lawnmower,” his mother, Mia Brown, said. “He just wanted to stand there and look at it.”He…
Monday, December 9, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Land Development Code
White homeowners dominate input over Austin’s land code rewrite. One group is trying to change that.
More than 100 people sat in Austin City Hall chambers just past 10 a.m. on Saturday, gearing up to share their thoughts about the city’s rewrite of its Land Development Code. Council Member Alison Alter, who represents part of Northwest…
Friday, December 6, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin orders sweeping probe of alleged racism, bigotry among police, including social media audit
The city of Austin will conduct a department-wide investigation of discrimination in the Austin Police Department, following accusations of racism and homophobia among the highest ranks.“There comes a time in everybody’s existence to have to do something really hard because…
Thursday, November 14, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Land Development Code
Land code heads to City Council with request to focus development on West Austin instead of East
Austin’s new land use code, which determines what can be built in the city and where, is one step closer to being finalized – but first, one city body is asking that the plan encourage development farther west instead of…
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Land Development Code
Austin City Council will start voting on a new land code in December. Here are five terms to know.
The city of Austin has spent almost eight years and roughly $11 million rewriting its land use code, the set of rules dictating what you can build in the city and where you can build it.Much of the code can…
Monday, October 28, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Land Development Code
Can you protest changes to your property under the land code rewrite? City says no.
City of Austin lawyers are refuting the claims of an Austin nonprofit that has been campaigning for property owners to protest the possible rezoning of their land under the city’s land use code rewrite.“City officials plan to rezone your home…
Thursday, October 24, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Health & Human Services
Audit says Austin could better track outcomes after it refers people to mental health services
The city of Austin does a poor job of tracking the outcomes of people it refers to mental health services, despite the fact that improving access to these providers is one of City Council’s goals over the next couple of…
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Development
Dallas-based owner of much of East 12th Street teases future plans
Eureka Holdings, the Dallas-based company that has remained mum about plans for the more than two-dozen properties it has purchased on East 12th Street, has unveiled some initial goals for the area.The plans offered by Austin-based consulting firm Lionheart, give…
Friday, October 4, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Land Development Code
Latest draft of Austin’s land development rules permit denser housing, loosen parking restrictions
The city has proposed allowing for denser housing while loosening parking requirements in its latest revamp of rules dictating what can be built in Austin and where.The draft proposal, released to the public Friday afternoon, also allows for accessory dwelling…
Thursday, September 26, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Transportation
Updated: Austin eliminating traffic deaths by 2025 a remote possibility, city audit finds
The city of Austin is unlikely to reach its goal of zero traffic deaths or serious injuries by 2025, according to a new report from the city auditor’s office.“While a goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries is an…
Friday, September 13, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Public Safety
Austin ranks in the top five cities in the U.S. for potential wildfire damage
A new report from a California-based market research firm finds that Austin ranks fifth in a list of cities facing the highest reconstruction costs due to potential wildfire damage.Researchers with CoreLogic found that 53,984 Austin residents live within an area…
Friday, March 1, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Texas State Legislature
While it’s held up in court, Austin’s paid sick leave law comes closer to being undone by the state
Texas lawmakers advanced a bill on Thursday that would prevent cities from requiring private employers to give their workers certain benefits, such as paid sick leave.“This bill creates a statewide policy for consistent regulation by giving clarity to our private…
Friday, February 1, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
City Council
City of Austin orders outside review of police handling of sexual assault cases
The city has ordered an independent review of the Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases, asking investigators to track incidents from when they’re first reported to police to when they’re closed or handed off to the district attorney’s…
Thursday, January 17, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin Police Department orders outside audit after state finds it misclassified cleared rape cases
The Austin Police Department has ordered a third-party audit of rape investigations after state auditors found it misclassified certain rape cases.“This review will look from the beginning to the end,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said. “From the moment we…
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
As shutdown drags on, low-income housing providers in Austin worry funding for rent could run out
Prak Property Management Inc. has been digging into savings to keep some of its low-income properties in Austin running.“It’s like a savings account that every month we are required to put a certain amount of dollars into for things like…
Friday, January 11, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Texas State Legislature
The city-state fight continues in the 2019 legislative session: Here are bills to look out for
When the Texas Legislature reconvened on Jan. 8, lawmakers already had on their desks bills aimed at undoing city of Austin rules.The city-state conflict is nothing new. Last time they met in 2017, state lawmakers passed bills overturning Austin ordinances…
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Advocates say APD should focus less on how rape cases are coded and more on solving them
When Austin Police Chief Brian Manley announced last week that state auditors had found problems with the way police classify rape cases, some people were not shocked by the news.“It wasn’t a huge surprise to us,” said Kristen Lenau, who…
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 by Audrey McGlinchy
Austin
People living on the streets can now clean up Austin’s parks for an hourly wage
People experiencing homelessness can now work for the city of Austin.The city’s Parks and Recreation Department, along with Austin Public Health, The Other Ones Foundation and City Council Member Ellen Troxclair, highlighted the pilot program Monday in South Austin.Joe Pacheco,…
Friday, November 9, 2018 by Audrey McGlinchy
Bonds & Propositions
Austin urbanists see support for denser housing in defeat of Prop J and Laura Morrison
Most mornings, Dave Sullivan bikes from his house in Clarksville to the University of Texas. He then hops on an express bus to his job as a researcher at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus.During the election season, his daily commute…
