José Garza celebrated his early lead against incumbent Margaret Moore at a campaign watch party at Mi Madre’s Restaurant in East Austin. With his early voting numbers showing a slight lead over Moore, he said he anticipated the race going to a runoff. Tuesday’s final numbers confirmed that suspicion. In the end, José Garza won […]
Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
Posted inHousing
Austin landlords repeatedly cited for health and safety violations could get right to rent revoked
José Pérez and his family were afraid of their stove. It caught on fire when they tried to cook, so the family bought prepared food. They had other problems in their apartment, too: The air conditioning went out for a week one August, there was no hot water for a month, and mold grew in […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Take a look at what could be built under Austin’s proposed new land code
On Wednesday, the city of Austin revealed some models of what could be built under the proposed new Land Development Code, the rules that dictate what can be built in the city and where. It’s important to note that in most cases the images show the maximum of what could be built. Developers could decide […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Austin releases reworked land code ahead of second of three votes to finalize
The Austin City Council released the second draft of its Land Development Code Friday, the latest step in the city’s more than half-decade-long attempt to update the rules determining what can be built in the city and where. “The code and map released today reflects changes requested through Council direction from December, with a focus […]
Posted inPolice
Black and Hispanic drivers are increasingly more likely to be stopped by Austin police
While the black population in Austin hovers around 8 percent, black people made up roughly 15 percent of drivers pulled over by police and 25 percent of people subsequently arrested in 2018 – a disparity that has worsened since 2015. At the same time, white and Asian people were underrepresented in motor vehicle stops and […]
Posted inPolice
Austin will not pay to test for marijuana, effectively decriminalizing small amounts of pot
As law enforcement agencies in Texas figure out how to test suspected marijuana following the legalization of hemp in the state, the Austin City Council responded Thursday with its fix: a measure that effectively decriminalizes small amounts of pot. “It’s the right thing for criminal justice reform, from a common-sense perspective, and it’s the right […]
Posted inPolice
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 and honestly talk about some of the issues regarding racism within the police department,” […]
Posted inRoads
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 also liked to leave his house in Northeast Austin and wander the neighborhood. […]
Posted inLand 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 Austin, took a photo from her seat on the dais and posted it to Twitter, […]
Posted inPolice
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 it’s worth it,” Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison said before Council voted on the measure […]
Posted inLand 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 in gentrifying areas. Members of the city’s Planning Commission signed off Tuesday on recommended changes […]
Posted inLand 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 be mystifying to those outside the planning or building world, with terms like setback […]