About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Most Popular Stories
- Austin Resource Recovery to formally amend cart collection rules
- Austin ISD gets $41 million from the Education Department. What happens if the agency closes?
- Firefighters, city reach agreement on retirement fund
- Rite of spring: Dog-killing algae makes an early appearance in Austin waterways
- TipSheet: Austin City Council 4.24.25
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
Public Health Commission looks at curbing heat illnesses, promoting drug counselor training
The Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission is fine-tuning recommendations on two initiatives aimed at expanding harm reduction services and protecting outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. During the latest meeting, commissioners reviewed draft recommendations on both issues but took no votes,…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 8, 2025
Council gets early look at public health cuts caused by federal funding losses
Austin Public Health leaders are working to manage an ongoing budget crisis caused by federal funding cuts that have destabilized programs across the city. City Council’s Public Health Committee heard last week that APH has already lost approximately $15 million…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 7, 2025
Workshops helping city gear up business expansion, place-based incentive programs
Ahead of a planned rollout in May, the city is hoping a series of workshops this month will generate interest in its updated business expansion and upcoming place-based enhancement incentive programs. The programs, which were recently approved by City Council,…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 4, 2025
City to help preserve artworks threatened by convention center teardown
The city appears to have solutions to save a group of artworks installed in the Austin Convention Center that were in danger of being destroyed as the demolition and reconstruction of the facility moves forward. Late last month, artist John…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 2, 2025
Audit throws shade at city's efforts to mitigate extreme heat
A new report from the Office of the City Auditor concludes that, while the city has made notable progress in preparing for extreme heat, challenges in coordination, funding and measurable planning continue to undermine long-term resilience. The audit, released this…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 1, 2025
Ethics commissioners vote to hear campaign finance complaints from D7 election
The Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously this week to advance two campaign finance complaints to final hearings, determining that there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations of the city’s campaign finance rules may have occurred during a recent City…
Elections • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 31, 2025
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UT hopes to play leading role in Austin’s evolving development scene
At Wednesday’s Urban Land Institute Austin breakfast discussion, interim University of Texas President Jim Davis offered a candid assessment of the university’s evolving role in Austin’s booming development scene. Once regarded as one of the city’s largest builders and employers,…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 27, 2025
Bond task force weighs early decisions on transportation needs for 2026 package
The Bond Election Advisory Task Force got its first look Monday at how the Transportation and Public Works Department is approaching the selection and prioritization of projects for next year’s expected bond package. Task force members had plenty of questions…
Transportation • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 26, 2025
Preservationists praise developer for giving Sixth Street historic buildings ‘some love’
As Dallas-based Stream Realty moves forward with efforts to revitalize more than 30 properties it owns along East Sixth Street, the company is evincing a notable shift in strategy: preserving historic buildings instead of replacing most of them with new…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 25, 2025
Vision for transforming city core draws scrutiny ahead of likely Council vote
With Downtown Austin poised for overlapping mega-projects over roughly the next decade, City Council’s Mobility Committee took a closer look last week at the draft Austin Core Transportation Plan, which aims to tie all of the projects together. Committee members…
Transportation • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 24, 2025
City pauses $10M in airport art over concerns local creatives were excluded
The city has paused three significant public art contracts intended for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion, in a move that may signal a reconsideration of how prominently the city should promote local artists in major public spaces. Three contract approvals…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 21, 2025
City readies final changes to revised business expansion programs
The Economic Development Department has announced final modifications to its Business Expansion Program, a key component of the city’s Chapter 380 economic development incentives. The updates, approved by City Council in September 2024 under Ordinance 20240926-013, are designed to increase…
