Stories by Gene Davis
Wednesday, February 4, 2015 by Gene Davis
Development
Travis County cements $291.6M bond election
In what Travis County Commissioner Ron Davis called the largest brick-and-mortar initiative referendum in the history of Travis County, the court approved setting the bond for construction of the planned Civil and Family Courthouse project at $291.6 million. Voters will…
Wednesday, February 4, 2015 by Gene Davis
Elections
Travis County talks appraisals, city business
In a discussion on state legislative proposals aimed at increasing fairness in property tax appraisals for homeowners, several Travis County commissioners called out City of Austin leaders for not implementing a 20 percent homestead exemption for property taxes.Commissioner Gerald Daugherty…
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 by Gene Davis
Austin
Suicides highlight rift between EMS staff, managers
A second suicide by an Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services first responder within the past seven months has heightened visible tensions between the department’s leadership and its employees.And while multiple EMS first responders took to Facebook earlier this month to…
Friday, January 23, 2015 by Gene Davis
Austin
Lone Star Rail kicks off environmental study
A decade-old project to build a passenger rail line between the San Antonio and Austin areas picked up steam Wednesday with a public meeting of the Lone Star Rail Project.The meeting served as the kickoff to the project’s environmental impact…
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 by Gene Davis
Austin
Yogurt shop variance request frozen for now
The Board of Adjustment gave an overall warm reception to a parking variance request sought for a new frozen yogurt shop on East Sixth Street.However, instead of granting the variance request, several BOA members said they thought the Development Assistance…
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 by Gene Davis
Austin
Sign Board postpones confounding variance case
After calling the plan “confusing” and “difficult to follow,” the Sign Review Board voted unanimously Monday to postpone consideration on a variance package to allow larger signs at an Austin hospital.The sign plan sought multiple variances for four signs at…
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 by Gene Davis
Austin
Source of Income ordinance blocked, for now
A federal judge Tuesday temporarily blocked the implementation of a city ordinance that aims to expand housing options for low-income residents who use housing vouchers.The so-called Source of Income Ordinance was scheduled to go into effect Jan. 12. However, U.S.…
Wednesday, December 10, 2014 by Gene Davis
Austin
CAMPO board OKs list of future transit projects
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board approved a recommended list of regional transit projects Monday, including a commuter rail line from Elgin to Austin and multiple new MetroRapid Bus routes, to prioritize for potential funding under its…
Thursday, November 20, 2014 by Gene Davis
Resources
LCRA seeks more limits on downstream release
With an analysis predicting the possibility of record low storage levels in lakes Buchanan and Travis early next year, the Lower Colorado River Authority board of directors voted 11-2 Wednesday to ask the state for a fourth year to limit…
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 by Gene Davis
Energy
AE proposes rate change to improve value of solar
At Monday’s Electric Utility Commission meeting, Austin Energy officials presented a rate change that promises to create greater stability in the compensation of residential customers for the value of electricity generated by their solar units.The rate change is part of…
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 by Gene Davis
Austin
CAMPO weakens bicycle, pedestrian funding
Despite repeated objections from Austin City Council Member Chris Riley, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board voted Monday to soften a policy that directs federal funds toward bicycle and pedestrian projects under a proposed long-range plan.The CAMPO…
Wednesday, October 29, 2014 by Gene Davis
Development
BoA changes designation for two CrossFit facilities
During a dramatic, packed-beyond-capacity special meeting, the Board of Adjustment voted to reverse a previous staff decision and change the land use designation for two CrossFit locations in Brentwood.The new land use designation could potentially put CrossFit Central, 6205 Burnet…
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 by Gene Davis
Development
Speedy BoA won’t indulge no-shows at meeting
Toward the end of what a staff liaison called a historically short meeting, the Board of Adjustment took the uncommon step of denying three variance requests in which the applicants did not show up on time to present their cases.Board…
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 by Gene Davis
Development
Sign Review Board approves complex sign plan
The Sign Review Board approved a proposal Monday night for a North Central Austin development that the applicant representative, Husch Blackwell attorney Nikelle Meade, called one of the more complicated sign plans she has seen.Meade told board members that planners…
Thursday, October 9, 2014 by Gene Davis
Elections
District 10 candidates ponder changes at City Hall
City Council District 10 candidates talked transportation, water conservation and incentives during Monday night’s Ballot Boxing forum hosted by the Austin Monitor, KUT News, Austin Chronicle, KXAN and Univision.But some of the most interesting comments from the eight candidates vying…
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 by Gene Davis
Public Safety
Public Safety panel punts on Special Events regs
A vote, or more specifically, a non-vote, by the Public Safety Commission on the proposed Special Events Ordinance proved anticlimactic Monday night.Rather than vote on the proposed ordinance as a whole, commissioners voted only to approve a definition change for…
Friday, October 3, 2014 by Gene Davis
Politics
At forum, most District 7 candidates reject rail
Seven of the eight candidates at Thursday’s District 7 City Council forum came out against November’s $600 million bond proposition to help fund a rail initiative. The Monitor co-hosted the forum along with the Austin Chronicle, KUT, KXAN and Univision.The…
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 by Gene Davis
Elections
District 5 candidates oppose Proposition 1
The seven candidates at Monday’s District 5 City Council forum all came out against November’s $1 billion bond proposition to help fund a rail initiative and build roadways. The Austin Monitor co-hosted the forum along with the Austin Chronicle, KUT,…
Thursday, September 18, 2014 by Gene Davis
Politics
District 4 candidates talk public safety, affordability
Council candidates vying for the District 4 seat listed safety, sidewalks and affordability as top priorities facing Austin’s densest district in a forum Wednesday, co-hosted by the Austin Monitor and our partners at KUT, KXAN, the Austin Chronicle and Univision.Candidates at…
Monday, September 15, 2014 by Gene Davis
Public Safety
Commission studies hidden costs of SXSW
One day after the news that the 2014 South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Festival generated $315 million for the city, Public Safety Commissioners heard about the financial and staffing impacts that special events place on City of Austin…
