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Stories by Jack Craver

Alter: Council is letting garbage company rewrite lobbying rules

City Council Member Alison Alter said Tuesday that her colleagues were allowing one company to rewrite city lobbying rules, suggesting that an ongoing rewrite of the Anti-Lobbying Ordinance was largely the result of bullying by Texas Disposal Systems, a waste…

Commission fails to endorse police contract

Citing a lack of information, the Public Safety Commission on Monday declined to endorse the union contract recently hammered out between the Austin Police Association and city labor negotiators. In addition to concerns expressed by some commissioners about shortcomings of…

Water quality groups wade carefully into CodeNEXT debate

While the Austin environmental community appears divided on what to do about CodeNEXT, three green groups say the proposed overhaul of the Land Development Code will strengthen water quality protections in a number of key ways. In a statement released…

Report: 'No-kill' policy an asset to Austin

An analysis prepared by researchers at the University of Denver argues that the benefits of Austin’s “no-kill” policy outweigh its costs. The decision to no longer euthanize stray dogs and cats has certainly cost city taxpayers, but those dollars do…

Council members question free parking for Second Street stores

Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo isn’t sure whether shoppers on Second Street should get free parking courtesy of the city of Austin anymore. At a City Council meeting last week, Tovo questioned city staff about its recommendation that Council renew…

Council continues to wait on new lobbying rules

On Thursday, Council Member Leslie Pool, who has been leading efforts to make changes to the city’s Anti-Lobbying Ordinance, told her colleagues that stakeholders are close to reaching an agreement over new rules. “We’re achieving really good progress,” she said.…

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Cure boundaries

Council looks to roll back CURE zoning

Driven by concerns over gentrification, City Council is poised to do away with the final remnants of a policy that was put in place two decades ago to encourage redevelopment downtown. The central urban redevelopment (CURE) combining district that Council…

Texas Disposal Systems unhappy with proposed new lobbying rules

City Council is scheduled to take up a recommendation from city staff at its meeting on Thursday that will make changes to the longtime Anti-Lobbying Ordinance in response to problems the city has encountered with its waste contracts. The main…

Council pushes ahead with CodeNEXT contract

City Council has voted to authorize spending what is supposed to be the final chunk of money allocated for the consultants hired to craft CodeNEXT, the rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code. The $2.27 million will go to Opticos…

Push on at Council to delay CodeNEXT vote

Council Member Leslie Pool is pushing to further delay a vote on CodeNEXT, the controversial rewrite of Austin’s Land Development Code that is already years behind schedule. In a message to fellow City Council members Monday evening, Pool suggested rethinking…

Council approves resolution condemning Columbus, celebrating indigenous peoples

City Council jumped into the long-standing debate over Columbus Day when it approved a resolution this week in favor of recognizing the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The vote was purely symbolic. Columbus Day has never been…

police officers saluting

Police chief describes new community policing focus

The Austin Police Department is no longer recruiting new officers by promising them an action-packed thrill ride. In a presentation to City Council members on Tuesday, Interim Police Chief Brian Manley described the video that the department used as part…

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