Stories by Jack Craver
Travis County backs lawsuit over Trump sanctuary city order
Travis County has joined nearly three dozen other cities and counties across the country, including the city of Austin, in the legal battle against President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctuary cities. After a brief discussion of the lawsuit during a…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Mar 29, 2017
City utilities devise plan to help with unpaid bills
Austin’s two city-owned utilities are teaming up to help some of the city’s most indebted customers catch up on unpaid bills. Beginning this summer, the joint effort between Austin Energy and Austin Water will target 543 customers who participate in…
Resources • By Jack Craver • Mar 28, 2017
City moves forward on major park in Onion Creek area
The city is trying to make the best out of a bad situation by turning flood-ravaged land near Onion Creek into one of Austin’s premier open spaces. Earlier this month, City Council approved a resolution to begin the process of…
Parks • By Jack Craver • Mar 20, 2017
What really happened with the new ethics ordinance?
An ordinance approved by City Council last month aims to strengthen the Ethics Review Commission, the citizen panel tasked with investigating and judging ethics complaints made against city officials. The ordinance, which had been in the works for about a…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Mar 16, 2017
Report inspires city leaders to look at gentrification in CodeNEXT
Two weeks ago, a draft report authored by a city task force accused CodeNEXT, the proposed overhaul of the city’s land use rules, of being a “tool of institutionalized racism.” The report, which was leaked to media outlets and reported…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Mar 15, 2017
Ethics Review Commission weighs campaign finance proposal
Members of the city’s Ethics Review Commission are considering a number of potential changes to Austin’s campaign finance rules in the wake of a federal court ruling that blocked enforcement of certain restrictions on candidate fundraising. In a ruling last…
City Hall • By Jack Craver • Mar 10, 2017
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Council still puzzled about CodeNEXT
Most City Council members still don’t know what to make of the first draft of CodeNEXT, the long-anticipated overhaul of the city’s zoning code that was first unveiled late last month. On Wednesday, the consultants hired to craft the draft…
Planning • By Jack Craver • Feb 23, 2017
Council denies controversial waste disposal contract
City Council voted unanimously last week to kill a garbage collection contract after outcries from both environmentalists and waste hauling companies that claimed they would be hurt by the proposed deal between the city and Republic Services, a Phoenix-based waste…
Resources • By Jack Craver • Feb 22, 2017
Confusion and frustration continue over Council committees
City Council appears united in the belief that its committee system must change, but debate on Thursday about who will serve on what committee shows that Council members have still not reached a consensus on what exactly the new system…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Feb 21, 2017
Council approves resolution aimed at creating more Capitol View Corridors
City Council approved a resolution Thursday aimed at preserving “visual corridors” of the state Capitol in East Austin. Brought forward by Council Member Ora Houston – who in a prepared statement described the view of the Capitol that she grew…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Feb 17, 2017
Tax credits could provide big increase in affordable housing units on Goodrich Ave.
With the assistance of the state and federal government, Pathways at Goodrich Place, a public housing complex at 2126 Goodrich Ave., may soon have more than three times as many apartment units serving residents who otherwise couldn’t afford to live…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Feb 13, 2017
Council selects search firm to find new city manager
City Council settled on a firm to conduct the search for a new city manager Thursday following a convoluted and unusual process in which each Council member ranked the three firms competing for the contract. Council ultimately voted 7-4 to…
