Stories by Jacob Cottingham
Water conservation task force debates AWU role
The Citizens Water Conservation Implementation Task Force is closer to finalizing its recommendations to City Council, although vigorous debate continues over what metrics the Austin Water Utility will contribute to the report. Last week, on a night when Save…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 25, 2010
Travis County addresses some transportation woes
Travis County Commissioners on Tuesday addressed three different transportation items, each an attempt to address the county’s traffic and, by extension, lower ozone levels. Commissioners delayed action on a proposed Transportation Management Association shepherded by the Downtown Austin Alliance; were…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 20, 2010
Travis Commissioners reject pharmacy discount card offer
Travis County Commissioners found themselves entangled in the complexity of the pharmaceutical industry last Tuesday and ended up declining an official discount pharmacy card for county residents. After a briefing from industry representatives and a tough line of inquiry by…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 19, 2010
CAN presents facts about poverty in Austin, Travis County
While Austinites typically celebrate the city’s quality of life rankings and expensive condos pop up across town, representatives from the Community Action Network on Monday heard several presentations detailing a grimmer side of the city—poverty. Chantel Bottoms, CAN program…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 12, 2010
New TxDOT rail director looks into future of state’s transportation
Bill Glavin, the Texas Department of Transportation’s recently appointed Rail Division Director, has a lot to be excited about. As the first head of the new department, his decades of freight industry experience will be instrumental in shaping the future…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 12, 2010
Group touts benefits for new EPA ozone attainment standards
A coalition of environmental and medical groups as well as state representatives say a new federal Environmental Protection Agency standard for ozone air quality is a positive step for cleaning up the air in Austin and around the state. …
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Jan 7, 2010
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Council votes to renegotiate recycling contract with Greenstar
City Council has voted to authorize a renegotiation of its contract with Greenstar, the company hired to transport, process and sell recycling material from Austin’s Single Stream program until the city completes its own materials recovery facility. The current…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Dec 18, 2009
Travis commissioners delay TXI decision
Travis County Commissioners this week delayed voting on a controversial mining project in the eastern portion of the county after time constraints prevented all those who wished to speak from having the opportunity. Additional lines of questioning went unanswered from…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Dec 17, 2009
Council votes to move downtown rail plan forward
Eyeing a potential November 2010 bond election for a downtown rail circulator, City Council – absent Mayor Pro-tem Mike Martinez – voted 6-0 to authorize negotiations with a local firm for a preliminary engineering study that will be critical to…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Dec 11, 2009
East Travis residents appeal to Commissioners over proposed mine
A parade of residents upset about a proposed mining operation east of Austin Bergstrom International Airport came before Travis County Commissioners last week, though the county’s limited authority may stand between them and any remedy. More than a dozen citizens…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Dec 1, 2009
Electric substation may find home on the links
Austin Energy’s long running struggle to find a location for an electric substation near the Mueller development may be heading toward a peaceful resolution. The zoning item before City Council was postponed during the Council’s last meeting until December 17…
Uncategorized • By Jacob Cottingham • Nov 30, 2009
Council approves new ‘no-kill’ resolution
Council members unanimously approved a resolution Thursday directing the City Manager to work with the Animal Advisory Commission toward developing a plan to dramatically lower the number of animals euthanized at the city’s shelters. The resolution, sponsored by Council…
