Stories by Jo Clifton
Thursday, April 18, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Austinites testify for, against Precourt bill
Dave Greeley, president of Precourt Sports Ventures, told a Senate committee Tuesday night that SB 1771 “would jeopardize the viability” of Austin FC, the soccer club slated to play in the stadium his company has agreed to build at McKalla…
Thursday, April 18, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Housing
Housing committee hears about district goals
Two years ago this month, Austin City Council adopted its first strategic housing blueprint, with the goal of developing metrics to define how the city should allocate its resources to produce affordable housing for residents earning less than 80 percent…
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
Council overrides staff to OK Blackland rezoning
Last Thursday, Council gave final approval to a zoning change that will allow an East Austin property owner to build five units on a lot at 2107 Alamo St., replacing an existing duplex. The vote was 10-1, with Council Member…
Monday, April 15, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Planning
Council says no to cell phone tower
On a vote of 7-3, last week Council rejected an application to change regulations for a planned unit development that would have allowed a cell phone tower to be erected near a condominium complex and an apartment building west of…
Thursday, April 11, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Council strongly opposes property tax bills
As Speaker of the Texas House Dennis Bonnen calls the chamber to order today, Austin’s City Council will begin working its way through its regular agenda. That agenda includes a resolution adamantly rejecting House Bill 2, the property tax bill…
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Audit says employee misused city computer
Investigators in the Office of the City Auditor have released a report showing that a staff member in the Development Services Department used his city computer to operate his personal online business.Auditors released a report Monday stating they had found…
Friday, April 5, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Austin FC hires legislative lobbyists
The soccer club Austin FC, owned by Precourt Sports Ventures, hired three lobbyists on March 7, the day after Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, introduced legislation that could seriously impact Precourt’s plans for a new soccer stadium at McKalla Place.The club…
Thursday, April 4, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Property tax bill could cost soccer club
Senator Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, has introduced legislation that could put a crimp in the plans of anyone leasing municipal property for a new sports facility – such as a soccer stadium – and planning not to pay property taxes to…
Thursday, April 4, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
Flats on Shady Lane gets final approval
Council Member Jimmy Flannigan has a message for Austinites who think that their neighborhoods are getting more than their share of rental housing: You’re not alone.Last Thursday, as he made the motion to approve zoning that will allow developers to…
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Hyde Park flood plain variance finally OK’d
Even though Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza did not really approve of granting flood plain variances to allow construction of a home at 4515 Avenue D, she changed her vote last week so that the property owner would not have…
Friday, March 29, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Ethics commission loses some duties
Austin’s Ethics Review Commission will no longer be looking at allegations of ethics violations related to most city employees. On Thursday, City Council approved changes to the ordinance governing the commission’s authority after ensuring that reports about such allegations would…
Thursday, March 28, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Roads
Council: TxDOT should pay for underpass cleanup
Several members of the Austin City Council expressed anger at the Texas Department of Transportation after learning at Tuesday’s work session that the city would have to pick up the cost of cleaning up the state’s property at city underpasses.…
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Honor Flight duties raise concerns
City employees working in the Veterans Services Office have spent a considerable amount of city time working for Honor Flight Austin, the nonprofit organization that provides trips to Washington, D.C., for World War II veterans, even though the city does…
Monday, March 18, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Courts
Casar to pay Pressley’s court fees, but they’re not much
When Council Member Greg Casar filed the report on his special officeholder account on Jan. 15, it showed just $321.91 in the account. The purpose of that account has been to help Casar pay the legal fees in the lawsuit…
Friday, March 15, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Austin taking over underpass cleanup from TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation, which has been cleaning under the city’s highway overpasses for many years and cleaning up homeless camps for about three years, has notified the city of Austin that it can no longer provide those services.TxDOT…
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Courts
Council rules unlikely to change despite opinion
Despite a ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismantling a provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act that prevents local government officials from meeting in small groups in what is known as a “walking quorum,” it seems unlikely…
Friday, March 8, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Flood plain variance a conundrum for Council
After hearing from the city’s flood plain expert, Council voted 6-5 Thursday to grant a variance to allow a property owner to replace an older, smaller home in the flood plain of Waller Creek at 4515 Avenue D with a…
Thursday, March 7, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Alter worried about cost of city leases
Council Member Alison Alter is worried about how much money the city is spending on renting space for city offices as compared to purchasing or building those offices.At Tuesday’s work session, Alter grilled Alex Gale, the city’s interim real estate…
Friday, March 1, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Environment
TCEQ OKs Dripping Springs discharge permit
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a wastewater discharge permit to Dripping Springs on Wednesday, giving the city authority to expand its existing wastewater plant and discharge up to 822,500 gallons of effluent per day into Onion Creek. However,…
Thursday, February 28, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Austin’s homeless population still growing
Despite the expenditure of millions of city and federal dollars, and the fact that Austin’s efforts are frequently cited as best practices in other cities, homelessness is still on the rise here.Ann Howard, executive director of the Ending Community Homelessness…
