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Stories by Jo Clifton

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City moves toward starting downtown strategy office

In response to a resolution from City Council, as well as the many projects and disruptions foreseen for downtown in the next few years, the city plans to create a new downtown strategy office by the end of September. The…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Mar 19, 2025

Austin's water reuse program is moving forward, but slowly

Austin adopted what were called “historic” water reuse regulations a year ago, so the program is still in its infancy, especially compared with Los Angeles and San Francisco, which adopted regulations requiring builders to put in the necessary plumbing to…

Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 14, 2025

Austin Public Health staff to seek more bond money

Austin Public Health facilities are funded through bonds approved by Austin voters – and only through those bonds. If the city health department needs a new facility, it must convince members of a bond advisory committee to put the proposition…

Bonds & Propositions • By Jo Clifton • Mar 13, 2025

Council decides against historic zoning for Running Rope Ranch

Despite strong statements of support for historic zoning from two of the newest members of City Council at last week’s meeting, fewer than half of the Council members voted in favor of designating a portion of the property known as…

Preservation • By Jo Clifton • Mar 10, 2025

Council is likely to briefly stop rate hikes for natural gas

Texas Gas Service Company and CenterPoint Energy Resources, which serve gas customers in Austin and surrounding areas as well as other parts of the state, have filed notices of their plan to raise rates for the service regions that include…

Resources • By Jo Clifton • Mar 6, 2025

Austin Energy seeks to dampen fears of cooling department employees

Despite assurances that Austin Energy is not currently contemplating a sale of its District Energy and Cooling Department, called the DEC, some employees remain concerned that the utility might decide to sell the cooling system, which provides chilled water cooling…

Energy • By Jo Clifton • Mar 4, 2025

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Riverside PUD gains second-round approval

Although a neighboring property owner tried to prevent Thursday’s vote by seeking a postponement of the second and third readings on rezoning of a property at 200 E. Riverside Drive, attorney Richard Suttle convinced City Council to move forward with…

Zoning • By Jo Clifton • Mar 3, 2025

New convention center design revealed at Council

Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center, promised during Tuesday’s City Council work session a “world-class design” and the “first net-zero carbon convention center in the world.” Katy Zamesnik, assistant director of the convention center, told Council that Austin…

Planning • By Jo Clifton • Feb 26, 2025

January reports show who’s got the money to run again

On Jan. 15, months after votes from the November election were tallied, all City Council members and candidates filed reports showing how much they had in their campaign bank accounts as of Dec. 31. Mayor Kirk Watson is clearly the…

Elections • By Jo Clifton • Feb 6, 2025

Save Austin Now to get rehearing on enforcement of Prop B

Save Austin Now, the group that pushed for and won an election to make the city enforce a ban on camping among homeless residents, has won a victory at the 3rd Court of Appeals. Save Austin Now filed suit in…

Courts • By Jo Clifton • Feb 4, 2025

Council OKs historic zoning for east side house on first reading

On Thursday, City Council approved on first reading only a historic designation for the Romo-Johnson House at 900 Spence St. in East Austin. However, three members of Council abstained from the vote, making it seem unlikely that it will finally…

Preservation • By Jo Clifton • Jan 31, 2025

Proposals to address wildfire dangers face opposition

Two items on today’s City Council agenda related to wildfire prevention have raised alarms among at least two community groups – the Save Our Springs Alliance and Community Not Commodity. The agenda indicates that the first item would allocate nearly…

Fire • By Jo Clifton • Jan 30, 2025

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