Stories by Jo Clifton
Audit finds Austin Water needs to document how it fixes leaks
While Austin Water has worked to limit the amount of water lost through breaks in its water lines, over time the amount of water lost through such leaks has steadily increased, according to an audit discussed at the City Council…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 27, 2025
Audit shows former Austin Water employee directed search of boss’ inbox
The former chief information officer for Austin Water misused the city’s resources in an effort to find out the identity of the person who lodged a complaint against him, according to an audit report released this week by the Office…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Mar 26, 2025
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
Subscribe to our newsletter
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
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…
