Stories by Jo Clifton
Thursday, May 16, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Planning
City eyes Palm School, bigger convention center
City Council Member Kathie Tovo, with assistance from Mayor Steve Adler, has produced a 23-page resolution outlining Council’s desire to create a plan for the southeast part of downtown, including use of the Palm School for cultural programming and expansion…
Monday, May 13, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Dougherty move OK’d but questions remain
Council voted Thursday to instruct the Parks and Recreation Department to move forward with preparing a design for a new site for the Dougherty Arts Center at Butler Shores Park. However, the instructions were not an all-out endorsement of the…
Friday, May 10, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Travis County
Tax wranglers may once again sue appraisers
Once again a battle is brewing between firms seeking to help property owners lower the appraised value on their property and the Travis Appraisal Review Board. The issue boils down to scheduling of hearings with no regard for the fact…
Thursday, May 9, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Harper-Madison questions electric vehicle resolution
Council Member Alison Alter’s resolution furthering Austin’s commitment to combating climate change seems exactly like the sort of statement Austinites expect from their leaders. Austin city councils have backed environmental initiatives, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, for many years.The…
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Planning
Streamlined housing plan comes to Council
In keeping with its commitment to increase Austin’s affordable housing stock, Council will consider an ordinance Thursday which will eliminate certain requirements that currently apply to all new housing, affordable as well as market rate.Under a new program called Affordability…
Friday, May 3, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Budget
Watching Legislature, city delays financial forecast
Without final action on the property tax bill moving through the Texas Legislature, Austin budget planners are holding off on presenting the city’s financial forecast to City Council. At this point, however, legislative watchers expect final passage of SB 2,…
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Austin
DAA launches annual report and new nonprofit
Amidst a multitude of rosy economic statistics on Tuesday, the Downtown Austin Alliance released its first State of Downtown report at the inaugural Future of Downtown event. The report seeks to be “a market snapshot illustrating the central role downtown…
Monday, April 29, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
Zoning for affordable housing wins initial approval
With Council Member Greg Casar leading the way, Council voted unanimously Thursday to give first-round approval to rezoning a tract at 916 and 918 Norwood Park Blvd. for 228 affordable housing units in District 4.Members of the Heritage Hills Woodbridge…
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.…
