Stories by Jo Clifton
Friday, February 9, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
East side developer just needs a driveway
Developer John Klitz isn’t asking for much from his zoning case. As attorney Jeff Howard told City Council last week, Klitz and his company, SL Shady Lane, are only seeking to remove a conditional overlay on his property at 1105…
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Resources
Council rejects appeal of gas conservation fees
City Council on Thursday rejected an appeal from environmental and consumer activist Paul Robbins to overturn a staff decision to accept Texas Gas Service’s 2018 conservation adjustment clause rate. The conservation adjustment clause rate is the extra money consumers pay…
Friday, February 2, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Housing
Council endorses new Chalmers Courts project
With the Council chambers full of cheering supporters, City Council on Thursday unanimously endorsed an award of low-income housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for a multifamily development at East Fourth and Chicon streets…
Thursday, February 1, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Public Safety
Council rejects first aid services contract
During Tuesday’s work session, City Council members expressed enough objections to a contract to hire an outside firm to provide medical services at the Austin Convention Center that city staff agreed to remove the item from today’s agenda.Council members Delia…
Thursday, January 25, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Council members blast city savings program
Members of the City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday expressed outrage over the lack of oversight exercised by the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department in administering a program designed to help low-income residents learn how to…
Friday, January 5, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
For Adler, 2017 was busy, successful
It was another very busy year for Austin Mayor Steve Adler. He represented the city both in the United States and abroad on climate change. He joined with other Texas mayors in fighting Senate Bill 4, the Texas legislation to…
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Pool proud of 2017 budget actions
Some of District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool’s biggest accomplishments for 2017 show up on a list of budget riders. That’s not the stuff of big headlines, but the kind of nitty-gritty details that make up the life of a…
Tuesday, January 2, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Renteria concentrates on affordable housing
For District 3 City Council Member Pio Renteria, 2017 saw the culmination of projects large and small, many of which he has been working on for years. Most of those projects are related to helping low-income people who continue to…
Friday, December 22, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Planning
Champion case moves to commission
Champion land use cases never die; they just move to another forum.In this case, the question of development restrictions on the 45-acre tract at 6409 City Park Road has gone from City Council to the courthouse and back to Council,…
Wednesday, December 20, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Police
Police decline further contract talks for now
The Austin Police Association on Tuesday resoundingly rejected the City Council’s request that it continue its current contract for a few months and return to the negotiating table.Groups that had urged Council to reject the new contract were apparently surprised…
Friday, December 15, 2017 by Jo Clifton
City Council
24 Diner, Parkside win airport contract
Despite the angst it expressed over not making a spot at the airport for longtime Austin restaurant Threadgill’s, City Council voted to award the contract for new airport restaurant concessions to HMSHost, the company whose bid included the 24 Diner…
Wednesday, December 13, 2017 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Cronk, Lazarus vie for city manager job
Each of the two finalists for the job of Austin city manager, Howard Lazarus and Spencer Cronk, did his best to convince a small crowd gathered at the Austin Convention Center last night, as well as an unknown number of…
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Austin
City’s homeless services not coordinated
Austin lacks a single coordinator to oversee all of its activities and expenditures relating to the homeless to make sure that they are operating efficiently, according to an audit released by the Office of the City Auditor on Monday.In addition,…
Friday, December 8, 2017 by Jo Clifton
Environment
City to continue protest of Dripping Springs permit
The city will continue its protest of a proposed permit that would allow Dripping Springs to discharge up to 995,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day to the Onion Creek watershed. City staff put a proposed settlement agreement on Thursday’s…
Thursday, December 7, 2017 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Threadgill’s fighting for airport contract
A battle is brewing over airport restaurant concession contracts, and Threadgill’s is in the middle of the fight.Also in the middle of a contract fight is the local massage concession known as Knot Anymore, which has provided massage services at…
Wednesday, December 6, 2017 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Changes proposed for Chapter 380 agreements
During Tuesday’s City Council work session, David Colligan, the manager of global business expansion in the Economic Development Department, and economist Jon Hockenyos presented an outline of their plans to revamp the city’s incentive policy for recruiting businesses under the…
