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Stories by Jo Clifton

Council to consider loan for Airport Hilton

When Austin’s airport lost 63 percent of its passengers last year due to Covid-19, the Airport Hilton lost 60 percent of its business. Now, Austin-Bergstrom Landhost Enterprises, or ABLE, the nonprofit corporation that operates the hotel, is asking for City…

Espero at Rutland offers hope for the homeless

At next week’s meeting, City Council, acting as the board of directors of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, is expected to approve funding for a 171-unit supportive housing development at 1934 Rutland Drive. In building and operating Espero at Rutland, AHFC…

Council to request maximum tax rate calculation

At next week’s meeting, City Council is expected to approve a resolution directing Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo to calculate the property tax rate for next year with an increase of 8 percent above the city’s current maintenance and…

Owner withdraws mini mart rezoning case

Although City Council gave preliminary approval for rezoning of the Sunrise Mini Mart at 913 and 915 W. Oltorf St., the road ahead looked bleak to property owner Abdul Patel and his agent, Jim Wittliff of Land Answers. With a…

Council OKs site for new Dougherty Arts Center

City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a site for the Dougherty Arts Center, close to the current ZACH Theatre at Butler Shores Park. The site, called 1A, was not city staffers’ first choice, but it was clear that staffers’…

Vote would fund new family violence shelter

At today’s meeting, Austin City Council members plan to award a contract for up to $8.1 million over four years to the SAFE Alliance to manage and provide services at a city-owned shelter for those experiencing domestic violence or sexual…

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What's the plan for American Rescue Plan money?

After seeing a rough outline of how city staffers plan to spend $143.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to house the homeless, address food insecurity, and provide affordable child care and job training, City Council still had a…

Postmortem of winter storm raises many questions

While individuals and departments shone in their dedication to the city and its people during the cascade of calamities caused by Winter Storm Uri, City Manager Spencer Cronk still has a lot of questions to answer when he releases the…

DKG house one step closer to high rise

City Council has granted preliminary approval for Downtown Mixed-Use zoning for the Delta Kappa Gamma house at 12th and San Antonio streets, allowing construction of a 375-foot residential tower. The motion to approve DMU at the requested height got only…

Neighbors wary as ACC takes a step back from concrete plant

After hearing numerous complaints from neighbors of Austin Community College’s Pinnacle campus in Oak Hill, the ACC Board of Trustees approved a new resolution Monday night specifically excluding the use of the campus for a concrete batch plant. The board…

Strong-mayor proposition fails spectacularly

In the May 1 election, voters strongly rejected Proposition F, which proposed a radical change to Austin city governance from the Council-manager form of government to a strong mayor with veto powers over actions taken by City Council. Eighty-six percent…

Council committee delves into ACE finances

Jolsna Thomas, who serves as secretary/treasurer of the board of Austin Convention Enterprises, which oversees financial matters related to the downtown Hilton Hotel, asked members of the City Council Audit & Finance Committee Wednesday to work on getting City Council…

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