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Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
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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…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jun 2, 2021
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…
Housing • By Jo Clifton • May 26, 2021
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…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • May 25, 2021
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…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • May 24, 2021
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’…
Parks • By Jo Clifton • May 21, 2021
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • May 20, 2021
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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…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • May 19, 2021
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…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • May 12, 2021
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…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • May 10, 2021
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…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • May 5, 2021
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…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jo Clifton • May 3, 2021
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…
