Stories by Jo Clifton
Environmental, consumer groups oppose gas rate hike
Nine leaders of environmental and consumer organizations have sent a letter to the mayor and City Council urging them to reject the rate increase proposed by Texas Gas Service and restructure its rates in a manner designed to help low-income…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • May 1, 2020
Council hears good news, bad news on coronavirus
Two researchers from the University of Texas Covid-19 Modeling Consortium told Council Tuesday that the orders from Mayor Steve Adler and County Judge Sarah Eckhardt to stay home and avoid spreading the virus have delayed and possibly even prevented a…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Apr 29, 2020
Abbott says his order overrides local disaster rules
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday the first phase of reopening the state for business in response to an apparent lessening of Covid-19 cases that have sent the nation into an economic tailspin. Abbott claimed he had the authority to allow…
Public Health • By Jo Clifton • Apr 28, 2020
Annexation planned for McKinney Falls tract
Sometime in the next few months, the city will likely be annexing a 55-acre tract in Southeast Austin and granting zoning to allow development of the property as a light industrial (LI) site. The matter was on Thursday’s agenda, but…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Apr 24, 2020
City utilities offering more help with bills
Austin Energy and Austin Water, two enterprise departments that help fund the city’s operations, are giving back to the community in the form of reduced electric and water and wastewater bills during the Covid-19 pandemic. Each utility is also contributing…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Apr 23, 2020
Austin gets millions to deal with coronavirus
As the number of Covid-19 cases continues to climb, Austin and Travis County learned this week they would receive $170.8 million and $54 million, respectively, from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to help local governments deal with the crisis. During…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Apr 22, 2020
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Audit: AFD employee accepted gifts from subordinate
An investigative audit by the Office of the City Auditor has found that Austin Fire Department spokesperson Michelle Tanzola violated city ethics policy by accepting gifts of photographic services from an employee who reports directly to her. Tanzola has responded…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Apr 17, 2020
A perfect storm: Covid-19, the census and redistricting
City demographer Ryan Robinson is worried about the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Census. “This is going to be a horrible census,” he told the Austin Monitor. Because of the need for social distancing to slow the spread of Covid-19,…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Apr 16, 2020
Travis County jail treads carefully amid coronavirus
In big city jails across Texas, both inmates and corrections officers are testing positive for the coronavirus. The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday that Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the Harris County jail, with 65 employees and 49 inmates testing…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Apr 15, 2020
City joins county with expanded sick leave pay
City employees will be eligible to receive 100 percent of their regular pay if they take emergency sick leave as a result of Covid-19, retroactive to March 15, under a resolution approved by City Council on Thursday. The resolution, similar…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Apr 10, 2020
Council to consider zoning for apartments near McKinney Falls
The lone zoning case City Council is likely to discuss today would allow a developer to build low-density apartments, as well as a small commercial development, on a 23-acre tract on Colton Bluff Springs Road in Southeast Austin near McKinney…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • Apr 9, 2020
City financial forecast better than many
According to the city’s economic consultant, Jon Hockenyos, a quarter of a million workers in the Austin area will lose their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We’re just at the beginning of seeing the economic implications of…
