Stories by John Davidson
Mayor says work not over yet on 2020 generation plan
After more than two years of deliberations, public meetings and on online surveys, Austin Energy’s 2020 generation plan is, according to Mayor Lee Leffingwell, “definitely not set.” Leffingwell convened a special session of City Council on Monday evening at…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Feb 23, 2010
Aquifer board OKs compromise water draw for Kyle
After more than a year of deliberations over the city of Kyle‘s application for a permit to double its draw of water from the Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer, the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District unanimously approved…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Feb 16, 2010
Jail Standards Commission clears Hays County facility
Hays County is in the clear, at least for now, as far as the Texas Commission on Jail Standards is concerned. On Thursday, after Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley gave a full update on the progress of renovations at…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Feb 5, 2010
Aquifer agency looks to desalinization to stave off future drought
Not many people are aware of it, but a massive portion of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer is a saline zone – a body of underground saltwater unsuitable for human consumption that runs parallel to the fresh…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Feb 2, 2010
Hays County Democrats in a grudge match to lead commissioners court
To hear Hays County Judge Liz Sumter and Pct 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton, both Democrats, talk about the challenges facing Hays County and what should be done about them, you’d think they were running mates—not opponents running against each other…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Feb 1, 2010
Hays commissioners approve COs for new government center
Hays County commissioners unanimously approved $72 million in certificates of obligation (COs) for a new government center on Tuesday, with one caveat: They will reconsider the debt structure before a March 30 sale date to see if the county can…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Jan 28, 2010
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Pecan Street Project draws federal stimulus funding for Mueller project
Austin‘s Pecan Street Project has won $10.4 million in federal stimulus funding for an advanced smart grid energy demonstration project at the Mueller Development. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, along with Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Austin Energy General Manager Roger Duncan,…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Nov 25, 2009
Mourners gather to eulogize former Austin Mayor Roy Butler
About 1,000 people packed into the LBJ Library auditorium for former Austin Mayor Roy Butler’s memorial service on Thursday afternoon. Butler died Friday, Nov. 13, following complications from a fall earlier this month. He was 83. Butler served on…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Nov 20, 2009
Hays County to appeal jail closure
Hays County Commissioners voted Tuesday to begin the process of appealing a decision by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards that would have forced the Hays County Jail to shut down its kitchen by Nov. 20. The county jail…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Nov 12, 2009
Panel ponders timeline for building urban rail line
The city is moving forward with an ambitious schedule for building an urban rail line, with plans to have an operator, a defined route for the first phase construction, and some preliminary engineering completed by February or March 2010. …
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Nov 3, 2009
Sullivan says public input crucial to comprehensive plan success
In cities across the country, comprehensive planning is all the rage these days. Although the process itself can be nebulous and cumbersome, having a comprehensive plan that’s shaped by public input has become an increasingly popular way for cities to…
Uncategorized • By John Davidson • Oct 27, 2009
Barton Springs district seeks funding formula for SW Travis annexation
If the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is going to annex and manage parts of southwestern Travis County, then the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) needs to come up with an adequate funding formula. That is the response…
