City Hall
Friday, September 20, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Urban Renewal Board extended for just nine months
City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison expressed serious reservations about the need to continue Austin’s Urban Renewal Agency and its board during Wednesday’s Council work session and again at Thursday’s Council meeting.In the end, she convinced her colleagues to extend the…
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
Ethics commission may seek ‘more teeth’ in code to curb violations
The city’s Ethics Review Commission may ask City Council to increase the penalties it can levy for violations of city code and to add more teeth to the city’s laws concerning campaign finance.The commission voted 8-0 at last week’s meeting,…
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Auditors report on community policing efforts
The Austin Police Department has made considerable progress in implementing recommendations from the 2016 Matrix Consulting Group study on community policing, according to an audit update from the city auditor’s office recently provided to the mayor and City Council.The report…
Friday, August 30, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
City Hall
Youth outreach program is cut after city doubled funding
When the city funds grants, should it do so based on achievable objectives or program intent? That question was at the crux of a debate at the July 24 meeting of the Environmental Commission’s Urban Forestry Committee.Last budget cycle, before…
Monday, August 19, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
Audit update shows progress on city HR complaints, with more work needed
The city’s Human Resources Department has made some progress on achieving the recommendations outlined in a 2017 report that found the city was taking too long to investigate complaints brought by city employees. The report, from Matrix Consulting Group, also…
Friday, August 16, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
Audit finds ongoing delays, data problems for Development Services Department
The Office of the City Auditor has found that the city’s Development Services Department is still failing to meet on-time and customer satisfaction goals in its permitting process, even after making changes suggested in a 2015 report that found profound…
