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Austin is making it easier to open overnight cold weather shelters

The city of Austin is changing how and when it will open cold weather shelters this winter to make shelter more frequent and predictable for people, city officials said. When temperatures dip to near freezing, the city opens overnight shelters…

Arts Commission joins call for bond money to replace Dougherty Arts Center

The Arts Commission wants City Council to commit to including funding for a new Dougherty Arts Center in the city’s next bond package, likely to go before voters in 2026. At its most recent meeting, the commission unanimously approved the…

City’s new travel policy aligns with best practices used in other cities

The city’s travel reimbursement process for employees appears to be working well since the policy was updated early this year, according to an audit of the new policy presented Tuesday to City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. While the audit…

SXSW economic impact sees small dip based on lower spending for ticketing

South by Southwest’s impact on the local economy decreased slightly this year from 2023, according to a new study from business analysts Greyhill Advisors. The study found that the festival generated $377.3 million for local businesses and residents, compared to…

Youth homelessness has increased rapidly in Austin, according to nonprofit data

The number of young people experiencing homelessness in Travis County, which includes most of Austin, has risen substantially in the past four years, according to numbers from a nonprofit that tracks the issue. Since 2020, the number of people under…

Council OKs contract for new academy to train ‘workforce of the future’

City Council on Thursday approved a $5 million contract with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to start and manage the Austin Infrastructure Academy for 12 months. In addition to job training, the contract with Workforce Solutions includes the provision of child…

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TCSO officers stationed at Central Library

To alleviate pressure on library staff to respond to incidents at the Central Library, 10 officers from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office have been onboarded and cleared for stationing at the West César Chávez Street branch downtown. Officers serve in…

Downtown panelists look at options for equitable development as area grows

As downtown Austin continues to be transformed by a number of major infrastructure projects as well as real estate development, area stakeholders want to put in safeguards to prevent the city’s core from becoming inaccessible to artists, cultural groups and…

Arts Commission weighs sizes of grants to aid underserved groups

Members of the Arts Commission want the city to show how effective new grant programs have been at reaching arts organizations from underserved communities, out of concern that large award amounts for the Thrive grant program may result in too…

Tourism Commission considers consequences of decaying Dougherty Arts Center

Local arts leaders and members of the Tourism Commission hope to bring City Council’s attention to the lack of action on the deteriorating Dougherty Arts Center, which has been caught in a sort of planning and budgetary limbo for more…

Animal Advisory Commission considers banning glue traps in Austin

Bats are under attack by glue traps used in the city, advocates for Austin’s bats say. “I would love to see glue traps banned from being sold and used in Austin,” says Austin Bat Refuge’s executive director, Dianne Odegard. The…

Hotels nearing agreement on tax plan to provide homelessness services funding

City leaders expect a long-in-coming new hotel tax that could provide money for homelessness services to be ready for final City Council approval within the month. On Monday, the Austin Business Journal reported that the proposed Tourism Public Improvement District…

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