City Council voted 8–3 on Thursday to purchase a commercial property on South Interstate 35 to serve as the city’s first housing navigation center for people experiencing homelessness, following hours of debate and neighborhood opposition. The votes against the purchase came from Council members Marc Duchen, Zo Qadri, and José Velásquez. The 1.39-acre site at […]
City Council
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City Council adopts changes for Austin Animal Center and Austin Pets Alive!
Austin City Council has adopted changes to the city ordinance related to spaying cats and dogs at the Austin Animal Shelter, including an amendment that proved controversial. Under the changed ordinance, the city will notify Austin Pets Alive! (APA) about animals that are lactating so that APA can pick up lactating animals within three hours […]
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Council OKs new rules for short-term rentals
City Council voted Thursday to approve a series of regulations for short-term rental properties, taking the next step in advancing changes that were kicked off by a February vote. The resolution, which collected several amendments and had others withdrawn or voted down, was approved 10-0, with Council Member Marc Duchen abstaining. The new ordinance updates […]
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Council to vote on stricter licensing, platform rules for short-term rentals
City Council on Thursday will consider the next steps in short-term rental regulations, which were initiated by a February vote. The proposed ordinance would impose new licensing and eligibility standards, add enforcement mechanisms and expand regulatory obligations for platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. If approved, the new rules will take effect in two stages, with […]
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Council rejects resolution to target youth homelessness funding
A resolution aimed at prioritizing youth homelessness funding failed at City Council on Thursday following extended debate over budget process and policy flexibility. Staff from the Homeless Strategy Office expressed concern that the proposal, even softened from its original form, could restrict their ability to adjust investments based on the needs shown by real-time data […]
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Former Council Member Bill Spelman has passed away
Former Council Member Bill Spelman died last Thursday at the age of 68 after a series of illnesses including Covid, according to his wife, Niyanta. Spelman, who served on the Austin City Council from 1997 to 2000 and then served again from 2009 to the end of 2014, was well known as the teacher on […]
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Council reaffirms its commitment to making Austin a more age-friendly city
Austin is getting older, and its growing population of residents aged 65 and up is living proof. In fact, those between 65 and 74 represented the fastest-growing age group between 2010 and 2020, according to city reports. With that demographic shift in mind, City Council recently directed the city manager to take greater steps to […]
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Council looks to expand AI policies, examine energy and water needs for data centers
Later this week, City Council will consider a substantial expansion of the city’s artificial intelligence oversight, incorporating detailed guidance on workforce protections, public transparency, and the environmental impacts of growing AI infrastructure. The resolution on Thursday’s agenda builds on a policy passed in February 2024, but goes further by requiring audits, defining acceptable AI uses, […]
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Austin requires all homes to have working air conditioning
Ahead of Austin’s scorching summer months, City Council members adopted a property maintenance code Thursday that requires all homes in the city to have functioning air conditioning. The new rule does not require property owners to have central air conditioning. But owners are required to have some form of air conditioning equipment, such as window units, […]
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Council OKs next steps in planning improvements to Sixth Street district
With early data suggesting the area’s safety can continue to improve, City Council approved a detailed resolution Thursday directing city staff to pursue a wide-ranging set of improvements and operational changes aimed at encouraging daytime activity in the Sixth Street Entertainment District. The resolution, approved in its fourth version as part of the consent agenda, […]
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City Council expected to implement requirements for residential air conditioning
The city is revising its technical building codes. As part of this process, City Council is slated to adopt changes to Austin’s version of the International Property Maintenance Code on April 10. Most notably, these changes will include a requirement that all Austinites can access air conditioning in their homes. Surprisingly, current statewide housing standards […]
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City pauses $10M in airport art over concerns local creatives were excluded
The city has paused three significant public art contracts intended for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion, in a move that may signal a reconsideration of how prominently the city should promote local artists in major public spaces. Three contract approvals totaling more than $10 million have been pulled from next week’s City Council agenda, following […]