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Environment

Parks and Recreation Board backs calls for expanded senior center facility in North Austin

The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended the city find funding to create a senior activity center to serve District 4 and areas north of Highway 183 – and consider the Gus Garcia Recreation Center as a possible location.…

Bathhouse working group suggests city start process to rename Barton Springs

At its regular meeting on Nov. 27, the Parks and Recreation Board heard from the Barton Springs Bathhouse Working Group about its report, which includes a list of potential names for an updated bathhouse in addition to calling for the…

Austin Energy customers can expect to see another increase to their December bills

Austin Energy customers should expect to see another increase on their utility bills starting Friday. The city’s energy company said customers will see a bump of 5 percent, or about $2 per month. Matt Mitchell, a spokesperson for Austin Energy, said…

Hiking in Austin? What to know about car break-ins before you go.

Lee esta historia en español Mount Bonnell, Pennybacker Bridge and nearby greenbelts have grown in popularity for hikers, tourists and, more recently, car burglars. “I never thought I would be the next victim while enjoying that beautiful area,” said Tina…

Reclaimed water rule postponed till April

On Thursday, City Council voted to postpone adoption of a long-planned ordinance requiring certain large developments to hook up to the city’s reclaimed water system. Bill Bunch, executive director of the Save Our Springs Alliance, asked Council not to agree…

New law means parkland funds will drop drastically

The amount of parkland dedication fees City Council can collect starting on Jan. 1 will be severely limited, two principal planners for the Parks and Recreation Department told Council at Tuesday’s work session. Robynne Heymans and Scott Grantham explained that…

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Environmental Commission recommends code variances for Old Lampasas Dam modernization project

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Environmental Commission voted to approve a set of Land Development Code variances to accommodate the Watershed Protection Department’s Old Lampasas Dam #3 Modernization Project. The Northwest Austin dam was built in the early 1980s…

City considering capital projects, private development as sites for underground power lines

Austin Energy and various city departments are studying how to bury selected sections of overhead power lines underground to reduce the impact of extreme weather disasters. The burying of lines, which in many cases also serve equipment for private communications…

Council, parks department and East Austin residents continue clash over city-owned Nash Hernandez building

City Council, Austin’s parks department and East Austin residents are still at odds over plans for a vacant facility at Festival Beach. The Nash Hernandez building, which has sat idle since 2009, was earmarked for Parks and Recreation Department offices…

Following ACL Fest, parks board calls for close look at Zilker Park health

Amid concerns over the impact on Zilker Park from this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, city parks staff said they have conducted the annual review of the festival and are beginning the work needed to replenish the park. The…

Permit for controversial private dam on South Llano River withdrawn

A Houston-based landowner has withdrawn his request for a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit that would’ve paved the way for a private dam on the South Llano River. The TCEQ permit database shows that the application from Waterstone Creek…

Who should regulate Texas Gas Service conservation programs?

Longtime utility critic Paul Robbins has discovered that House Bill 2263, legislation approved by the Texas Legislature this spring, may hamper city efforts to regulate rebates offered by Texas Gas Service. The same would be true of other cities throughout…

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