Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
-
Most Popular Stories
- Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
- Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
-
-
Discover News By District
-
Popular Whispers
Sorry. No data so far.
Environment
Parks board members call for better oversight of city's bond spending
Members of the Parks and Recreation Board lobbed criticism at the city’s Bond Oversight Commission over frustration that the group has canceled the majority of its meetings since late 2018 and failed to properly review the city’s use of bond…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 31, 2020
Austin to look for new Zilker Zephyr operator as current one steps down
The company that runs the Zilker Zephyr, the miniature train that runs through Zilker Park, will stop operating the ride. But the Austin Parks and Recreation Department says it’s looking for another company to run it. The family-run business Texas…
Parks • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Jan 30, 2020
AE, but not drivers, charging toward renewable goals
A report from the Office of the City Auditor states that Austin Energy is on track to reduce carbon emissions from utility operations so the city can meet its goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050. But auditors also found that…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Jan 28, 2020
Austin to spend up to $4 million to tackle zebra mussel problem
Austin City Council has approved spending up to $4 million over the next five years on a liquid compound to remove zebra mussels from water intake systems. Zebra mussels are small invasive mollusks that can clog the pipes that pull…
Water • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Jan 27, 2020
Just figuring out how to clean up creeks may be costly
When Council Member Paige Ellis and three of her colleagues decided to do something about contamination of Austin’s creeks and rivers from trash as well as scooters, they focused on how the Watershed Protection Department should prepare an extensive study…
Environment • By Jo Clifton • Jan 24, 2020
Monetizing the carbon cycle may lead to ecological solutions
In the very near future, there is a possibility that Texas landowners will be able to reduce carbon emissions while earning money on their unused land. Jim Blackburn, a professor at Rice University and the president of the Trinity-Edwards Springs…
Environment • By Jessi Devenyns • Jan 23, 2020
Subscribe to our newsletter
Travis County takes action to eliminate 'water colonias'
While it’s accurately referred to as an urban county, roughly half of Travis County does not fall within the limits of any municipality. The population in these rural, unincorporated areas is growing rapidly, driven in part by a lack of…
Travis County • By Jack Craver • Jan 13, 2020
Conservation district denies rehearing request on Needmore well permit
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District denied a request at its Dec. 12 meeting from the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association for a rehearing of the Needmore Water LLC permit. In July, the district’s board of directors granted the Needmore…
Water • By Ryan Thornton • Dec 19, 2019
Environmental Commission pushes for additional tree protections on Apple campus
Apple Inc. is well on its way to bringing a billion-dollar campus to Austin on a 133-acre parcel of land at 6900 Parmer Lane called Robinson Ranch. In an effort to offer increased protections for the trees on the property,…
Environment • By Jessi Devenyns • Dec 16, 2019
Over 60 roadway improvements require relocation of water and wastewater lines
At the Dec. 11 meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission, Austin Water presented an update on the 65 active transportation improvement projects that necessitate the repositioning of water utility lines. Of those projects, 56 percent are in the planning…
Water • By Katherine Corley • Dec 16, 2019
Zebra mussels have infested lakes Marble Falls and Granger
Zebra mussels are continuing to spread through Texas lakes. Texas Parks and Wildlife said Thursday that both Granger Lake and Lake Marble Falls are infested with the invasive species. The mussels have infested 19 lakes in Texas since their first…
Environment • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Dec 13, 2019
Parks board expresses concern over metered parking in public parks
After postponing their decision in October about parking meters on city parkland, the Parks and Recreation Board broached the subject again at its Dec. 3 meeting. Following a long discussion about the equity and access issues that accompany metered parking,…
