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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
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
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Environment
Community members divided over renaming of Dove Springs Recreation Center
After the Parks and Recreation Board unanimously supported the name change of the Dove Springs Recreation Center at its Oct. 22 meeting, the discussion item reappeared on the agenda on Dec. 3. Yet despite dozens of community members signed up…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Dec 5, 2019
Austin reopens Red Bud Isle after dog-killing toxins from algae subside
Red Bud Isle has reopened after being closed for months because of toxins that attached to blue-green algae, city officials say. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department said at noon Friday it reopened the area on Lady Bird Lake, which…
Environment • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Nov 25, 2019
Texas Gas Service proposes billing changes
Texas Gas Service, which serves 260,000 customers in Central Texas, including 220,000 within Austin’s city limits, is proposing a new rate design that will give customers new options for how their bills will be calculated. Larry Graham, manager of community…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Nov 21, 2019
Council to consider park priorities, long-range plan
City Council will consider adoption of the Austin Parks and Recreation Long-Range Plan on Thursday, though not all Council members are sure the plan’s top priorities jibe with the city’s vision for housing, walkability and equity. If adopted, the plan…
Parks • By Ryan Thornton • Nov 13, 2019
Audubon Society recommends strategies to reduce bird deaths in Austin
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Environmental Commission, Christy Esmahan, a member of the Travis Audubon Board of Directors, reported that nearly 30 percent of North America’s bird population has vanished in the last 50 years, per a September 2019 study…
Environment • By Katherine Corley • Nov 8, 2019
Fighting zebra mussels to be costly
Zebra mussels, the tiny mollusks that have infested lakes from the Great Lakes to Lake Travis, have now proliferated in Lake Austin. “They’re on the docks and on the piers in the millions, maybe the billions,” according to Greg Meszaros,…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Nov 8, 2019
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Audit: City water employees misused positions
Two employees of Austin Water misused their positions to generate business for a plumbing business owned by one of the employees, according to an investigative report issued Thursday by the Office of the City Auditor. That business owner/city employee, Rodney…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Nov 1, 2019
Austin Energy seeks change in rebate approvals
City Council authorized Austin Energy to pay $4.45 million for multifamily and commercial customer rebates during the current fiscal year, which started Oct. 1. But the utility may not be able to provide all the rebates authorized because some property…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Oct 31, 2019
Commission calls air quality motion a 'vague statement,' fails to pass it
Despite the philosophical support of commissioners, a motion to improve air quality at construction sites failed at the Oct. 16 meeting of the Environmental Commission. Commissioner Pam Thompson prepared a motion on the fly during a presentation by the Office…
Environment • By Jessi Devenyns • Oct 22, 2019
Commission supports energy rebate program change, calls for more information
Austin Energy has long struggled to find enough customers to take part in its multifamily energy efficiency rebate program. The trend continued last fiscal year when more than half of its rebate funds, which don’t carry over into subsequent years,…
Energy • By Ryan Thornton • Oct 21, 2019
New recycling receptacles coming soon to Austin parks
Years of advocacy to implement recycling in Austin’s 300 parks is beginning to pay off. Starting this fall, 800 new recycling bins will be installed alongside 800 new trash cans in Austin’s parks over the next four years, said Meredith…
