Tag Archives: Austin City Council
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 by Jessi Devenyns
City Hall
City works out logistics to allow boards and commissions to meet virtually
After nearly a month of meetings being on hold, City Council voted last Thursday to temporarily waive a local ordinance requiring a quorum of board or commission members to be physically present in order for a meeting to take place.The…
Monday, March 30, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Advocacy groups push for fast, centralized aid for musicians impacted by Covid-19 spread
More than a dozen local music nonprofits have signed on in support of City Council’s recent move to create aid programs to address the business impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a letter sent last week calling for quick relief…
Friday, March 27, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
Council adopts anti-eviction ordinance: Tenant advocates call it a ‘Band-Aid solution’
City Council adopted a 60-day suspension on evictions Thursday that will buy tenants two months before a landlord can seek to evict them for missed rent payments. Many renters and local advocates, however, say the ordinance only kicks the can…
Friday, March 27, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Council wants ‘bridge aid’ for residents, businesses ahead of federal COVID-19 help
City Council directed staff to move quickly in the coming weeks to allocate direct payments and other forms of aid to residents and small businesses that have taken a severe financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.A wide-reaching item passed on…
Friday, March 27, 2020 by Jessi Devenyns
Energy
Council approves update to Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan
In spite of a slew of public speakers requesting that City Council postpone a vote on the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection plan due to a lack of public engagement, Council voted to approve the update to the…
Thursday, March 26, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Rent deferred. Full amount due. What landlords are telling tenants during the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s a hell of a time to try to open a restaurant.That’s what Steven Kresena was thinking last week as he watched Austin Mayor Steve Adler order all restaurants and bars closed to diners in an attempt to stall the…
Thursday, March 26, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Budget
City, county taxes could climb 8 percent under emergency declaration
A provision included in the Texas Legislature’s “property tax transparency” bill could offer jurisdictions across the state, including the city of Austin, the financial flexibility necessary to deal with some of the economic impacts of COVID-19.According to an update from…
Thursday, March 26, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
Council vote could allow online board and commission meetings during COVID-19 quarantine
The city’s boards and commissions, which have been sidelined since mid-March because of bans on large gatherings linked to the spread of COVID-19, could get the green light to hold virtual meetings.Today City Council is expected to vote on temporarily…
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Council
City Council to vote on anti-eviction ordinance Thursday
City Council will vote Thursday on establishing a 60-day grace period for renters in an emergency ordinance released Monday. The ordinance, which is sponsored by Council members Greg Casar, Kathie Tovo, Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and Mayor Steve Adler…
Monday, March 23, 2020 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council enters new territory with online participants
Under normal circumstances, Council chambers would be packed with city staff, observers and people wishing to comment on various agenda items. Today, under national, state and local emergency declarations, COVID-19 has made these times anything but normal.According to a memo…
Friday, March 20, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
City Council
City looks for funds, including hotel tax, to cushion COVID-19 economic impact
City staff and members of City Council have fine-tuned their plans for assisting small businesses and employees facing financial difficulties from the cancellation of South by Southwest and other fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak.Council Member Jimmy Flannigan posted a draft…
Thursday, March 19, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Courts
Judge throws out City Council votes on new Austin land code, putting rewrite in jeopardy
In a ruling that could derail Austin’s rewrite of its Land Development Code, a Travis County district judge voided two votes City Council has taken so far on the changes.The city has spent nearly eight years and more than $10…
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 by Jo Clifton
Land Development Code
LDC vote postponed due to COVID-19
The new Land Development Code, which was moving toward final passage with the support of seven Council members just a few days ago, has now been relegated to the back burner as Mayor Steve Adler and City Council look at…
Monday, March 16, 2020 by Jo Clifton
Development
Decision on floodplain variance on hold
Sam Kumar, owner of Journeyman Austin Holdings Inc., came to City Council last week requesting a floodplain variance to allow parking in both the 100-year floodplain and the 25-year floodplain at his building at 1000 N. Lamar Blvd. Kevin Shunk,…
Monday, March 16, 2020 by Audrey McGlinchy
Austin
Travis County evictions put on hold, Austin Energy won’t shut off utilities amid COVID-19 outbreak
Eviction hearings in the Austin area will be put on pause until at least April 1, after Travis County justices of the peace issued an order Friday.“It’s not in the public’s interest to have people out in public trying to…
Friday, March 13, 2020 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Local disaster declaration extended indefinitely
As expected, Mayor Steve Adler has extended the local state of disaster declaration indefinitely, with the unanimous consent of City Council. On March 6, the mayor declared a local state of disaster for one week due to concerns over the…
Thursday, March 12, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Council to examine aid for ‘SXSW resilience’ after festival’s cancellation
City Council and staffers will spend much of next week looking at how to provide assistance to small businesses and workers who stand to be severely impacted by last week’s decision to cancel the South by Southwest festival.In a post…
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Austin Transportation pursues ‘choice’ riders with free transit pass pilot
Austin Transportation is seeking City Council’s permission to buy $700,000 worth of free transit passes as a carrot to lure more “choice” riders out of their private cars and onto buses and trains.Rob Spillar, director of Transportation, said the transit…
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Council lands on long-term payment method for Project Connect
In capital costs alone, the city and its residents can expect to contribute around $5.6 billion for the combined pieces of Project Connect.That money will cover investments for two light rail lines, several bus rapid transit “lite” routes and expanded…
Friday, March 6, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Environment
Watershed Protection to begin multiyear study of trash in waterways
With trash and contaminants like dockless scooters rapidly accumulating in city creeks and rivers, Watershed Protection is kicking off a two-year, three-part study to better understand the impact of litter on city waterways.The study begins this month with a background…
