Tag Archives: Austin City Council
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Elections
Reports: Running for office is expensive
Mayor Steve Adler’s campaign still owes him more than $449,000 from loans he has made to his campaign starting when he first ran in 2014. When that race was over, the Adler campaign reported owing the candidate more than $418,000.…
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 by Jack Craver
Austin
Eckhardt proposes land swap with city for Palm School
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is willing to give the city of Austin the historic Palm School building. But she wants a lot in return.In a July 3 letter addressed to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council, Eckhardt proposed a…
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Transit
Council to mull funding for incentives to increase transit use
The Austin Transportation Department has delivered its findings to City Council on how the city could start small programs that would provide incentives to some riders of public transit. The report, which included 15 potential pilot programs, was given to…
Friday, July 5, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Parks
Zilker’s botanical garden admission remains unchanged for now
City Council claimed to have residents in mind at its June 19 meeting when it denied a chance to save some money by giving the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy a little more control over the garden’s operations and finances.In order…
Monday, July 1, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Energy
Council denies request for mobile energy community center
City Council rejected a costly Austin Energy mobile outreach program in June that would have acted as a “community center” on wheels for customers to learn about energy programs offered by the utility.Austin Energy currently uses two sport utility vehicles…
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
Council rezones nine mobile home parks, sometimes defying neighbors
Council passed two resolutions last year directing city staff to identify all mobile home parks or other properties being used for mobile homes but not zoned as such. The next step was to initiate the appropriate zoning so the properties…
Friday, June 21, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
City code to allow camping, solicitation, sitting in public areas, with conditions
City Council approved an ordinance early Friday morning amending city code to decriminalize certain behaviors that are often necessary consequences of living in homelessness.The changes mean that city policies prohibiting sitting, lying down and camping in public areas will only…
Friday, June 21, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
City Council
Council vote OKs move to open homeless housing center in South Austin
The city’s second homeless shelter will be located in South Austin, as a result of a unanimous vote by City Council on Thursday to approve the purchase of an office building that will be converted into a 100-bed facility, possibly…
Friday, June 21, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council votes to tax Lake Austin homes
After hearing from a handful of residents who have never paid city property taxes on their Lake Austin homes, Council voted unanimously on Thursday to repeal an ordinance that exempted about 400 such properties from city taxes.Council also approved a…
Friday, June 21, 2019 by Jimmy Maas
Parks
Austin City Council vote brings new management to Butler golf course after 70 years under one family
The Austin City Council voted 8-3 on Thursday to lease Butler Pitch and Putt golf course to Pecan Grove Partners, marking the end of an era for the Kinser family, who have run the course since construction began in the…
Thursday, June 20, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
City to consider Rainey Street closure pilot
City Council directed the city manager Wednesday to immediately initiate a shared streets pilot to improve mobility and safety in the Rainey Street District.The pilot is to consider restricting vehicle access in some areas to reduce conflicts between cars, pedestrians,…
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council wants to look at 380 agreements again
A $165,000 economic development agreement between the city of Austin and Austin Community College to help the college provide and maintain what is described as “leading edge” technology equipment for ACC’s fashion incubator could be an early casualty of Council’s…
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
Council wants justice for state’s actions
Caught in the wake of the 86th Texas Legislative session, City Council members are directing attention to the state leaders they say have intentionally pitted city governments against their constituents.In a briefing with Council on Tuesday, Brie Franco, intergovernmental relations…
Tuesday, June 18, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Kitchen, Tovo to push for speed in addressing housing, cultural preservation efforts
City Council members who have in the past pushed to create an external entity to pursue public/private partnerships and other opportunities focused around city priorities appear ready to direct staff to accelerate the process.In a report completed late last month,…
Monday, June 17, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
City Council
City to pay up to $8.6M for South Austin parcel for new homeless shelter
City Council is expected to vote this week on approving the purchase of a commercial building in South Austin that will serve as the city’s second homeless shelter.A pair of resolutions slated for Thursday’s Council meeting spells out the details…
Friday, June 14, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Nonprofit funds OK’d despite Flannigan questions
In spite of Council Member Jimmy Flannigan’s effort to postpone the vote, Council last week approved adding $319,000 to a contract with Capital IDEA for funds to train young adults for entry into the workforce. The total for the six-year…
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
Council sets tow fee to track with consumer price index change
City Council responded Thursday to a request from local towing companies and the Austin Police Department to raise the fee for non-consent tows taking place in the city.The vote sets the fee at $185 for tows initiated by the police…
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 by Nathan Bernier
Austin
‘Statesman’ reporter recounts ‘mistake’ that allowed lakefront properties to avoid paying taxes
Housing affordability is one of Austin’s biggest challenges during this period of economic growth. Even after someone buys a home or rents property, as the value of that property goes up, so does the annual tax bill. But some of…
Friday, June 7, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
No decision on Butler Pitch & Putt contract
With Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison both absent for a vote at Thursday’s meeting, City Council has postponed approving a contract of up to 20 years for Pecan Grove Golf Partners for managing Austin’s nearly 70-year-old Butler…
Friday, June 7, 2019 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Sparks fly over proposed changes to camping laws
Representatives of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition and the Downtown Austin Alliance continue to stress that they are working together to end homelessness in Austin. But their conflicting messages to City Council on Thursday about proposed changes to ordinances that…
