Tag Archives: Austin City Council
Thursday, June 21, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Tovo seeks to keep rowing club at boathouse
Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo wants to help the nonprofit Austin Rowing Club continue operating the city-owned Waller Creek Boathouse on Lady Bird Lake by instructing staff to extend the club’s contract rather than offer the boathouse for competitive bidding.Tovo…
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Draft audit recommends changes, improvements for Visit Austin
A draft summary from the Office of the City Auditor finds that the city’s convention center needs to improve its internal communication and tracking of deliverables related to its annual contract with the city of Austin.The complete audit is expected…
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Four Council members urge for new direction on CodeNEXT
Four City Council members signaled their discontent with the current direction of CodeNEXT process and announced an effort to develop a new code that is “equitable, sustainable, accessible, vibrant and community-driven.”Surrounded by supporters at a City Hall press conference Tuesday…
Wednesday, June 20, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Energy
Council-mandated energy studies have already quietly begun
After clamoring from the public and a push from the Electric Utility Commission last month to have Austin Energy come back with the scopes of work for the list of required studies included in City Council’s ambitious renewable energy plan,…
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Zoning
Council gives final OK to 4 East project
Utilizing both the density bonus program within the Plaza Saltillo Transit-Oriented Development and the CURE density bonus program, developer Tocayo Investments GP LLC and CC Third and Comal LP won the right to develop six properties on East Fourth Street…
Monday, June 18, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Police
Divided Council rejects more pay for police
With only five members voting in favor of the motion, City Council rejected reinstatement of extra pay for certain police officers Thursday night, dashing the hopes of officers who work night shifts, for example. Passage of any ordinance requires six…
Monday, June 18, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
New Tourism Commission to advise on hotel tax funds, issues related to $9B industry
Austin’s tourism industry will get some additional City Hall oversight as City Council prepares for budget workshops that are almost certain to include decisions on how to spend the quickly growing reserve of Hotel Occupancy Tax funds.Council voted 8-1-2 Thursday…
Monday, June 18, 2018 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Throwing side eye, catching rides
Side eye, or stink eye?… What exactly is the name given to the withering glances occasionally dished out by City Council Member Ora Houston toward her colleagues on the dais? Council Member Leslie Pool learned directly on Thursday during discussion…
Friday, June 15, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council raises homestead exemption to 10%
On a vote of 7-4, Council on Thursday approved raising the homestead exemption from the current rate of 8 percent to 10 percent for the coming year.The resolution’s sponsors included Council members Ellen Troxclair, Leslie Pool, Ann Kitchen and Ora…
Friday, June 15, 2018 by Jack Craver
Bonds & Propositions
Five Council members signal support for major housing bond
Mayor Steve Adler and four other members of City Council announced their support Thursday for putting a major housing bond on the ballot in November.Standing in front of scores of activists on the front steps of City Hall Thursday morning,…
Thursday, June 14, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
$29.5M appraisal backs claims city eyed McKalla for commercial use
A 2016 appraisal of the city-owned property commonly known as McKalla Place found that it had a market value of $29.5 million if used for “commercial development, including retail, office and multifamily development.”The appraisal, performed by Paul Hornsby & Co.…
Thursday, June 14, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
City Council
Houston withdraws, and Harding enters, in race for D1 Council seat
Austin’s City Council District 1, which is made up almost entirely of portions of East Austin, will definitely have a new representative in 2019, with current Council Member Ora Houston announcing Wednesday she will not seek re-election. Houston’s decision came…
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Entertainment & Events
Council plays with ideas for soccer stadium
District 7 City Council Member Leslie Pool on Tuesday continued to try to convince her colleagues that they should not play ball with Precourt Sports Ventures, the folks who want to bring a Major League Soccer stadium to Austin.But most…
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Council confronts thorny issue: How much more housing does Austin need?
City Council members engaged in yet another rambling, inconclusive debate over CodeNEXT Tuesday morning, this time over the amount of new housing that the new code should allow to be built.Currently, Council members are not in the process of actually…
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 by Syeda Hasan
Bonds & Propositions
Council to hash out staff recommendations for proposed 2018 bond package
City Council is set to vote tomorrow on adopting the city manager’s recommendation for a 2018 bond package. Voters would decide on whether to approve the $816 million referendum this November.The proposal includes funding for transportation infrastructure, stormwater and open…
Monday, June 11, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Developer: $22.5M offer intended to open McKalla Place for alternative proposals
A local development partnership has offered $22.5 million to purchase the North Austin property that is currently being considered as the site for a professional soccer stadium.The offer letter from developers John Chen and Marcus Whitfield was submitted on Friday…
Thursday, June 7, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Questions arise over CodeNEXT votes
Attorney Bill Aleshire has alerted Mayor Steve Adler that a constituent saw a problem with the new method of counting City Council votes at Tuesday’s work session on CodeNEXT.That method required members to signal their support for an idea by…
Thursday, June 7, 2018 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
CodeNEXT: Council agrees on big things but disagrees on key details
During their first day of deliberations on CodeNEXT, City Council members signaled agreement on a number of high-level statements about encouraging the construction of more housing along transportation corridors and not adding significant density to the interior of neighborhoods.And yet,…
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Land Development Code
Adopting code a significant challenge
Mayor Steve Adler continued his quest to gain consensus on CodeNEXT Tuesday as City Council began to deliberate adoption of the new Land Development Code. In pursuit of that end, Adler gave each person on the dais – including City…
