Tag Archives: Austin City Council
Thursday, October 25, 2018 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Report highlights flaws in city contracting
City auditors found major flaws in how the city manages its contracts, with many of those weaknesses persisting citywide for several years, according to a special report issued this week.Audit Manager Katie Houston told the City Council Audit and Finance…
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Elections
Mayoral candidates stress leadership on familiar Austin concerns
While common topics such as Austin’s transportation issues and the fate of the city’s CodeNEXT rewrite have been talking points at all recent forums for the four contested City Council seats, at Monday’s forum for the two most prominent candidates…
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Noise enforcement called key to new push for ‘agent of change’ ordinance
The city is making another attempt to find peace and common ground between music and entertainment venues and high-rise hotels or residences as those two land uses becoming increasingly intermixed while Austin continues to grow. A resolution passed under consent…
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
City staff gets green light to research public plaza program
While it’s fashionable in the U.S. for private enterprises to attach the word “plaza” to many things that are not, like shopping malls or condominiums, a public plaza can be hard to find (Austin’s beautiful Plaza Saltillo actually prohibits “loitering,”…
Monday, October 22, 2018 by Audrey McGlinchy
Elections
Here are the candidates running to be Austin’s next mayor
If you’re tired of hearing about the face-off between Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Beto O’Rourke, maybe it’s time to turn your attention to local elections, like the mayor’s race.Mayor Steve Adler is fighting to retain his seat against six…
Monday, October 22, 2018 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Every dog has its day
And another thing… At the beginning of Thursday’s City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano took a minute to update Austinites on the flood conditions in the city and efforts by the city to mitigate the issues caused by…
Friday, October 19, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Police
Casaday scolds Council over lack of contract
The president of the Austin Police Association lashed out at City Council during Thursday’s meeting over the city’s failure to reach an agreement with the union over police officers’ pay and benefits.“I want everybody on the Council to know that…
Friday, October 19, 2018 by Jessi Devenyns
Planning
Camelback PUD unanimously passes first reading at Council
In an uncharacteristically quick manner, City Council unanimously passed the first reading of the Camelback Planned Unit Development at Thursday’s meeting.The PUD, which has been the subject of great neighborly debate for the last several months, is a 145-acre property…
Friday, October 19, 2018 by Ryan Thornton
Entertainment & Events
City approves Austin Marathon route months in advance
Next year will mark the 28th year of the Austin Marathon. Since the marathon’s inception in 1992, the route has undergone a few dramatic changes and several minor changes as planners have tried to please runners, spectators, city government and…
Thursday, October 18, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Energy
AE seeks code change to support fast car charging
Austin Energy estimates that there were 5,873 electric plug-in vehicles in its service territory as of Sept. 30. Karl Popham, AE’s manager for electric vehicles and emerging technologies, told City Council during Tuesday’s work session that about 85 percent of…
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Property taxes, Austin Energy top city’s worry list
Once again, the city of Austin, along with other large Texas cities, will face a grueling task as the 2019 legislative session begins in January.Intergovernmental Relations Officer Brie Franco told City Council during Tuesday’s work session that she and the…
Thursday, October 11, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Elections
IndyAustin raises funds to fight Precourt, Adler
IndyAustin’s specific-purpose political action committee reported raising nearly $30,000 in their campaign finance report filed on Tuesday.IndyAustin recently started gathering signatures for a petition to trigger an election on the city’s deal with Precourt Sports Ventures, which plans to bring…
Thursday, October 11, 2018 by Jack Craver
Elections
One month from election, candidates report fundraising figures
Reports from each candidate for mayor and City Council were due at the Office of the City Clerk on Tuesday. Mayor Steve Adler reported raising nearly $140,000 for the latest time period. His total raised for the current race is…
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Preservation
Council denies West Austin historic zoning
A divided City Council declined last week to zone a West Austin house as historic, but the owners have agreed to renovate the house in Italian Renaissance Revival style, so that it satisfies them as well as the neighborhood and…
Monday, October 8, 2018 by Ryan Thornton
Budget
City grants crucial funding to arts organizations
Austin’s art advocates are breathing a little easier since Thursday afternoon, when City Council approved a resolution to award crucial funds to eligible arts organizations for Fiscal Year 2018-19.A total of $8,602,688 will be distributed among the organizations listed here.The…
Monday, October 8, 2018 by Jack Craver
Housing
Council debates how to convert downtown property into affordable housing
Almost every member of City Council agrees that the city should use two pieces of prime downtown real estate for affordable housing. However, questions and potential disagreements remain about how the land should be used to provide housing.Some Council members…
Friday, October 5, 2018 by Ryan Thornton
City Council
City Council votes: Manchaca to become Menchaca
Austin City Council voted Thursday afternoon to rename South Austin’s Manchaca Road to reflect its allegedly historically accurate spelling: Menchaca.While the issue may appear to be too simple for debate, the vowel in question is a placeholder for a much…
Friday, October 5, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Downtown restroom contract OK’d
On Thursday City Council directed staff to execute a contract with Blue Chem Inc. for waste removal services at a city-owned portable toilet downtown. The initial two-year contract is for $330,000, but if the contract is extended to five years…
Tuesday, October 2, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Elections
Adler, Tovo top list of endorsed candidates
Since the race began, it has looked like Mayor Steve Adler would have an easier path to victory than his major opponent, former Council Member Laura Morrison. His incumbency and better name ID are factors, and another is his personal…
Monday, October 1, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Elections
ANC releases Council scorecard
Last week, the Austin Neighborhoods Council voted to endorse the group’s former president, Laura Morrison, for mayor. They also endorsed another former ANC activist, Kathie Tovo, the incumbent in District 9 who serves as mayor pro tem.In addition, ANC endorsed…
