Austin OKs $850,000 settlement for volunteer medic shot with 'less-lethal' ammunition during protest

The city of Austin approved a $850,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit over the Austin Police Department’s use of so-called less lethal ammunition during the 2020 racial justice protests. Maredith Drake, a street medic during protests outside police headquarters, was…

Nueces Street in West Campus to be converted to two-way road

The city of Austin will start work this summer to convert one-way Nueces Street between 24th and Guadalupe streets into a two-way thoroughfare, part of a long-planned project that fits with the voter-approved vision to run light rail down the…

Guaranteed income pilot program likely moving forward today

Despite the misgivings of at least two City Council members, some members of the public and criticism from the Austin American-Statesman editorial board, Council seems poised to move forward today with a contract to set up a guaranteed basic income…

City floats proposed structure for commercial parkland dedication

The framework for a new ordinance that would require public parkland for new commercial developments in Austin is coming together.  In April, City Council approved a resolution that asked city staff to look at requiring parkland dedication for retail, office and…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.5.22

Hello, and welcome to another pre-cap of today’s City Council meeting. We’ve picked out a few things that might be interesting today, but as usual, you can find the entire agenda online. At its last meeting, Council postponed a guaranteed…

City, police union negotiate new labor contract after eventful five years

The city of Austin and the Austin Police Association met for their sixth day of negotiations Monday as they work toward a new labor contract. The city’s bargaining team proposed changes to the contract’s drug-testing and promotion provisions, citing recommendations from…

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Lobby ordinance needs revision to cover virtual meetings

City auditors have found that, while the city’s registered lobbyists are largely complying with city regulations, there is one significant gap in the reporting requirements. Although lobbyists are required to report their in-person meetings, no such requirement exists for virtual…

Resource Management Commission at stalemate over toxic materials resolution

Resource Management commissioners recently butted heads over a proposed resolution directing Austin Energy staff to facilitate a working group tasked with brainstorming how to dissuade builders from using toxic materials. The resolution ultimately did not pass, ending in a 4-4 tie…

After initial push, city’s effort to eliminate Confederate names loses momentum

In the midst of the July 2020 protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, the city of Austin passed a resolution committing to remove or rename all city-owned assets, such as streets and buildings, that have names commemorating the…

Commission urges city to raise EMS pay

The Public Safety Commission approved a broad resolution Monday calling on the city to raise its offer to the Austin EMS union to pay salaries comparable to what other EMS agencies are paying. EMS salaries should be equivalent to what…

Parks board homes in on outreach efforts as plans for Zilker march forward

The city’s Parks and Recreation Board tackled two separate presentations on the future of Zilker Park at its last meeting. Both presentations focused on outreach and questions of how to make moving forward with any plan a more equitable proposition. Currently,…

Dirty Martin's among a cluster of businesses slated to be forced out by light-rail line

When Austin voters approved the largest expansion of public transit in the city’s history, they signed up for higher property taxes to help pay for it. But now another cost of Project Connect is coming into focus: the loss of…