City must raise wages to $22/hour, working group says
Members of the city’s living wage work group urged City Council Tuesday to raise the city’s living wage to $22 an hour for the upcoming fiscal year. They said the wage should apply to all regular and temporary city employees…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Jun 8, 2022
Public safety departments present budget proposals to Public Safety Commission
Austin’s public safety departments – police, fire and EMS – are preparing for the annual budget process in July and August by forecasting budgets and drafting wish lists, all of which include additional funding to fill vacant positions. Meanwhile, a…
Budget • By Emma Freer • Jun 8, 2022
Developer to embark on dual high-rise and landmark restoration project at Old Depot Hotel
A plan to develop the parking lot adjacent to the historic Old Depot Hotel is getting a new lease on life, with real estate firm Stonelake Capital Partners behind the wheel. The project at 504 East Fifth St., which includes…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Jun 8, 2022
Bird pays its bill
Although the city of Austin apparently enjoys a good working relationship with the scooter company Bird, the same could not be said for Travis County. Bird Rides Inc. appeared at No. 7 on Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant’s list of…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jun 8, 2022
Staffing issues cause slow rollout of arts, historic preservation programs
The Economic Development Department plans to wait until fall to begin spinning up three programs for music, arts and historic preservation that are funded by proceeds from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax. Portions of those programs aren’t slated to become…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 7, 2022
Extreme heat in June offers a test and a warning for the Texas grid
The weather forecasted for much of Texas this week would be considered extreme in the month of August … but it’s still spring. The heat will likely drive energy use to new highs and test the resilience of the state’s…
Energy • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Jun 7, 2022
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Environmental Commission recommends wastewater service to future warehouse
The Environmental Commission voted last Wednesday to recommend a wastewater service extension request for a proposed 82,000-square-foot warehouse west of Oak Hill. Some commissioners were hesitant to approve the service extension, which will include constructing over 800 feet of force…
Planning • By Willow Higgins • Jun 7, 2022
New report dives into the details of housing in Austin
HousingWorks Austin has released its latest annual report on Austin’s housing market and supply of affordable housing, underscoring not only the drastic increases in home prices and rents many have experienced but also disparities in affordable housing supply across the…
Housing • By Jonathan Lee • Jun 6, 2022
Large housing development in the works on Barton Springs and Lamar
Developers are looking to rezone a property currently home to the Bicycle Sport Shop on Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard. If successfully rezoned as a planned unit development, the lot would be redeveloped as a nine-story building with…
Planning • By Willow Higgins • Jun 6, 2022
Travis County opens applications to very low-income residents for housing voucher waitlist
Next month, on the first of July at 8 a.m., a relatively small number of low-income residents will get the opportunity to settle or continue to stay in Travis County. That’s because the Housing Authority of Travis County is opening…
Housing • By Seth Smalley • Jun 6, 2022
TxDOT wants cops to crack down on speeders, but APD's traffic enforcement units are understaffed
With traffic crashes killing about 10 people a day across the state, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its first-ever safety campaign focused on the leading cause of road deaths: speeding. The new campaign includes an increase in speed…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jun 3, 2022
Landmark commission hopes developer can give LGBTQ businesses on Fourth Street a fighting chance
As people across the world geared up to celebrate Pride Month, Austin’s LGBTQ community mourned the loss of its last cultural stronghold to redevelopment. On Wednesday, the city’s Historic Landmark Commission elected not to recommend historic zoning for the block of warehouses on…
