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Memo says bonds needed to meet affordability goals for waterfront redevelopment

To reach the goal of bringing about 500 units of affordable housing to the South Central Waterfront District, the city would need voters to approve more bond funds, for as much as $60 million. The prospects for planned affordable housing…

City collisions cost more than $8 million over three years

City Council approved a payment last week of $82,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by Sherri Davis against the city and Austin Energy employee Stephen Tucker. Tucker is identified in the lawsuit as the driver of a city vehicle that struck…

Austin Animal Center faces questions about monthly update

Alongside shelters nationwide, the Austin Animal Center has been struggling with staffing shortages and soaring populations of shelter animals – a situation that was evident in the shelter’s monthly update to the Animal Advisory Commission. In April, a total of 1,067…

Developer releases proposal to clean up East Sixth Street

Following years of public outcry over the deterioration of East Sixth Street, Dallas-based Stream Realty has stepped forward with aspirations to give the notoriously rowdy block a facelift. Real estate attorney Richard Suttle stopped by last Wednesday’s meeting of the…

ACL Fest announces $369M economic impact, $6.7M parks donation

Austin City Limits Music Festival released the results of its annual local economic impact study on Tuesday, the same day it announced the lineup for this year’s two-weekend event that takes place in Zilker Park each October. The study, conducted…

Council looks at changes to transit partnership board

City Council has tentatively agreed to consider changes to the membership of the board of the Austin Transit Partnership, with just a small change now, and the possibility of a larger and more controversial change in the future. Council approved…

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Cap Metro CEO departs, leaving two Austin transit organizations without permanent leadership

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Randy Clarke will leave Austin to head the public transit agency in Washington, D.C. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced this morning Clarke will take over in late summer as general manager and CEO. Clarke’s…

City staffing shortages to delay Live Music Fund deployment until mid-2023

Musicians, promoters and other creatives will have to wait another year to enter into a contract of $5,000-$10,000 from the city’s Live Music Fund. The delay is due to a staffing shortage in the city, including 20 positions in the Economic…

After Leander vote secures transit service, Cap Metro looks to 'win over' skeptics

Now that Capital Metro service in Leander is secure for at least five years following Saturday’s election, the regional transit agency wants to get opponents on board with spending a 1 percent sales tax on public transit. Proposition A asked…

Montopolis project gets Council go-ahead

City Council approved a rezoning Thursday that will bring affordable housing for women and children experiencing homelessness to the Montopolis neighborhood. The rezoning from Family Residence (SF-3-NP) to Multifamily-Moderate Density (MF-4-NP), which Council approved on all three readings, will allow…

front of City Hall

Two candidates sign on for City Council races

District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison is hosting her reelection kickoff party at Mr. Catfish, 1144 Airport Blvd., at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Harper-Madison was first elected to the northeast Austin seat in 2018. So far, her only announced opponent is…

Expanded parental leave benefits on the horizon for city employees

In step with their colleagues at the Travis County Commissioners Court, City Council members made preliminary moves last Thursday to expand the paid parental leave program for city employees. The resolution, sponsored by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, directs the city…