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 Council • By Jo Clifton • May 5, 2022
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…
Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 5, 2022
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…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 5, 2022
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…
Police • By Emma Freer • May 4, 2022
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • May 4, 2022
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…
City Hall • By Willow Higgins • May 4, 2022
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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…
Austin • By Willow Higgins • May 3, 2022
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…
EMS • By Jo Clifton • May 3, 2022
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,…
Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 3, 2022
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…
Planning • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • May 2, 2022
County to add paid parental leave for employees, but will it be enough?
Tomorrow, the Travis County Commissioners Court will take action on a paid parental leave policy for all county workers, but with multiple policies still to choose from, the magnitude and impact of how they decide remains uncertain. While county staff…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • May 2, 2022
Council endorses changes to East 11th and 12th street development regulations
Before a troubled history of urban renewal and disinvestment led the city to declare the areas blighted, 11th and 12th streets were once thriving corridors in East Austin’s Black community. Now, the city is shepherding land use changes along the…
