Historic zoning for Chrysler Air Temp house draws mixed opinions
An Allandale house that helped pioneer the use of air conditioning in middle-class homes is up for historic zoning against the owner’s wishes. The Zoning and Platting Commission was split Tuesday on whether to recommend historic zoning, as members wrestled…
Preservation • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 1, 2022
No clear path forward for medical marijuana use by public safety employees
Now that medical marijuana is legal in Texas, will Austin allow its first responders to use it? A Monday afternoon briefing at City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting showed that the hurdle, for once, does not come from the state…
Public Safety • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 31, 2022
Committee tells auditor to seek water audit contract with UT
On Wednesday, City Council’s Audit & Finance Committee directed City Auditor Corrie Stokes to move forward with an interlocal agreement with the University of Texas to conduct an audit to review problems at Austin Water. The city has just released…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 31, 2022
Texas schools won’t lose funding for attendance drops during the pandemic
Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency announced Tuesday that public school districts may not lose funding because of low attendance rates caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In Texas, schools are funded based on the number of students enrolled…
Education • By Brian Lopez, The Texas Tribune • Mar 31, 2022
Report IDs Austin Water staff missteps that preceded Feb. boil-water notice
The city has completed its investigation into the cause of an early February boil-water notice and concluded that staff at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant failed to take actions to address escalating equipment problems on an overnight shift. Through a…
Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 30, 2022
Vela seeks new solutions for housing the homeless
Council Member Chito Vela has proposed that the city request the cash equivalent of on-site affordable housing upon approval of the Statesman planned unit development on Lady Bird Lake. Under his proposal, the money would go toward temporary shelter for…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Mar 30, 2022
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Austin Public Health to use new Covid-19 risk charts to align with CDC
Austin Public Health is updating its Covid-19 risk guidelines to coincide with new metrics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previously, APH had been using a five-level scale to showcase Covid-19 risk, with Stage 5 being the highest…
Public Health • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Mar 30, 2022
City joins effort to end hair-based discrimination
The city of Austin and its Office of Civil Rights are initiating a discussion about how to prevent race-based hair discrimination, which is most commonly experienced by women of color. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and…
City Hall • By Willow Higgins • Mar 30, 2022
Council halts move of downtown court, seeking study of future needs
City Council has changed course on its plans to relocate the Downtown Austin Community Court to a historic municipal building on West Eighth Street, directing city staff to conduct an analysis of the court’s future needs with the possibility of…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 29, 2022
Abandoned rental cars and TSA lines out the door. What's going on at Austin's airport?
When Carmen Ortiz arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on Monday morning, two hours before departure as recommended, the line to get through security stretched down the Barbara Jordan terminal, outside the building and back down the entire length of…
Austin • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Mar 29, 2022
Zoning battle ends in victory for Grady and Brownie project
More condos and retail space are coming to North Austin following City Council’s approval of a contentious zoning case last Thursday. Despite neighborhood opposition backed by a valid petition, Council unanimously approved zoning changes for the Grady & Brownie mixed-use…
Zoning • By Kali Bramble • Mar 29, 2022
Council approves St. Elmo zoning with promise of affordable housing
City Council gave its final blessing Thursday for a new multifamily complex in the St. Elmo area as developers promised that 10 percent of the 370 rental units would be affordable for families earning 60 percent of the median family…
