Austin ISD paid hundreds of millions more than other districts in Texas' 'recapture' program
Lee esta historia en español. The Austin Independent School District is sending more taxpayer dollars than any other school system to the state’s so-called recapture program, a new study finds. The decades-old system, known commonly as Robin Hood, is meant to balance…
AISD • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Feb 15, 2022
City anticipates legal challenges to race-based grants, including Live Music Fund
The city may need to roll back or adjust race-based considerations in some of its grant programs over concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts may in the coming months rule against the use of such criteria.…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 14, 2022
Cold weather shelters kept hundreds warm in cold snap
On the rare occasions when the weather in Austin gets uncomfortably cold, Austin Public Health, the Homeless Strategy Division and the Parks and Recreation Department work together to activate the city’s cold weather shelters. In January, the shelters were put to…
Public Health • By Willow Higgins • Feb 14, 2022
Director of Austin Water resigns after three-day boil-water notice caused by 'employee error'
Lee esta historia en español. The head of Austin’s public water utility has resigned after an employee mistake at a water treatment facility resulted in residents having to boil their water for three days to ensure it was safe to…
City Hall • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 14, 2022
Statesman PUD wins unanimous support from Planning Commission
A massive mixed-use development planned for the former Austin American-Statesman site moved one step closer to approval Tuesday, receiving the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Commission – but not before commissioners spent several hours debating changes they would like to see…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 11, 2022
EMS interim chief optimistic about future of the department
With 124 vacancies that need filling to round out the medic force, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services is applying a variety of methods to try to close the gaps, interim Chief Jasper Brown told the City Council Public Safety Committee…
EMS • By Amy Smith • Feb 11, 2022
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Transit planners study allowing buses on light-rail bridge over Lady Bird Lake
Facing pushback over plans to allow only light rail and pedestrians on a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake, officials overseeing Project Connect, Austin’s $7.1 billion transit expansion, are taking a closer look at whether to design the bridge so…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 11, 2022
MACC board wants questions answered before approving expansion plan
Leaders from the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center want the public to have more input on plans to expand the Rainey Street facility, because of concerns early planning documents don’t provide enough details about public access and how…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 11, 2022
Community weighs in on governance of ATP, Cap Metro
At least 165 community members participated Tuesday night in the first of two virtual meetings designed to gather feedback about the future of Austin’s Project Connect, which is currently in the design stage. In addition to specific questions about where…
Transit • By Jo Clifton • Feb 10, 2022
Don’t worry if you drank the Austin tap water. It was fine all along.
The water flowing out of Austin taps is now safe to drink – and apparently was all along. Austin Water issued a boil-water notice on Saturday night, asking that all customers of the public utility boil their water for at…
Water • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 10, 2022
New perk just dropped for all county employees: Paid family leave
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday that marks the first steps toward bringing paid family leave to every county employee. While the policy won’t immediately go into effect, a subcommittee will return to the court in…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Feb 10, 2022
Parks board not so fond of the Butler Landfill maintenance project
The gravel lot between Zilker Park and the MoPac Expressway bridge, which most Austinites know as the park’s overflow parking lot, also serves a less visible purpose – it’s a landfill. The Butler Landfill, which spans a total of 8 acres,…
