With new EMS chief hire, Cronk shows commitment to change
In a somewhat surprising move, City Manager Spencer Cronk has selected an outsider with a diverse background as the new chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Robert Luckritz, chief operating officer of Transformative Healthcare, an EMS, medical transportation and…
EMS • By Amy Smith • Feb 9, 2022
Alter wants outside audit to address boil-water incidents
Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter wants outside experts to conduct an audit of Austin Water to find out what operational issues and internal processes may have contributed to the city experiencing three boil-water incidents since 2018. On Monday, Alter posted…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 9, 2022
Pharmaceutical opioid companies pay out – but will it be enough?
The Travis County Commissioners Court received a legal briefing Tuesday on County of Travis v. Purdue Pharma, a yearslong case brought by Travis County and a host of other plaintiffs against a number of manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical opioids,…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Feb 9, 2022
Environmental Commission looks into acid waste spill at Samsung facility
Samsung’s semiconductor facility spilled a large amount of acidic wastewater into its stormwater pond and into a tributary of Harris Branch Creek in Northeast Austin, killing virtually all aquatic life within the 1.5-mile stretch. As much as 763,000 gallons of…
Environment • By Willow Higgins • Feb 9, 2022
City seeks to separate forensics lab from APD while complying with state law
It’s never too soon to talk about the 2023 city budget, especially as it relates to the Austin Police Department and the divisions that were separated out from under APD before the state Legislature penalized cities for thinking outside the…
Public Safety • By Amy Smith • Feb 8, 2022
Election officials say Texas' new ID rules for voting by mail could cause more ballots to get rejected
Lee esta historia en español. More people’s mail-in ballots could be rejected in the March primary because of Texas’ new ID matching requirement, local election officials say. The requirement is part of Texas’ new voting law, Senate Bill 1. A provision…
Elections • By Ashley Lopez, KUT • Feb 8, 2022
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Landmark commission weighs case for preserving former home of 'Statesman' editor
A case to preserve the former home of Austin American-Statesman editor Charles E. Green hit the desks of the Historic Landmark Commission this past Monday, and not for the first time. An application to demolish the building at 1505 Forest…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Feb 8, 2022
Vela sworn in as District 4 Council member
José “Chito” Vela, who won the election to become the second City Council member for District 4 on Jan. 25, was sworn in Monday morning and took his seat on the dais. Vela joined Council before a large group of…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Feb 8, 2022
Council members want answers to boil-water incident by end of week
City Council members responsible for monitoring Austin Water service said they expect to receive a complete report by the end of this week explaining the cause behind the boil-water notice that went into effect on Saturday night. The Austin area…
Water • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 7, 2022
Small business forced to pay thousands on zoning 'technicality'
The Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday blamed the city’s complex code after hearing the case of a landscaping business being forced to rezone its property at a cost of thousands of dollars. The 1.7-acre property at 13561 Pond Springs Road…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 7, 2022
Vision Zero initiative brings second rollout of speed limit reductions
City Council slipped a number of roadway changes through its brief, sentimental meeting this past Thursday, passing several ordinances that will lower the speed limit on a number of roads in Southwest, Southeast and Northeast Austin. Prioritized sections of Convict…
Roads • By Kali Bramble • Feb 7, 2022
Austin's legal bill to oust operator of airport's South Terminal approaches $1 million
The cost of Austin’s legal fight to reclaim and demolish the airport’s South Terminal — where people catch Allegiant and Frontier flights — just grew to $847,000. The Austin City Council today approved paying corporate law firm Winstead PC another $600,000 on top of $247,000 it…
