On Thursday, the city honored Charlie Betts with a Distinguished Service Award. Betts, who is retiring, had served as executive director of the Downtown Austin Alliance for the past 17 years. Mayor Lee Leffingwell presented the award, calling Betts a good friend and “positive force for the City of Austin.” Betts accepted the honor, saying, […]
2014
Posted inElections, Environment, Local Politics
Reporter’s Notebook: Rules are rules
A no-endorsement endorsement, and other missives from the campaign trail . . . Austinites for Equity, a political action committee for the local AFSCME organization, has supported numerous progressive and Democratic candidates. So observers were surprised when they noticed a filing on the City Clerk’s website indicating that the group had spent money apparently in […]
Posted inMonitor News & Media, Radio, Transportation
Austin Monitor Radio, show 25: TNCs
Monitor reporter Tyler Whitson joins publisher Mike Kanin to talk TNCs with the City of Austin’s Gordon Derr and Carlton Thomas as well as UT Professor Kara Kockelman to talk transportation networking companies. The show is posted below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/178038192″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inWhispers
APA gets 2 years for TLAC repairs
City Council members voted 5-2 Thursday to, among other items, grant an extension to Austin Pets Alive!’s lease on the former City of Austin Town Lake Animal Shelter. The resolution ultimately allows the group to repair the facility and occupy it while the master plan for the Lamar Beach area comes together. The TLAC facility […]
Posted inCity Council, Environment, Parks, Resources, Water
Water worries derail Decker Lake golf course vote
Worries about water — and Central Texas’ persistent drought — have derailed, at least temporarily, plans for the Decker Lake golf course. After hearing concerns from Austin Water Utility Director Greg Meszaros, City Council voted 7-0 to postpone consideration of an agreement to turn over 735 acres of parkland for development of a high-end golf […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety, Texas State Legislature, Travis County
Obama immigration plan may end city-county tiff
It may have taken an executive order, but President Barack Obama seems to have headed off a dispute between the City of Austin and Travis County. The long-standing controversy involving Sheriff Greg Hamilton’s participation in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Secure Communities program may soon be over. Under Secure Communities, Travis County Jail officials cooperated […]
Posted inCity Council, Public Safety
Coyote management plan passes despite concerns
The Austin City Council approved the contentious city coyote management plan Thursday evening, to a loud round of applause and a few woofs of approval from community members sitting in the audience. “This may not be the last word on coyotes, but it does portend a very good effort on the part of many in […]
Posted inWhispers
Council OKs $5,000 Homestead Exemption
Austin City Council members OK’d a $5,000 homestead exemption for city homeowners Thursday. This is not to be confused with the much larger 20 percent exemption proposed on the campaign trail by multiple Council candidates. That latter exemption would bring the city in line with other local entities, including Travis County. Should the new Council […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, The Code
Council sets overnight concrete pour ordinance
Following lengthy discussion and public input, City Council unanimously passed an interim ordinance Thursday that limits overnight concrete pouring in parts of downtown from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and initiates a 60-day stakeholder process for a permanent solution. The ordinance, which will expire after 120 days, includes a grandfather clause that exempts building permits […]
Posted inWhispers
Rep. Doggett to campaign with Casar
Austin’s popular Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett has thrown himself into the City Council District 4 runoff in support of Greg Casar. Casar led in the Nov. 4 election over his runoff opponent, Laura Pressley. Casar garnered 38.6 percent of the vote as compared to Pressley’s 21.5 percent in a field of eight candidates. In a […]
Posted inCity Hall, Development, Local Politics, Planning
Real estate reform comes from Bull Creek process
City Council members Thursday quietly passed a resolution that instructs Austin City Manager Marc Ott to “forward to Council any written communication received by the City Manager from the State of Texas, or any agency of the State of Texas, regarding offers or options to sell the City real property within two business days of […]
Posted inWhispers
Council names interim city auditor
After toying with the idea of appointing Deputy City Auditor Corrie Stokes as the new city auditor outright, City Council pulled back Thursday and voted to name her interim auditor instead. Council voted 7-0 for a substitute motion, appointing Stokes as the acting city auditor. That will be effective Dec. 1. The substitute motion also states […]