“Grief, loss and love across cultures” are the interlaced themes of an online exhibit from Oakwood Cemetery Chapel featuring photography, video, oral history, news articles, and digital maps. The exhibit, titled “To Remember,” is designed to be a showcase for “different forms of remembrance including burial and funeral practices, memorial anniversaries, cemetery maps, and genealogy research.” Open […]
2021
Posted inElections
Voters to decide on changes to how Austin’s government works
Austin voters will be asked to decide on a slew of changes to the way local politicians are elected and what power they have in governing after the city clerk validated a petition Tuesday. Earlier this month, Austinites for Progressive Reform, a local political action committee, turned in a petition with more than 20,000 signatures, the amount […]
Posted inTransportation
A long time coming, Red Line Parkway could be completed by decade’s end
The City Council Mobility Committee heard an update on the Red Line Parkway last week, one of the city’s most anticipated urban trail projects. Austinites can look for significant progress on the trail this year with new segments under development and the Red Line Parkway Initiative beginning its Parkway Plan process. “It’s a pretty ambitious […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro reviews details of first interlocal agreement with Austin Transit Partnership
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted Monday to approve a resolution authorizing Randy Clarke, the president and CEO of Capital Metro, to finalize a three-year interlocal agreement with Austin Transit Partnership. In addition to discussing some of the chief details of Capital Metro’s role in the agreement, the board focused its attention […]
Posted inWhispers
Waterloo Greenway leader steps down to join ATP
Waterloo Greenway, the nonprofit group leading the development of a string of downtown parks along Waller Creek, has announced that CEO Peter Mullan is stepping down. Mullan, who joined the project in 2015, has accepted a new position as chief of architecture and design for the Austin Transit Partnership. In that role he will work […]
Posted inWhispers
Pflugerville gets $100,000 grant from LCRA
Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority, Pflugerville will be giving its water metering infrastructure a much-needed makeover and creating a customer portal. A news release from LCRA explains that the grant “will help replace the city’s current meters with advanced metering infrastructure and create an easy way for customers to […]
Posted inDevelopment
Tovo crafts complex motion for HealthSouth talks
At today’s meeting, City Council will finally consider negotiating an exclusive agreement with Aspen Heights Partners for the company to lease and redevelop the city-owned HealthSouth property at 1215 Red River and 606 E. 12th St. Council Member Kathie Tovo has posted a four-page set of instructions for City Manager Spencer Cronk and his team […]
Posted inWhispers
Transit priority lanes coming to East Riverside
A two-mile stretch of East Riverside Drive between Summit Street and Grove Boulevard will be getting transit priority lanes. The new lanes will be used by nine Capital Metro bus routes that transport nearly 20 percent of the agency’s riders, according to an Austin Transportation Department news release. The lanes are expected to “organize traffic […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: City Council, 1.27.21
City Council will convene virtually for its regular meeting tomorrow, on a very irregular Wednesday meeting day. (Council will resume its regular Thursday meeting time next week.) As has been the practice throughout the pandemic, Council will take public comment on the main agenda at the beginning of the meeting, followed by zoning speakers around […]
Posted inCity Council
Council plans hotel purchases for housing homeless, floats camping sites
At Monday’s work session, City Council members discussed purchasing two hotels in North Austin to secure more than 150 permanent supportive housing units for the homeless. Mayor Steve Adler urged Council to act to remedy what he called an “emergency situation,” perhaps using previously rejected measures like setting up designated campsites. In a press release, […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
City watching bills that would cut its authority
As has been the case for several sessions, Austin is facing numerous challenges as the Texas Legislature begins to do its business. Due to Covid, this session will present new challenges, not just for city advocates, but for members and anyone who might want to testify before a committee or even watch from the audience. […]
Posted inWhispers
Homeless issues dominate work session
City Council met in work session Monday and will hold its regular Council meeting on Wednesday instead of Thursday this week. A city spokesperson told the Austin Monitor that Mayor Steve Adler and City Clerk Jannette Goodall had conflicting events on Thursday. Council will meet in a joint session with the Travis County Commissioners Court […]