The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees will vote today on the bond proposals they’d like to advance onto November’s ballot. While both of the bond proposal options the administration recently debuted include a number of improvements to local schools, a recent poll of AISD voters concluded that there is broad support for making […]
2022
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro expands free rides to cooling centers. Advocates for homeless Austinites push for more.
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Tuesday it will give free rides to cooling centers on days when a heat advisory is in effect – that is usually when the temperature hits 103 degrees or higher. Previously, the transit agency offered free rides on days when the temperature was expected to be 105. Advocates for people […]
Posted inWhispers
Stassney Lane rehabilitation project underway
Stassney Lane is currently reduced from four to two lanes beginning at Teri Road as Austin Public Works starts its street rehabilitation work in the area. Additional impacts include a temporarily closed portion of sidewalk along the south side of Stassney Lane and two Capital Metro bus stops along Stassney Lane which may be temporarily […]
Posted inDevelopment
City seeks developer to partner on transformation of two historic blocks
Over the next three months, the city’s quasi-governmental development entity will perform the early work that will result in a development plan next year for two long-discussed blocks in East Austin. This week’s Community Development Commission meeting featured a presentation from the Austin Economic Development Corporation on its plan to create a request for proposals […]
Posted inPolice
Equity Action submits police oversight petition ahead of November election
Austin voters may get the chance to decide whether to expand police oversight in the November election. Equity Action, a local political action committee dedicated to public safety reform, submitted 33,000 petition signatures to the city clerk on Monday in support of the Austin Police Oversight Act. Way to go, Austin! Despite the hottest Texas summer […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music census leaders try new approach with lessons from other cities
Austin’s second attempt at using a music census to gather data about the state of local musicians and the creative economy is underway. The team conducting the census hopes to use lessons from the 2015 version, as well as results from studies in other cities, to make the data more useful to policymakers and stakeholder […]
Posted inLand Development Code
New water quality rules aim to promote green infrastructure
In a presentation to the Environmental Commission last Wednesday, staffers from the Watershed Protection Department presented a bundle of code updates aimed at improving water quality and making drainage infrastructure more environmentally friendly. “We couldn’t be more excited about the potential impact of these updates on the future of Austin’s environmental resilience,” Environmental Officer Katie […]
Posted inWhispers
Call 811 before digging
This week, Texas Gas Service is promoting public awareness of the 811 line, which is the number excavators and homeowners should call 48 hours before doing any digging on their property in order to avoid damaging underground pipelines. Once the ticket is submitted, a crew will be dispatched to mark underground utility lines within the […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin-Travis County officials issue emergency order in response to monkeypox outbreak
Local leaders issued an emergency order Tuesday in response to the monkeypox outbreak in Austin-Travis County. Since the first case in Travis County was reported on June 23, the number of monkeypox infections has risen to 68, including nine women and two children. There are currently 702 cases in Texas, according to the Centers for […]
Posted inAustin
Proposal to audit animal shelter fuels debate about choice of auditor
Austin’s Animal Services Office, which runs the Austin Animal Center, will soon be audited, per a recent resolution approved by City Council. The Office of the City Auditor will report on the department’s effectiveness and bring in an expert on no-kill shelter policies to help advise the facility’s operations. Members of the public chimed in […]
Posted inPreservation
Law Department predicts challenges ahead for equity-based preservation programs
The Historic Landmark Commission was in an unusually gloomy mood last Wednesday, as the meeting kicked off with an ominous briefing from the city’s legal department. At the request of Commissioner Blake Tollett, Assistant City Attorney Neal Falgoust dropped by to discuss the shifting federal court landscape and its implications for city policy. In light […]
Posted inWhispers
Nominate your favorite trees
Austin’s Tree of the Year Awards is looking for winners! Nominate your favorite tree in five different categories: 1) small enough to wrap your arms around; 2) too big to wrap your arms around; 3) schoolyard tree on a K-12 public campus; 4) tree with an interesting history, and 5) one-of-a-kind unique tree. The contest, […]