City Council intends to help homeowners at risk of displacement with a program that will provide down payment assistance to those wishing to add more residential units to their properties. At last Thursday’s meeting, Council approved a resolution directing the city manager to research and gather options for the program, which would be targeted at […]
2023
Posted inEnergy
Energy officials warn of winter blackout risk in Texas and beyond
Outside of the Sand Hill natural gas power plant, near Austin, workers have installed a windbreak in case a big winter storm hits again. The sturdy plastic shrink wrap is stretched tight across scaffolding at the bottom of the plant, designed to stop cold wind from blowing through and freezing the pipes inside. “We’ve not […]
Posted inWhispers
City plans New Year’s Eve bash
The city of Austin and Visit Austin are holding a free, family-friendly shebang at Auditorium Shores to ring in the new year. Live music from Austin’s Band of Heathens and the Gulf Coast soul band the Suffers, plus a caravan of food trucks and beverage vendors and a fireworks show, are all part of the […]
Posted inCity Council
Three Council members call for Middle East cease-fire
Responding to calls from the community seeking a City Council resolution supporting a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Council members Vanessa Fuentes, Zo Qadri and José Velásquez released a statement Thursday calling for peace. The statement reads: “Whether it be Palestinians, Israelis or Austinites, innocent civilians deserve to live in peace. Our hearts break for […]
Posted inPolice
Police union leadership says oversight lawsuit further stalls labor contract negotiations
After nearly a year without a police labor contract, city leadership has signaled its hope for – and taken steps toward – a new agreement in early 2024. But incoming Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock says recent developments, including a recently filed lawsuit, have raised questions that need answering before the union will return […]
Posted inWhispers
Truelove retires to take post in Kyle
Rosie Truelove, director of Austin’s Housing Department, is retiring at the end of December after 25 years with the city. But she’s not going to quit working: She has accepted a job with the city of Kyle as the director of administrative services. In a post about her retirement, Truelove notes that she started her […]
Posted inPolice
Renewed cooperation eliminates backlog of sexual assault evidence kits
After years of discord, the team created to improve Travis County’s response to sexual assault is back to collaborating, team members told the Commissioners Court Tuesday, and a backlog of untested evidence kits has been processed. Spurred by state law enacted in 2021, the members of SARRT, or the Austin/Travis County Sexual Assault Response and […]
Posted inElections
Travis County Democrats say ‘election denialism’ within Republican Party imperils the 2024 primary election
In a Wednesday press conference, the Travis County Democratic Party and Travis County elected officials called out “election denialism” within the Travis County Republican Party that they say is keeping the two party organizations from agreeing on rules for primary elections. The Austin Monitor previously reported on concerns that the two local party groups had […]
Posted inWhispers
New TCAD appraiser named
Leana Mann is officially the Travis Central Appraisal District‘s next chief appraiser, replacing outgoing Chief Appraiser Marya Crigler, who is retiring early next year after more than 33 years of service in the district. Mann is currently TCAD’s deputy chief appraiser and has served as staff accountant, finance and facilities director, and deputy chief of […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
City awards $4.5M to help Austin Playhouse construct dual-theater facility
The city has selected the Austin Playhouse theater group as the latest recipient of creative space bond money, with City Council set to approve a $4.5 million award at today’s meeting. That money will allow the independent arts group to construct two theater venues with an outdoor patio, lobby, classroom and studio space and the […]
Posted inWhispers
Peter Pan gets a new lease
Defying trends and thwarting closure, Peter Pan Mini Golf will live to putt another day. The mini golf course is on state land, and questions about its future operation were raised this fall, when its owners expressed concern that they did not know whether their lease would expire in the spring. On Wednesday, owner Margaret […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 12.14.23
The last City Council meeting of the year is here. Breaking from a tradition that the final meeting of any year is longer than reason, Council opted to take up its most contentious items – amendments to the Land Development Code – in a separate (and very long!) meeting last week. Nonetheless, there are still […]