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Most Popular Stories
- Council members celebrate unanimous defeat of bill that proposed putting Austin under state control
- The Austin area won’t be seeing a lot of bluebonnets this year. Here’s why.
- SXSW shrinks as indie venues contemplate competitiveness
- Eviction crisis spreads as affordability pressures worsen
- City pauses $10M in airport art over concerns local creatives were excluded
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Stories by Amy Smith
APD touts early successes of license plate reader program
The Public Safety Commission was briefed Monday on some early results of the license plate reader program that rolled out in March with cameras at undisclosed sites across the city. The Austin Police Department credits the cameras for the 40…
Police • By Amy Smith • Oct 11, 2024
Council weighs financial impact of proposed police contract
As City Council weighs approval of a proposed police contract expected to cost $218 million over five years, city budget staff on Tuesday presented a brighter financial outlook compared to the dire projections given earlier this year. At Tuesday’s work…
Police • By Amy Smith • Oct 10, 2024
Bowen pledges to bring transparency to City Hall, starting with independent audit
Not many people wake up on the day of the filing deadline for mayor and decide to throw their hat in the ring. But that’s what Jeffery Bowen did when he became the fifth candidate in the race to become…
Elections • By Amy Smith • Oct 9, 2024
Carmen Llanes Pulido vows to bring inclusive leadership to City Hall
Carmen Llanes Pulido may be the youngest candidate in the five-way race for mayor, but the lifelong Austinite with activism in her DNA arguably has the most boots-on-the-ground experience in the city’s grassroots arena. As the executive director of the…
Elections • By Amy Smith • Oct 7, 2024
SOS variance for aquifer development fails to win Environmental Commission support
A proposal to initiate an amendment to the Save Our Springs Ordinance to increase the allowable amount of impervious cover over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone failed to win the Environmental Commission’s support Wednesday. Impervious cover is any human-made surface…
Development • By Amy Smith • Oct 4, 2024
Preservation of Palm Park's history and culture still a priority for residents
The Parks and Recreation Board last week heard the results of the second community engagement process on the Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park as part of the third phase of the Waterloo Greenway Project. PARD staff restarted the community engagement…
Planning • By Amy Smith • Sep 30, 2024
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In an unusual hearing, Ethics Commission advances complaints against Greco and Watson to next phase
Ethics complaints filed against mayoral candidate Doug Greco and incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson will move to a final hearing next month, but an anticipated court ruling could circumvent the proceedings. In a preliminary hearing Wednesday, the Ethics Review Commission determined…
Elections • By Amy Smith • Sep 27, 2024
Foster Village aims to expand child services in North Austin
A nonprofit that serves as a resource for foster children and their caregivers secured the first step toward rezoning a North Austin property Thursday. The rezoning will enable Foster Village to expand its operations to meet the demand of a…
Planning • By Amy Smith • Sep 13, 2024
Homeless Strategy Office turns its focus to prevention and diversion
With a $2.1 million boost from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and City Council’s recent approval of a contract for navigation services, the Homeless Strategy Office is now better equipped to address housing barriers, HSO leader David Gray told…
Public Health • By Amy Smith • Sep 6, 2024
Hays Commons development’s parkland proposal wins support from Parks Board
The Parks and Recreation Board has given a proposed development its unanimous support based on the amount of parkland the builder has promised to provide on a nearly 500-acre site straddling Travis and Hays counties. The development, Hays Commons, is…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Aug 30, 2024
Parks board asks City Council to review why boating concession ordinance exempted community input
The Parks and Recreation Board wants City Council to reexamine, and possibly rescind, a 2019 ordinance allowing an adventure excursion company to operate a boating concession in East Austin without going through a public process. The company, called the Expedition…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Aug 29, 2024
Downtown Commission gets preview of next chapter for John Henry Faulk Building and Austin History Center
With the Austin History Center “busting at the seams” with, well, history, city library officials have been preparing the John Henry Faulk Building next door to house the History Center’s vast collection of archives. Both the History Center and the…