This week, Austin Monitor reporter Jack Craver sits down with Cathy McHorse, who is the vice president of the United Way’s Success by 6. McHorse dives into some recent moves by the city to increase access to affordable quality child care, explains some of the issues that families face, and even takes a minute to […]
Austin Monitor
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Dark Skies over ZAP
Doggone open data… During last week’s SXSW-adjacent session at Capital Factory about the value of open data provided by governmental entities, the city of Austin got an unexpected plaudit that also offered a not-unexpected snapshot into the city’s priorities. Panelist Susan Alzner, co-founder and chief of strategy and operations for the research group shift7, was […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Of departures and festivals
Cofer resigns… Rick Cofer, the vice chair of the Parks and Recreation Board, resigned several hours after City Council approved his reappointment to the board. His resignation came just hours after a concerned constituent emailed Council Member Kathie Tovo, who had nominated him to the position, and pointed to his past treatment of women. Cofer, a […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporters Notebook: APD on ICE
Life after SB 4… Following Texas’ Senate Bill 4, also known as the “Sanctuary City bill,” Austin City Council asked that all instances of city collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement be tracked. A Feb. 28Â memo from Austin Police Chief Brian Manley sheds light on events from 2018, revealing, “There were 581 instances where APD […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Chinese Democracy
The press release is made of cheese… How best to follow up a City Council meeting that saw unanimous action to ease the development of affordable housing? If you’ve got the big office on the second floor at City Hall, the answer is getting farcical and sending the recipe for Kerbey Lane Cafe queso, along […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Blackland CDC
In this week’s radio show, Bo McCarver, president of the Blackland Community Development Corporation’s board of directors, talks to Austin Monitor freelance reporter Jack Craver about the history of the group and how they are working to create more affordable housing in Central East Austin. To learn all about it, tune in below: Austin Monitor […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Clarifications
The devil (or the donut) is in the details… When it comes to zoning and platting, make no mistake that the commissioners who sit on ZAP pay attention to the details of each and every case. In fact, this was never more apparent than at the commission’s Feb. 5 meeting. While reviewing cases for consent […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: At long last, an end
Casar wins!… Friday’s news that the Texas Supreme Court has ended the long-running legal battle over the 2014 District 4 City Council race between since-re-elected Greg Casar and former opponent Laura Pressley broke quickly on Twitter, and came with a straitlaced official statement from Casar about all the voter support he has received and how […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: The bonus no one wanted
Violations that make lawyers giggle… On Jan. 9, the Ethics Review Commission heard the preliminary case of DeShawn Scott, an administrative specialist in the Public Works Department, who used his city computer for purposes related to his own outside businesses: Texas Go Freezee, a shaved ice stand; and Taco Sweets, a truck that offers ice cream […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: We’re back, and so is this
Taking her talents… Ellen Troxclair, whose term on Austin City Council concludes with today’s swearing-in ceremony that’ll install Paige Ellis as the new representative for District 8, is taking her focus on property tax issues to the state level. News broke Friday that Troxclair has joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation as a senior fellow. […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: UTC on Project Connect
This week, Urban Transportation Commission members J.D. Gins and Mario Champion join Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano for an insiders’ look at the current state of Project Connect. Listen in below for their take on when to panic, when not to panic, and the current state of the draft vision plan […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Chas Moore
Austin Justice Coalition director Chas Moore stops by the studio to talk about the recently approved Austin Police Department contract, and the road to said contract. Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano chat with Moore about what work remains, and what’s on the horizon for the coalition in the coming new year. […]