Ignorance and arrogance… In her bid to stall the creation of the WildHorse Ranch public improvement district, City Council Member Ora Houston found support this weekend from none other than the Austin American-Statesman. The editorial board of the Lady Bird Lake real estate concern on Sunday published a piece accusing Travis County officials of “ignorance […]
Austin Monitor
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: TNC (and TNC-adjacent) battles continue
We’re here for your posts… If you checked out of the news over the weekend, the Austin Monitor has your back. Late Friday afternoon, the city’s Transportation Department attempted to enter the Matrix and track down the Facebook group for the listing service Arcade City. Unfortunately, it did so at the Capital Factory co-working space. It […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Can’t lose
Clear eyes, full hearts and… a sled… Mayor Steve Adler is hip with youth culture and he’s not afraid to show it. Last week, Hizzoner unleashed a small tweetstorm that focused on local music culture and also featured GIFs borrowed from every millennial’s favorite television series, Friday Night Lights. “Not only is music related to who […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Cactus Rose, mobility plans and… Benghazi?
Communicant bounced from “kangaroo court”…Something unusual happened at Travis County Commissioners Court last week. For the first time in months, the weekly segment of the agenda set aside for public communications was actually taken advantage of by residents with specific county-related concerns. The room was filled with palpable awe when, one after another, three separate […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Coming around
I told you so… City Council Member Don Zimmerman may not get his Council colleagues to embrace his libertarian beliefs, but he appears hopeful that there may be a day when they view city staff with as much suspicion as he does. On Thursday, Zimmerman posted a video excerpt of a recent meeting of the Council […]
Posted inCity Hall
Reporter’s Notebook: Passes and postponements
Official solicited, got free SXSW passes… Rondella Hawkins, who oversees the city’s Office of Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs, requested and received three complimentary badges for 2016’s SXSWi, the interactive portion of the famous festival that Austin hosts, from festival director Hugh Forrest. Pinaki Ghosh, a former member of the city’s volunteer Community Technology and Telecommunications […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Chasing geese
Endless election… A quick survey of social media reveals that even more than a week after Prop 1’s landslide defeat, feelings are still a little tender over the fact that Uber and Lyft picked up their apps and left town. Mayor Steve Adler’s social media team, in violation of one of the oldest laws of the […]
Posted inAustin
Reporter’s Notebook: On the case
No tweet too small… Each side in the Proposition 1 debate has accused the other of fudging the facts, and your Austin Monitor team is dutifully doing what it can to keep everyone honest. On Friday, for example, we noticed City Council Member Leslie Pool shoot out a tweet accusing Uber of electioneering at one […]
Posted inWhispers
Severe weather grounds Levitation
Travis County Commissioners Court giveth, and Mother Nature taketh away. This year’s iteration of Levitation, the three-day music and camping festival formerly known as Psyche Fest, has been canceled due to severe weather. The event was slated to be held this weekend at Carson Creek Ranch, a venue along the Colorado River just on the […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Same as it ever was
Sharing information… An Austin Monitor reporter received a call Friday from a polling firm conducting a survey on the ongoing debate in Austin over ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft. During a six-minute call, the caller asked a series of questions aimed at gauging opinion and awareness of the May referendum prompted by the two companies […]
Posted inElections
Likely winners emerge in local early voting
Gina Hinojosa, a member and former president of the Austin Independent School District board, took a commanding lead in the race to replace House District 49 State Rep. Elliott Naishtat as the early vote was counted tonight. Hinojosa had 55.4 percent of the 13,460 votes cast during early voting, which ended Friday. Heather Way, a […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: STRs forever (and ever)
Airbnb talks SXSW… Once again, short-term rentals are coming back to City Council. With a phase-out of Type 2 short-term rentals still on the table, the industry’s biggest players are working to let Austinites know the value they bring to the city. And, with South by Southwest just around the corner, Airbnb has released some […]