When Wendy Davis decided to find out how many untested rape kits there were in the state of Texas, she readily admits she had no idea what she was getting into. Davis, a former state senator, was first told that there was a backlog by a representative of the state forensics lab in 2009. Around […]
Cate Malek
Posted inPolice
Austin’s crime lab failure points to national crisis
The latest audit of the Austin Police Department’s crime lab would read as a comedy of errors, if the stakes weren’t so high. Some concerns in the report released last fall are simpler to fix – equipment failures or cross-contaminating evidence. Reading further though, the lab had flaws in many of its most fundamental operations. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
APD still years away from clearing DNA backlog
Austin’s Public Safety Commission gave mixed reviews to the Austin Police Department’s attempts to recover from the shutdown of its DNA lab and its backlog of thousands of untested rape kits. At its meeting on Monday, the commission responded favorably to the APD’s handling of a freezer malfunction that could have jeopardized DNA evidence from […]
Posted inZoning
Elysium Park gets initial Council approval, despite neighborhood opposition
For those wondering why building affordable housing in Austin is going so slowly, the Elysium Park development has been a case study of many of the tensions City Council is facing in its attempts to keep low-income people from fleeing the city. On Thursday, Council unanimously approved a rezoning for the hard-fought development on first […]
Posted inCity Council
Human Rights Commission condemns Trump
Austin’s Human Rights Commission is pushing City Council to take the bold move of condemning the president of the United States and banning official use of his company’s products and services. At its meeting on Monday, the commission voted 8-2 to condemn actions taken by both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Commissioners […]
Posted inEnvironment
Study reveals why some Austinites don’t recycle
Austin has declared that it will be a zero-waste city by 2040. But lack of progress toward that goal over the last five years has prompted the city to call in a team of researchers to better understand why Austinites don’t recycle. The city set a goal of sending only 10 percent of its waste […]
Posted inEnergy
LCRA defends wind power divestment decision
The Lower Colorado River Authority is responding to pushback against its decision to end a $360 million contract to take power from the Papalote Creek Wind Farm. On Dec. 2, the LCRA sent out an email to its employees laying out the reasons for the decision, which has sparked litigation from both Papalote and the […]
Posted inAustin
Human Rights Commission prepares to take on Trump and SB 92
Austin’s Human Rights Commission is testing how much influence city government can have at both the state and national levels this year. Members of the commission are proposing to take a strong stand against President-elect Donald Trump in January and are preparing a recommendation for City Council to condemn some of his statements and conduct […]
Posted inEnvironment
City works to create more aggressive response to major floods
As Austin adjusts to the reality of major flooding on a regular basis, City Council is working to create a more comprehensive set of policies to respond to the damage caused by heavy rainstorms. Last year, Council created a Flood Mitigation Task Force to take a deeper look into how to protect Austinites from the […]
Posted inAustin
City investigates whether spay/neuter clinics are reaching the people who need them
The city of Sunset Valley is leading other Austin-area locations in taking advantage of free spay/neuter clinics – a surprise, since these clinics are usually used more heavily in poorer neighborhoods. City staff is working to better understand who is using spay/neuter clinics in Austin at a neighborhood level, although the numbers are still incomplete. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Broadstone 620 development limited by environmental risks
There are some limits to Austin’s breakneck expansion, and the developers of Broadstone 620 may have stumbled into them on Nov. 16. Austin’s Environmental Commission voted 7-2 not to recommend building a new wastewater system for the development because it would intensify development in an environmentally sensitive area. Commissioners Hank Smith and Richard Grayum were […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics Commission says voters have given Zimmerman a greater sanction than it ever could
Austin’s Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against City Council Member Don Zimmerman on Nov. 9, saying there was no sanction it could give him greater than being voted out of office. Commissioners voted 5-3 in favor of the complainant. But, in order for the motion to pass, the commission needed six supporting votes, or two-thirds […]