About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
Music Commission to continue push to improve venue accessibility
The Music Commission plans to continue its work in making music venues of all sizes more accessible to the disabled, following the positive results from a task force on that issue convened last year by the Circuit of the Americas.…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 9, 2023
HACA shifts voucher allocation to let housing groups assist homeless
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has shifted 300 of its housing vouchers to be more available to those experiencing homelessness, in a move aimed at helping the city reduce the number of people in chronic need of…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 7, 2023
Changes to city lobbying rules OK'd by Ethics Review Commission
The Ethics Review Commission has given its OK to a series of amendments to the city’s lobbying regulations. The changes are set to be voted on by City Council on March 23. The city clerk’s office suggested them to clarify…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 6, 2023
Eligibility language confusion adds to frustrations over new Cultural Arts awards
Arts leaders dissatisfied with the city’s new Thrive program for funding established arts organizations are pointing to unclear wording in the program’s eligibility language for causing some groups to forgo applying. Some are also arguing that the requirements should have…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 2, 2023
City outlines public safety plans for bustling spring festival season
With downtown Austin set to host five major events in a six-week period beginning with South by Southwest, city leaders have presented their plans for road closures and increased public safety measures that are likely to disrupt normal activities in…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 1, 2023
Council signals plans to review, revise new Cultural Arts grant program
City Council’s approval last week of nearly $4 million to fund a new Cultural Arts grant program came with an indication that the evaluation and allocation criteria may get a hard review and revisions to address loud concerns from arts…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 28, 2023
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Dripping Springs neighbors object to plans for outdoor music venue
Residents of rural Hays County are pushing hard against a planned 5,000-seat outdoor music venue that will sit along a two-lane road and potentially impact water flowing into the Edwards Aquifer. Plans for the venue emerged last year from California-based…
Development • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 27, 2023
Austin Energy shares recovery, emergency preparation plans
Leaders of Austin Energy have started to move forward in the aftermath of the winter storm earlier this month that left hundreds of thousands of Austinites in the dark for days at a time. The next steps outlined include streamlining…
Energy • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 23, 2023
Chamber partnership looks to strengthen connection to startup community
The Austin Chamber of Commerce has extended its reach to become directly involved with launching startups in the city, bringing the business incubator Founder Institute Austin into its offices downtown. The one-year pilot program allows the institute, which has chapters…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 21, 2023
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites feel disconnected from Council on city priorities
As a new City Council continues to adjust to its roles and responsibilities, new data show a large portion of Austin residents feel disconnected from the priorities and concerns of their elected leaders. Those were some of the conclusions from…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 17, 2023
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites want reinstated camping bans on the homeless enforced
Austin residents feel the city isn’t doing enough to manage the effects of homelessness throughout the area, according to a January/February poll of 429 voters commissioned by Notley and conducted by national pollster Change Research for the Austin Monitor. Homelessness has…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 16, 2023
City stalled on land use changes intended to preserve creative spaces
Six months after a pair of unanimous City Council votes, the city has made little progress in adopting changes to the land use code intended to incentivize the creation of music venues and other creative spaces at risk for displacement…
