Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court have launched their annual warrant amnesty program that began March 31 and runs through April 25, offering a chance for people with unpaid citations or outstanding warrants to resolve their cases without fear of arrest. During the amnesty period, warrant fees will be waived for those who […]
Chad Swiatecki
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.
Posted inElections
Ethics commissioners vote to hear campaign finance complaints from D7 election
The Ethics Review Commission voted unanimously this week to advance two campaign finance complaints to final hearings, determining that there are reasonable grounds to believe that violations of the city’s campaign finance rules may have occurred during a recent City Council election. Both complaints were filed by local advocate Adam Haynes and center on activities […]
Posted inAustin
UT hopes to play leading role in Austin’s evolving development scene
At Wednesday’s Urban Land Institute Austin breakfast discussion, interim University of Texas President Jim Davis offered a candid assessment of the university’s evolving role in Austin’s booming development scene. Once regarded as one of the city’s largest builders and employers, Davis said UT now finds itself competing for attention alongside tech giants and multibillion-dollar infrastructure […]
Posted inTransportation
Bond task force weighs early decisions on transportation needs for 2026 package
The Bond Election Advisory Task Force got its first look Monday at how the Transportation and Public Works Department is approaching the selection and prioritization of projects for next year’s expected bond package. Task force members had plenty of questions about how those choices will be made. Among the concerns, members asked staff how transportation […]
Posted inWhispers
Movability to host inaugural commuter awards
Movability, Central Texas’ transportation management association, will host its inaugural Central Texas Commuter Awards Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10. The event, held at HNTB’s office on the 24th floor of the Indeed Tower at 200 W. Sixth St., aims to honor individuals and organizations leading mobility initiatives that enhance commuting experiences […]
Posted inWhispers
Feds stop $9.7M in local funding for a variety of Austin initiatives
Several high-profile Austin initiatives – including creek restoration, violence prevention, early childhood education and trail expansion – are now in limbo after Congressional Community Funding requests for Fiscal Year 2025 were shelved due to ongoing disarray in Washington. The city confirmed Friday that roughly $9.7 million in proposed funding for local projects will not proceed […]
Posted inPreservation
Preservationists praise developer for giving Sixth Street historic buildings ‘some love’
As Dallas-based Stream Realty moves forward with efforts to revitalize more than 30 properties it owns along East Sixth Street, the company is evincing a notable shift in strategy: preserving historic buildings instead of replacing most of them with new construction. “We just really feel good about the retail story in Austin,” said Paul Bodenman, […]
Posted inTransportation
Vision for transforming city core draws scrutiny ahead of likely Council vote
With Downtown Austin poised for overlapping mega-projects over roughly the next decade, City Council’s Mobility Committee took a closer look last week at the draft Austin Core Transportation Plan, which aims to tie all of the projects together. Committee members broadly supported the plan’s vision, but raised concerns about implementation details, including how to balance […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin’s minority homeownership gap smaller than national average
A new report from Construction Coverage finds that, while Austin’s minority homeownership gap remains significant, it is smaller than the nationwide average. The study, which examines disparities in homeownership across the country, found that 51.3 percent of minority households in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area own their homes, compared to 64 percent of white […]
Posted inCity Council
City pauses $10M in airport art over concerns local creatives were excluded
The city has paused three significant public art contracts intended for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion, in a move that may signal a reconsideration of how prominently the city should promote local artists in major public spaces. Three contract approvals totaling more than $10 million have been pulled from next week’s City Council agenda, following […]
Posted inWhispers
Waterloo Greenway names new CEO
Waterloo Greenway has appointed Colette Pierce Burnette as its new chief executive officer, effective April 1. Burnette, a former board member and longtime Austin community leader, returns to the city after serving as president and CEO of Newfields, a cultural institution in Indianapolis. The Waterloo Greenway Board of Directors selected Burnette following a nationwide search. […]
Posted inWhispers
Foundation offers $10M in grants to support health careers
St. David’s Foundation is set to unveil a new funding opportunity aimed at enhancing economic stability within the Central Texas health care sector, with up to $10 million in grants available. The Pathways to Economic Stability for Healthcare Workforce initiative, scheduled for release on March 26, seeks to create collaborative pathways for historically marginalized communities […]