County Commissioners approved the new Travis County Master Plan on Tuesday with an amendment that allocates proceeds from its more than $500,000 sale of properties toward paying down bond debt, with a priority given to paying down debt on a new courthouse. With a possible $30 million generated in one-time real estate sales, County Judge […]
Courtney Griffin
Posted inWhispers
County puts off ruling on gathering permits
Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court put off taking action on Mass Gathering permits, specifically action involving permit review and standards for orderly conduct. The court will take it up at a later meeting. Mass Gathering permits are commonly issued in areas where there are no zoning regulations. The permits became an issue after residents around Carson […]
Posted inWhispers
TxDOT defends SH45 SW environmental study
At Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioners Court meeting, TxDOT’s Carlos Swonke defended his department’s work on State Highway 45 Southwest’s environment impact study. Swonke, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Environmental Affairs Division director, said top scientists helped put together the findings, and he believed their efforts were on par with federal studies. In public testimony, Swonke […]
Posted inWhispers
CTRMA approves policy changes
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s board of directors has unanimously approved two policy changes that will prohibit some vehicles from toll roads while providing free access to others. At Wednesday’s meeting, board members decided to prohibit vehicles with more than two axles — like shipping trucks or a towing trailer — from using variably priced […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
CTRMA approves MoPac/Cesar Chavez study
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is taking a closer look at potential trouble spots on the proposed MoPac South Improvement Project, but not at the level some residents had hoped. At its regular meeting Wednesday, CTRMA’s board unanimously authorized the University of Texas’ Center for Transportation Research to begin a traffic impact study that will closely examine […]
Posted inWhispers
CTRMA responds to Travis County request
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s Executive Director Mike Heiligenstein said no on Wednesday to the Travis County Commissioners Court’s request for a comprehensive environmental and traffic study. The requested study would look at the planned State Highway 45 Southwest, a proposed portion connecting to Interstate 35 and the proposed MoPac South Improvement Project as […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation, Travis County
County asks for ‘loop’ road project studies
Travis County is asking the area’s transportation authorities to step back and take a look at the big picture. In a controversial 2-1 vote, the Travis County Commissioners Court is asking the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to institute broader studies. The studies would look at the effects of proposed State Highway 45 Southwest and its […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis Commissioners delay hiring administrator
The Travis County Commissioners Court put the brakes on hiring a new county executive of administrative operations last week after officials questioned whether the county’s current organizational structure was the most efficient. “We talked about how important it was to move county government perhaps in a little bit of a different direction as far as management,” […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County supports mobile voting
Travis County Commissioners heard staff updates on House Bills 1615 and 2725 in the 84th Legislative Session. These bills could kill the county’s mobile voting program. The bills were filed after public independent school districts across the state used their mobile voting programs to target specific voters, said Dana DeBeauvoir, Travis County Clerk. Giving an […]
Posted inResources, Water
Aquifer district ends six-year dispute with Kyle
Board members with the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District wrapped up a six-year dispute with the City of Kyle on Thursday night at their regular meeting, pending a few issues. “This means we can move on,” said John Dupnik, general manager with the district. He commented that everyone had spent “entirely too long on the matter” anyway. The […]
Posted inAISD
AISD board reacts to threat from charter schools
Austin Independent School District board members have urgently requested a policy change that would curtail area charter school districts’ access to student information. At the board’s dialogue meeting last Monday, members learned that nearby charter schools have been filing Public Information Act requests with AISD to get student information. The schools then sent students informational […]
Posted inWhispers
Aquifer staffer addresses fracking rumors
District Senior Hydrologist and Aquifer Science Team Leader Brian Smith of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District presented a study finding to board members Thursday, briefing them on the hydrological analysis associated with the Electro Purification wells headed to Hays County. Besides the findings, however, Smith also addressed rumors of acid fracking. He said the […]