Austin Independent School District Board Member Paul Saldaña pulled the majority of items from the consent agenda at the board’s June 22 regular meeting for comment or discussion. Saldaña pointed out that many construction contracts under $50,000 were showing up on the board agendas later with requests for additional funding. The board granted Superintendent Paul Cruz administrative […]
Courtney Griffin
Posted inWhispers
Joint subcommittee members take a look at area taxes
At Friday’s joint subcommittee meeting of the Austin Independent School District, Travis County and Austin City Council, staff shared how combined area taxes are impacting area residents. The typical Austin homeowner will pay about $4,760 in property taxes to area entities – including Austin Community College and Central Health – in fiscal year 2016 with […]
Posted inAustin
AISD funding requests dominate joint meeting
It is no secret that the Austin Independent School District is in tough financial straits, and requests for additional monetary help from the Austin City Council and the Travis County Commissioners Court dominated the recent joint subcommittee meeting. Representatives from all three entities met to discuss matters of mutual interest — an event that occurs roughly […]
Posted inWater
Central Texas not drought-free yet
Staff with the Lower Colorado River Authority may have breathed a sigh of relief after May’s record-breaking rainfalls, but they’re not considering the area drought-free just yet. At the LCRA meeting Wednesday, experts provided an overview of possible weather expectations for the next few months, repeatedly stressing that most modeling systems show Texas’ odd pattern of greater-than-average rainfall […]
Posted inAustin
Springdale Farm conflict moves to AISD
A dispute that was seemingly settled by the Planning Commission made its way to the Austin Independent School District on Monday night after residents surrounding Springdale Farm proactively reached out to trustees during public comment. Springdale Farm, a 5-acre farm located in East Austin at 755 Springdale Road, filed an appeal June 19 after commissioners denied […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD brainstorms more budget fixes
Many hypotheticals were thrown out at the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustee’s workshop to help relieve budget woes, including possible changes to district policy. Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley asked the board to consider adjusting the allowable amount AISD keeps in its reserve fund from 20 percent to a range of 15 to […]
Posted inAISD
AISD stalls on employee raises
Austin Independent School District board members heard better budgeting news Monday but still could not come to an agreement on employee raises. The wrong decision could mean “draconian” cuts in future years. Chief Financial Officer Nicole Conley presented board members with the revised budget, which is a step away from August’s recommended budget, and asked […]
Posted inWhispers
BSEACD staff brace for busy months
During Tuesday’s meeting of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, General Manager John Dupnik repeatedly said that staff is going to be slammed in the upcoming months once House Bill 3405 takes effect. HB 3405 will immediately incorporate up to 200 square miles of previously unincorporated land in Hays County under BSEACD regulatory authority. Dupnik […]
Posted inLocal Government
Conservation district talks flow for Hays County
Staff with the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District spent more than an hour briefing board members on House Bill 3405’s implications Thursday. The long-anticipated bill could nearly double the district’s jurisdiction, and staff is presuming months of increased work as they wait for Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature. HB 3405 will immediately incorporate about 200 square miles […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro committee reviews split contracts
Capital Metro’s Operations, Planning and Safety Committee reviewed two major, multimillion-dollar contracts Monday for area rail lines that could increase revenue for the transportation entity. Melvin Clark, vice president of rail operations, said his staff reconfigured contractors’ responsibilities this year and sliced one contract into two. Instead of a single contractor overseeing operations and maintenance for […]
Posted inWhispers
CapMetro provides bus accident rates
Dottie Watkins, Capital Metro vice president of bus and paratransit services, updated board members on seven months of bus operations data Monday. At CapMetro’s Operation, Planning and Safety Committee meeting, Watkins said several of CapMetro’s contractors had struggled with maintaining low vehicle accident rates lately, and the transportation authority is reviewing data to see if […]
Posted inAustin
Hyde Park area residents point to flooding causes
Flood maps in hand, several Hyde Park area residents pointed to poorly designed sewer drains and a blocked retention pond pipe as major contributing factors to the area’s Memorial Day flooding. Tanya Quinn and Mary Ingle, who live near the intersection of East 33rd and Grooms streets, asked Austin’s Environmental Board for an updated flood […]