The approval of the contract for a new CEO and president wasn’t the only leadership decision the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors faced at its first meeting of the year on Monday. As happens every January, the board appointed its officers, this time returning Chair Wade Cooper to his seat. Additionally, board Secretary […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inTravis County
In picking a new CTRMA rep, Travis County goes with a familiar face
The Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday chose an old hand to be its newest representative on the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s board of directors. In a unanimous vote, the court awarded the seat to attorney John Langmore, a former vice chair of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board. Langmore most recently served the […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro officially anoints new executive head
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s next CEO and president, Randy Clarke, will take the transit agency’s reins on March 7. On Monday, Capital Metro’s board of directors unanimously approved the terms of Clarke’s five-year contract, a document Clarke was on hand to personally sign. “What really intrigues me about this position is Austin itself. This […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 1.30.18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s Office hosts a copy at its website. 2. Approve proclamation recognizing Major Wes Priddy for his service to Travis County. (Judge Eckhardt) Monitor’s Take: After 32 years with […]
Posted inTransit
CTRMA board finalists talk up transit during Travis County interviews
The Travis County Commissioners Court will decide on Tuesday which two of six candidates it will appoint to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s board of directors. The court interviewed the applicants during a special session on Thursday. Of the six, two are current incumbents. David Armbrust has held his seat since 2012, while Charles […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission takes on transit and CodeNEXT
Two of the great planning processes of Austin’s current age came together under one roof on Wednesday night as the Planning Commission talked both CodeNEXT and Project Connect with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Todd Hemingson, Capital Metro’s vice president for strategic planning and development, used the opportunity to make the case for more transit-supportive […]
Posted inWhispers
Voter registration drive at the jail
Some grassroots activists are going to jail for the sake of democracy. The Austin Justice Coalition, in partnership with its sister organization in Houston, announced on Tuesday a voter registration drive at the Travis County Jail in Del Valle aimed at inmates in the Harris County Jail that the AJC appears to want to expand […]
Posted inWhispers
Sick video
The Workers Defense Project is using the recent Republican-driven revision of the federal tax code to push for an ordinance here in Austin that would expand paid sick leave to thousands of residents. On Tuesday, the group released a short video featuring $100 bills raining down in slow motion on an ecstatic man dressed in […]
Posted inTravis County
Sobering Center one step closer
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a contract on Tuesday awarding Tegrity Contractors the right to construct the Austin Sobering Center. Austin/Travis County Sobriety Center will remain the name of the local government corporation that operates the facility. The contract worth $770,777 clears the way for Tegrity to convert the old Medical Examiner’s Office building […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 1.23.18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 7. Consider and take appropriate action on request from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) to accept a donation from the […]
Posted inLocal Politics
CodeNEXT critics postpone petition deadline, averting a May election
The political action committee hoping to put CodeNEXT to the voters has announced that it’s changing course and will aim for a referendum in November rather than May. As first reported by The Austin Bulldog on Thursday, IndyAustin PAC says it will wait until March to turn in the signatures the group is currently gathering […]
Posted inFire
AFD aims to weigh in on developments sooner rather than later
The Austin Fire Department could soon start reviewing individual development plans much earlier in the process than it currently does. Fire Marshal Rob Vires told the Public Safety Commission at its Jan. 8 special called meeting about ongoing discussions to allow AFD engineers to have a seat at the table during the preliminary master review […]