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. 12. Consider and take appropriate action on Tax Year 2018 Central Health exemptions. (Judge Eckhardt) Monitor’s Take: Per tradition, Central Health […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro picks up its customer service game
Austin’s transit agency is putting renewed emphasis on the customers who make up the bulk of its service. On Monday, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority staff revealed to the board of directors details about a new initiative dubbed the Bus Customer Service Enhancement Plan. The multifaceted approach is aimed at all aspects of a bus trip, […]
Posted inWhispers
Historic Preservation Office has fresh HOT programs
Last week, we heard tell of city employees conducting a historic survey in Allandale. On Friday, Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky informed us that it’s actually more of a high-level scan that could possibly precede a more in-depth future survey. The effort is part of a program funded by hotel occupancy taxes and is happening […]
Posted inWhispers
Mobility Committee canceled again
To hear tell of it, Austin is facing something of a transportation crisis. Car traffic out there, folks say, is pretty bad at certain times, while the city has also acknowledged that it has a shortfall of 2,580 miles worth of sidewalks (compared to the 2,400 miles it currently, barely maintains). While the Capital Metropolitan […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro sets its sights on the sun
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority this summer is waging a two-front offensive on one of the most dreaded enemies of Austin bus riders: the Texas sun. The agency recently rolled out a pair of demonstration projects aimed at dulling the sun’s oppressive rays while also harnessing its potential for power. To battle the blistering heat, […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 6.19.18
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. 1. Approve resolution recognizing the month of June 2018 as “Travis County Homeownership Month.” (Commissioners Travillion & Gómez) Monitor’s Take: June, […]
Posted inCity Council
Council rejects contract award to contractor who used racial slur
City Council on Thursday used a contractor’s use of a racial slur as an reason to reject his company’s bid to repair two intersections along East Seventh Street. The Austin Monitor first reported that Aaron Cabaza of Aaron Concrete referred to construction workers as “wetbacks” at a Travis County-sponsored meeting in May. Soon after that […]
Posted inTransportation
Urban Transportation Commission endorses paid parking near Deep Eddy Pool
The Urban Transportation Commission on Tuesday night got behind a proposal to add parking meters to streets on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake near Austin High School. The plan would create a parking management district stretching from Deep Eddy Pool to Lamar Boulevard. If City Council ultimately approves it, nearly 300 currently free […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Remap launch a success, despite a few wrinkles
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Randy Clarke is hailing the rollout of the agency’s most significant bus network overhaul ever as a qualified success. In a statement sent out on Friday, Clarke hailed agency staff for what he said was 18 months of preparation for the launch of Cap Remap. The effort rearranged a majority […]
Posted inTransit
Local group launches effort to enhance statewide transit funding
The launch of a grass-roots campaign to expand transit funding across Texas kicked off in Austin Wednesday night with input from regional officials and activists, and, from the audience, some impromptu criticism of the local bus service. Dubbed One Thousand Texans for Transit, the campaign is driven by the nonprofit organization Farm&City. “We have a […]
Posted inParks
PARD patching up two pools as summer sun bears down
As the summer heat tightens its grip on Austin, the city is scrambling to get two public pools sidelined last year by severe leaks back into serviceable shape. On Monday, the Parks and Recreation Department’s acting director, Kimberly McNeeley, sent a memorandum to City Council detailing efforts to stanch the wasted water at Givens and […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners Court takes summer vacation
The Travis County Commissioners Court, usually a reliable workhorse of a public body, is taking the next couple of weeks off. With County Judge Sarah Eckhardt out of town for some personal R&R, Commissioner Margaret Gómez will preside over a super-short meeting on Tuesday that features a mere 10 action items. That’s more action than […]