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. Receive comments regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Untapped Beer and Music Festival to be held on […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inElections
Uber, Lyft rain money on Prop 1 election
Uber and Lyft have dropped a financial bomb in their mutual effort to push Proposition 1 to electoral victory on May 7. Campaign finance reports filed on Friday revealed that both ride-hailing corporations in April contributed nearly $6 million to Ridesharing Works for Austin, the political action committee campaigning for regulations more amenable to the […]
Posted inBicycles
Bike Austin rallies toward transportation bond
More than 100 people gathered in front of City Hall on Tuesday afternoon to urge City Council to focus on investments in alternatives to automobile transportation. Hosted by Bike Austin, the rally was the latest step in the nonprofit’s effort to put a bond proposition on the November ballot that would fund $411 million worth […]
Posted inTransportation
Updated: Uber threatens to exit Houston over regulations
In what promises to make a huge splash in Austin’s furious discussion of Proposition 1, ride-hailing giant Uber now says it could soon pull out of Houston. In a letter to Houston’s City Council dated today, Uber Houston General Manager Sarfraz Maredia claimed that regulations in that city “are some of the most burdensome in […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners Court considers new lawsuit against Paxton
The Travis County Commissioners Court is on the verge of suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton yet again over a public information-related dispute. Last week, the court voted to sue Paxton after his office issued an opinion that shot down the county’s attempt to keep secret the names of businesses that participate in an ex-offender […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioners Court appoints not-new housing agency board members
The reorganization of two local affordable housing agencies took another step forward at the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. The court voted to appoint four people to the identical boards of directors that will govern both the Housing Authority of Travis County and the Strategic Housing Finance Corporation. All four had served on the […]
Posted inWhispers
Cap Metro board meeting produces little by way of sizzle
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s monthly board of directors meeting on Monday was a relatively brief affair. The light agenda featured several consent items, including the relocation of Pine Street Station and the formalization of the transit agency’s participation in the Republic Square renovation project. The board also heard a presentation from the Urban Land […]
Posted inTransportation
Audit pinpoints Transportation Department trouble
Austin’s top local transportation official is taking in stride a newly released report from the city auditor that finds plenty of room for improvement on city transportation initiatives. Austin Transportation Director Robert Spillar said he wasn’t surprised by any of the four key findings revealed in the Transportation Effectiveness Audit, which was presented to the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Adler comes out against Prop 1
Mayor Steve Adler for the first time on Monday urged voters to reject Proposition 1, the ballot question that would rewrite existing regulations on ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft. “Today, neither Prop 1 choice is best for Austin because neither delivers by itself what we need,” Adler said at a press conference in […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 4.26.16
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. 6. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Levitation to be held April 29 […]
Posted inWhispers
County floats out Hamilton Pool reservation system
As the local weather – and elections – start to heat up, it’s time to start giving serious thought to how much time you want to spend slacking off at the only mollifying agents of our region’s dad-blamed summers: our totally rad swimming holes. This year, you can get a head start at Hamilton Pool […]
Posted inCourts
Travis County sues Paxton
Travis County has officially launched a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a dispute over how much information the county should share about a program that seeks to give ex-convicts access to jobs. County Attorney David Escamilla filed a six-page brief with the 98th District Court on Wednesday challenging a recent ruling made […]