City Council on Thursday voted to make remediation easier for customers who are accidentally soaked by the local water utility. The resolution brought forth by Council Member Ellen Troxclair directs City Manager Marc Ott to cobble together a set of amendments to city code that would allow Austin Water utility customers who experience a spike […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inWhispers
Council tools with testimony rules
City Council took a tentative step yesterday toward reining in the type of epic public testimony that devours the clock and leads to the marathon meetings that have become a trademark of sorts at City Hall. On Thursday evening, Council unanimously approved on first reading a proposal that would place limits on the length of […]
Posted inElections
Uber, Lyft reveal how deep their pockets go
Uber and Lyft have disrupted all previously held notions of what is normal for campaign finance in Austin after making jaw-dropping contributions to a political action committee fighting for friendlier regulations of the corporations’ ride-hailing services. Thirty days ahead of the May 7 election on Proposition 1, Ridesharing Works for Austin filed a finance report […]
Posted inZoning
Zoning compromise advances Boys & Girls Club
Controversial plans for an after-school facility that would serve underprivileged children moved one step forward at City Council on Thursday night. With a unanimous vote on the dais, Council approved on first reading a rezoning that would allow the Boys & Girls Club of Austin to build a flagship facility in Northeast Austin. The nonprofit […]
Posted inTransit
Mobility Committee votes to explore transit priority
The City Council Mobility Committee on Wednesday put its imprimatur on an effort to enhance transit service on city roadways. With a vote of 3-0, Council members Ann Kitchen, Delia Garza and Sheri Gallo endorsed a proposed resolution that calls on city staff to develop recommendations for a transit priority policy. Council Member Don Zimmerman […]
Posted inRoads
East Austin superhighway breaks ground
Scores of people gathered on the northern banks of the Colorado River in East Austin on Wednesday morning to watch the ceremonial birth of a massive new roadway expansion effort. Through the distant white noise of fast-moving traffic zipping along on three overhead bridges, the crowd heard Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority officials lavish praise […]
Posted inTravis County
Proposed DMV fee hikes called a “double whammy” for Travis County
The Travis County Tax Office is sounding the alarm over potential changes at the state level that could cost the county and vehicle owners an extra $1 million in registration and titling fees. Tax-Assessor Collector Bruce Elfant showed up in downtown Austin on Tuesday to explain to the Travis County Commissioners Court how the Texas […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Surf park looking to avoid wipeout over permitting dispute
A massive facility east of Austin and touted as North America’s first inland surf park is proving to be a gnarly conundrum for Travis County officials. The central problem is the legal definition of a pool and whether Nland Surf Park’s massive man-made lagoon should be permitted as one. The county says the lagoon is […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 4.5.16
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. 4. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Levitation to be held April 29 […]
Posted inRoads
Discount program aims to detour truckers around Austin
The Texas Transportation Commission voted on Thursday to give cross-state truckers extra incentive to avoid Austin’s notoriously congested stretch of Interstate 35. With only one dissenting voice, the five-person commission – a board of gubernatorial appointees that oversees the Texas Department of Transportation – gave the green light to a temporary discount program to lure […]
Posted inWhispers
CTRMA steers through packed agenda
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s board of directors met on Wednesday in what many considered to be a marathon session for the body. The four-hour meeting touched upon a number of issues, including the 183 South Project, the MoPac Improvement Project, new flyovers on State Highway 130 and the selection of a new general […]
Posted inRoads
Massive road expansion bears down on Austin’s east side
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority will officially turn the dirt next week on one of the largest locally financed infrastructure projects in the region’s history. Unlike other CTRMA projects – including the MoPac Improvement Project, MoPac South and State Highway 45 Southwest – the 183 South Project has largely progressed with little public controversy. […]