The Travis County Commissioners Court has put the finishing touches on a brand-new committee that will help guide the refurbished process to build a new civil courthouse. At its regular Tuesday meeting, the court voted 4-0-1, with Commissioner Ron Davis abstaining, to appoint SafePlace President Julia Spann to chair the Citizen Advisory Committee, a 24-person […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inParks
County approves double-dip fees at Hamilton Pool
Crushing demand at Hamilton Pool Preserve has prompted a big change in policy, courtesy of the Travis County Commissioners Court. Starting in May, visitors to the park and its iconic pool will first have to go online to make a $10 reservation. That fee will come with a $1 credit card surcharge and will also […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 3.29.16
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. 5. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Levitation to be held April 29 […]
Posted inTravis County
County ponders partnership with city on one-stop justice shop
With a pair of aging courthouses between them, Travis County and the city of Austin could find a solution to their problems through mutual cooperation. That idea was part of the focus of a Thursday afternoon work session at Travis County Commissioners Court during which county staff discussed the notion of freeing up land in […]
Posted inWhispers
Mass-gathering permit hearing will have encore performance
Travis County’s revised mass-gathering permit process is still learning to walk. At its regular voting session on Tuesday, the Commissioners Court held a public hearing on the permit application for Levitation, formerly known as Austin Psych Fest. It was only the second such hearing since the court adopted new guidelines in August. With still more […]
Posted inTransit
Hays County uncouples from Lone Star Rail
After dodging a potential death blow on Monday night, the Lone Star Rail District took another hit on the chin on Tuesday. One day after the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization opted not to freeze its funding of LSTAR, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to ditch the passenger rail planning effort. The measure on […]
Posted inDevelopment
Plaza Saltillo agreement falls short of labor advocates’ approval
The Capital Metro Transportation Authority’s board of directors on Monday approved the terms of its partnership with private developers to bring a massive urban infill project to the eastern gate of downtown Austin. At its monthly meeting, the board voted 7-0 on the master agreement between Capital Metro and Endeavor Real Estate Group to redevelop […]
Posted inTransportation
Lone Star Rail dodges “kill-shot” at CAMPO
The Lone Star Rail District survived what could have been a potentially fatal vote at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Board meeting on Monday night. A marathon discussion over LSTAR’s fate began when CAMPO Board Chair Will Conley offered a two-part resolution that would have asked the Texas Department of Transportation to […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 3.22.16
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. 1. Receive comments regarding the issuance of a Mass Gathering Permit for Levitation to be held April 29 – May 2, […]
Posted inWhispers
Study of potential corridors to study could be costly
Union Pacific’s breakup with the Lone Star Rail District isn’t going to be cheap if the effort to bring passenger rail service to Central Texas manages to move forward. In a letter to top LSTAR officials dated March 11, the engineering firm working with the district on its environmental impact study estimated that finding alternative […]
Posted inDevelopment
Travis Dems target Capital Metro with labor resolution
The Travis County Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind the effort to provide rigorous protections for construction workers hired to build a massive infill project on land owned by the Capital Metro Transportation Authority. At the party’s annual convention on Saturday, delegates approved a resolution calling on all elected officials to insist that all […]
Posted inTransit
Potential train wreck ahead for Lone Star Rail
It could be the end of the line for the Lone Star Rail District. On Monday, the moribund commuter rail project could see its funding from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization frozen by that agency’s Transportation Policy Board. According to the board’s agenda, CAMPO staff is recommending that the agency essentially call a timeout […]