Elizabeth Pagano

The Water and Wastewater Commission has unanimously recommended approval of an ordinance that would allow the city to take over water retail service of almost 15,000 acres located within the ETJ. The City Council will consider the matter at this week’s meeting.   The city has provided wholesale water service to Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corporation […]

Formula 1 investors told Council members on Thursday they would pick up the $4 million in estimated city costs for each of the 10 years the Grand Prix race is projected to be in Austin. The promoters had already agreed to fund the first year of city matching funds in order to access the state’s […]

Against the advice of city staff, the Board of Adjustment has reversed its earlier ruling on short-term rentals, defining “transient” property use as a rental that lasts less than 10 days. The board’s ruling came after a lengthy executive session on Monday night, despite a warning from Jerry Rusthoven of the city’s Planning and Development […]

Both candidates in the runoff for the Place 3 seat on Austin City Council took pains to make the differences between apparent in a forum Friday night. Both incumbent Randi Shade and challenger Kathie Tovo highlighted examples of times when they acted as a leader on one of their “signature” issues. The election is Saturday. […]

At last month’s meeting, the Environmental Board put plans to remove a 63-foot tall heritage tree in the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) district on hold.   Developers are seeking a variance to chop down the tree in order to build a 140-unit multi-family building on the 900 block of West 26th Street. The pecan is […]

Council Members had tough questions for Formula One representatives Tuesday after hearing details of a financing fund that could very well determine the existence of the track. They will vote on the plan later this month.   Though all the details of the contract have yet to be worked out, Mayor Lee Leffingwell was crystal […]

City officials were warned last week that a federal agency could step in and tell the City of Austin how to handle right-of-way and other issues regarding the expansion of broadband Internet communications in the city.   “Be very afraid,” joked Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Manager Rondella Hawkins, who pulled no punches in talking to […]

Vocally opposed, but uncertain whether they had the authority to prevent it, the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously last week to postpone making a recommendation on a proposed rooftop deck that would extend over East Sixth Street’s sidewalk.   Shakespeare’s Pub, located in the Sixth Street National Register Historic District, has plans to remove its […]

The estimated cost of Water Treatment Plant 4 has grown by almost $7 million over the past three months, though the Austin Water Utility says it still expects the project to ultimately come in about $5 million under budget when it is completed.   AWU Director Greg Meszaros presented WTP4’s quarterly report last week to […]

City Council scrambled Thursday to amend a memo of understanding passed just a month ago after being confronted by the fact that it would have effectively repealed the Waller Creek Master Plan entirely.   The newly drafted MOU suspends the portion of Waller Creek Master Plan that details an explicit design for the area, but […]

The Environmental Board weighed in on the ongoing construction of the Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail last week, unanimously approving environmental variances for the middle section of the trail.   When completed, the Walnut Creek Trail will be 16 miles long, and run from Daffan Lane and Johnny Morris Road to Govalle Park in […]

This story has been edited to correct errors–Editor. While lots of people enjoy having a home on the shore of Lake Travis, the Travis County Commissioners Court decided Tuesday that they were opposed to actually building your home in the lake. Commissioners voted Tuesday to support a prohibition on floating habitable structures on Lake Travis entirely […]