Elizabeth Pagano

A large, loud crowd was on hand at Burger Center last night to share their opinions on the Austin Independent School District’s recently-released Facilities Master Plan. Last week, the report announced the proposed closing of nine schools.   The current incarnation of the plan has elementary schools Pease, Sanchez, Barton Hills, Ortega, Zilker, Oak Springs, […]

A varied group of Austinites showed up to help launch Council Member Randi Shade’s campaign for re-election last night. Political insiders, neighbors, and people who had always wanted to see the inside of Mercury Hall were among those who braved freezing temperatures to witness the first official event of the campaign season.   Spotted at […]

Nelson Linder is a name familiar to those involved with city politics. Most recently, he presented a report to City Council on the current economic crisis facing Austin’s black community as vice chair of Austin’s African American Resource Advisory Commission. He is also President of Austin’s NAACP and an outspoken community leader in Austin’s African […]

Council unanimously passed a motion Thursday to ban retail pet sales in the City of Austin. Animal activists say the ban is part of a larger effort to make Austin a no-kill city. However, some opponents worried that the vague language of the ordinance could affect the city’s progress towards that goal and would “kill […]

Last week, the Zoning & Platting Commission considered what seemed like every possible option at their disposal during their discussion of the proposed rezoning of the old Albertson’s site at 1807 West Slaughter Lane. In the end, however, all suggestions fell flat and the commissioners voted to delay making a decision until January 4.   […]

City Council accepted a bid recommended by city staff for electric transmission and distribution services last week despite the fact that it was the most expensive bid up for consideration. Six companies bid to provide the services to Austin Energy, but it was Pike Electric, the city’s current provider, that won the contract. Under the […]

The proposed disc golf course on the property adjacent to the Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park provoked heated discussion Tuesday night, as the Parks and Recreation Board weighed environmental concerns about the new site. They also got an earful about the upcoming closure of the Pease Park course.   Disc golf enthusiasts took to […]

City Council approved service extension requests Thursday for water and wastewater lines to the proposed Formula 1 racetrack site southeast of the city before a packed chamber. The Council voted 7-0 in favor of the $13.5 million contract, although the proceedings were far from one-sided.   Many of those arguing in favor and against the […]

The Board of Adjustment agreed unanimously this week to reject two variance requests for a contentious East Side property located at 2206 East 14th Street.   David Cancialosi, who spoke on behalf of property owner Jeff Lewis, opened the proceedings with a timeline of mistakes made by the City of Austin. He argued that the […]

Despite moves to slow the drain on the city’s tax revenues by limiting the number of historic home designations, the Council unanimously voted last week to add two more to that roster, and began the process of rezoning a third.   The City Council granted the Matsen House and the McClendon-Kozmetsky House family-resident landmark status. […]