Stories by Elizabeth Pagano
Planning Commission backs historic zoning for east side beauty shop
Despite its recent history, the Planning Commission unanimously endorsed historic landmark status for East Austin’s Fashionette Beauty Shop as a step toward more equitable historic preservation this week. The Fashionette Beauty Shop and McDonald Jackson House have stood at East…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 17, 2024
Animal Advisory commissioners examine threats of ‘euthanizing for space’ at city shelter
At their most recent meeting, members of the Animal Advisory Commission questioned whether the city’s new strategy for finding homes for difficult-to-place dogs is working as intended. The shelter’s urgent placement list, which was introduced in March, is designed to…
City Hall • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 15, 2024
Development and climate change continue to threaten Balcones Canyonlands creatures
Stewards of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve checked in on the status of its most vulnerable residents at their last meeting. Debra Scott, who is the environmental project manager for Travis County, filled in members of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan…
Environment • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 14, 2024
Changes to the city’s Corridor Program raise ‘serious transparency concerns’ for transportation commissioners
A massive shortfall in the city’s Corridor Program has caused work to be paused or cut back in some areas of the city. At their most recent meeting, Urban Transportation commissioners questioned the lack of public engagement on the changes.…
Roads • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 10, 2024
City Council approves water conservation plans, for now
As expected, City Council endorsed new Water Conservation and Drought Contingency plan updates at its Thursday meeting, voting unanimously to send them along to the state – despite major misgivings from key stakeholders who say the plans don’t do enough…
Water • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 6, 2024
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.2.24
City Council will convene for what looks to be a fairly fun meeting today. For those who would like to judge for themselves, the full agenda is, of course, posted online. We’ve also done some judging and our take on…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 2, 2024
Subscribe to our newsletter
Commission junks quick turnaround on department rule change
A proposed update to the city code that would change the way Austin Resource Recovery is run was definitively shot down by the Zero Waste Advisory Commission at its last meeting, but will be considered at this Thursday’s City Council meeting. The…
The Code • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 1, 2024
Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management to get a communication tuneup, among other changes
An update from Ken Snipes, director of Austin’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management, to the Public Safety Committee showed a shifting approach in how the department is being run. Snipes told the committee that, due to “a multitude of threats…
Public Safety • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 26, 2024
New EV station will not charge forward in East Austin
Plans for an electric-vehicle charging lot spanning Pleasant Valley Road were thwarted by Planning Commission members who objected to its auto-centric nature at their last meeting. The project would have created two electric-vehicle charging parking lots flanking Pleasant Valley at…
Planning • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 23, 2024
Planning Commission endorses 'plot twist' for South Central Waterfront Plan
Though the future of Austin’s south shore has been shaken by a court ruling against the proposed tax increment reinvestment zone, members of the Planning Commission last week took their turn tackling the South Central Waterfront Plan in a sprawling…
Planning • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 18, 2024
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 4.18.24
City Council will once again honor us with a Thursday meeting, and we’ve done the work of looking through the agenda for you and picking out what strikes us as interesting from said agenda. There’s a whole bunch of interesting…
TipSheets • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 18, 2024
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 4.4.24
City Council will convene today for a regular Thursday meeting. But, like every meeting, there are a few things on the agenda that we will be paying particular attention to. Those items have been detailed below in this, our humble…
