Early voting on the future of fingerprinting drivers for hire in Austin begins in five weeks, and interested parties are hard at work educating the public on which button to press at the polls. On Monday, the Supreme Court of Texas upheld ballot language that City Council approved in February after a political action committee […]
Eva Ruth Moravec
Posted inCity Hall
Contractors give input on disparity study and ordinance
All Austin-area women- and minority-owned businesses are at a disadvantage when it comes to obtaining city contracts, a recent study shows. But while African-American entrepreneurs have often been at the forefront of efforts to push for equity in contracting, some say disparities affecting this demographic have gotten worse rather than better. “The story hasn’t changed all […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission embraces Adler’s plan to save Austin arts
Through a series of town hall meetings citywide, the Music Commission has vowed to educate Austinites and solicit public input on Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to better support art in Austin. Each of the 10 meetings will focus on a different genre of music that the commission feels is underrepresented, said Commission Chair Gavin Garcia […]
Posted inAustin
Occupancy limits made permanent
City Council on Thursday eliminated an expiration date from the occupancy-limits ordinance, making permanent a cap on occupancy in new single-family homes. Council voted to amend the ordinance in a 9-1-1 vote, with Council Member Ellen Troxclair opposed and Council Member Don Zimmerman abstaining. The original ordinance was passed two years ago and limited the […]
Posted inWhispers
Experts continue to address disparities in city contracts
Revisions to rules that govern how the city contracts with minority- and women-owned businesses are expected to come before City Council in June, in the wake of a disparity study showing that the current ordinance is still necessary. Council will vote today on whether to accept the study’s findings. The study, legally required for cities that […]
Posted inCourts
Municipal court judge: Our building is in shambles
Austin Municipal Court is so overcrowded that employees are working in closets throughout the building, which is filled with asbestos and is one technical glitch away from not functioning, according to courthouse staff. Presiding Judge Sherry Statman told City Council on Tuesday that the neglected building, constructed in 1955, cannot be upgraded because of asbestos, a […]
Posted inAustin
‘Library for the future’ soon will be a reality
A decade ago, Austin voters approved a $90 million bond to build a new central library that would better fit the growing city’s needs. Another $30 million later, the “library for the future” is nearly complete. The 200,000-square-foot facility – with a rooftop garden, 300-seat outdoor amphitheater, art gallery, restaurant, cooking demonstration area and a […]
Posted inWhispers
Fair-chance hiring ordinance still percolating
An ordinance that could require all Austin businesses with more than 10 employees to “ban the box” – forgo asking applicants about their criminal history – is expected to come before City Council in March. Council Member Greg Casar briefed his peers on the issue in a work session Tuesday, when he referred to the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council adopts new regulations for short-term rentals
City Council on Tuesday passed, on a 9-2 vote, new regulations governing short-term rentals that aren’t owner-occupied. Council also adopted plans to phase out all of the so-called STR Type 2 properties in residential zones by 2022. Council members Ellen Troxclair and Don Zimmerman opposed the new rules, many of which become effective in 10 […]
Posted inElections
Council sets ballot language for May 7 election
City Council on Wednesday voted 9-2 to set the language that will appear before voters in a May 7 election over regulations for transportation network companies. Council members Ellen Troxclair and Don Zimmerman voted against the ordinance to set the language, which Council Member Ann Kitchen drafted. It reads: “Shall the City Code be amended […]
Posted inCity Council
TNC ordinance heads to Austin voters
City Council late Thursday opted not to adopt an ordinance governing transportation network companies that was proposed through a citizens petition, setting the stage for a city-wide vote May 7. Council Member Don Zimmerman abstained from the vote, and Council members Ellen Troxclair and Sheri Gallo voted to pass the item. All others on the dais opposed […]
Posted inWhispers
Uber drafts its own MOU
Disinterested in Mayor Steve Adler’s latest proposal to incentivize drivers for transportation network companies to be fingerprinted, Uber has proposed its own memorandum of understanding, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. Noticeably missing from the draft are the perks – like special pick-up and drop-off locations for fingerprinted drivers – found in Adler’s proposal. Adler did not immediately […]