A group of citizens is asking City Council to sign a resolution in support of adding the Lions Municipal Golf Course, fondly known as “Muny,” to the National Register of Historic Places. Council Member Leslie Pool said in a work session on Tuesday that members of the Save Muny group plan to attend Thursday’s Council meeting and […]
Eva Ruth Moravec
Posted inWhispers
Council to vote on waiving more SXSW fees
Austin City Council on Thursday will vote on whether to waive another $400,000 in fees for South by Southwest and allocate $1.5 million from the city’s budget to cover overtime for Austin Police Department to staff the festival. In December, Council waived $309,310 in festival fees but didn’t include APD’s costs, Deputy Chief Financial Officer […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to vote on TNC petition Thursday
Months of discussion over whether to fingerprint drivers of transportation network companies in Austin are headed for an apex Thursday, when City Council is set to vote on what to do with a citizens’ petition. In December, Council passed an ordinance that goes into effect at the end of February and would eventually require all TNC […]
Posted inCity Council
TNC speakers: 10 for election, 7 for adoption
City Council could be poised to call for an election for a transportation network company ordinance, as the majority of speakers urged it to do Thursday night. “Based on what we’ve heard, we probably are on our way to a May election,” said Council Member Don Zimmerman as the hour-long hearing ended. The 19 speakers were told […]
Posted inWhispers
Adler proposes tax arrangement with AISD
In City Council’s Tuesday work session, Mayor Steve Adler asked Council to mull over an arrangement with Austin Independent School District through which the city would levy taxes for certain district functions. The idea is that the city might be able to cover those functions more efficiently than the district, which is property-wealthy and must […]
Posted inCity Council
TNC petition is valid, and Adler has a new idea
Almost as quickly as City Clerk Jannette Goodall could say that the Ridesharing Works for Austin petition signatures were valid, Mayor Steve Adler announced that he had a new idea to add to the litany of concepts already proposed for how to govern transportation network companies in Austin. Council was already set to hear public comments at 6:30 […]
Posted inCity Council
Council member fears lawsuits over new ordinance
It’s no secret that on Tuesday, Austin’s city clerk is expected to tell City Council that she has validated at least 20,000 signatures on a petition to change an ordinance governing transportation network companies. And, it’s clear that her announcement will trigger a requirement for Council – within 10 days – either to adopt Ridesharing Works […]
Posted inCity Council
Council stalls mandatory fingerprinting for TNCs, adopts voluntary program instead
City Council on Thursday stalled an ordinance requiring drivers for transportation network companies to pass a fingerprint-based background check and adopted incentives to motivate drivers to voluntarily submit fingerprints. “We’re only deciding whether or not we want to encourage volunteers to get fingerprinted, and if they’re willing to do so, if it’s something the community would want […]
Posted inWhispers
New year, new view for City Council
After spending six months in the same seats, it’s about time for City Council to switch things up. In a continued effort for Council members to get to know their dais neighbors, members drew numbers from a bag for new seat assignments at their work session Tuesday. But the name placards will remain in place for […]
Posted inTransportation
Council to discuss incentives for fingerprint requirements
City Council members are poised to kick the transportation network company ordinance down the road. On Thursday, Mayor Steve Adler will ask Council to stall strengthening an ordinance passed in December and, instead, adopt his and Council Member Ann Kitchen’s new proposal, which is meant to nudge all ground transportation providers into submitting to a fingerprint-based federal background […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Transportation, Uncategorized
Little clarity in TNC debate
Where there was once a clear path for City Council to revise rules for transportation network companies, there is now a plethora of possibilities. Council voted last month to require fingerprinting background checks of TNC drivers, and it is set to lay out a system of incentives and disincentives for the companies at its next meeting, Jan. […]
Posted inCity Council, Elections
Ridesharing supporters quickly surpass signatures needed to push for ordinance change
Ridesharing Works for Austin has collected 65,103 signatures on a petition to change a city ordinance requiring that drivers be fingerprinted – which could force either a new City Council vote or a city-wide election. The political action committee opposes rules that Council adopted in December that would require drivers of transportation network companies like Uber, Lyft and […]