Stories by Hunter Simmons

Austin Animal Services Office begins developing bond package for 2026 vote

The Austin Animal Services Office is in early stages of developing its future bond package. The complete package for all participating city departments will be presented to voters in 2026. In the meantime, the department is working through a process…

Bonds & Propositions • By Hunter Simmons • Mar 20, 2025

Austin Energy Green Building program logs 21,573 projects since its creation

In 1991, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first rating system in the country to evaluate the sustainability of buildings, creating a model for other cities and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system.…

Development • By Hunter Simmons • Mar 11, 2025

Parks and Recreation Department contemplates a 2026 bond, two years overdue

Austin Parks and Recreation Department is in the process of developing its 2026 integrated bond, with the last one created eight years ago for a 2018 bond election. These bonds fund capital improvement projects for parks and recreation, including building…

Bonds & Propositions • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 27, 2025

Austin ranks fifth in nation for cities most at risk for wildfires

According to a CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Report conducted in 2024, Austin ranks fifth in the nation for cities most at risk for wildfires. The top four cities are all located in California. David Bock, senior wildfire mitigation specialist at the…

Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 25, 2025

Austin Animal Services Office releases fiscal year statistical report and waives adoption fees

Due to consistent overcrowding, the Austin Animal Center has waived adoption fees for the foreseeable future. Numbers from the Austin Animal Services Office’s statistical report for Fiscal Year 2025 show a continued need for adoptions. Austin Animal Services Office released…

Austin • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 19, 2025

Austin's Ethics Review Commission dismisses complaints against Siegel and Faddis without prejudice

Two complaints about alleged campaign finance violations were dropped at a special called meeting of the city’s Ethics Review Commission, but they could be filed again in the future. Adam Haynes, a former member of the Planning Commission, filed the…

Elections • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 12, 2025

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Documentary film highlights the history of an 1870s-era home and the story of Clarksville

Everyone involved in the making of “Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville,” a documentary short film about the oldest documented residence within the Clarksville National Register historic district, was recognized by the Austin Parks and Recreation Board at its…

Preservation • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 31, 2025

Joint Sustainability Committee looks at agricultural land acquisition and preservation

The Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board is looking for support for a plan to preserve and acquire agricultural land in the region, and it’s turned to the Joint Sustainability Committee for help and recommendations. The recommendations are a next step…

Austin • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 24, 2025

Animal Services Office releases strategic plan draft

The city’s Animal Services Office released a draft of its 2025-2030 strategic plan on Jan. 8. Enumerated in the draft is the office’s vision “to provide services and resources that allow people and animals to thrive in the city of…

City Hall • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 16, 2025

Austin Resource Recovery gets ready for the new year

Austin Resource Recovery plans to collect a total of 260,375 tons of waste from curbside and drop-off center operations during Fiscal Year 2025, with an estimated 40 percent of curbside collected materials to be diverted from landfills, according to a…

Resources • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 13, 2025

Vela reflects on his first term and looks to the future

Chito Vela is about to complete his first term as District 4’s City Council member. Vela was re-elected in November for a second term, running on the issues of housing, transit and public safety. While reflecting on his first term, the…

City Council • By Hunter Simmons • Dec 26, 2024

Scooter update finds fewer riders and less clutter

Transportation and Public Works has a six-month update on changes to the Micromobility Program, which regulates scooter rentals in the city, reporting positive results stemming from changes that were implemented in May 2024. A cap was set on new micromobility…

Transportation • By Hunter Simmons • Dec 18, 2024

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