In Austin, the city’s practice of providing financial incentives for companies to relocate or move operations here has garnered plenty of criticism, ranging from outright opposition to the practice to concerns about whether the incentives are leading to jobs for those most in need and whether the city is favoring large international corporations over local […]
Jack Craver
Posted inWhispers
Houston voices doubts about anti-Confederate resolution
It appears that the only member of City Council who has a problem with a resolution aimed at preventing the participation of Confederate groups in this year’s Veterans Day parade is Council Member Ora Houston, the only African-American on the dais. At Tuesday’s work session, Houston raised concerns about a resolution declaring that “city resources, […]
Posted inTransit
For game-changing public transit, Austin needs the feds to chip in
Austin and the surrounding metro area needs a transportation game-changer, and it’s not going to come from more roads. And to build it, we’ll need some help from Washington, D.C. That was the message that officials from Capital Metro delivered to a joint meeting on Monday of the Capital Metro board and City Council over […]
Posted inWhispers
Susana Almanza will challenge brother Pio Renteria for Council again
Longtime activist Susana Almanza will once again face her brother, Council Member Pio Renteria, in a bid for City Council. Renteria won his current position four years ago when he triumphed over Almanza in a runoff election with 60 percent of the vote. The siblings’ main disagreement is over how to address housing affordability. Renteria […]
Posted inWhispers
A second Tovo challenger introduces herself
Linda O’Neal, who in early July announced plans to challenge Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo for the District 9 seat on City Council, will be holding a “Meet the Candidate” event at the Mohawk on Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. O’Neal is the third candidate in the race and has a lot […]
Posted inElections
Battle over housing policy defines District 3 race
Growth, gentrification and CodeNEXT are at the center of the race for City Council District 3. Most of the district is made up of neighborhoods on both sides of the Colorado River that are east of Interstate 35. However, the district boundaries also snake out to grab a large chunk of South Central Austin, including […]
Posted inBicycles
Planning Commission hears about 30-mile loop of urban trails
City transportation officials have a grand vision to dramatically expand the Shoal Creek Trail and eventually connect it to a 30-mile loop of trails around the northern half of the city. But it’s anybody’s guess when that vision will be realized, if ever. In a presentation to the Planning Commission Tuesday night, Janae Spence of […]
Posted inAustin
Spirit of East Austin lives on
After a lengthy public engagement process, the city of Austin has released a report detailing key steps the city can take to improve services and quality of life for those living in Austin’s “eastern crescent.” During the spring of 2017, city staff held “community table talks at more than 35 different locations throughout East Austin,” according […]
Posted inDevelopment
Zoning commission flirts with stalling Champion project
Opponents of the Champion tract development had yet another opportunity to air their grievances against the proposed multifamily development Tuesday night. Their efforts to stall the project were nearly successful due to low attendance at the Zoning and Platting Commission meeting as well as a tussle between commissioners and city staff about the commission’s role […]
Posted inLand Development Code
So, what happens to CodeNEXT now?
Last month, a majority of City Council members, including Mayor Steve Adler, said they did not believe that a ballot initiative proposed by anti-CodeNEXT activists could be put before voters this November. While the initiative had received more than enough signatures to qualify to be on the ballot, city attorneys and outside legal experts that […]
Posted inPreservation
Do historic districts help or hurt affordability?
There is a wide range of views about how historic preservation rules relate to Austin’s housing affordability problems. Some argue that actions taken to prevent the demolition of old homes advance affordability because, in general, older homes are cheaper than new ones. When a home is torn down, it is almost always replaced by one […]
Posted inBudget
What do Austinites want the city budget to prioritize?
In the process of crafting its annual budget to present to City Council, city of Austin staff held 11 events throughout the city in an effort to hear what Austinites think about how their tax dollars should be spent. In a lengthy memo addressed to Mayor Steve Adler and Council, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed […]