Transportation Director Robert Spillar showed up at a meeting of the Public Safety Commission on Monday to defend “speed cushions,” the traffic-calming devices that have infuriated motorists across the city, most notably in a Northwest Austin neighborhood that successfully campaigned to have them removed. “We hate to put them out there, but the other side […]
Jack Craver
Posted inLand Development Code
What policies would create the most housing in CodeNEXT?
As the city of Austin has learned over and over again in recent years, allowing something to be built doesn’t mean that it will be. Hence, density bonuses that offer developers the opportunity to build bigger buildings in exchange for on-site affordable units don’t necessarily lead to additional income-restricted housing. Similarly, most single-family homeowners who […]
Posted inCity Hall
Commission considers an independent watchdog agency for Austin
Saying that it is time for Austin to have a full-time watchdog, a task force tasked with proposing changes to the city charter is considering ways to establish an independent ethics agency. Currently in Austin, oversight of campaign finance filings and enforcement of city ethics rules are split up between four different entities: the city […]
Posted inParks
Council approves pools plan but funding questions remain
On Thursday, City Council overwhelmingly approved the Aquatic Master Plan, a 640-page document crafted by the Parks and Recreation Department that provides guidance for repairing and expanding the city’s aging system of pools. The plan says that the capital costs necessary to improve the system range from $152 million to $193 million, “depending on how […]
Posted inPolice
Police reform activists call for city-funded nonprofit for police complaints
Representatives of Austin’s police union said Monday that they’re eager to begin negotiations with the new city manager on a contract that can hopefully win approval from City Council. Ron DeLord, an attorney for the Austin Police Association, told members of the Public Safety Commission that the union had put together a new negotiation team, […]
Posted inWhispers
Shane Sexton withdraws from District 8 race
The race for the District 8 City Council seat just got a little less crowded. Shane Sexton, one of four left-of-center candidates vying to unseat Council Member Ellen Troxclair, the only conservative elected official left in city government, announced in a Facebook post on Saturday that he was getting out of the race. In a […]
Posted inCity Council
Another postponement for Champion case
City Council decided Thursday that a legal and political battle surrounding the Champion tract in Northwest Austin that has spanned two decades will be extended yet another two weeks. Council voted 7-4 to postpone action on an amendment to a settlement agreement from over 20 years ago that would allow a developer to build a […]
Posted inResources
Troxclair wants to know how rates compare to other Texas utilities
This year, the average Austinite will spend $2,475 on utility bills to cover the cost of electricity, water and garbage pickup. City Council Member Ellen Troxclair wants to know how that compares to what other people served by other utilities in Texas pay. A resolution Troxclair plans to introduce today asks city staff to conduct […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy gears up to ‘repower downtown’
As Austin grows, so must its utility. Austin Energy plans a nine-figure investment over the next eight years on improvements to its system of substations and transmission lines. In a presentation Wednesday to the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, AE officials showed off a list of projects whose estimated cost totals $150.2 million. And that’s […]
Posted inCity Hall
Charter Review Commission wants another vote on Council-appointed city attorney
Austin is one of only 6 percent of Texas home-rule cities with a city attorney who is unilaterally appointed by the city manager, with no input from City Council. As a result, critics contend, there is a lack of accountability for the city’s top legal official. They argue that Austin would be better off following […]
Posted inLand Development Code
In Hyde Park, urbanists say they’re the ones defending neighborhood character
In Austin’s ongoing battle over development, it’s generally the traditional neighborhood associations that talk about defending “neighborhood character” and developers and urbanist activists who argue that a growing city needs to accept change, whether that is taller buildings or reduced parking. In Hyde Park, however, urbanists are trying out the neighborhood character narrative to push […]
Posted inParks
City likely to exceed its budget for pools, again
While City Council members have decidedly mixed opinions about a proposed $124 million bond aimed at upgrading Austin’s aquatics system, everybody acknowledges that the city’s pools are in desperate need of repair. The problem, of course, is that right now the Parks and Recreation Department doesn’t have the money needed to make even small but […]