Jacob Cottingham

Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously, absent a vacationing Pct. 2 Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt, to approve a letter drafted by staff in response to new standards of water quality proposed by the state. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality periodically revises their rules to reflect updated science.   In a memo, the Transportation and Natural Resources […]

Council voted unanimously Thursday on a number of items designed to make Austin’s animal shelters one of the most humane in the country. Aiming for an ambitious 90 percent live rate, Council members voted to construct an RFP that would allow a non-profit organization such as Austin Pets Alive, Emancipet or the Humane Society to […]

Over the last few weeks, Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources staff have been working on the county’s official comment letter to the Environmental Protection Agency’s strengthened ambient air quality standards, which were announced earlier this year. On Tuesday, Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously to send out a revised letter to the EPA putting Travis […]

A letter sent last week by Travis County Pct. 2 Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt to Williamson County Commissioner and CAMPO Vice-Chair Cynthia Long seeks to provide an impetus to discuss how local project funding projections will fit into the eventual CAMPO 2035 plan. The subtext to the letter calls into question the intentions behind Williamson County’s […]

Margaret Gomez won a fourth consecutive term as Travis County Precinct 4 Commissioner last night, besting her challenger, former City Council Member Raul Alvarez in a campaign that seemed to pit the old school versus the new. Gomez netted 53 percent of the vote to Alvarez’s 47 percent, beating him by nearly 400 votes.   […]

After a few twists and turns that at one point had the city attorney pulling up Robert’s Rules of Order on his computer, City Council eventually voted 6-1—with Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez dissenting—for an amended ordinance that would increase taxi rates by 12.7 percent over the next three years. Council Members Randi Shade and […]

A large contingent of Israeli clean technology business representatives  converged on Austin Monday for a chance to pitch local venture capitalists and entrepreneurs on potential investments or partnerships.  The Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Austin Chamber of Commerce and Israel’s Ministry of Industry and Labor hosted Cleanovation 2010, and law firm Greenberg -Traurig, Waste Management, and […]

On Tuesday Travis County Planning and Budget Executive Director Rodney Rhoades confirmed for County Commissioners what they had already dreaded – further budget woes for the county’s coffers.   The primary indicator of yet another year of cost cutting is the lack of new construction starts in the county – fees from which provide an […]

At the Central Texas Candidate Forum, held at the LBJ School on Thursday afternoon, the full slate of District 5 State Board of Education candidates sounded off on their qualifications and philosophies. The crowded Democratic field saw two candidates pull away from the pack, while the heated Republican forum had Tim Tuggey and Ken Mercer […]

Austin City Council on Thursday unanimously approved changes to Austin Energy’s solar rebate program that will reward businesses for installing solar devices by paying for power production over a 10-year span.   Instead of paying for rebates on the installation of solar systems, Austin Energy will pay for each kilowatt-hour of electricity produced over a […]

The City Council postponed action Thursday on an ordinance that would curtail the city’s current policy of providing essentially limitless funding for the utility bills of youth athletic league facilities.    Currently the Parks and Recreation Department pays all the water, sewer and lighting costs for youth sports leagues. The new code would authorize the […]

Travis County commissioners learned on Tuesday that their offer to purchase a new downtown building was accepted, paving the way to eventually house a reconfigured commissioners court. The court had made an offer on the 15-story, 315,000 square-foot building last week, and it was accepted on Friday. The building, which is located at 700 Lavaca […]