Following months of hand-wringing from the community and negotiations between city staff and property owners, the “Air Temp” home at 2502 Park View Drive is going to get a new lease on life. On Sept. 28, the Historic Landmark Commission voted to withdraw its application for historic zoning for the property with the understanding that […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inTravis County
Travis County launches new coronavirus relief grants for nonprofits
With $61.1 million to spend and the clock ticking ever closer to the expenditure deadline of Dec. 30 set by the federal government for coronavirus relief funds, the Travis County Commissioners Court authorized a new grant program called TCTX Serve to assist area nonprofits. The county already has $560,000 allocated to support organizations that provide […]
Posted inBudget
Commissioners Court approves Central Health budget, with concerns
On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved Central Health’s $367.3 million budget, stamping its seal of approval on the 6.9 percent, or $76.5 million, increase for the Travis County health care provider and the corresponding $24.97 average increase in annual tax liability for homeowners. “I’m no fan of signing off on a 6.9 percent increase […]
Posted inParks
PARD contends with homeless encampments during pandemic with limited resources
With nearly 300 parks and 17,409 acres of property to oversee, Wes Bickham, an environmental coordinator with the Parks and Recreation Department, has a lot of ground to cover in his work finding alternative solutions for people experiencing homelessness who are camping on city park grounds. Couple this vast expanse of city greenery with the […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 9.29.20
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website. The public can access the meeting by watching the livestream or tuning in to […]
Posted inParks
Parks board pushes against long-term reservation program for parks
Every year when the weather warms up, the city’s parks and greenbelts fill up. This year, that trend has been amplified by the pandemic as Austinites flock to city parks, causing some of the most popular outdoor spaces to hit capacity, close their gates and begin monitoring the numbers of visitors. This May, in an […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Public Safety Committee examines the use of police time, asks for more data
As the city of Austin looks into redefining the duties of its police department, staffers are reaching out to community members to hear feedback about what the next iteration of the Austin Police Department could look like. Simultaneously, city staff are working to clean up 911 call center data to better understand how the police use […]
Posted inTravis County
County works toward December deadline for CARES expenditures
In just over three months, Travis County will come up against its federally set deadline of Dec. 30 to spend the entirety of its $61.1 million in federal coronavirus relief dollars. As of Sept. 22, the county has spent only 17.2 percent of that allocation – just $2 million more than what the county had […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment debates the value of maintaining area character
Swapping primary and secondary residences is an approach to creating larger living spaces for homeowners that has become a popular tactic for preserving homes that contribute to area character. However, at the Sept. 14 meeting of the Board of Adjustment, members debated whether preservation of area character was a disingenuous “get-out-of-jail-free card” for those looking […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 9.22.20
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website. The public can access the meeting by watching the livestream or tuning in to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment offers free advice, grants lot size variance
Small lots are not uncommon in East Austin, so the Board of Adjustment regularly grants variances to allow homeowners to maximize such properties. On Sept. 14, the board once again unanimously granted a variance for small lot amnesty to allow for the construction of two residences at 1209 Taylor St. The lot is 103 square […]
Posted inEnergy
Combating climate change in Austin to start at Austin Energy
As the Office of Sustainability’s newly revised Climate Equity Plan makes its way through boards and commissions for public comment, its latest stop was the Electric Utility Commission on Sept. 14. Zach Baumer, who is the program manager for the plan, told commissioners that while there are plenty of ways Austinites can help the city […]