While towering, multi-floor designs with little relationship to historic facades have been a thorn in the side of the Historic Landmark Commission in recent months, a proposal for an affordable housing tower behind the historic home at 809 E. Ninth St. received a green light to proceed. The East Austin project intends to convert the […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 9.1.20
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 inWhispers
Austin Water to begin aquifer storage and recovery pilot
Austin Water plans to begin designing and constructing a pilot aquifer storage and recovery system after City Council’s vote Thursday to authorize contracts for the initiative. In the first phase of the project, the water utility will evaluate the suitability of multiple aquifers, including the Carrizo-Wilcox, Edwards and Trinity systems, to serve as a storage […]
Posted inBudget
Central Health proposes raising taxes to fund budget
Central Health has been a critical resource for many during the course of the pandemic; now, the public health authority is looking to accomplish more for its patients in the upcoming year. To provide additional health care options for a larger number of Travis County residents, Mike Geeslin, the president of Central Health, told county […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission vetoes skyscraper design for historic building
In recent months, there have been several cases of developers proposing multi-story buildings as a way to preserve the facades of historic structures while balancing the economics of Austin real estate. On Aug. 24, the Historic Landmark Commission firmly put its foot down on the practice of constructing skyscrapers above historic buildings when it denied […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin Water begins piloting smart water meters
Austin Water has finally announced the long-awaited rollout of its smart meter technology. After initially testing the technology in the River Place neighborhood of Northwest Austin, the water utility will expand its locations for this new pilot program to include 1,920 meters in the River Place/Glenlake and Long Canyon neighborhoods and 2,840 meters in the […]
Posted inWhispers
Public hearing on county property tax rates moved
The Commissioners Court has moved the public hearing and associated vote for next year’s property tax rate a week earlier. The public hearing on the tax rate will move to Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. while the vote on the proposed tax rate of 37.4359 cents per $100 of property valuation will take place on […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County extends burn ban
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court extended the burn ban that has been in place since July 21 to Sept. 23. A continued lack of rain and an uncertain forecast prompted Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway to urge for caution regarding the burn ban in unincorporated areas of the county. “Even though […]
Posted inElections
Travis County plans for drive-thru voting drop-off for mail-in ballots
November’s presidential election is fast approaching and the Travis County Clerk’s Office is working diligently to ensure county residents have safe and well-functioning access to voting, both in-person and by mail-in ballot. To provide the required safety measures and necessary infrastructure to capture all the votes cast in Travis County, County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir told […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 8.25.20
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 inCity Hall
Ethics commission discusses transparency in unbroadcast meeting
As Covid-19 has pushed city meetings online, questions about public participation have taken center stage, with community members and commissioners alike struggling with cumbersome web platforms and long waiting times on phone lines. The topic came before the Ethics Review Commission on Aug. 12 for discussion. But it was only on Aug. 21 that the conversation […]
Posted inPlanning
Environmental Commission recommends increased impervious cover for Goodwill
Goodwill of Central Texas is hoping to bring a new secondhand store and drop-off center to 2411 Lake Austin Blvd. In order to do so, the donation retailer will require a variance to allow it to build up to 89 percent impervious cover on a site where code caps the limit at 40 percent. Candace […]