City code considers a swimming pool to be a backyard hazard that should be securely encircled by a solid fence – sometimes a fence that is higher than the 6-foot standard. However, a fence of increased height is only permitted if there is a structure within reach that would reasonably allow a child to hop […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inUncategorized
BoA says expanded parking at Travis County Tax Office is insufficient
For years, the Travis County Clerk’s Office and the Tax Office at 5501 Airport Blvd. have used the vacant lot next door to accommodate the perpetual parking overflow from Austinites seeking a variety of services. Now, as Austin continues to expand, the property next door at 5325 and 5335 Airport Blvd. is slated to become […]
Posted inUncategorized
Ethics commission finds Prop J PAC violated campaign finance laws
After hours of politically caustic testimony, the Ethics Review Commission found at its May 8 meeting that the No on Prop J political action committee had violated city ethics codes by failing to disclose a $10,000 donation in a timely manner. The case, which came before the commission in March, was filed by Fred Lewis, […]
Posted inZoning
Mobile home rezoning case raises questions about living arrangements
In an attempt to tackle gentrification head-on, last August City Council directed city staff to begin rezoning mobile home parks that were operating as such but were not appropriately zoned. Six of those rezoning cases came before the Zoning and Platting Commission at its May 7 meeting, but only four of them were recommended for […]
Posted inWhispers
Public Safety Commission forms working group to discuss Vision Zero
Vision Zero’s goal is to reduce the number of people who die or are seriously injured in traffic crashes to zero. To help achieve this objective, commissioners Kathleen Hausenfluck and Preston Tyree formed a working group at the May 6 meeting of the Public Safety Commission. “On a per capita basis (the number of deaths) […]
Posted inUncategorized
Rodriguez case fails to find agreeable settlement
In a novel solution, the Office of the City Auditor and Frank Rodriguez presented a settlement agreement to the Ethics Review Commission at what should have been the final hearing on the case May 8. However, ethics commissioners felt the settlement proposal undermined their duty to provide the public with transparency in cases and declined […]
Posted inWhispers
Zoning and Platting zaps commissioner from Environmental Commission
After four years on the Environmental Commission, Hank Smith has shifted focus and now sits on Zoning and Platting. An Austin resident for over 50 years, Smith lives in District 8 down south and has been an environmental engineer for 30 years. With plenty of experience in development and a good handle on the commission […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Affordability Unlocked gets ZAP approval, with concerns
With a $250 million bond geared toward affordable housing, a goal to preserve 10,000 affordable units over the next 10 years and a City Council resolution seeking ways to increase the number of affordable units, city staff members brought forward a draft ordinance outlining plans for increasing the quantity of affordable housing within the city. […]
Posted inWhispers
Comprehensive evaluation of sexual assault investigations moves forward
Since City Council ordered an independent review of police handling of sexual assault cases in February, the City Manager’s Office has been collaborating with a working group composed of members of the Public Safety Commission and Commission for Women to write a request for qualifications for contractors to bid on. In order to ensure that […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Fire and police response times lagging due to low staffing
In an effort to serve citizens as quickly, efficiently and proficiently as possible, Austin public safety departments have response time goals. For the Fire Department, this means response times of eight minutes 90 percent of the time, while police should arrive at the scene within 6 minutes and 44 seconds for the highest-priority calls. However, […]
Posted inTransportation
Commission zeros in on scooter safety
A landmark study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Austin Public Health Department documented that 192 dockless scooter riders were injured between Sept. 5 and Nov. 30 last year. During that time, “There were about two injuries per day on average,” said David Zane, an epidemiologist with Austin Public Health, at […]
Posted inPlanning
BoA grants variance to keep heritage trees and affordable housing
In North Central Austin, developers are working with Central Health and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin to combine nine lots to create an affordable housing complex. The 258-unit complex, located at 411 and 601 E. Powell Lane and seven addresses on East Wonsley Drive, will offer 90 percent of the units to […]