Unlike the usual technological struggles associated with virtual commission meetings, Wednesday’s officer elections at the Environmental Commission were a breeze. With three positions to fill, the commission managed to nominate candidates and record unanimous votes to reappoint the chair, vice chair and commission secretary within five minutes. Linda Guerrero will continue to be commission chair […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inDevelopment
East Austin tank farm site poised to become a PUD
Despite years of remediation efforts and development proposals for the former East Austin tank farm at 1011 and 1017 Springdale Road, the site has remained undeveloped. Then in May, the Jay Paul Company brought the city a new development proposal to transform the 30-acre site into a mixed-use planned unit development called Springdale Green. The […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners nominate appointee to Central Health board
After months of interviews and applications, the Travis County Commissioners Court has nominated Cynthia Brinson to replace Abigail Aiken on the Central Health Board of Managers and continue a term through the end of 2024. Brinson has served as the special needs physician for the Travis County Corrections Complex since 1998 and founded the nonprofit […]
Posted inBudget
Travis County budget makes concessions and cuts to achieve balance
After months of rework triggered by the financial ramifications of the pandemic, the Commissioners Court held its first public hearing associated with the 2021 Travis County budget on Aug. 18. As they went through the 120-page, $1.28 billion budget proposal, Planning and Budget Office staff outlined the cuts to programs and increases in emergency funding that will […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water aims to bring new conservation ordinances before Council in December
Timelines across the city have been adjusted or paused following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the ongoing limitations imposed by the “new normal” have not stopped Austin Water from developing new conservation ordinances to bring before City Council in December. The city water utility plans to bring at least two ordinances before Council […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 8.18.20
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
Parking requirements jam up decision at the Board of Adjustment
In Austin, the subject of parking has a way of striking a nerve. So when a proposal for an office project at 43 N. Interstate 35 came before the Board of Adjustment on Aug. 10, board members struggled to come to a consensus as to whether reduced parking constituted enough parking. James Schissler, representing the […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners interview Central Health board candidates
Central Health has lately been focused on Covid-19 relief efforts throughout Travis County. However, in order to effectively guide policy throughout the county, the board governing the hospital district needs effective leadership. Central Health’s board is composed of qualified volunteers who strive to improve the quality of health care and outcomes and increase access to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment considers neighboring trees grounds for variance
Last month, the Board of Adjustment postponed the case for the property at 1711 Waterston Ave. in order for the property owners to cobble together a case presenting a valid hardship. This month, the owners of the Clarksville bungalow returned before the board on Aug. 10 and brought their neighbors as a basis for their […]
Posted inEducation
Commissioners Court considers allocating additional funding for high-risk youth program
As public education moves from classrooms to screens in students’ homes, families’ need for support from educational institutions has increased. Students from vulnerable populations, in particular, benefit from personalized contact with someone in the Austin Independent School District, according to Allen Weeks, the executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth. “We’re really in […]
Posted inWhispers
Down Stream to be named for former city staffer
The Environmental Commission unanimously voted last week to recommend naming an unnamed creek tributary in Battle Bend Park after former Watershed Protection Department employee Nicholas Down. Down, who joined the city department in 2014, recently died of cancer at the much-too-young age of 28. “He is sorely missed by his teammates,” Environmental Officer Chris Herrington […]
Posted inParks
Environmental Commission recommends vision plan for John Treviño Jr. park
A 330-acre former ranch east of U.S. Highway 183 has been waiting for the city to introduce park amenities since 2003. On Aug. 5, the city-owned parcel took one step closer to becoming a nature-focused, master-planned metropolitan park named in honor of Austin’s first Latino City Council member, John Treviño Jr. At its August meeting, […]