In an effort to avoid the loss of one of the first homes in Austin to feature air conditioning, the Historic Landmark Commission voted at its July 27 meeting to initiate the historic zoning process for the “Air Temp” home at 2502 Park View Drive. The vote in favor was based on research from Historic […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inCity Hall
Public Safety Commission considers how to restructure its partnership with Council
The Public Safety Commission is working with City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan to offload some of its oversight duties in favor of becoming more of an advisory body. “We are particularly ill-suited for oversight,” Commissioner Rebecca Webber said at the commission’s Aug. 3 meeting. Webber sent a letter to Council members Greg Casar and Jimmy […]
Posted inPublic Health
Travis County expands public health orders to unincorporated areas, fines up to $500
The Commissioners Court unanimously approved an order Tuesday making Austin Public Health’s Health Authority Rules enforceable in unincorporated areas of Travis County. Individuals who do not abide by the local health authority’s pandemic mitigation plan may face fines of up to $500 or be subject to a civil lawsuit. Austin Public Health outlined rules earlier […]
Posted inPublic Safety
SAFE Alliance reports escalating domestic violence is ‘another public health pandemic’
Between April and June, the SAFE Alliance recorded a 25 percent increase in calls to its 24/7 SAFEline compared to the same time period in 2019. This spike in calls coincides with a reduction in visits from survivors of sexual assault to the nonprofit’s Eloise House for post-trauma care. The SAFE Alliance hotline is a secure and […]
Posted inWhispers
Public Safety Commission gets some new faces
After coming back from summer recess in July, the Public Safety Commission began its August meeting with no chair and a new face on the dais. Former commission Chair Meghan Hollis resigned due to a new position she took working for the state Legislature. “I was so honored to serve as chair of this body,” […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 8.4.20
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. This week’s meeting will be broadcast to ensure everyone is able to follow social […]
Posted inPreservation
East Austin historic district application receives support from Historic Landmark Commission
Austin is well on its way to getting its second historic district on the east side. The Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by East 21st Street and East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Cedar and Chestnut avenues, submitted an application to the city for consideration as a historic district. In the application’s […]
Posted inWhispers
Rainey Street Bungalow to be demolished
Two popular Rainey Street bars – Bungalow and Container Bar – will be demolished after having their fate delayed by months of postponements from the Historic Landmark Commission, which was reluctant to replace the old neighborhood homes with a 53-floor high-rise. At its July 27 meeting, the commission released a permit for demolition along with […]
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners approve net-zero carbon emissions plan
On July 28, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution for county operations to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and for the community to reach the same goal by 2050. “This is an action many local governments have already taken,” said Commissioner Brigid Shea, who sponsored the resolution. Indeed, the city of […]
Posted inBudget
Travis County sets the stage for budget discussions in August, proposes 3.6% property tax hike
After an unprecedented year that has required Travis County staff to rework the county’s 2021 financial picture, the Commissioners Court opened public discussions about the upcoming 2021 budget on July 28. Despite predictions earlier this year of catastrophic budget shortfalls, the county will not implement an 8 percent increase in tax rate. Instead, staffers are […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioners approve allocations for remainder of Covid-19 relief funding
Nearly three months to the day since Travis County received Covid-19 relief funding from the federal government under the CARES Act, Travis County commissioners approved an outline for the allocation of the $33.8 million in aid that remained unspent. County staff outlined a proposal at the July 28 meeting of the Commissioners Court to allocate […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy to adjust customer rebates to achieve carbon-free energy goals
In an effort to encourage the more efficient and sustainable use of utilities, Austin Energy offers a host of rebate programs to residential and commercial customers through its Customer Energy Solutions division. This fiscal year, even with a lull in program implementation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the city-owned utility logged higher participation numbers in […]