Requiring businesses to divert their food rather than simply compost or recycle is a progressive idea even among those at the Zero Waste Advisory Commission. However, Allen Schroeder, the food donation specialist for Break It Down and the driving force behind the Save the Food Coalition, thinks that Austin should be the first city to […]
Jessi Devenyns
Posted inWater
Central Texas resident asks Environmental Commission for dam help
On Nov. 1, Ann McElroy, co-founder of the organization No Colorado River Dam Inc., stood in front of the Environmental Commission to plead for its assistance in encouraging the city of Austin to pass a resolution denouncing a dam that is planned near the city of Goldthwaite. Although this in-channel dam is slated to be […]
Posted inParks
An amphitheater for Bolm Road District Park?
On Oct. 24, the Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously to make a recommendation to City Council regarding a request for information for parkland improvement and the management of Bolm Road District Park as an outdoor events venue. The RFI was requested at the behest of Vice Chair Richard DePalma, who is interested in assessing […]
Posted inWhispers
New Parks and Rec board member
There is a new member of the Parks and Recreation Board. Mary Katherine Stout attended her first board meeting on Oct. 24, where she was introduced to the public and given additional positions on the Contracts and Concessions Committee and Land, Facilities and Programs Committee by board Chair Jane Rivera. The board wished her a warm […]
Posted inParks
Austin parks reconsidering leash law enforcement
It’s no secret that although many parks around Austin require dogs to remain on leash, there always seem to be free-range dogs chasing Frisbees and splashing around in the greenbelt. Amanda Ross, the natural resources division manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, told the Parks and Recreation Board on Oct. 24, “This is one […]
Posted inTransportation
Council to take up street impact fees today
In an effort to help fund public infrastructure made necessary by new development, the Austin Transportation Department is proposing new street impact fees throughout the city. These one-time fees for developers constructing new sites are intended to help pay for road improvements to assist in mitigating traffic in the expanding city of Austin. On Oct. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission stalls on CodeNEXT 2.0
CodeNEXT once again took center stage at a meeting of the Environmental Commission earlier this month, when commissioners refrained from recommending the second draft of the Land Development Code rewrite, with a hope that they would have comments prepared just after the Halloween deadline, at the beginning of November. Jerry Rusthoven, the assistant director of […]
Posted inTransit
Urban Transportation Commission reacts to Capital Metro route changes
In September, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority informed the Austin public that there would be a major restructuring of citywide bus lines to kick-start the Connections 2025 transit plan. To elaborate on the exact changes, on Oct. 10, Caitlin D’Alton, a senior planner at the agency, offered the members of the Urban Transportation Commission a […]
Posted inWhispers
UTC OKs petition requirement change
In order to ensure the first new route the Austin Marathon has had in 10 years remains on course, Dan Carroll, co-owner of High Five Events, the company organizing the marathon, and Frances Hargrove, division manager for the city’s Office of Special Events, approached the Urban Transportation Commission on Oct. 10 to request it waive […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin Sobriety Center has a soft opening date
Since 2001, Austin has been working to offer its citizens a sobriety center in lieu of hospitalization or jail time. Now, after years of waiting, the Austin/Travis County Sobriety Center finally has an expected opening date. With the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office finally out of the space slated to become the downtown sobriety center, […]
Posted inWhispers
Land redevelopment exception amendments postponed indefinitely
In August, seven amendments to the Land Development Code came before the Environmental Commission for review and were met with dissent from the citizens in attendance and trepidation from the commissioners. During the meeting, commissioners voted the amendments down 7-2. On Oct. 4, Chuck Lesniak, the city’s environmental officer, returned to the commission to announce […]
Posted inPlanning
Environmental Commission OKs Holdsworth Center PUD
At its Oct. 4 meeting, the Environmental Commission weighed the benefits of allowing the Holdsworth Center planned unit development to go forward in lieu of adhering to the current zoning for single-family residents on a 44-acre swath of undeveloped agricultural land along the shores of Lake Austin. Andrea Bates, environmental program coordinator for the Watershed Protection Department, […]