Stories by Jo Clifton
Equity Action announces long list of supporters
Equity Action, the group that gathered signatures to put the original Austin Police Oversight Act on the May ballot, unveiled a list Tuesday of more than 100 community organizations and local leaders who endorse the APOA. The list includes Mayor…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • Feb 15, 2023
Council declines historic zoning for Westgate building
Nine of 11 City Council members voted last week to deny city historic landmark status to the clearly historic Westgate Tower at 1122 Colorado, on a motion by Council Member Zo Qadri, whose District 9 includes the building. Council Member…
Preservation • By Jo Clifton • Feb 14, 2023
Council OKs tree trimming audit in lieu of larger study
In response to complaints from the public about Austin Energy’s response to the extreme ice storm that knocked out electric power for at least 173,000 AE customers, City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly asked her colleagues Thursday to approve a resolution…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Feb 10, 2023
Fire, EMS stations lost power during ice storm
The leaders of the unions representing Austin firefighters and EMS employees both said Wednesday that many of their members had worked through the recent ice storm in stations that had lost power, depriving them of basics like warmth and light.…
Public Safety • By Jo Clifton • Feb 9, 2023
Questions of the day: When will power be restored? Will Cronk keep his job?
Two questions hung over City Council’s abbreviated work session Tuesday, one arising frequently and one never mentioned. First of all, Council members wanted to know how many Austin Energy customers were still without power and when their power would be…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Feb 8, 2023
Council approves measures to help child care providers
At its first meeting of the year, City Council voted unanimously to direct the city manager to work on ways to lower the barriers to setting up new child care facilities and reduce parking requirements for such businesses. Council Member…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Feb 2, 2023
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Canally named sole finalist for ATP amidst confusion
Members of the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors have unanimously recommended that ATP interim Executive Director Greg Canally be presented to the community as the sole candidate for the permanent executive director job. Canally has served as interim director…
Transit • By Jo Clifton • Feb 1, 2023
City to start major push to recruit employees
The city of Austin announced Monday that it would begin a major campaign this week to promote difficult-to-fill jobs. Worker shortages have been particularly noticeable within Austin-Travis County EMS and the police department. According to information provided by Deborah Jennings…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 31, 2023
Council OKs zoning for massive redevelopment of far South Congress area
City Council on Thursday unanimously approved Community Commercial, Mixed Use and General Commercial Services zoning that will allow the site of a Southeast Austin auto salvage yard to become a vertical mixed-use development with more than 1200 multifamily units and…
Zoning • By Jo Clifton • Jan 27, 2023
Central Health, Ascension Texas sue over care for low-income residents
After years of failed negotiations over health care services to low-income residents and payments for those services, Central Health, the Travis County health care district, filed suit Tuesday against Ascension Texas, a nationwide chain of hospitals and health care facilities.…
Courts • By Jo Clifton • Jan 25, 2023
Former city employee allegedly stole, tried to sell city property
Investigators from the Austin Office of the City Auditor have released a report that shows a former employee of the Communications and Technology Management department “stole and attempted to sell a city-owned mobile device in December 2021.” That employee, Brian…
City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Jan 23, 2023
Austin Water making progress but needs more employees
Members of City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee have reviewed the findings of a report detailing problems during four significant events at Austin Water’s Ullrich Water Treatment Plant between 2018 and February 2022, including three boil-water notices and a zebra…
