In late July, City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly wrote a memo pointing out that 20 trucks within the Austin Fire Department’s fleet “are currently lacking functioning air conditioning systems.” Not only is that a risk for firefighters, she wrote, but it also “jeopardizes the department’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies.” On Monday, Rick Harland, […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inWhispers
Leslie Pool not seeking another post after City Council term ends
City Council Member Leslie Pool told the Austin Monitor she does not intend to run for another office after she finishes her City Council term at the end of 2024. The news comes after the Austin American-Statesman reported over the weekend that Pool “informed a local Democratic club she is considering running to succeed” Travis […]
Posted inBudget
Austin Water and Watershed Protection Department seeking small rate hikes
Neither Austin Water nor the Watershed Protection Department have asked for an increase in their rates in many years, but both are doing so in the upcoming budget. Austin Water has not asked for an increase in its rates since 2017, but this year, the utility is seeking City Council approval to increase the typical […]
Posted inWhispers
Ryan Alter looks forward to new short-term rental rules
City Council has not met since Tuesday, when a federal judge ruled that the city’s short-term rental ordinance is unconstitutional. That ordinance, passed by Council in 2016, requires that owners of short-term rental properties claim their rental property as their homestead. Last year, José Roig, the director of Austin’s Code Department, told Council that a […]
Posted inCourts
Federal court rules Austin’s short-term rental rules unlawful
Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra on Tuesday issued a ruling that overturns Austin’s short-term rental ordinance adopted in 2016. The plaintiffs, Robert Anding and his wife, Roberta, filed suit against the city after attempting to register one of their properties as a short-term rental. Because they did not occupy the property as their […]
Posted inBudget
Proposed budget includes small changes at Austin Energy, Austin Resource Recovery
Citing Austin Energy’s critically low levels of cash reserves, the utility’s financial planners are proposing that it raise base rates by 2 percent, which will cost the typical residential customer about $1.04 per month, Budget Officer Kerri Lang told City Council at Tuesday’s budget meeting. Lang said the utility is seeking a $20 million increase […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy assisting more customers with utility bills
Austin Energy has exceeded its initial target for enrolling new customers in the utility’s Customer Assistance Program, according to Austin Energy General Manager Bob Kahn. Last week, Kahn sent a memo to Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council detailing the utility’s progress in signing up customers for assistance paying utility bills, as well as in […]
Posted inTransportation
Airport hotel sees increased revenue, many staff vacancies
The Hilton hotel at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has experienced better-than-expected recovery since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and repaid the loan it received from the airport in 2021. Members of the City Council Audit and Finance Committee heard the news from Rajeev Thomas and Tracy Thompson at the committee’s meeting on Tuesday. Thomas […]
Posted inWater
Aquifer district expecting unprecedented drought declaration
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District says that flow from Barton Springs is near the level that would require the district to declare it has reached Stage IV Exceptional Drought. As the district reports, “crossing into Stage IV drought status would result in significant pumping restrictions and permanent reclassification for certain District permittees.” Although the […]
Posted inWhispers
Council postpones item eliminating Council approval for service extension requests
On a vote of 6-4, City Council voted last week to postpone consideration of an item that would have taken decisions about water and wastewater service extension requests within the drinking water protection zone (DWPZ) away from Council and put them into the hands of city staff. These requests are how landowners and developers ask […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit finds inaccurate data on city portal
Unreliable data is a widespread problem for the city of Austin, according to an audit performed by the Office of the City Auditor. Francis Reilly, the auditor in charge, explained some of the city’s data problems to the City Council Audit & Finance Committee on Tuesday. Most recent audits “have found issues involving the city’s […]
Posted inCity Council
Council gives final OK to Borden Dairy tract rezoning
City Council last week gave final approval for rezoning of the former Borden Dairy site in the Govalle neighborhood, allowing for its reconfiguration from an industrial site to a major mixed-use development. The vote was 8-1, with Council Member Alison Alter opposed. District 3 Council Member José Velásquez, who represents the area, recused himself from […]