City Council Member Ryan Alter met with about 50 constituents on Friday, answering questions and commenting on changes proposed for Zilker Park, among other issues. Several attendees expressed concern about the Council hearing on the plan for the park. Alter said he hopes the city will put out its final plan in the next few […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inRoads
Get ready for downtown street closures
Richard Mendoza, interim director of the Transportation and Public Works Department, notified City Council via memo of some major street closures that are likely to affect anyone traveling through downtown for the next month. It’s another reminder in the busy district of how Austin continues to add residents, regardless of what is happening in other […]
Posted inZoning
Changes proposed for huge tower project on West Avenue
City Council last week postponed hearing a controversial zoning case for a property on the shores of Shoal Creek, at the request of neighbors. Developer Manifold Real Estate is requesting a zoning change for 506 and 508 West Avenue, from Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) to Central Business District (CBD). The change would allow construction of […]
Posted inFire
Fire chief says more firefighters and bigger budget needed
In a memo dated June 12, Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker gave Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council his proposed road map for reducing overtime expenditures in the department, and it involves a bigger budget and more firefighters. Baker was responding to an audit of the department’s overtime expenditures released in April. As the Austin […]
Posted inCity Council
Council seeks bigger Downtown Austin Community Court budget
City Council last week endorsed adding funds to the budget of the Downtown Austin Community Court and expanding the area served by the court. The court concentrates on providing justice diversion and community services to the city’s homeless population. It currently adjudicates a variety of class C misdemeanors committed in three areas: downtown, the area […]
Posted inWhispers
New appointments may help commissions
Members of both the Board of Adjustment and the Ethics Review Commission complained recently that their work has been made more difficult by insufficient membership. City Council members are required to fill specific positions. At the Ethics Review Commission, Chair Luis Soberon said the group was having trouble doing its work and pointed out vacancies […]
Posted inWhispers
Environmental Democrats reject Zilker Park plan
Austin Environmental Democrats has joined the chorus of voices rejecting the Zilker Park Vision Plan. The group announced on Friday that 80 percent of voting members (28 members) had voted against endorsement, while 17 percent (six members) wanted to endorse the plan. One voter was neutral. The vote aligns with a poll commissioned by Rewild […]
Posted inPolice
Cops can keep license plate information for 7 days under new agreement
City Council voted 9-1 on Thursday to move forward with funding for an automated license plate reader contract, specifically authorizing the Austin Police Department to hold on to data for just seven days. The police department had argued in favor of 30 days. There was insufficient support on Council for that amount of time when […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council takes a step toward ending compatibility standards
City Council members on Thursday took their first major step toward making key changes to rules limiting the height of buildings near single-family homes on a citywide basis. Austin’s compatibility rules, which are among the strictest in the country, have been blamed consistently for the city’s failure to produce reasonably priced housing. Last fall, the […]
Posted inWhispers
Watson lays groundwork for city manager search
A post on the City Council Message Board from Mayor Kirk Watson says he has been working on a draft request for proposals for a search firm to help the city find a new city manager. Spencer Cronk, the previous city manager, was fired for his response to last February’s winter storm. Council members also […]
Posted inCity Hall
Ethics commission dismisses complaints over Zilker Park votes
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan continues to generate controversy. This week, accusations about the motivations of two of the plan’s supporters came before the Ethics Review Commission. In April, Austinite Teri Adams filed two complaints with the Ethics Review Commission. One was against Hanna Cofer, a member of the Environmental Commission and chief operating […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin firefighter on the short list to lead Arlington FD
The North Texas city of Arlington has named five finalists to take over as fire chief and director of the Emergency Management Department, including Austin’s Assistant Fire Chief Richard L. Davis Jr. Davis has 30 years of service with AFD. Other finalists include Jack H. Andrade of the Kansas City Fire Department in Kansas; Alvin […]