A variety of citizens with different opinions on equitable transit-oriented developments had their say at City Council on Thursday before Council adopted a resolution to start the process for choosing policies for the eTODs. One particularly thorny problem brought up by speakers relates to how much parking will be allowed around Project Connect stations and […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inWhispers
Austin airport gears up for super busy spring season
As the rest of the city prepares for a deluge of visitors for SXSW, Dell Match Play, NASCAR, Texas Relays and the CMT Awards, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has also taken steps to prepare for the March and April influx of passengers. Towanda Cordon, acting deputy chief of operations for AUS, says travelers should arrive earlier […]
Posted inCity Charter
New charter review commission proposed
Although the previous City Council didn’t take action on a 2019 special report on citizen initiatives from the Office of the City Auditor, the current Council appears likely to approve creation of a new citizens commission tasked with recommending changes to the city charter. In particular, the potential new commission might consider whether the city […]
Posted inWhispers
Neighborhood voices concerns over traffic bollards
Members of the Barton Hills neighborhood have been fuming for a couple of weeks now over some unusually intrusive traffic-calming devices on Barton Skyway, between Barton Hills Drive and Skyway Circle close to South Lamar. As of late Tuesday afternoon, 575 people had signed a petition to try to convince the city’s Transportation Department to […]
Posted inCourts
Group again sues city over changes to development rules
A group that stopped the city’s rewrite of the Land Development Code has filed a motion in Travis County District Court to undo changes City Council made to the code after that ruling. Led by Francisca Acuña, the group contends the city violated the order when Council approved the Vertical Mixed Use 2 (VMU2) Ordinance, […]
Posted inCourts
Jury says Austin Energy retaliated against employee
Editor’s note: More than two years after the publication of this story, the city won the case at the court of appeals. A Travis County district court jury has voted to award $750,000 to an Austin Energy employee after finding that other city employees retaliated against her after she filed a complaint with the Equal […]
Posted inPolice
Council adopts ordinance to preserve police benefits
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve an ordinance that preserves the pay and benefits Austin police officers currently receive and directs interim City Manager Jesús Garza to come up with incentives for new recruits to the department. Council also directed Garza to develop and implement a program to address the shortage of APD officers by March […]
Posted inRoads
Vela urges TxDOT to cap parts of I-35 through Austin
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Council Member Chito Vela told his colleagues at Tuesday’s City Council work session, referring to cap-and-stitch opportunities for an expanded Interstate 35 through Austin. Vela had prepared a slideshow for an earlier meeting that was canceled, but he put it to good use on Tuesday, impressing Mayor Kirk Watson, who […]
Posted inPolice
Mayor seeks to add sweeteners to ordinance for cops
At Tuesday’s City Council work session, Mayor Kirk Watson added some details to the police pay and benefits ordinance that will be on this Thursday’s agenda. Council Member Ryan Alter authored the proposal in line with ideas Watson outlined on the City Council Message Board last week. Under that proposal, officers would not only continue […]
Posted inWhispers
ATP hosts second meeting on leader
After naming interim Executive Director Greg Canally the sole finalist for the job of permanent executive director of the Austin Transit Partnership, the ATP board has begun a series of community forums on the subject and updated its website. At the first forum, which was held last week and moderated by Kristen Vassallo, Chair Veronica Castro de […]
Posted inWhispers
HLC to consider Broken Spoke historic designation
Austin’s most historic honky-tonk, the Broken Spoke at 3201 S. Lamar, will be the subject of discussion at the city’s Historic Landmark Commission on March 1. Last year, then-Council Member Ann Kitchen started the process of designating the Spoke a city historic landmark by sponsoring a resolution at City Council. Although opposition to the designation […]
Posted inPolice
Council directs negotiators to bring back one-year police contract
City Council voted 9-2 on Wednesday to instruct staff and outside counsel to negotiate a one-year extension of the current contract between the city and the Austin Police Association without taking an explicit position on a four-year deal announced last week by outgoing City Manager Spencer Cronk. Council members Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voted […]