Council approved a zoning change Thursday in the University Hills/Windsor Park neighborhood that will allow not only multifamily units for domestic violence survivors but also office space for the engineering firm Civilitude. According to the developer, the SAFE Alliance will provide 60 residential units and support services for those families. The alliance will own the […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inElections
Campaign finance reports show who’s got the money
With less than a month to go before Election Day, the latest campaign finance reports show that in the mayor’s race, former senator and mayor Kirk Watson continues to outraise his opponents by large margins. According to records filed Tuesday, Watson had raised more than $244,600 since July and still has more than $821,000 in […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council puts off making environmental code changes
City Council opted Thursday to postpone a decision on changes to the city’s environmental regulations related to drainage, landscape and site plan requirements. Staff and environmentalists argue the changes are important updates to regulations related to stormwater drainage, wastewater infrastructure, landscape requirements and wetland protections. The Planning Commission had already recommended postponing certain sections of […]
Posted inElections
Report raises questions about campaign loan for District 9 candidate
Kym Olson has received little media attention since late August, when she designated a treasurer for her campaign for the District 9 seat on Austin City Council. Olson, who serves in the Texas State Guard as a protocol officer and deputy public affairs officer at Camp Mabry, filed her first campaign finance report with the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council facing tough decisions on Austin Energy charges
Facing an increasing deficit in its collections for fuel costs to run Austin Energy, City Council must quickly make a decision about increasing the power supply adjustment that all customers pay. The matter is on this week’s Council agenda. While some members may wish to put off a decision that will increase customers’ bills, Tuesday’s […]
Posted inWhispers
New PAC established to support Israel
Last week, the Austin city clerk’s office received paperwork establishing a political action committee supporting the mayoral candidacy of Celia Israel. It’s a development Israel supporters have been looking for over the past several months. The campaign treasurer, based in Washington, D.C., is Turcan Hockaday, described online as a veteran of political campaigns. The person […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council OKs staff to negotiate over HealthSouth contract
Last week, City Council directed city staff to move forward with negotiations with Aspen Heights Partners, the NHP Foundation and Capital A Housing on redeveloping the HealthSouth site at 12th Street and Red River. But it wasn’t a simple vote: Council Member Kathie Tovo and Mayor Steve Adler added some amendments to the staff plan, although […]
Posted inHousing
Capital A working to finalize two affordable housing projects
Just a little over two years ago, Conor Kenny and Fayez Kazi, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the city’s Planning Commission, stepped down from their posts and began working on an ambitious plan to help the city out of what Kazi calls a “looming generational housing crisis.” Kazi is the founder and CEO of […]
Posted inCourts
Toll road agency, tech firm square off in court
At the end of a lengthy hearing Tuesday, Judge Eric Shepperd of Travis County Court at Law No. 2 told lawyers for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and the technology company suing the agency he would be back with a decision as soon as possible on whether the toll road authority must repair drainage […]
Posted inWhispers
Even with soaring overtime costs, APD spends below budget
As of September 2022, the Austin Police Department had 280 vacancies in its sworn staff. Of those, 99 were the result of retirements, according to Jason Matson, the department’s research and planning division manager. He said the department had budgeted for 1,809 positions, but only 1,529 of those were filled by late September. Matson reported to […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council likely to vote on negotiation only for Aspen Heights deal
At Tuesday’s work session, City Council members praised a proposed final agreement with Aspen Heights Partners for a large development at 1215 Red River St. and 606 East 12th St., formerly known as HealthSouth. They were particularly appreciative of the fact that the development will include 921 new apartments as well as other amenities, such […]
Posted inAustin
Is Austin still weird?
“Is Austin becoming less like itself?” As four local politicians – Travis County Judge Andy Brown, County Attorney Delia Garza, Mayor Steve Adler and state Rep. Sheryl Cole – attempted to answer Austin American-Statesman reporter Ryan Autullo’s question at the Texas Tribune Festival Saturday, they reflected on their introductions to Austin. During Delia Garza’s first visit to […]