City Council voted 7-2 Thursday, with two members abstaining, to approve a zoning change that will allow for development of some market-rate and some affordable condominium housing at 508 Kemp St. in the Montopolis neighborhood. Council members Alison Alter and Kathie Tovo voted no and Council members Leslie Pool and Ann Kitchen abstained. That vote […]
Jo Clifton
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Posted inWhispers
Hurricane Laura evacuees find shelter here
As the high-powered hurricane named Laura barreled toward the Texas and Louisiana coast Wednesday, thousands of people heeded the warning that the storm would be “unsurvivable,” and headed north. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Steve Adler noted that the city had put a little more than 3,000 Gulf Coast guests fleeing the storm […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit outlines challenges for Millennium Youth Complex
The Office of the City Auditor has found numerous problems at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex in East Austin, starting with the city’s failure to effectively manage and monitor its agreements with the Austin Rosewood Community Development Corporation. The duties of the nonprofit ARCDC include oversight of the agreement with SMG, the for-profit company in […]
Posted inWater
Tesla urged to use water-saving measures
As Tesla speeds ahead with converting an old sand and gravel mining site in eastern Travis County into a manufacturing facility for its Cybertruck and Model Y SUV, City Council members have begun asking questions about how much water the plant might use and whether Tesla owner Elon Musk would be willing to take steps […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit highlights inefficiencies at cultural centers
Inefficient operations and a lack of strategic direction have threatened the city’s ability to provide for an increase in cultural opportunities for city residents, according to an extensive audit unveiled by the Office of the City Auditor during the City Council Audit & Finance Committee meeting Wednesday. The audit, which Council requested in 2019, required […]
Posted inTravis County
Lovins ready for uphill fight in county judge race
Although he did not make a decision to run for Travis County Judge until Sunday, the day before the filing deadline, Republican candidate Michael Lovins says he is ready to fight. Lovins acknowledges that he will have an uphill battle against Andy Brown, the newly minted Democratic nominee for the seat. Because Travis County is […]
Posted inElections
Twenty candidates set to run for Council
While most Austinites were focused on Covid-19, whether or not to send their children to school and how to pay the rent, a surprising number of people – 20 to be exact – signed up to have their names on the November ballot for a seat on City Council. The filing deadline was 5 p.m. […]
Posted inParks
Neighbors of Bright Leaf worry about fire risk
After a City Council vote on July 29 allowing the city to take over management of Bright Leaf Preserve from the Austin Community Foundation, some residents worried about what that might mean for their Northwest Austin neighborhoods, especially in terms of wildfire prevention. The 216-acre nature preserve, the legacy of Georgia B. Lucas, is located south […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Precinct chairs ready to elect new county judge
With former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt taking her seat in the Texas Senate, and no name on the November ballot for Travis County judge, the duty of selecting that nominee falls on the 136 Democratic precinct chairs who normally work on efforts such as getting out the vote. Republicans could also select a nominee […]
Posted inWhispers
Elfant explains Text2Register tool
Bruce Elfant, who serves as Travis County voter registrar in addition to his duties as tax assessor-collector, has a strong record on getting county residents registered to vote. Despite the pandemic, the county has 832,797 registered voters. “We are at 95.1 percent, the highest of any county in Texas,” Elfant said. Still, Covid-19 has made […]
Posted inDevelopment
Neighbors, developer reach deal on apartments
Neighbors living close to 10801 Wayne Riddell Loop, which is slated for a 750-unit apartment complex, were dismayed to learn of the developer’s original plans. They worried that the complex would bring an untenable number of cars into the area and add to flooding problems for the Slaughter and Onion Creek neighborhoods. But after developer […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin police support Protect and Serve PAC
In response to the nationwide movement to reduce funding for police departments, police in Fort Worth have launched the Protect and Serve PAC, a federal super PAC. According to the group’s spokesman, Manny Ramirez, president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, the group’s mission is to highlight candidates who embrace what the PAC calls […]