Stories by Kali Bramble
Student-led civics project comes to life with passage of food equity resolution
Students with the St. Edward’s University Civics Lab celebrated the fruits of their labor this past Wednesday, as City Council members geared up to pass a resolution that would connect public transportation infrastructure to food equity initiatives. The resolution, which…
City Council • By Kali Bramble • Apr 27, 2022
Voters could decriminalize marijuana possession, ban no-knock search warrants
Voters will have a chance this month to determine whether the city of Austin will adopt two new ordinances that would eliminate low-level marijuana charges and ban no-knock search warrants. The special election, which began in-person early voting on Monday…
Bonds & Propositions • By Kali Bramble • Apr 26, 2022
AISD Board of Trustees reckons with mounting constraints in preliminary budget outline
The Austin ISD Board of Trustees was up late last Thursday bracing for a challenging budget cycle in coming months. Chief Financial Officer Eduardo Ramos closed the marathon information session with a presentation outlining preliminary revenues and expenditures for the…
AISD • By Kali Bramble • Apr 20, 2022
Public Health Committee hears update on $11 million child care investment
Staff members leading city and county efforts to expand child care services gave City Council’s Public Health Committee an update last Wednesday on the impacts of last year’s budget cycle. Last summer, Council approved the investment of $11 million in…
Education • By Kali Bramble • Apr 18, 2022
Controversial Fourth Street high-rise gears up for first public hearing with landmark commission
The Historic Landmark Commission’s architectural review committee hosted an unusually full conference room on Monday, as developers revealed their initial rendering of a 40-floor high-rise that would occupy the majority of a block in the center of Austin’s warehouse district.…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Apr 13, 2022
Council approves social services funding despite anticipating tightest budget in years
The pressures of anticipated budget constraints loomed large over City Council’s discussion of funding social services last Thursday. The conversation followed Council’s approval of Austin Public Health’s request for $6,727,158 across 17 15-month contracts with youth services providers, with four…
City Council • By Kali Bramble • Apr 11, 2022
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Austin Energy seeks to bridge revenue gap through changes to service costs
Austin Energy customers can anticipate changes to their bills in the near future, as the utility gears up to revise its base rate charges by 2023. Russell Maenius, vice president of finance, and Tammy Cooper, vice president of communications, spoke…
Energy • By Kali Bramble • Apr 7, 2022
Public education advocates sound alarm on 'broken' school financing system
Fighting the compounding pressures of the Covid pandemic and decreasing enrollment numbers, public education advocates have been working hard to address the impact of Texas’ financing system on the chronically underfunded Austin Independent School District. Texas School Coalition Executive Director…
AISD • By Kali Bramble • Apr 4, 2022
St. Edward's students lead effort to tackle food accessibility in Austin
Students at St. Edward’s University’s Civics Lab are seeking to bring a class project to fruition this year, even if the work extends far beyond the classroom. Following a year of policy development and advocacy led by political science professor…
Austin • By Kali Bramble • Apr 1, 2022
Zoning battle ends in victory for Grady and Brownie project
More condos and retail space are coming to North Austin following City Council’s approval of a contentious zoning case last Thursday. Despite neighborhood opposition backed by a valid petition, Council unanimously approved zoning changes for the Grady & Brownie mixed-use…
Zoning • By Kali Bramble • Mar 29, 2022
In time for spring, Living Streets initiative making it easier to throw a block party
Just in time for spring, the Transportation Department stopped by the City Council Mobility Committee meeting to share progress on the Living Streets initiative passed by Council last October. The Living Streets program encourages the use of city streets as…
Planning • By Kali Bramble • Mar 23, 2022
Animal center struggles to quell public concern over out-of-state transfers
Animal Advisory commissioners continue to question the shelter’s transfer of animals to partner shelters, but thus far are still waiting for answers. The conversation began last month, when commissioners issued a resolution to more closely monitor out-of-county and out-of-state transport…
