Leaders at Austin Water Utility are pushing back on the recommendations of a committee tasked with finding alternatives to a water rate increase of more than 10 percent. The Joint Committee on Austin Water Utility’s Financial Plan met May 7 to discuss a possible rate increase for customers caused by the city’s drought. Water […]
Kara Nuzback
Posted inLocal Politics
Ethics commission balks, files no charges against former commissioner
The Austin Ethics Review Commission will take no action against former Zero Waste Advisory Commission member Daniela Ochoa Gonzalez for alleged ethics violations. City Auditor Kenneth Mory released an April 18 report accusing Ochoa Gonzalez of violating conflict of interest regulations by discussing and voting on items related to Texas Disposal Systems at three […]
Posted inEnvironment
Commission OKs recycling, composting plan for mobile food trucks
A city panel is working to encourage recycling and composting among Austin’s myriad mobile food trucks. The Zero Waste Advisory Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend amending city code to allow food trucks to use unattached trash receptacles, a practice currently forbidden by the health code. According to the Public Health Services and […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Transportation
SH45 SW opponents say roadway would cause damage to aquifer
State officials expect to have an environmental impact study of the proposed four-lane State Highway 45 Southwest ready for public review within the next two months. Challengers of the toll road plan say it would expose the Barton Springs zone of the Edwards Aquifer and natural features above it to damage and pollutants, and do […]
Posted inDevelopment, Public Safety
Building and Standards Commission eases sanction for code violations
An Austin homeowner facing a glut of building code violations says his house was not inspected before he bought it in 2005, during the national housing bubble. Austin’s Building and Standards Commission voted unanimously last week to give homeowner Ricardo Ordonez an extra 60 days to sell his house, which he says, he has […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Split Council rejects high-dollar condos in low-income neighborhood
In a 4-3 vote, the Austin City Council narrowly denied a zoning change to allow for condos on a plot of land at 600 Kemp St., a small road that runs perpendicular to Montopolis Drive. Council Members Laura Morrison, Mike Martinez, Bill Spelman and Kathie Tovo voted against the new zoning. Before the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Critics say city’s new Urban Forest Plan lacks substance
Last week, the Austin City Council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Austin Urban Forest Plan: A Master Plan for Public Properties. However, critics say it falls short of a comprehensive plan, addressing only public property, which accounts for just 5 percent of the city’s trees. The plan was developed by Austin’s Urban Forestry […]
Posted inDevelopment
Standards Commission imposes hefty fine for neglected house
Austin’s Code Compliance Department is making efforts to resolve outstanding cases involving dilapidated homes, but some members of the city’s Building and Standards Commission say the department’s fines are too high, and the city should take more responsibility for homes that have fallen under the radar. In a vote of 5-2, the commission voted […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council OKs extension of Pressler Street through Lamar Beach
Despite safety concerns expressed by neighborhood residents, the City Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to extend Pressler Street by 980 feet, through Lamar Beach parkland. The proposed extension would create a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly alternative route from the Old West Austin Neighborhood to West Cesar Chavez Street. During a public hearing before the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Design Commission mandates right of way upgrade for condo project
A developer planning a 163-unit condominium project downtown near Shoal Creek is finding that flood plain requirements are making it difficult to comply with the city’s urban design guidelines. The Austin Design Commission voted unanimously Monday to require developer Riverside Resources to modify its plan for a 37-story condo building on the corner of […]