At the Climate, Water, Environment and Parks Committee meeting Monday, Austin officials reported $2.5 million in savings from electrifying the city’s fleet and outlined plans to nearly double the electric vehicle fleet size by 2030 as part of a broader push to cut emissions and grow citywide charging infrastructure. “Every electric vehicle that we deploy […]
Madeline de Figueiredo
Posted inResources
Austin Resource Recovery expands waste services and reuse programs
Austin Resource Recovery shared the department’s latest initiatives with the Environmental Commission, detailing expanded waste collection services and sustainability programs aimed at keeping Austin cleaner and advancing the city’s zero-waste goals. Ron Romero, Assistant Director of Austin Resource Recovery, said the department continues to enhance its core curbside programs: weekly trash and compost collection, and […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission approves heritage tree removal for East Austin housing project
The Environmental Commission voted to approve the removal of a 32-inch heritage pecan tree in East Austin to allow construction of a 120-unit supportive housing project for youth exiting foster care and the juvenile justice system. “This is the exact kind of project I wish we saw all the time on this commission because it’s […]
Posted inCity Hall
Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland to retire following administrative leave
The city announced last week that Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland will retire, effective May 9, following his placement on administrative leave in early March. Bland, the director of the Austin Animal Center since 2019, was placed on administrative leave on March 7. The city did not provide specific reasons for the decision, but […]
Posted inPublic Health
City intensifies efforts to encourage vaccination amid state’s worst measles outbreak in decades
Last Thursday, Austin city leaders marked the 30th anniversary of a program that provides free vaccines to children as Texas faces its worst measles outbreak in over three decades. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can spread through coughing, sneezing and contaminated surfaces and can lead to complications such as pneumonia and swelling […]
Posted inAustin
Council members celebrate unanimous defeat of bill that proposed putting Austin under state control
Austin City Council members celebrated the resounding defeat of House Bill 274 on Wednesday, a bill that would have created the “District of Austin” as the state’s official seat of government. “Our message is loud and clear: local leaders are best equipped to address local needs. The overwhelming rebuke from members of the state Legislature […]
Posted inHousing
Eviction crisis spreads as affordability pressures worsen
A record-breaking 13,210 evictions were filed in Travis County in 2024, according to a memo released last week from BASTA (Building and Strengthening Tenant Action), a project of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. The memo, a snapshot with key evictions-related findings from 2024, found that the typical eviction case lasted around 20 days, and the median […]
Posted inBudget
Technology Commission approves FY 26 budget recommendations to address digital equity
Austin’s Technology Commission unanimously approved five recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, based on a digital needs assessment, to address digital equity in Austin including funding for affordable devices, expanded public internet access and increased digital skills training for underserved residents. City staff presented findings from the city of Austin and Travis County’s collaborative […]
Posted inParks
Parks and Rec Board to explore “rainbow bridge” pet memorial
The Parks and Recreation Board voted Tuesday to form a working group tasked with exploring the creation of a “rainbow bridge” pet memorial at a city park. The proposed interactive feature would allow park visitors to honor their pets, particularly dogs, that have passed away. Chair Pedro Villalobos highlighted the success of similar rainbow bridges […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
After the Planning Commission denied the request for a commercial electric-vehicle charging lot in East Austin last April, the project is moving forward based on an ordinance passed by City Council. Last April, the Planning Commission voted 7-3-3 to deny the request for the commercial fleet EV charging station that would not be open to […]
Posted inTravis County
Commissioner Travillion finds integration of public services as key to success
In 2024, Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion approached his work with a clear conviction: The challenges facing East Austinites are deeply interconnected. To truly serve his constituents, he recognized that solving these issues required a multidimensional approach – what he calls the integration of public services – rather than tackling them one by one. “If […]
Posted inCity Council
Council Member José Velásquez seeks to reframe local representation
As Council Member José Velásquez tackled a wide array of issues in 2024, he has remained focused on the three tenets that guide his work and decision-making: “affordability, accessibility and action.” Pursuing these principles has pushed him to redefine the boundaries of local representation. “We really wanted to change the narrative around what representative government […]