The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation of Texas have filed a civil rights complaint against the Austin Independent School District over the opening of a pair of two single-sex middle schools, the Gus Garcia Young Men’s Academy and the Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy. The civil rights organizations want an […]
Mark Richardson
Mark Richardson is a multimedia journalist, editor and writer who has worked in digital, print and broadcast media for three decades. He is a nationally recognized editor and reporter who has covered government, politics and the environment. A journalism graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, he was recently awarded a Foundation for Investigative Journalism grant and has three Associated Press Managing Editors awards for excellence in reporting.
Posted inWhispers
Commissioners fund new family court
Caught between a critical need for an additional judge for family court and a promise to hold the line on tax increases, Travis County Commissioners voted Wednesday to allocate $424,000 for a new court to hear child protection cases. Earlier in the budget process, District Judge Lora Livingston told the commissioners that children and parents […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County employees get a raise
Travis County Commissioners granted rank-and-file employees a flat $1,000 a year raise, and granted peace officers such as sheriff’s deputies and park rangers a one-step increase in their pay scale. The raises, which are limited to employees who make less than $100,000, will cost the county about $5 million. Commissioner Ron Davis objected to spending […]
Posted inWhispers
Travis County health care bill over budget
Travis County Commissioners received a large and unexpected health care bill Tuesday. According to Jessica Rio of the county Planning and Budget office, they needed an additional $4 million for the rest of the fiscal year to cover the cost of claims for county employees. Travis County is self-insured, meaning that it directly pays the […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics
Commissioners approve new county parking plan
After a long and sometimes emotional hearing Tuesday, a divided Travis County Commissioners Court approved a new parking program that did not include a “loyalty” zone reserved mainly for long-term employees. Under the new plan, many employees would lose their reserved spaces, but all would have access to a specific parking zone. The court voted […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics
AG’s opinion could revive battle over bag ban
A Texas attorney general’s opinion issued late Friday could revive a long-running battle over the banning of single-use plastic bags from stores in Austin and a handful of other cities in Texas. An opinion signed by Attorney General Greg Abbott states that an ordinance like the one in effect in Austin could be in violation […]
Posted inWhispers
City recycling adds hard plastics to mix
Austin Resource Recovery is extending its curbside recycling program to accept all hard plastics in its blue recycling carts for pickup at no extra cost. Resource Recovery officials say that in addition to plastic bottles and containers, items such as buckets, lawn chairs, laundry baskets, pet carriers, milk crates, non-battery operated toys, totes and lids, tubs, flower […]
Posted inWhispers
Telles to leave city for AISD post
Reyne Telles, media manager for the city’s Public Information Office, has accepted the position of executive director for the Department of Communications and Community Engagement with the Austin Independent School District. Telles is a seven-year veteran at the city and most recently has served as director of communications for Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “I am thankful […]
Posted inWhispers
ABIA tops 1 million passengers milestone
Austin Bergstrom International Airport passed a major milestone in July, logging a record one million passengers traveling through the Barbara Jordan Terminal that month. The airport has experienced passenger growth for 54 of the last 55 months, since January 2010. It is on track in 2014 to pass its 2013 record of 10 million passengers. Part […]
Posted inWhispers
Can software really do this?
Kerry O’Connor, the city’s new innovation officer, is seeking $180,500 to provide “end to end innovation management services.” According to the backup material for this item, the professional services contract with BrightIdea Inc. of San Francisco would help the chief innovation officer to “mobilize energy, create momentum and drive toward viable ideas and projects to […]
Posted inWhispers
Global warming not an issue in City Hall
Council Member Laura Morrison has had a difficult time staying warm in the ice-cold Council Chambers. (And she’s not the only one.) So she is sponsoring a resolution “to promote energy conservation by establishing standard temperature settings during summer months in all city office buildings.” Morrison and Mayor Lee Leffingwell have disagreed about the temperature […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County Commissioners
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 23. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON A PROJECT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. […]