Mark Richardson

City Council members will be doing something of a doubleheader today. The Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee, whose members include the mayor and all 10 Council members, meets at 9 a.m. at City Hall. The committee will discuss a number of Austin Energy-related topics, including the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2025 […]

You may remember that the Austin Police Department began enforcing its Don’t Block the Box campaign back on April 6, and it has released results from the first two weeks. The idea behind the program is to keep cars from pulling into busy intersections and then getting caught by the light, blocking cross traffic. According […]

On Monday the Texas House approved on first reading a bill designed to take a number of public corruption cases away from Travis County’s Public Integrity Unit. Final approval is expected today. The bill, House Bill 1690, applies only to corruption allegations against elected or appointed state officials, who would be prosecuted in the official’s home […]

Austin Water Utility is planning a pilot study of a new mobile application designed to help customers better understand and manage their water use. To recruit study participants, vendor Dropcountr will be emailing AWU customers whose addresses are on their billing accounts this week. Testers will be drawn at random from those who respond and will […]

The Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce has named its 2015 Small Business Award winners. More than 600 attendees gathered at the downtown Hilton for the ceremonies last week. This year’s awards included the inaugural Native Star Award, which went to George Howell, a CNN anchor who attended high school and college in Austin. Other […]

Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department is planning a community meeting Tuesday to discuss and gather public input for the Eilers Neighborhood Park Improvement project. The renovation project is part of PARD’s Capital Improvement Program. City officials anticipate renovations to picnic, play, pathway and landscape features of the park. The 8-acre park features Deep Eddy Pool, a […]

The city is hosting a fair housing conference, “Fair Housing in Austin: Past, Present, and Future,” on May 8. Highlights of the conference include sessions on discriminatory advertising, statements and notices; disability rights; ethics and case law; and best practices. David Mintz, vice president of the Texas Apartment Association, will be the keynote speaker. The […]

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department must conduct an assessment to identify and prioritize needs in the community, as required by federal Community Services Block Grant funds the area receives. The federal funds provide support for basic needs, employment support, case management and preventive health services through the department’s six neighborhood centers and three […]

The city’s Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office and Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division will host a conference May 8 highlighting the latest developments and trends in fair housing policy. The theme of the conference is “Fair Housing in Austin: Past, Present, and Future.” The conference will include topics such as Watch What You Say: Discriminatory […]

The Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatics Division is looking to hire more than 750 lifeguards to staff its 50 aquatic facilities this summer.  The Aquatic Administration and Training Facility is hosting three hiring days to give anyone interested in working as a lifeguard, cashier or swim instructor the opportunity to complete an application, interview and register for […]

The Spanish ambassador to the United States will be in Austin today and Thursday to visit with state and local officials and give a speech or two. Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares is a former assistant secretary of state and foreign policy adviser to Spanish Head of Government J.M. Aznar. He will travel accompanied by Houston-based Enric […]

Starting Wednesday, AARP Texas will offer Austin residents opportunities to meet and talk with City Council members.  The “Meet Your Council Member” events aim to promote conversations about how Austin can become an even greater place to live for people of all ages. This week’s meeting will be with District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen. Other […]