Mark Richardson

Acting on the recommendations of the Energy Efficiency Upgrades Task Force, the City Council voted unanimously Thursday to move forward with a program that Austin Energy estimates will save property owners more than one-half billion dollars over the next decade.   Under the program, which will begin next summer, the owners of most single-family homes […]

The City of Austin has filed a document with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality removing its long-standing opposition to the expansion of Sunset Farms Landfill on Giles Road sought by BFI Waste Systems. The motion, filed late Friday by the city’s legal staff with TCEQ and the State Office of Administrative Hearings, contains an […]

At their meeting Thursday night, some members of the board of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEAD) objected strongly to the idea that they consider a name change to coincide with the possible annexation of western Travis County.   Meeting in a special called session, the BSEACD Board was considering the details of […]

Council Members Brewster McCracken and Lee Leffingwell, both possible candidates for Mayor next year, engaged in a verbal sparring Tuesday during the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting. The two openly disagreed over the use of funds from Austin Bergstrom International Airport as a means of financing a light rail system.   The exchange came […]

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union have voted by a decisive margin to reject Capital Metro’s final contract offer, setting up the possibility that bus drivers and mechanics could go out on strike as early as this weekend.   Union officials say they will announce a possible strike date on Friday, while Capital Metro/StarTran officials […]

Members of Solid Waste Advisory Commission revealed at a work session last night that they plan to call on either City Manager Marc Ott or the City Council to perform a management audit of Solid Waste Services to determine if the department is being managed properly. SWAC Chair Gerard Acuña said the department made major […]

After more than eight months of study and frequent heated debate between realtors and environmentalists—as well as a supporting role in last spring’s City Council elections—a new energy conservation plan has finally emerged to the singing of “Kumbaya.”   The plan, now set to make the rounds of city boards and commissions, would require sellers […]

By carefully crossing all their t’s and dotting all their i’s, the developers of the 265-acre Wildflower Commons planned unit development (PUD) earned a recommendation for a number of variances from the Environmental Board last week.   The project, located at the intersection of MoPac Boulevard and SH 45 South, is on property in the […]

The Associated Press reported that voters turned out in record numbers from Houston to El Paso on Monday in what many believe will be a vote of unprecedented proportions in Texas. And Travis County was no exception.   Whether it’s a win for the Democrats or the Republicans, this Nov. 4 will be groundbreaking. It’s […]

With the major banks and brokerages failing and the stock market dropping value in epic proportions, a panel of economic advisers told the Austin City Council Thursday that while there may be some tough times ahead, Austin is well-positioned to deal with an economic downturn.   Council members asked City Manager Marc Ott to prepare […]

The sprawling Precinct 3 takes up almost half of the land in Travis County, including almost all of the land west of the MoPac Expressway.  It contains some of the most expensive, beautiful and environmentally sensitive land in Texas.   Since 2002, it has been the domain Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, a conservative Republican best known […]

The city’s Solid Waste Services Department – at a time when it has just published a Zero Waste plan and instituted a new Single Stream Recycling program – has stopped work on developing a new Materials Recycling Facility. SWS has also signed a contract with an outside firm to handle its recyclables, but at terms […]