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Stories by Mina Shekarchi
December Parks and Recreation Department report identifies needs for senior and recreation facilities
Last week, Jesús Aguirre, the new director of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), sent a memo summarizing the findings of the department’s Recreation and Senior Center Facility Assessment and Gap Analysis Report. The report, released in December, identified priority…
Austin • By Mina Shekarchi • Feb 21, 2025
Evaluation will resume this month on proposal to consolidate and eliminate some boards and commissions
Discussions about a proposal from Council Member Ryan Alter to revamp the city’s citizen advisory boards are set to continue. In a City Council Message Board post on Wednesday, Alter provided an update on his December resolution (which Council unanimously…
City Hall • By Mina Shekarchi • Feb 14, 2025
Public Safety Commission discusses and recommends improvements to data transparency on sex crimes
During the Public Safety Commission meeting on Monday, members took several small but hard-fought steps to improve Austin’s response to sexual assault. The commission discussed data related to sexual assault with presentations from the Austin Police Department, the SAFE Alliance…
Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Feb 6, 2025
Council to consider a resolution to examine response to mental health-related 911 and 311 calls
One item on the hefty agenda for the first regular City Council meeting of 2025 will explore how the city responds to mental health-related incidents. This resolution, authored by Council Member Chito Vela, directs the city manager to prepare a…
Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Jan 30, 2025
Paige Ellis is feeling energized for Council collaboration on parks, climate and mobility in 2025
If Paige Ellis had to sum up City Council’s work this year in one word, she said she would choose “momentum.” Ellis, who represents Southwest Austin’s District 8, has served on Council through a series of challenges that were truly…
City Council • By Mina Shekarchi • Jan 2, 2025
Mike Siegel plans to balance ‘big goals and broad ambitions’ with pragmatism during his first year on Council
After winning a close runoff election on Dec. 15, incoming District 7 City Council Member Mike Siegel told the Austin Monitor he is feeling “tired, busy and excited.” Siegel, a former assistant city attorney and organizer with Ground Game Texas,…
City Council • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 30, 2024
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After a close race, Bledsoe and Siegel share perspectives on runoff results
After what looks to be a narrow victory in Saturday’s runoff election, Mike Siegel will serve as the next representative for North Austin’s District 7. Cinching the win over opponent Gary Bledsoe by around 200 votes, Siegel will be the…
Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 15, 2024
Reflections and celebrations with outgoing City Council members
The city honored outgoing City Council members Mackenzie Kelly, Leslie Pool and Alison Alter with a special event in advance of their final Council meeting this Thursday. City staff, former Council members, local elected officials, plus family and friends gathered…
City Council • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 12, 2024
Housing and Planning Committee discusses sustainable building design, Land Development Code amendments, and Northeast Planning District
City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee held its final meeting of the year on Tuesday, when members heard updates from city staff on proposed amendments to the Land Development Code, the Northeast Planning District, the city’s Comprehensive Density Bonus analysis…
Development • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 5, 2024
Siegel and Bledsoe face off for District 7 seat
Early voting is underway to determine the next City Council member who will serve North Central Austin’s District 7. In November, none of the six candidates earned more than half of the vote, so the top two candidates are now…
Elections • By Mina Shekarchi • Dec 3, 2024
Council adopts Equity-Based Preservation Plan
After a public hearing on Thursday, City Council approved the Equity-Based Preservation Plan – a new strategy for preserving historic buildings that prioritizes diversity and cultural heritage. The plan was adopted as an ordinance amending the larger Imagine Austin Comprehensive…
Preservation • By Mina Shekarchi • Nov 26, 2024
Council approves updated Water Forward, Conservation and Drought Contingency plans
On Thursday, City Council approved updates to Austin’s Water Forward Plan and to the related Conservation and Drought Contingency plans. Water Forward, Austin’s 100-year integrated water resource plan, was first adopted by the city in 2018, after the record-breaking, nearly…
