Stories by Savana Dunning
Zero Waste Advisory Commission recommends city adopt Climate Equity Plan, create climate committee
The Zero Waste Advisory Commission has unanimously recommended that City Council adopt the new Climate Equity Plan. At the Oct. 14 meeting of the Zero Waste Commission, Commissioner Kaiba White presented a resolution from the Joint Sustainability Committee, the group…
City Hall • By Savana Dunning • Oct 19, 2020
Travis County reallocates CARES Act housing assistance funding to meet deadlines, talks Covid-19 plasma funding effort
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to reallocate Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding in order to spend all of its funding before the Dec. 30 deadline. Travis County received $61,147,507.20 from the federal CARES Act.…
Travis County • By Savana Dunning • Oct 16, 2020
Travis County to create cohesive homelessness outreach plan
The Travis County Commissioners Court has created a new temporary project worker position tasked with developing a cohesive homeless outreach plan for the county, following a separate request by a county constable. In March, the Commissioners Court approved a census…
Travis County • By Savana Dunning • Oct 14, 2020
Watershed Protection Department seeks to fill gaps in city regulation for creekside health
The Watershed Protection Department recently discovered two pieces of regulation missing from Austin’s land use code that could aid and restore the health of the city’s many creeks. Ana Gonzalez, a senior environmental scientist with the department, presented the issue at…
Environment • By Savana Dunning • Oct 9, 2020
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City looks to support waste collection workers amid pandemic stresses
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to keep many people at home more often, Austin Resource Recovery finds itself steadily losing the staff needed to manage the increased volume of household garbage. City Council passed a resolution Oct. 1 to mitigate…
City Council • By Savana Dunning • Oct 8, 2020
AISD establishes 2020 Election Day as school holiday
Austin Independent School District students now have Election Day off this year following a decision by the AISD Board of Trustees to declare Tuesday, Nov. 3, a school holiday. The board voted to amend the 2020-21 school calendar at its…
Elections • By Savana Dunning • Sep 30, 2020
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Over half the city's Covid-19 relief programs enter funding distribution stages
By the end of September, nine of the 13 established economic relief programs for those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic will have entered their funding distribution phase, providing money to Austinites in need. In a Sept. 23 progress report, Chief…
City Council • By Savana Dunning • Sep 29, 2020
Design Commission work group starts process to revise Urban Design Guidelines
The Design Commission’s newly formed Urban Design work group has begun talks to revise the city’s Urban Design Guidelines, which are more than 10 years old. Unlike Austin’s zoning code, which contains the city’s building and construction requirements, the Urban Design…
City Hall • By Savana Dunning • Sep 28, 2020
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New changes to Congress Avenue mark step toward permanent street redesign
Austin Transportation is installing the first of many temporary safety and mobility additions to Congress Avenue this week as the interim step toward the city’s complete redesign project launched in 2017. During the four- to six-week phased installation process, the…
Roads • By Savana Dunning • Sep 25, 2020
Animal Advisory Commission tables HASS discussion for now
With the Animal Advisory Commission still in disagreement over the recommendation that Austin join a decentralized shelter pilot program, commissioners decided to push the decision to October. While commissioners were entirely in agreement over one item, voting unanimously to ask…
City Hall • By Savana Dunning • Sep 22, 2020
Animal Advisory Commission to vote for new animal shelter pilot program
The Animal Advisory Commission is voting on a recommendation Monday for Austin to adopt a decentralized, foster home-based approach to animal services. Although the Austin Animal Center is considered an essential service by city ordinance, the shelter has had difficulties…
City Hall • By Savana Dunning • Sep 21, 2020
Animal Advisory Commission asks Council to unfreeze hiring for animal protection officers
The Animal Advisory Commission unanimously approved a recommendation for City Council to unfreeze hiring for certain Animal Services staff Monday. Currently, 12 full-time positions that had been budgeted for in the 2020 budget remain vacant in the Animal Services Department.…
