At last week’s meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, commissioners reviewed a rehabilitation case at 1601 Brackenridge St. The home, which was built in 1915, was first inhabited by William and Lettie Webster Davis, two teachers at the Texas School for the Deaf. According to city documents, the couple taught “during a time of great […]
Sean Saldaña
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Proposition C explained
Last month, City Council approved the language for seven ballot propositions Austin residents will cast votes for or against on May 1. Among them was Proposition C, an initiative that would transfer oversight power of the Office of Police Oversight from the city manager to City Council. The ballot language reads as follows: Shall the city […]
Posted inEducation
Rep. Talarico proposes bill for educational equity officers; AISD is a case study
Earlier this month, Rep. James Talarico, who represents Texas’ 52nd District, filed a bill aimed at tackling equity issues within the state’s education systems. Specifically, the bill would require school districts to hire a diversity, equity and inclusion officer. According to the bill’s text, each officer would need experience working with students with limited English proficiency […]
Posted inPublic Health
ADRN distributes 25,000 articles of clothing donated by Uniqlo
Last month, Texas endured a historic winter storm that left millions of people across the state without access to power. At one point during the week of Feb. 15, as many as 40 percent of Austin residents were without power. But as anybody on the ground could observe, things didn’t immediately return to normal as soon as […]
Posted inParks
Trail Foundation safety and mobility study seeks improvements
Stretching 10 miles, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is one of Austin’s most beloved features, receiving more than 4.5 million visits a year. Behind the trail’s natural beauty and serenity, however, are countless hours of planning and execution. The Trail Foundation recently published a safety and mobility study of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, developed with the […]
Posted inPolice
Review commission works through reforms of police procedures
Last summer, amid widespread calls for police reform, Austin City Council adopted Resolution 95, which is aimed at reworking many of the Austin Police Department’s most controversial policies. The resolution ordered APD to implement restrictions on chokeholds, purchases of military equipment, the use of tear gas to control crowds, no-knock warrants and facial recognition technology. […]
Posted inParks
PARD begins to reimagine public safety
Last summer, in the wake of protests against the police killings of Mike Ramos and George Floyd, Austin City Council announced its Reimagining Public Safety initiative. A timeline was released with the goal of reforming “public safety over the years, including conducting an investigation of systemic discrimination and bias within APD and establishing the Office of Police […]
Posted inParks
Parks board endorses push for more benches in city parks
On Feb. 23, Janee Briesemeister, who chairs the Commission on Seniors, sought the Parks and Recreation Board’s endorsement for a recommendation passed by the senior commission back in January. The recommendation advocates for “the placement of benches on trails and other developed parkland areas” by promoting the Memorial Bench Program, a Parks and Recreation Department-run program […]
Posted inParks
PARD director estimates $1 million in weather-related damages
At last week’s Parks and Recreation Board meeting, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley presented the most recent director’s report for the department, highlighting PARD’s response to the historic winter storms and the power outages in the region. According to McNeeley, PARD began opening shelters for Austin’s homeless population as soon as the temperature began to […]
Posted inParks
Austin Parks Foundation gives an update on Zilker train restoration
The Austin Parks Foundation has laid out its plans to restore the beloved train formerly known as the Zilker Zephyr, which ceased operations last year. In January 2020, after more than two decades in operation, the owners of the Zephyr announced in a Facebook post that they were shutting down for good after rainstorms in […]
Posted inParks
PARD gives update on cemetery improvement plans
Last September, around 15 gravestones were vandalized with blue paint at Evergreen Cemetery in East Austin, the city’s first municipal graveyard for Black residents when it was founded in 1926. Commenting on the event, Mayor Steve Adler tweeted that the attack was “incredibly sad, leaving many with overarching anger and fear. Most acutely felt by […]
Posted inParks
Parks department needs 600 lifeguards by May
In anticipation of the upcoming swim season, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley submitted a memorandum to City Council on Jan. 22 that contained an update on maintenance and staffing in the city’s aquatics department. The memo states that the Aquatic Division is looking to hire 600 lifeguards for the summer season. In a follow-up […]