On July 12, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to deny developers of Travis Club, a subdivision plan at Bee Creek Road and Thurman Bend Drive with a golf course and marina, the ability to move ahead with phase one of construction before a traffic impact analysis is conducted. However, commissioners expressed approval of other […]
Seth Smalley
Posted inPublic Health
County moves ahead with plan to expand community access to naloxone
Travis County Health and Human Services has identified a vendor to implement its plan to increase access to the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone in the community. The plan, which will cost approximately $350,000, is part of HHS’ response to the Travis County Commissioners Court’s May 24 declaration of a public health crisis related to drug […]
Posted inTravis County
Survey: Dependable water and access to food top of mind in Travis County
A record high number of respondents answered the 2022 Travis County community issues survey, according to a county public information officer. Just under 2,500 people responded to the survey, ranking their preferences on a wide range of important issues in the area from a list of over 20. The countywide survey asked residents to rank, […]
Posted inHousing
Travis County opens applications to very low-income residents for housing voucher waitlist
Next month, on the first of July at 8 a.m., a relatively small number of low-income residents will get the opportunity to settle or continue to stay in Travis County. That’s because the Housing Authority of Travis County is opening up its waitlist for Section 8 housing choice voucher applications to 500 people. Eligible applicants […]
Posted inTravis County
Procedural change sparks disagreement at Commissioners Court
Travis County commissioners approved a revision last week to the Commissioners Court agenda setting procedure. Now, any agenda item that will have a budgetary impact must first go through the Planning and Budget Office for analysis before a vote. While commissioners Brigid Shea, Margaret Gómez and Jeffrey Travillion voted in favor of the resolution, County […]
Posted inHousing
County, nonprofits prepare to administer supportive housing resolution
The Travis County Commissioners Court met for a work session Thursday to review the ongoing, federally funded affordable housing initiatives in the Austin area. Multiple nonprofits are preparing to build supportive housing in Travis County using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, earmarked for use by commissioners last year. The nine groups – the Other […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Growing jail populace in Travis County, review finds
The Travis County jail population is increasing, according to a recent report from Justice Planning. The uptick is largely due to increases in the number of first- and second-degree felony charges and the average length of stay for those bookings. The jail population is currently about 2,100, up from a low of about 1,400 last year. “You […]
Posted inTravis County
County to add paid parental leave for employees, but will it be enough?
Tomorrow, the Travis County Commissioners Court will take action on a paid parental leave policy for all county workers, but with multiple policies still to choose from, the magnitude and impact of how they decide remains uncertain. While county staff will be presenting a menu of possibilities to the court, with varying lengths of benefit, […]
Posted inPublic Health
Early April is for respecting public health, county decrees
In a retroactive move that was unanimously approved last Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court proclaimed the week of April 4 Public Health Week. According to the American Public Health Association, the first week of April each year is National Public Health Week, a time to focus on community health and the contributions of those […]
Posted inRoads
Travis County to make improvements to substandard county roads
There are about 108 miles of substandard, unmaintained and “often unpaved” roads in Travis County, according to a recently circulated county document. The Travis County Commissioners Court passed a resolution Tuesday to improve these roads, specifically by increasing funding for county road infrastructure and reshaping an existing program. “The provision of safe, high-quality local road […]
Posted inHousing
As housing protections expire, Travis County observes bump in evictions
Travis County is seeing a wave, not a tsunami of evictions, according to Precinct 5 Judge Nick Chu. A more substantial increase in evictions had been forecast as federal and local eviction protections wore off. But last Tuesday, the judge told the Travis County Commissioners Court it was just a bump – a 7 percent […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Travis County explores impact of legal representation during intake process
Travis County and Texas A&M are teaming up to administer a pilot study that will examine the effects of providing arrestees with legal counsel at first appearance. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court received an update on the upcoming grant-funded pilot program, a partnership with the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M and […]