Stories by Seth Smalley
County endorses lower speed limits for two Lake Travis ISD schools
On Tuesday, Travis County hosted a public hearing on speed limit considerations for two schools in Lake Travis Independent School District. As it currently stands, neither Rough Hollow Elementary School nor Bee Cave Middle School has a “school zone,” and…
Roads • By Seth Smalley • Feb 2, 2022
County invests in nonprofits and cash assistance to prevent evictions
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a series of investment strategies to prevent evictions and smooth the potentially rocky transition away from the federally funded Emergency Rental Assistance program to other forms of rental assistance. “The key questions…
Housing • By Seth Smalley • Jan 27, 2022
Transit partnership moves on $17 million contract for consultant
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors met Monday to discuss several important updates to the Austin Transit Partnership (whose board convened last Wednesday), including a multimillion-dollar service contract with the consultancy Ernst and Young. Board Member Eric Stratton…
Transit • By Seth Smalley • Jan 26, 2022
County puts millions toward increasing wages for election workers
The Travis County Commissioners Court is investing big in election infrastructure, putting $1.3 million toward a voting system upgrade, including $700,000 to raise wages for all election workers in the county. “The agenda includes significant investments in our electoral system…
Elections • By Seth Smalley • Jan 21, 2022
As Bastrop wildfire forces evacuations, Travis County issues burn ban
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a burn ban, beginning Thursday, Jan. 20, at the behest of the fire marshal. The ban comes after a few fires broke out in Travis County over the weekend, and a…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 19, 2022
County holds virtual meet-and-greet for county executive candidates
Travis County is hosting a virtual meet-and-greet tomorrow from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to present the final three candidates for the new Health and Human Services county executive position. Juan Duarte is currently the executive director for the Office of…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Jan 18, 2022
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County processes final rental assistance applications, but will need more money to prevent evictions
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court received news that only 443 applications for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program – a recently discontinued county program – have yet to be processed, a number significantly down from last week’s 995. The…
Housing • By Seth Smalley • Jan 13, 2022
County seeks to expand mental health care for those facing incarceration
Nearly 20 percent of inmates booked into Travis County jails in September 2021 needed mental health treatment, but a month after their incarceration, only a third of them were receiving the needed treatment. That was the conclusion reached by Dr. Steve Strakowski,…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Jan 11, 2022
As ERAP well dries, county turns to other sources to meet renters’ needs
Travis County Health and Human Services broke the bad news to commissioners Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury will not be granting the county’s request for an additional $7.8 million in Emergency Rental Assistance funds. This means hundreds of people counting…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 7, 2022
Brown: The stakes are high for the county judge
Unlike the city of Austin, Travis County doesn’t have a behind-the-scenes manager directing operations, overseeing staff and preparing budgets. But it does have Andy Brown, the county judge, head of the Commissioners Court and a former senior adviser to Beto…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Jan 3, 2022
Kitchen: 'We could write a whole book about the last year'
Ann Kitchen thrives from the many challenges of being a City Council member. “It’s a combination of being really proactive and trying to address the problems that we’re having as a city,” she told the Austin Monitor. “It’s always new, it’s…
City Council • By Seth Smalley • Dec 22, 2021
Diversion programs can reduce mass incarceration in Travis County
At Thursday’s work session, the Travis County Commissioners Court fielded discussion about the benefits of, and recent updates to, several jail diversion programs underway in Travis County. Such programs included pretrial and pre-charge diversion programs, as well as a DWI…
