Stories by Seth Smalley
County acts to prepare for next big storm
The question of disaster relief preparedness was central at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session. With the memory of Winter Storm Uri still fresh in people’s minds, the county is putting together a contingency plan. “The goal here is to get some…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 11, 2021
CAMPO board approves project funding for seniors and differently abled citizens
At Monday’s meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, a quorum of transit board members, Travis County commissioners and City Council members discussed Federal Transit Administration 5310 Project Call funding, which is primarily intended for projects that increase accessibility and…
Transit • By Seth Smalley • Nov 10, 2021
Following string of bigoted acts, county joins state in denouncing antisemitism
The only item on Tuesday’s Commissioners Court docket pertained to a resolution condemning antisemitism in all its forms in Travis County. The resolution comes in response to a recent series of antisemitic acts in Austin and Travis County, as well…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 4, 2021
Travis County presents local climate strategies at U.N. climate conference
Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea is one of five elected officials selected by Local Governments for Sustainability USA, or ICLEI, to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 26th Conference of the Parties, commonly known as COP26. The U.N.…
Environment • By Seth Smalley • Nov 2, 2021
Commissioners applaud county’s assistance to ‘those who need help’
On Tuesday, Health and Human Services staffers gave commissioners a report from the Family Support Services Division, the section of HHS that operates out of community centers and provides basic services for low-income families. According to Kirsten Siegfried, HHS division…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Oct 27, 2021
Cap Metro board endorses $50M contract for MetroRapid projects
On Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a five-year, $50 million group of construction contracts for transit facilities. Part of Project Connect, the primary goal of these particular contracts is…
Transit • By Seth Smalley • Oct 26, 2021
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County staffers update commissioners on the jail plan resolution
Last Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session focused on the future of the women’s jail. The Planning and Budget Office reported on the June 15 resolution, which asked county staff for strategies to reduce the number of incarcerated women and enhance jail…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Oct 25, 2021
County proceeds with vehicle electrification effort
On Tuesday, Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources staff updated the county on the vehicle fleet electrification plan, as directed by a resolution commissioners adopted in June. The resolution notes that as transportation is the primary contributor to carbon emissions…
Transportation • By Seth Smalley • Oct 21, 2021
County votes to decommission 48 jail beds
Travis County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution on Oct. 12 to decommission and remove 48 beds from Building 250 in the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle. The building will continue to exist and be operated by the Travis County Sheriff’s…
Public Safety • By Seth Smalley • Oct 19, 2021
Governor's order in August took millions from local public service projects
In August, following a meeting between the Capital Area Council of Governments and the governor’s office, 15 projects and nonprofits, including the SAFE Alliance and Asian Family Support Services of Austin, lost funding they were offered in April. Because of…
Texas State Legislature • By Seth Smalley • Oct 13, 2021
County readies for next wave of federal rental assistance
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court reviewed the progress on Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding dispersal. The county met a U.S. Treasury deadline to distribute 65 percent of its $10.7 million in federal ERAP funding by the end of…
Housing • By Seth Smalley • Oct 13, 2021
CAMPO begins refund process for postponed transit projects
Most of the discussion at the Oct. 11 Transportation Policy Board meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization centered around the possibility of refunding a handful of projects that were deferred because of the Interstate 35 expansion project. Ryan Collins,…
