Despite the Environmental Commission’s efforts to remove controversial amendments to the Watershed Protection Ordinance at previous meetings, the commission was unable to resolve an amendment relating to water quality control at its regular meeting May 3. Andrea Bates, the environmental program coordinator at the Watershed Protection Department, presented various proposed amendments to the Watershed Protection Ordinance, […]
Sommer Brugal
Posted inBudget
Public Safety Commission weighs in on tight city budget
In advance of what promises to be a budget process full of tough choices, the Public Safety Commission received a briefing from the Budget Office on Fiscal Year 2017-18 at its meeting May 1. The presentation included information and findings from various city department reviews. Included in the presentation was a five-year outlook of General […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin Water’s five-year financial plan gets the OK
The Environmental Commission unanimously passed a motion to recommend approval to include Austin Water Utility capital improvement projects in Austin Water’s five-year capital spending plan at its meeting Wednesday night. The project relates to improvements to new water in wastewater treatment plants, capital expansions and growth-related projects in the Drinking Water Protection Zone. Kristi Fenton, […]
Posted inAustin
Public Safety Commission calls for refined counting measures of city’s homeless population
Andy Hofmeister, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services division chief, addressed the Public Safety Commission at its May 1 meeting. Hofmeister answered questions of concern regarding the city’s growing homeless population. According to Hofmeister, there were roughly 2,200 homeless individuals in Austin in 2016, an increase of 400 individuals from the 1,800 people reported in 2015. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Environmental Commission gets chance with CodeNEXT updates, concerns
CodeNEXT is the talk of the town. So it’s no surprise the main topic of conversation at the Environmental Commission meeting Wednesday evening was no different. The commission heard recommendations from the Watershed Protection Department, but took no formal action on the suggestions presented. Erin Wood, principal planner with the Watershed Protection Department, said CodeNEXT […]
Posted inWhispers
Updates for Environmental Commission focus on three bills
The Environmental Commission received a legislative update at its meeting Wednesday evening. The update focused primarily on legislation related to the Watershed Protection Department. According to Chuck Lesniak, the department’s environmental officer, Watershed Protection is tracking approximately 115 bills at the Texas State Legislature, with about a dozen of those bills being looked at with […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin Energy gets Solar Ready-er
Austin Energy presented updates to the Solar Ready Amendments to the Energy Code at the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee Monday morning. According to Kurt Stogdill, Green Building and Sustainability manager at Austin Energy, the Solar Ready amendment addresses both new commercial and residential construction, and changes the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code. “What it’s […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy proposes Value of Solar for commercial properties
Austin Energy presented a commercial Value of Solar proposal at the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee Monday morning. Danielle Murray, the Solar Energy Services manager at Austin Energy, said the proposed plan would have benefits for both present and future energy customers. One of those benefits is compensation for excess generation. According to Murray, it’s […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy Facilities Master Plan looks to relocate key buildings
Austin Energy presented an update of its Facilities Master Plan at the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee Monday morning. The main goal of the plan, according to Mark Dombroski, deputy general manager and chief financial and risk officer at Austin Energy, is to improve services to customers. According to Dombroski, the company has been looking […]
Posted inPublic Health
Nancy Pelosi discusses impact of Affordable Care Act on Austin
U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Lloyd Doggett hosted a roundtable with a group of Austin-based medical professionals, musicians and technology experts Thursday morning. Discussion at the meeting, held at the Clinical Education Center at Brackenridge, addressed the impacts of the Affordable Care Act in Austin, personal stories of survival and ways to […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy rebate to help renters
The Electric Utility Commission approved a rebate for the Lodge at Stone Oak Ranch apartment complex on April 17. The rebate, requested by Austin Energy, is meant to help fund energy-efficiency improvements at the complex. The proposed rebate is one element of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan, parts of which focus on […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Barton Springs redevelopment changes hit a wall at the Environmental Commission
The Watershed Protection Department proposed a number of amendments to the Watershed Protection Ordinance at the Environmental Commission’s April 5 meeting. Andrea Bates, the environmental program coordinator at the Watershed Protection Department, said most of the amendments presented were cleanup items to “either clarify or increase the consistency of current code requirements,” with the exception […]