Tear down that (West Campus) wall. The West Campus Wall – which runs along much of the University of Texas’ western edge, separating the campus from Guadalupe Street – has long been a symbol of UT’s isolation from the rest of the city, and several groups agree it’s time to tear it down. That was […]
Sunny Sone
Posted inWhispers
Acevedo is a finalist for San Antonio Chief of Police job
Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo is one of five selected finalists in the search for San Antonio’s new chief, he announced Thursday. More than 60 candidates across the country applied for the job, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The four other finalists are San Antonio interim Chief Anthony Treviño; Malik Aziz, a deputy chief in […]
Posted inCity Hall
Public information requests rely on the honor system at City Hall
The city of Austin handles public information requests on the honor system – without oversight to ensure those who are inquiring receive all the information they request. An investigation into how the honor system works found that public information requests to City Council offices and departments under the city manager are handled differently and that there […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Private-party permitting process is a go
After several months without word on progress, a resolution to create a permit process for private parties is moving forward. The resolution, passed last October, was in response to neighborhood complaints about parties in the West Campus area near the University of Texas. A memo to the mayor and City Council pointed to parties thrown […]
Posted inCity Council
Alcohol waiver approved, policy review promised
City Council approved an alcohol waiver for a planned Tiny Boxwoods restaurant on 35th Street at its meeting Thursday but not without giving the subject serious scrutiny and planning a discussion on Council’s larger policy in committee. Council approved the waiver 10-1, with Council Member Ora Houston opposing. The restaurant, which will serve only beer and wine, […]
Posted inWhispers
Pedestrian hybrid beacons could make a comeback
The backlog of requests for pedestrian hybrid beacons from the city may soon dwindle. City Council Members Greg Casar and Ora Houston mentioned high demand for the beacons from their districts at a mobility budget meeting Wednesday. Casar expressed some concern about the process of deciding where beacons are installed, but said he ultimately concluded that the […]
Posted inCity Council
Closed captioning costs city $10,000 per month
Austin’s switch to a 10-1 government is costing the city money in unexpected areas. At a budget work session Wednesday, the city’s Support Services Department forecasted a $131,000 expenditure increase to fund ATXN, the city’s government access channel, as a result of the City Council committee restructuring. That number is part of the department’s overall $6.6 million […]
Posted inCity Council
Council increases CodeNEXT advisory group, ANC still chagrined
The Land Development Code rewrite team is about to get a lot more voices. City Council voted unanimously Thursday to increase the size of the CodeNEXT Citizen Advisory Group at its regular meeting. This resolution, sponsored by Council Member Greg Casar, comes after a call for greater geographic and viewpoint diversity in the group, especially […]
Posted inAustin
Property tax system messed up; nobody happy
A property tax appraisal forum hosted by Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea on Tuesday told two sides of the same story: No one is happy with the property tax system. The forum, Shea’s second, included a panel of city officials and tax experts: Mayor Steve Adler, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, Travis County Tax Collector-Assessor […]
Posted inAustin, Development
BBB: UT med school and innovation district recap
A panel consisting of University of Texas Medical School Dean Clay Johnston, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, Central Health President and CEO Patricia Young Brown and Civic Analytics’ Brian Kelsey on Tuesday night expressed optimism about and aired concerns for the medical school and planned innovation district. The Austin Monitor and the Capital of Texas Media […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy bad debt increases (corrected)
Austin Energy’s customer debt is skyrocketinghas risen. From September 2014 to the end of March, the electric utility’sAustin Energy’s bad debt — or bills unlikely to ever be collected — increased more than 300 percent, from $20.8 million to more than $85 million. The rapid increase is due to a policy, put in place two […]
Posted inWhispers
Airport pet motels gain approval
City Council approved the development of two pet motels near the Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, one private and one public-private partnership. Council members approved the item 7-2, despite naysayers Ora Houston and Don Zimmerman. Houston expressed concern about the propriety of a city-approved pet motel on the airport parking space. Council Member Pio Renteria abstained and Mayor […]