Stories by Tyler Whitson
City announces recycling-education campaign
Austin residents are sending a lot of recyclables to landfills, and city staff hopes to help change that with a new educational campaign. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Bob Gedert made the announcement at a press conference on Monday. “The…
Resources • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 23, 2015
Council to disperse quarter-cent fund "equitably"
On Thursday, City Council took the first step in a plan to disperse the $21.8 million remaining in the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Quarter-Cent Fund “equitably across all Council districts” for transportation and mobility improvement projects. In a resolution, Council…
City Council • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 19, 2015
Committee proposes delay on drainage fee
With pressure mounting for City Council to adopt a new drainage-fee structure in the face of legal and budgetary concerns, the Public Utilities Committee took up the issue Wednesday but made no official recommendation to Council. The ordinance that the…
Austin • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 18, 2015
Concrete pouring ordinance may need more time
City staff’s proposed restrictions on notoriously loud and bright overnight concrete pouring at downtown sites may not be ready to hit the ground yet. That’s according to a discussion City Council had at its Tuesday work session ahead of a…
City Council • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 17, 2015
Commission wants hazard pay for Resource Recovery employees
Municipal waste management is an essential job, but it comes with its fair share of risks. With that in mind, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission asked Austin Resource Recovery Department management Wednesday to study and consider ways to improve safety…
Austin • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 16, 2015
Open-space recycling a challenge to city, says staff
Austin’s recycling requirements are ambitious, but they don’t cover one major area — open spaces. Now, the city is taking steps to make up for it. The Austin Resource Recovery Department recently performed an assessment on Parks and Recreation Department…
Parks • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 15, 2015
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Plastic bag ban working to an extent, says report
Austin’s single-use bag ordinance is helping residents reduce overall consumption by about 197 million single-use bags per year, but it has had unintended consequences including an increase in the number of thicker reusable bags in the recycling stream. That’s according…
Environment • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 12, 2015
Council looks back at 84th Legislative Session
At the conclusion of a Texas Legislative Session, Austin must inevitably sit back and lick its wounds. According to Interim Intergovernmental Relations Officer Karen Kennard, however, the city sustained far fewer direct blows to its local control this time around…
Texas State Legislature • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 10, 2015
Adler pulls MoPac South express lane amendment
Without assurance that his proposed language change wouldn’t put the brakes on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, Mayor Steve Adler withdrew an amendment at Monday’s Transportation Policy Board meeting intended to clarify the description of…
Transportation • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 9, 2015
Council adopts six percent homestead exemption
Despite the fact that views among City Council members run the gamut as far as implementing a homestead tax exemption, they opted in a 7-4 vote to meet in the middle early Friday morning, approving a 6 percent exemption for…
Austin • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 5, 2015
Split extra quarter-cent fund among districts, committee says
Deciding how to use leftover funds can be a challenge, but the City Council Mobility Committee came quickly to a consensus Wednesday to recommend that about $21.8 million of available transportation improvement funds be distributed equally among the city’s 10…
Austin • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 4, 2015
Circus animal ordinance stalls in committee
A proposed ordinance aiming to protect circus animals within city limits sparked a passionate debate at a City Council Health and Human Services Committee meeting on Monday, with supporters calling it a major step forward and opponents arguing that it…
