Stories by Tyler Whitson
City may hire temp officers for SXSW season
As South by Southwest and the whirlwind of events that surround it loom large on the horizon, the city and the Austin Police Association are discussing ways to cover the festival season without pulling many officers away from their duties.…
Music & Entertainment • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 24, 2015
Council loosens rules on accessory dwelling units
Austin homeowners hoping to build accessory dwelling units on their properties now have a better chance of being able to do so, based on new rules that City Council passed on Thursday. The measure reducing restrictions on accessory dwelling units,…
City Council • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 20, 2015
LCRA lowers water rate for cities, municipalities
The Lower Colorado River Authority is “making it rain” – savings, that is. The river authority’s board of directors approved a proposal on Wednesday to lower water rates for “firm” customers, typically cities and municipalities in Central Texas, starting in…
Water • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 19, 2015
Council mulls granny flats, garage apartments
Ahead of a Thursday vote that could loosen rules for building accessory dwelling units such as granny flats and garage apartments, City Council debated the potential benefits and risks of the move at a work session on Tuesday. Council Member…
Land Development Code • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 18, 2015
Consultant endorses gas plant after study
Navigant Consulting, which the city hired to review the 500 megawatt natural gas plant proposed in the Austin Energy generation plan, has recommended the project. Dan Bradley and Matt Tanner, two of the report’s authors, presented the results at an…
Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 17, 2015
List of proposed Uber, Lyft rules gets longer
In the midst of a heated debate about requirements for fingerprint background checks and fees for transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft, the City Council Mobility Committee has tossed a slew of additional proposals into the pot. The…
Transportation • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 17, 2015
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Samsung, Freescale reject new energy tariff terms
Samsung Austin Semiconductor and Freescale Semiconductor – Austin Energy’s largest customers – have rejected the contract terms of a new tariff that City Council unanimously passed on Thursday. Catherine Morse and John Holmes, representing Samsung and Freescale, respectively, issued a…
Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 16, 2015
Council moves to protect tenants from displacement
Following the recent controversy surrounding a Riverside Drive apartment complex demolition permit that displaced around 100 low-income families, City Council has taken a step toward establishing new rules to assist tenants in similar situations in the future. Council approved a…
Housing • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 13, 2015
Council denies land annexation in contentious vote
In an unusual and potentially precedent-setting move, City Council voted 6-4 at a Tuesday work session not to annex a piece of land into the city limits, despite staff’s recommendation to do so. Although the land is bordered on three…
Planning • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 11, 2015
Austinites sound off on MoPac South
Austin-area elected officials, advocates and community members gathered at Austin High School on Monday for a forum on the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority’s proposed MoPac South tolled expansion. The event revealed a general dissatisfaction and frustration with the available…
Roads • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 10, 2015
Austin Energy supports Clean Power Plan
Although Texas is a major player in a legal challenge to the federal Clean Power Plan, Austin Energy and three utilities outside of Texas have joined Houston-based Calpine Corp. in a legal motion to support the plan. Austin Energy General…
Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Nov 10, 2015
City works to incentivize treated wastewater reuse
Although many believe that it is better to reuse treated wastewater than to discharge it into bodies of water, not all agree on how state law could incentivize reuse. City and regional stakeholders are drafting a proposal that might achieve…
