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City Council
Pio Renteria: Seven years in office and 71 years in District 3
City Council Member Pio Renteria recalls the time when he was able to purchase his East Austin home for just over $20,000. Now he’s received an offer to sell it for nearly a million. As a lifelong resident of East…
City Council • By Kali Bramble • Dec 21, 2021
Fuel site for airport expansion put on hold to allow for more community input
The city has stepped in to address the concerns of residents who live close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and directed city staff to conduct a deeper analysis of the possible effects of a fuel tank farm proposed as part of…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 13, 2021
TipSheet: City Council, 12.9.21
In what has become one of our most treasured and least favorite of yearly traditions, the last City Council meeting of the year is always a long one, with everyone trying to get in a last bit of business before…
City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Dec 9, 2021
Council moves forward with arts funding plan, promising relief for nonprofit grant applicants
Following the recommendations of the Arts Commission, City Council has approved funding for cultural arts programs with plans to significantly expand its nonprofit relief grant program. That’s good news for the program’s applicants, who can all expect to see checks…
City Council • By Kali Bramble • Nov 23, 2021
Council denounces 'false choice' of pitting parkland against affordability
More than two months after City Council passed a new budget that took effect Oct. 1, city management now wants to freeze one of the adopted fee schedules as it relates to the amount developers pay toward parkland acquisition and…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Oct 26, 2021
Council approves flood resilience resolution ahead of anniversary of devastating floods
As Austin’s southernmost districts remained under flash flood warning last Thursday, City Council took further steps toward flood resilience measures designed to better prepare the city for natural disasters. Led by District 2’s Vanessa Fuentes, Council unanimously adopted a resolution…
City Council • By Kali Bramble • Oct 18, 2021
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City adopts resolution to expedite supportive housing for homeless
City Council adopted a resolution in September establishing an expedited review and prioritization program for residential developments that provide housing for the homeless. Mayor Steve Adler sponsored the resolution, along with Council members Kathie Tovo, Ann Kitchen, Pio Renteria, and…
City Council • By Andrew Logan • Oct 15, 2021
How much would more remote participation cost the city?
Since March 2020, when Gov. Greg Abbott suspended certain requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act to allow city officials to hold virtual meetings, the public has been allowed to participate by phone. Austin residents have participated in remote testimony…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Oct 7, 2021
In the face of statewide abortion ban, Council affirms support for reproductive rights
In 2019, the city of Austin made headlines for being one of the first cities in the nation to allocate funds to help women access abortions. Now, with the recent passage of Texas’ Senate Bill 8, the most restrictive abortion ban…
City Council • By Jackie Ibarra • Oct 1, 2021
ICRC continues to request feedback in final month of district mapping
The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission continues to gather public feedback on the preliminary map commissioners helped draw of Austin’s City Council districts. While commissioners approved a preliminary map on Sept. 15, they have until Nov. 1 to consider additional feedback from Austinites…
City Council • By Willow Higgins • Sep 27, 2021
Early redistricting map reflects population growth of Northwest Austin
City Council districts for the rest of the decade will largely look the same as those created in 2013, based on the reveal of the preliminary map that has been in the works for much of this year. While the…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 17, 2021
Conduct of meetings is going to change – and change again
Just as Austin’s most civically engaged citizens – including some new to the process – have gotten used to phoning in their comments on the City Council agenda, the rules are changing. In addition, Council will be considering new rules…
