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City Council
Local disaster declaration extended indefinitely
As expected, Mayor Steve Adler has extended the local state of disaster declaration indefinitely, with the unanimous consent of City Council. On March 6, the mayor declared a local state of disaster for one week due to concerns over the…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Mar 13, 2020
Council gives initial OK for Delwau campgrounds
The case of the Delwau campgrounds rezoning – which Council rejected in 2018 – has returned, minus the sales of hard alcohol that doomed its chances the first time. Last Thursday, Council gave first-round approval for the case that would…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Feb 27, 2020
Council declines to vote on airport lounge contract
What started as an objection from the second-place bidder for a lucrative contract to build and operate a lounge at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport ended with Council rejecting staffers’ recommendation and sending them back to the drawing board at last Thursday’s…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Feb 26, 2020
Petition would recriminalize homeless camping
Travis County Republican Party Chair Matt Mackowiak began the week taking a shot at local Democrats on the Austin City Council, announcing a petition that seeks to recriminalize camping in public places by the homeless. According to local Republican Party…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Feb 25, 2020
City asks UT for proposals on Muny, Brackenridge tract
City Council sent a friendly message to the University of Texas on Thursday, asking UT to give the city proposals for how to deal with the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course and the Brackenridge Development Agreement as well as other…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Feb 21, 2020
Waste management emergency contract heads to Council with split recommendations
Austin’s dumpster wars continue. The city’s contract with Waste Management of Texas expires Feb. 28. To avoid a public health crisis, City Council will vote tonight on whether to execute an emergency multi-term contract with the waste collector for up…
City Council • By Jessi Devenyns • Feb 20, 2020
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Faulk Library renovation opens conversation on Downtown Community Court
The Austin History Center downtown is ready to expand into the first floor of the adjacent John H. Faulk Library, but the building needs some work. City Council will consider a contract for design services Thursday to get the ball…
City Council • By Ryan Thornton • Feb 19, 2020
Council may move forward with study of minority business contracting disparities
City Council will decide at its Jan. 23 meeting whether to approve a study – first requested in late 2018 – examining how well small businesses owned by women and minorities are represented in the city’s contract procurement process. The…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 13, 2020
Adler: 2019 saw action, and frustration, on city's long-standing issues
Looking back on 2019, Mayor Steve Adler sees a year where a series of major issues came to inflection points on which he and City Council had to take decisive action – and then face the criticism that often follows…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 3, 2020
Alter highlights progress in public safety in 2019
Out of all the work she’s accomplished this year, Council Member Alison Alter is particularly proud of what she’s brought to fruition in the realm of public safety. Beginning in January, Alter posted a resolution calling for a third-party audit…
City Council • By Ryan Thornton • Dec 27, 2019
Leslie Pool remembers high, low points of 2019
District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool is proud of the contributions she and her colleagues made toward helping the homeless in 2019, calling it “a pretty amazing year.” Still, she thinks some things could have been done better. For example,…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Dec 26, 2019
Ellis looks at District 8's place in transit, homelessness issues in reviewing 2019
Ask Paige Ellis about one of the first lessons she learned as a new City Council member and her answer is immediate: patience. The old adage that the wheels of government turn slowly takes on a whole new meaning for…
