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City Council
Tourism Commission pushes Council for more equitable funding for arts groups, districts
Using Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars or General Fund budget allocations, the Tourism Commission wants the city to fund cultural districts and local arts groups that have historically been left out of consideration for ongoing city support. At its most recent…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 12, 2024
Council members seek changes to food truck permitting
City Council Member José Velásquez knows what it’s like to work with food for a living. According to his website, “José went to work at age 11 in a local panaderia to help his mother with bills. That same year…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Mar 21, 2024
As Council prepped public support, local Google workers learned of layoffs
Some private-sector workplace drama took place in real time during Thursday’s City Council meeting, with a group of local Google workers learning they’d lost their jobs while commenting on a proposed city resolution intended to support their cause. On the…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 1, 2024
Austin makes library cards free to people outside the city
People who live in unincorporated areas outside the city no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin Public Library card. In December, City Council voted to remove the fees after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation,…
City Council • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Mar 1, 2024
Council passes a resolution calling for greener procurement practices
After its recent approval of a measure to create an investment strategy for financing the city’s climate plans, City Council on Thursday passed a complementary item to establish more sustainable procurement practices. Like the previous resolution, this one, too, was…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Mar 1, 2024
Council votes to aid Blues on the Green, explore more event sponsorships
The city has stepped forward to revive the Blues on the Green concert series held annually in Zilker Park and will look at how to support or possibly co-sponsor other music festivals or cultural events throughout the city in the…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 20, 2024
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Council approves climate funding and telework policies
Austin’s environmental activists don’t always agree with one another on local policy issues, but they spoke with one voice Thursday in support of a resolution to beef up funding for the city’s many ambitious climate plans. As expected, City Council…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 16, 2024
Council to weigh how the city will fund climate projects
Over the last decade, City Council has put forth several ambitious climate-related plans, building on the work of previous councils. But without a clear road map for financing and prioritizing projects to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the city against…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 14, 2024
Public Health Committee weighs Marshalling Yard complaints, McKinsey homelessness study
Members of Vocal-TX, a grassroots organization that represents low-income people directly impacted by homelessness, and other Austin residents raised concerns about City Council’s handling of homelessness at the Public Health Committee meeting on Wednesday. Their concerns centered on Marshalling Yard,…
City Council • By Emma Freer • Feb 9, 2024
City Council updates code to address animal shelter overcrowding, safety
City Council voted on consent at its meeting on Thursday to amend the city code regarding animal services, heeding recommendations from a recent audit that found the Austin Animal Center in far East Austin was struggling to maintain quality of…
City Council • By Emma Freer • Feb 2, 2024
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 2.1.24
City Council will meet today for its regular meeting. As usual, there are a few agenda items that we are keeping our eye on, which are detailed in this TipSheet. The entire agenda (also as usual) is available online here,…
City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Feb 1, 2024
City seeks McKinsey's $2M analysis of programs to address homelessness
Consulting giant McKinsey & Company could take up another study of the city, specifically how four local bodies including Central Health are working to address homelessness throughout the Austin area. At its meeting today, City Council will consider two items…
