Austin and Travis County leaders’ focus on growing the region’s middle-class economy was spotlighted Thursday with the announcement of a multiyear effort to train local workers for a growing demand for so-called “middle skill” jobs. The release of the Master Community Workforce Plan, led in large part by the Workforce Solutions Capital Area nonprofit, came […]
Austin
Posted inAustin
Visit Austin contract included lobbying Council
When the CEO for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently renamed Visit Austin, signed his employment contract with the organization last May, the contract included an addendum directing him to develop a strategy for lobbying City Council to enlarge the Austin Convention Center. According to an addendum to Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan’s contract, he […]
Posted inAustin
Task force endorses plan to expand convention center
After nearly six months of toil, a visibly exhausted Visitor Impact Task Force granted its imprimatur to a proposal to fund the expansion of the Austin Convention Center, albeit with a number of attached recommendations. Tuesday’s vote came at the end of a nearly five-hour meeting held on the 17th floor of the Hyatt Regency […]
Posted inAustin
City looks to clean up graffiti program
A program that was originally intended to help at-risk youth gain job skills has evolved into a city-funded graffiti clean-up service that is doing the work that should be left to private property owners. “It’s a great program and we want to keep it,” said Interim Assistant City Manager Sara Hensley about the Austin Youth […]
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City Council considers tax swap with school district
City Council is exploring a number of ways the city of Austin can lend a hand to the Austin Independent School District, which will forfeit $406 million this year to the state under Texas’ “recapture” policy. At a work session on Wednesday, Council members discussed whether the city should take over certain programs that are […]
Posted inAustin
Is Austin’s ‘economic segregation’ here to stay?
“Today you are going to find out that we are really not quite as good as we claim to be.” On that ominous note, Austin Board of Realtors CEO Paul Hilgers opened Tuesday’s luncheon hosted by the Real Estate Council of Austin. Steven Pedigo, who is the director of research for the Creative Class Group, […]
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Austin’s Visitor Impact Task Force nearing deadline to report to City Council
For the past several months, Austin’s Visitor Impact Task Force has been exploring new uses for the millions of tax dollars brought in by the city’s hotels. The group also has to contend with a host of state and local regulations that govern how exactly the funds can be spent. Revenue from Austin’s Hotel Occupancy […]
Posted inAustin
Public Safety Commission calls for refined counting measures of city’s homeless population
Andy Hofmeister, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services division chief, addressed the Public Safety Commission at its May 1 meeting. Hofmeister answered questions of concern regarding the city’s growing homeless population. According to Hofmeister, there were roughly 2,200 homeless individuals in Austin in 2016, an increase of 400 individuals from the 1,800 people reported in 2015. […]
Posted inCourts
Judge rejects city’s payday lender rules
Austin Municipal Court Judge Ferdinand Clervi struck down a section of Austin’s payday lending ordinance in March, ruling that the ordinance’s limits on frequency and amount of installment payments are preempted by state law. That ruling affected two separate cases in which the city charged the Money Store, which does business under the name Speedy […]
Posted inAustin
Adler: Challenge to state’s sanctuary cities law ‘almost a certainty’
The state’s proposed sanctuary cities legislation faces an almost certain and likely quick challenge in court, Mayor Steve Adler said Wednesday after returning from his trip to Washington, D.C., to discuss the issue with federal law enforcement officials. The Texas House of Representatives’ debate late into Wednesday ahead of a vote on its version of […]
Posted inAustin
Convention center advocates taking pro-expansion message to community
A new coalition of Austin business, political and civic leaders is putting its support behind the proposed expansion of the Austin Convention Center and will be taking the message to local groups in the coming months. Known as A New Vision for Austin’s Convention Center, the coalition is operating with some assistance from the Austin Convention & Visitors […]
Posted inAustin
New UT arena slated for downtown, but questions linger
A big piece of downtown Austin’s future fell into place on Friday with the announcement that the arena that will replace the Frank Erwin Center will be located close to the current arena on the University of Texas’ eastern border downtown. University of Texas President Greg Fenves told the school’s development board that the new […]