Municipal waste management is an essential job, but it comes with its fair share of risks. With that in mind, the Zero Waste Advisory Commission asked Austin Resource Recovery Department management Wednesday to study and consider ways to improve safety conditions and offer hazard pay to front-line employees. Austin Resource Recovery Director Bob Gedert told […]
Austin
Posted inAustin, City Council
Austin Monitor Radio: King, Rockwell, Pagano, and Kanin on the new Council
The Austin Chronicle‘s Michael King and the Austin American-Statesman‘s Lilly Rockwell join Monitor editor Liz Pagano and publisher Mike Kanin to talk about life under the new Austin City Council. Show is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210434730″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inAustin
Reporter’s Notebook: Swimming with the sharks
Kitchen argues for longer lunch break … City Council Member Ann Kitchen expressed concern Thursday about the length of lunch breaks during Council meetings. When Mayor Steve Adler suggested continuing for 30 minutes after citizen communications closed just before 1 p.m, Kitchen protested. “I’d like to take a break for lunch,” she said. “I think that’s […]
Posted inPremium Types
TickTock: Austin City Council Meeting 6.11.15
Tick Tock is the sortable-by-item-number transcript of Monitor publisher Mike Kanin’s Twitter feed from Council day. Simply click on the item number to scroll to the corresponding. Votes are color-coded: Green for yeas, red for nays, et cetera. It’s embedded below.Tick Tock is the sortable-by-item-number transcript of Monitor publisher Mike Kanin’s Twitter feed from Council […]
Posted inAustin
City inches Homestead Preservation Districts forward
Technically, Austin has had a Homestead Preservation District for years. Last week, City Council decided to do something about it. Council members voted 9-0-1 to move forward with actually using homestead preservation districts as yet another way of addressing Austin’s affordability crisis. Council Member Don Zimmerman abstained from the vote and Council Member Delia Garza […]
Posted inAustin
Hyde Park area residents point to flooding causes
Flood maps in hand, several Hyde Park area residents pointed to poorly designed sewer drains and a blocked retention pond pipe as major contributing factors to the area’s Memorial Day flooding. Tanya Quinn and Mary Ingle, who live near the intersection of East 33rd and Grooms streets, asked Austin’s Environmental Board for an updated flood […]
Posted inAustin
Council approves East Austin land trusts
Affordability was in fashion at last week’s City Council meeting. In the midst of talk about homestead exemptions and homestead preservation districts, Council members also revisited another strategy the city has used to create affordable housing. And, as has been their practice since their election, they took a close look at the issue. Council members […]
Posted inPremium Types
TickTock: Austin City Council Meeting 6.4.15
Tick Tock is the sortable-by-item-number transcript of Monitor publisher Mike Kanin’s Twitter feed from Council day. Simply click on the item number to scroll to the corresponding. Votes are color-coded: Green for yeas, red for nays, et cetera. It’s embedded below. ITEMS 2 3 10 11 16 19 20 21 23 30 37 40 44 […]
Posted inAustin
Council adopts six percent homestead exemption
Despite the fact that views among City Council members run the gamut as far as implementing a homestead tax exemption, they opted in a 7-4 vote to meet in the middle early Friday morning, approving a 6 percent exemption for this year and expressing an intent to increase it to 20 percent over the course […]
Posted inAustin
Council approves most flood buyouts
Though some members of City Council remain concerned about the implications, yesterday they approved the bulk of the Williamson Creek flood buyouts. Although the previous Council had authorized the funds from the Capital Improvement Projects budget, this Council was asked to appropriate $17,986,000 to purchase 63 properties in the Williamson Creek watershed. The properties are within […]
Posted inAustin
Council adopts net-zero community climate plan
City Council voted 8-2 Thursday to adopt the 2015 Austin Community Climate Plan to achieve citywide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Council members Don Zimmerman and Ellen Troxclair opposed. Council Member Delia Garza is on maternity leave. Under the resolution, City Manager Marc Ott will be directed to implement recommendations from the community climate plan and […]
Posted inAustin
Council set to make flood buyout decision today
Today’s City Council agenda includes a decision on whether to appropriate $17,986,000 to purchase 63 flood-prone properties in the Williamson Creek watershed. Those properties are in the 25-year floodplain and are considered at high risk of flooding. The previous Council authorized the funds from the Capital Improvement Projects budget. The city has already purchased a […]