In response to a resolution from the city’s Commission on Veterans Affairs and City Council, the Human Resources Department is moving forward with an assessment of how to proceed with setting up a Veterans Resource Center. HR has already allocated 4,800 square feet at the city’s building at 5202 E. Ben White Blvd. for the […]
Austin
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Austin reconsiders homelessness ordinances as Houston laws are challenged in court
It’s a new fiscal year for the city of Austin, and one of the myriad items on City Council agendas over the next year will be an overhaul of ordinances relating to homelessness. That won’t be easy, as federal courts could inform – and complicate – that effort. In the last three years, Austin police […]
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Swimming in Austin just became more expensive. Here are some other new city fees.
Every Oct. 1, the city of Austin welcomes a new budget – and with it, new city fees. These can be anything from public library fines to what it costs to adopt a dog from the city shelter. Here’s a list of some of the more notable changes this year: Swimming is now more expensive. […]
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Austin renters and people of color are most likely to be displaced because of gentrification
A new study from the University of Texas points to widespread gentrification in Austin, stretching from northern neighborhoods to the eastern edge of South Austin. Researchers say the groups most impacted by displacement are low-income African-American and Hispanic renters. Jake Wegmann, a professor in UT’s School of Architecture who co-authored the study, said in a […]
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Cuts to arts groups brings call for changes to funding mechanism
Local arts groups facing dramatic cuts in their funding levels from the city could get some relief this budget year, and possibly an earlier heads-up in future budget years if their funding allocations appear headed for a decrease. The city’s Arts Commission voted 9-0 at Monday’s meeting to reconvene a working group focused on the […]
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Commission calls on Austin to ban cat declawing
The city Animal Advisory Commission has unanimously recommended that the city ban cat declawing. The commission unanimously approved the resolution on Monday after hearing an hour of testimony from veterinarians and animal rights activists, most of whom described declawing as a painful procedure that serves no medical purpose. Roy Smith, who has been a practicing […]
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Innovators, Austin lifestyle, UT brought Army here
Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, who serves as director of combat systems for Austin’s brand-new Army Futures Command, said Tuesday that Austin was chosen as the site of the first new Army command since 1973 because Austin has the talent, the educated workforce, the entrepreneurial spirit and the lifestyle the Army was looking for in choosing […]
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With hotel tax money in play, Tourism Commission meetings grow heated
The second meeting of the city’s new Tourism Commission saw the group vote down a possible $3 million marketing campaign for local live music, while also dusting off the long-running debate about public safety expenses for the South by Southwest festival and again failing to elect a chair. Last Tuesday’s meeting saw a brief reprise […]
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Citing historical lessons, Environmental Commission opts for mitigation rather than preservation
It’s not often that a variance to remove heritage trees comes before the Environmental Commission. But when it does, the decision is no walk in the park. “Trees like this are one of the challenging cases for us,” City Arborist Keith Mars said at the Sept. 5 meeting of the commission. He acknowledged that it is […]
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Bloomberg awards let arts groups focus on growth, and affordability
More than two dozen small and mid-sized arts organizations in Austin have been awarded two-year grants totaling more than $1 million from the Bloomberg Philanthropies foundation, with the promise of comprehensive training and other tools to help in their future growth. In all, 26 local groups were named in the latest round of grants that […]
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Council considers which strings to attach to corporate incentives
After postponing action earlier this month, on Thursday City Council will again consider establishing new rules regarding economic incentives for businesses. Council members plan on considering a number of amendments to the proposal aimed at ensuring that public dollars are only used to support good corporate citizens. The proposed new policy seeks to refocus city […]
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City budget boosts spending for homelessness services
The new city manager and City Council agree: The city needs more money to address the homelessness situation. The proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget submitted by City Manager Spencer Cronk includes $3.1 million in new spending on homelessness-related services. That’s on top of the roughly $25 million of spending on such services that will continue […]