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- Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
- Amid ongoing measles concerns, Austin ISD’s vaccination rate is below target for its youngest students
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Austin
Council OKs $6.9 million in fee waivers for state
Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s long list of proposed topics for an upcoming special session of the Texas Legislature that look a lot like Austin bashing, City Council voted Thursday to allow staff to negotiate an interlocal agreement with the Texas…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jun 23, 2017
Animal Advisory Commission weighs Monk parakeet deal
Austin’s population of Monk parakeets has garnered a lot of attention over the past few weeks, with some questioning Austin Energy’s policy for removing the birds’ nests from power lines and utility structures in town. The Animal Advisory Commission heard…
Austin • By Sommer Brugal • Jun 19, 2017
CodeNEXT activists sign on with opposing petitions
Whoever “Austin Neighbor” is, they’re not happy about the city’s plans to increase housing density under CodeNEXT. In a quirk of 21st-century digital advocacy, the change.org online petition website features a pair of somewhat oppositional petitions related to efforts to…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 15, 2017
Economic development sessions to target middle-class jobs, local business growth
A focus on middle-class job growth, workforce development and growing existing businesses are some of the priorities the city’s business boosters will emphasize this week during a series of community meetings intended to shape local economic development policies. The seven…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 5, 2017
'Middle skill' workforce plan aims to stabilize area's poor, vulnerable residents
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…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 2, 2017
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…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • May 31, 2017
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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…
Austin • By Caleb Pritchard • May 25, 2017
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…
Austin • By Jack Craver • May 25, 2017
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…
Austin • By Jack Craver • May 22, 2017
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…
Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 10, 2017
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…
Austin • By Syeda Hasan • May 10, 2017
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…
