U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman on Wednesday declared an Austin regulation on campaign fundraising unconstitutional. The regulation prohibits candidates for City Council seats from seeking or accepting campaign contributions more than a year before an election. Pitman issued his ruling on a case brought by former candidate Jennifer Virden and one of her supporters, William […]
City Council
Posted inCity Council
Council approves push to make air conditioning a requirement in Austin
This summer, a stretch of hot, dry weather in Austin has tested everyone’s patience. The record-high heat has also posed a danger to those not lucky enough to feel the relief of air conditioning. A new City Council resolution looks to make sure that’s as few people as possible. The resolution, approved by Council on […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: City Council, 8.31.23
Thursday’s City Council agenda has a variety of things going on – a tour of city issues, if you will. We’ve done our best to pick the highlights from the agenda but, as always, the entire thing is available online for those who don’t want to skip a stop. One of the most interesting things on […]
Posted inCity Council
Council delays transfer of 37 civilian position to APD, citing transparency concerns
Before City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding, District 4 Council Member Chito Vela proposed an amendment delaying the transfer of 37 full-time civilian staff positions to the Austin Police Department, citing a need for more clarity. Although city staff attempted to answer Vela’s questions and to dissuade such […]
Posted inWater
Leslie Pool takes question of water extension requests off Council agenda
City Council Member Leslie Pool notified her colleagues that she has withdrawn her request that the group consider a controversial item related to the extension of water and wastewater service in the city’s Drinking Water Protection Zone and outside the city’s jurisdiction. A service extension request is required when a property owner or developer wants […]
Posted inParks
City Council puts controversial Zilker Park Vision Plan on hold
City Council will not move forward this month with a controversial plan to revamp Zilker Park, Mayor Kirk Watson said Monday. The announcement comes after Council members Paige Ellis, Ryan Alter and Zo Qadri released a joint statement saying that while there’s some consensus around the Zilker Park Vision Plan, there are other elements that […]
Posted inBudget
Equity Action slams budget proposal as ‘throwback to the ’90s’
Some community advocates are decrying interim City Manager Jesús Garza’s budget proposal as a “throwback to the ’90s.” Garza released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24 in July. The $5.5 billion budget represents what Garza calls a “Back to Basics” approach to city government that focuses on core city services and reorganizes the city’s […]
Posted inTransportation
Airport hotel sees increased revenue, many staff vacancies
The Hilton hotel at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has experienced better-than-expected recovery since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and repaid the loan it received from the airport in 2021. Members of the City Council Audit and Finance Committee heard the news from Rajeev Thomas and Tracy Thompson at the committee’s meeting on Tuesday. Thomas […]
Posted inCity Council
Council gives final OK to Borden Dairy tract rezoning
City Council last week gave final approval for rezoning of the former Borden Dairy site in the Govalle neighborhood, allowing for its reconfiguration from an industrial site to a major mixed-use development. The vote was 8-1, with Council Member Alison Alter opposed. District 3 Council Member José Velásquez, who represents the area, recused himself from […]
Posted inCity Council
New rules for addressing City Council ‘postponed indefinitely’
At the beginning of Thursday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Kirk Watson announced that a plan to cut back on public input had been “postponed indefinitely.” Many speakers criticized rules originally proposed by City Clerk Myrna Rios, and they expressed hope that such restrictions would not come back at any time. Drawing particular condemnation: a plan […]
Posted inCity Council
Council greenlights change to reduce land size needed to build a home in Austin
The size of land Austinites need to build a home on is about to get smaller – as part of an effort to encourage developers to build smaller and cheaper houses. City Council on Thursday approved a resolution that will start the process. The initiative would reduce the size of land required to build a home, […]
Posted inCity Council
Council OKs lawsuit settlements related to injuries, land
City Council agreed Thursday to settle five lawsuits, including paying $1.2 million to a protester who was injured during the protests outside the Austin Police Department in May 2020. Bomani Barton, who was shot by a police officer with three beanbag rounds, agreed to drop his suit against the city in return for compensation. Barton […]