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City Council
Austin City Council punts on reinstating rules to limit camping and resting in public
City Council declined today to revise rules passed in June that rolled back ordinances banning camping, sitting or lying down in public. Council members may take up the measures again next month. After months of uncertainty on the part of…
City Council • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Sep 20, 2019
Council members offer revised plan that phases in restrictions on camping or resting in public
City leaders have a new proposal to regulate behavior related to homelessness ahead of a possible City Council vote that could happen as soon as Wednesday. The proposal comes after roughly a week of infighting among Council members. Kathie Tovo…
City Council • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Sep 18, 2019
City facing challenges in changing sidewalks
When Stephanie Hayden, director of Austin Public Health, sent out a memo last Friday explaining improvements the city was making to the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, she underlined one sentence: “Please note the sidewalk construction is scheduled to…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Sep 18, 2019
Advocates cheer abortion aid funding; Zimmerman sues city
As city leaders and advocates for reproductive choice gathered for a press conference Thursday morning, most of the conversation focused on how Austin became the first city in the country to allocate funding for logistical support, such as transportation and…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Sep 13, 2019
Council tells staff: Get municipal court move done
So far, the process of reviewing plans and preparing for relocation of the Austin Municipal Court has been “very, very extensive,” according to Municipal Court Clerk Mary Jane Grubb. Impatient with the lagging timeline, City Council is pressing staffers to…
City Council • By Ryan Thornton • Sep 6, 2019
Another alley fence delay adds to frustration for clubs in Red River district
The city may need until late November to install a gate to an alley on Red River Street between Seventh and Eighth streets. That opens up the chance of going past a promised Nov. 1 deadline to close off an…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 29, 2019
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Divided Council puts off Rainey funding decision
Council Member Kathie Tovo tried mightily on Thursday to convince her colleagues to appropriate funding for projects within the Rainey Street Historic District, as Council promised when it passed a resolution to that effect in 2013. The 2013 resolution directed…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Aug 23, 2019
At homelessness forum, Council members challenge fears and 'urban myths' about shelters, revised law
Austin’s mayor and members of City Council tried to allay fears about the city’s revised rules on homelessness and its push to expand shelter space, at a forum hosted by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The brunt of Wednesday’s discussion focused…
City Council • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 22, 2019
Austin looks to limit camping and resting in public as it pursues housing-first solutions
The Austin City Council provided some clarity Tuesday over where it will limit camping and resting in public, as well as its overall strategy to boost citywide, housing-focused initiatives and investments. Council members heard a briefing from city staff on…
City Council • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 21, 2019
Debates continue over impacts, enforcement of new homelessness ordinances
Recent changes to ordinances covering camping and soliciting by homeless people continue to be a hot topic of debate at city meetings, with residents and special interest groups pushing for a reversal to the June vote, or significant changes in…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 13, 2019
Council action would pave the way for $30M in private dollars to house the homeless
A resolution slated for consideration at next week’s City Council meeting could pave the way for foundations and other private sector entities to contribute to the estimated $30 million annual cost to provide housing for the city’s homeless population. The…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 1, 2019
Solution to boost revenue for transit leads to broad debate over city signage policy
The Austin City Council will be considering limited exceptions to a city ban on off-premise advertising at its Aug. 22 meeting in order to allow Austin public schools and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display simple, non-electronic advertisements at…
