City Council’s July break is officially over. And, as part of our ongoing attempt to keep readers up to date with all that is going on at City Hall, we will now return to our tip sheets for City Council committees. As usual, we will be offering highlights of meetings, with links to entire agendas. […]
City Council
Posted inAustin, City Council, Courts
Judge hits Laura Pressley and attorney with $100,000 sanctions in election lawsuit
Laura Pressley tells the Austin Monitor that she is disappointed but not discouraged by $100,000 in sanctions imposed on sheher and her attorney. The unsuccessful city council candidate added that the ruling awarding nearly $100,000 in damages to her former District 4 Council opponent–and current Council Member–Greg Casar will not end her drive to challenge the […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Adler, Tovo still have heavy debt to themselves
Mayor Steve Adler reported Wednesday that his campaign still owes him more than $418,315. Adler’s campaign finance report indicates that he paid himself back $31,077 in January. However, the campaign has no money remaining to repay the rest. Other mayors in the same situation, such as former Mayor Lee Leffingwell, have relied on fundraising after […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Casar finance report shows new supporters
District 4 City Council Member Greg Casar, who is locked in a legal battle with his former opponent, Laura Pressley, raised $35,785 to help pay legal expenses between Jan. 1 and June 30. Casar’s report, filed Wednesday, shows a wide range of support, even from people and organizations who did not contribute to his campaign […]
Posted inCity Council
Council adopts new drainage fee structure
If all goes according to the city’s plan, Austin residents can expect some significant changes to their monthly drainage fees in October. While City Council has adopted a new underlying methodology for that fee, it still has to decide exactly how it will impact customers next year. Council adopted the Watershed Protection Department’s proposed changes […]
Posted inCity Council
New Council introduces era of more meetings
In January, there was a shake-up at City Hall, with Austin ushering in its first geographically based City Council. Now, six months later, what has it meant? Most obviously, a lot more meetings. Videos available on the city’s website show that the amount of time the new Council had spent in meetings from February through June 23, […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: This week’s Council Committees
As part of our ongoing attempt to keep readers up to date with all that is going on at City Hall, we will now be offering weekly tip sheets for City Council committees. As usual, we will be offering highlights of meetings, with links to entire agendas. Public Safety Committee Monday, June 22. Agenda here. […]
Posted inCity Council
Alcohol waiver approved, policy review promised
City Council approved an alcohol waiver for a planned Tiny Boxwoods restaurant on 35th Street at its meeting Thursday but not without giving the subject serious scrutiny and planning a discussion on Council’s larger policy in committee. Council approved the waiver 10-1, with Council Member Ora Houston opposing. The restaurant, which will serve only beer and wine, […]
Posted inPremium Types
TickTock: Austin City Council Meeting 6.18.15
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 inCity Council
Council to disperse quarter-cent fund “equitably”
On Thursday, City Council took the first step in a plan to disperse the $21.8 million remaining in the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Quarter-Cent Fund “equitably across all Council districts” for transportation and mobility improvement projects. In a resolution, Council directed Transportation Department and Public Works Department staff to work with each Council member and […]
Posted inCity Council
Council cuts 2.3 city positions
City Council approved cuts to long-vacant city positions Thursday, but the result didn’t come close to the budget savings first envisioned. The effort to eliminate positions that had been vacant for more than a year was led by Council Member Ellen Troxclair. She cited the savings this move would bring in her unsuccessful push for […]
Posted inCity Council
Committee circles accessory dwelling unit changes
The City Council Planning and Neighborhoods Committee took on accessory dwelling units at its Monday meeting. Though members acknowledged they had a lot of work to do on the ADU ordinance, at their most recent meeting they largely steered clear of discussing it, or ADUs in general, and instead focused on what their future discussion […]