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City Council
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jul 28, 2023
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jul 25, 2023
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jul 24, 2023
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…
City Council • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Jul 21, 2023
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…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jul 21, 2023
$9.1M emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard expected to open by end of August
City Council on Thursday approved a proposal to operate a $9.1 million temporary emergency homeless shelter at the Marshalling Yard, a city-owned facility located near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The move comes as Austin sees 10 straight days of temperatures…
City Council • By Andrea Guzman • Jul 21, 2023
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TipSheet: City Council, 7.20.23
Today, City Council returns from its summer break with a hefty 196-item agenda that may test the startling efficiency of Mayor Kirk Watson. Of course, not all of those items will warrant a discussion (or coverage), but we’ve done our…
City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jul 20, 2023
Council member asks for analysis of Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan, including homelessness aid
The plan for an Austin Tourism Public Improvement District is set for a deep-dive analysis, after City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes requested a briefing on it during a work session Tuesday. The draft plan would create an agreement with local…
City Council • By Andrea Guzman • Jul 19, 2023
Austin Tourism Public Improvement District plan to partially fund homeless services heads to vote
City Council will vote next week on the long-coming agreement with local hotels that could generate roughly $7 million a year for the next decade to fund services to aid people experiencing homelessness. The Austin Tourism Public Improvement District (ATPID)…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 13, 2023
Mayor expresses opposition to amphitheater, parking garages in Zilker Park Vision Plan
Mayor Kirk Watson on Tuesday expressed strong opinions about the Zilker Park Vision Plan, particularly areas of the plan that have already caused controversy. Watson wrote in his “Watson Wire” email that he was opposed to putting a proposed 5,000-seat…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jun 28, 2023
City code amendments moving slowly, including change to parking requirements
Remember all those amendments to Austin’s land use regulations that City Council directed city staff to write – ideas that seem particularly important in light of the housing shortage? They’re moving slowly. Those amendments include eliminating parking requirements from the…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jun 20, 2023
Council seeks bigger Downtown Austin Community Court budget
City Council last week endorsed adding funds to the budget of the Downtown Austin Community Court and expanding the area served by the court. The court concentrates on providing justice diversion and community services to the city’s homeless population. It…
