City Council took its first look at next year’s budget Wednesday and got a glimpse of how its members’ campaign promises might cause some complications. The city forecasts that in 2016, the average homeowner will be paying $6.63 more in property taxes each month. The city’s monthly bill is projected to rise from $81.05 to […]
City Council
Posted inCity Council, Transit, Transportation
Taxicab drivers rally for worker-owned co-op
As Austin’s ground transportation service industry faces upheaval due to new competition, taxi drivers are using a looming expiration of the city’s taxicab franchises as an opportunity to push for, among other requests, a cooperative, driver-owned franchise. Dave Passmore, president of the taxicab union Taxi Drivers Association of Austin, garnered attention Tuesday morning when he […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Monitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Mayor Steve Adler
Austin Monitor editor Elizabeth Pagano and publisher Mike Kanin talk with Austin Mayor Steve Adler as he marks his first 100 days in office. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Audio is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201319207″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inCity Council, Local Politics
Zimmerman appointments given a rough ride
Following their rejection of two of Council Member Don Zimmerman’s nominees to city commissions, City Council members narrowly approved his appointment to the Historic Landmark Commission Thursday. However, they did not have to go through the painful process of removing Zimmerman’s most controversial appointment, Rebecca Forest, to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. Forest sent a […]
Posted inCity Council, Development
Burnet Road case limps through second reading
With two months more experience under their belts, City Council took up its first zoning case for a second time. Though the results were nearly identical to the outcome in February, Council will take up the Burnet Road rezoning for a third time next week. The developer, C.J. Sackman of Sackman Enterprises, is asking for […]
Posted inCity Council
Zimmerman appointee in jeopardy of losing seat
Eight City Council members expressed strong support Tuesday for Council Member Greg Casar’s resolution to rescind the appointment of activist Rebecca Forest to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. Forest is the co-founder and past president of the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas, which puts out a strong anti-immigrant message. Forest has written, “Our Muslim President […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Parks
May vote possible on Decker Golf proposal
City Council Member Ellen Troxclair, chair of the Council Economic Opportunity Committee, said she intends for her committee to vote on the Decker Lake Golf proposal at its next meeting May 11. Troxclair outlined some options for her colleagues at Monday’s committee meeting following nearly two hours of presentations and discussion. Troxclair said they could […]
Posted inCity Council
Animal Commission votes to protect circus animals
Before the Austin Animal Advisory Commission endorsed a proposed ordinance Wednesday banning the use of painful devices on circus animals, commissioners deliberated how the city should define a circus animal. Members said the inclusion of lions, tigers and bears, plus other usual circus animals, was certainly right. However, Commissioner Babette Ellis worried that including horses and […]
Posted inCity Council, Transit, Transportation
Mobility Committee maneuvers on taxicab contracts
While the city has begun a process to rewrite regulations for both taxicabs and transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft, a looming expiration of the city’s taxicab franchise agreements and a bill in the Texas Legislature appear to be complicating the matter. In an effort to address the issue, the City Council Mobility […]
Posted inCity Council, The Code
Committee studies expanding CodeNEXT group
At its first meeting Tuesday, the Planning and Neighborhoods Committee dove into the ongoing rewrite of the Land Development Code and looked at a recent push to add more members to the CodeNEXT Advisory Group. Specifically, the committee considered a proposal from Mayor Steve Adler to add more members in order to increase representation. Whom […]
Posted inCity Council, Energy
Council pushes Austin Energy on solar solicitation
To RFP or not to RFP? According to City Council, the answer is yes, and ASAP — or at least by April 15. Council voted Thursday to impose the deadline for Austin Energy to issue a request for proposal, or RFP, for up to 600 megawatts of utility-scale solar power generation and require that the […]
Posted inCity Council
Where there’s smoke, there are stakeholders
In a very Austin conversation Thursday, City Council took up the issue of barbecue joints, neighborhoods and how to encourage their peaceful coexistence. And, in a very Austin conclusion, Council members voted to initiate a stakeholder process to discuss the issue further. In this case, the issue at hand is how the city can best regulate […]