Those worried that one of Austin’s most beloved houses was destined for demolition could rest easy over the weekend. Despite the owner’s objections, the Austin City Council voted last week to make the Red River International House a historic landmark. Council voted 6-1 to preserve the house, with only Council Member Mike Martinez voting in […]
City Council
Posted inAustin, City Council, Energy, Environment, Resources
Council approves 2025 Austin Energy gen plan
Following a several-months-long stakeholder process, City Council approved an update to the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan with goals to 2025 for the new Council to take charge of next year. Council members made several amendments before adopting the plan at Thursday’s Council meeting. They were eventually accepted by Austin Energy staff […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Development, Local Politics
Chapter 380 won’t stop firms from tax protests
City Council Member Kathie Tovo’s attempt to prevent companies that enter into Chapter 380 economic development agreements with the city from appealing their property tax appraisals ended with something considerably less than that Thursday, after Council members heard from a Samsung representative about how such an effort might backfire. Catherine Morse, general counsel and director […]
Posted inCity Council, City Hall, Local Politics
Council braces for a long Thursday meeting
With a final agenda that has more than 230 items on it so far, Austin’s last at-large City Council looks determined to go out with a bang, and a really long meeting. On Tuesday, members discussed how to best deal with their last meeting, which will take place this Thursday. “It would be ironic, in […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Energy, Environment, Resources
Austin Energy, activists agree on generation plan
After three months of intense negotiations, officials with the city’s electric utility and members of environmental groups — including, most prominently, the Sierra Club — have reached agreement on a proposed 2025 generation plan for Austin Energy. That plan includes ramping down use of the coal-fired Fayette Power Plant in 2020 with an eye to […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Government, Public Health
Central Health board reappointment stirs passions
The reappointment of Katrina Daniel to the Central Health board of managers turned unexpectedly heated at last week’s Council Public Health and Human Services Committee meeting. Ultimately, committee members unanimously recommended Daniel’s reappointment. The full City Council will consider the nomination at its Dec. 11 meeting. “I believe that experience matters,” said Council Member Mike […]
Posted inCity Council, City Hall, Parks
Audit finds trouble at city cemeteries
A report by the city auditor’s staff found that the Parks and Recreation Department’s Cemetery Operations Group has demonstrated a “general lack of oversight” in managing certain aspects of the city’s municipal cemeteries. Among other issues, the October audit revealed five instances between April 2013 and June 2014 in which Cemetery Operations Group staff sold […]
Posted inCity Council, Development
Token hearing held for controversial Marshall PUD
City Council members and neighbors both had concerns about a proposed Planned Unit Development in Southwest Austin last week, despite the fact that neither group actually has a say in what will happen with the development. As part of the PUD ordinance, city staff presents a development assessment to the Council for all proposed PUDs. […]
Posted inCity Council, Local Politics, Public Health
Council approves 2016 social services contracts
The Austin City Council approved the next round of the city’s social services contracts Thursday, apportioning far less money than most agencies said they needed to serve their clients. For Fiscal Year 2016, the city received requests for more than $30 million but was only able to fund about $16 million. The process for determining […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Land Development Code
Land Development Code rewrite marches forward
A once-divided City Council got behind a compromise Thursday on how the city will approach the Land Development Code rewrite. Council Member Bill Spelman said the decision had been “clouded” by its framing, which had turned the choice between approaches “symbolic and political.” “We all kind of lost sight of the fact that what we […]
Posted inCity Council, Environment, Parks, Resources, Water
Water worries derail Decker Lake golf course vote
Worries about water — and Central Texas’ persistent drought — have derailed, at least temporarily, plans for the Decker Lake golf course. After hearing concerns from Austin Water Utility Director Greg Meszaros, City Council voted 7-0 to postpone consideration of an agreement to turn over 735 acres of parkland for development of a high-end golf […]
Posted inCity Council, Public Safety
Coyote management plan passes despite concerns
The Austin City Council approved the contentious city coyote management plan Thursday evening, to a loud round of applause and a few woofs of approval from community members sitting in the audience. “This may not be the last word on coyotes, but it does portend a very good effort on the part of many in […]