City Council took the rare move Thursday of rejecting a nomination to a citizen commission over the nominee’s controversial statements. Only two of the nine members of Council present voted to support appointing Michael Cargill, the founder of Central Texas Gun Works and the executive director of Texans for Accountable Government, to the Bond Election […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
Austin’s fleet maintenance costly, audit shows
The cost of providing routine oil changes and inspections of the city’s light-duty, nonpublic safety vehicles is more than twice the cost of an oil change and inspection at a private company, according to an audit released by the Office of the City Auditor on May 31. Auditors found that an oil change and multipoint […]
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TipSheet: City Council, 6.8.17
City Council will hold its regular meeting again today. Below is a list of items we’re watching. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda. The Office of the City Clerk posts a copy on its website, here. 8. Approve a resolution creating the Art Space Assistance Program as an […]
Posted inCity Council
Budget stresses show in child care discussion
Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo faced strong resistance at Tuesday’s work session to her resolution directing the city manager to find funding to continue a child care services program for homeless families. Tovo and her cosponsors, City Council members Delia Garza, Leslie Pool and Pio Renteria, noted in their draft resolution that the city provided […]
Posted inAISD
AISD board calls for budget to be more voter-friendly
A budget can be financially sound and make economic sense, but if it doesn’t make sense to the public, it’s worthless. That’s the point that some Austin Independent School District board trustees tried to drive home to district administration and consultants Monday night. There is plenty of cause for concern. The last school district bond […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 6.6.17
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. **A special programming announcement: County Judge Sarah Eckhardt will be off the dais for the next two weeks. Commissioner Margaret Gómez […]
Posted inAustin
Economic development sessions to target middle-class jobs, local business growth
A focus on middle-class job growth, workforce development and growing existing businesses are some of the priorities the city’s business boosters will emphasize this week during a series of community meetings intended to shape local economic development policies. The seven meetings from June 5-8 will each be directed toward a specific group – small business, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Is audit trouble for Austin Energy employee?
The City Auditor’s Integrity Unit has found evidence that Austin Energy employee Steven Salinas solicited and accepted employment from developers over whose projects he had discretionary authority in his position as a lead electric distribution designer. However, while auditors found evidence that Salinas had worked as a contractor on various projects over which he had […]
Posted inAustin
‘Middle skill’ workforce plan aims to stabilize area’s poor, vulnerable residents
Austin and Travis County leaders’ focus on growing the region’s middle-class economy was spotlighted Thursday with the announcement of a multiyear effort to train local workers for a growing demand for so-called “middle skill” jobs. The release of the Master Community Workforce Plan, led in large part by the Workforce Solutions Capital Area nonprofit, came […]
Posted inAustin
Visit Austin contract included lobbying Council
When the CEO for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently renamed Visit Austin, signed his employment contract with the organization last May, the contract included an addendum directing him to develop a strategy for lobbying City Council to enlarge the Austin Convention Center. According to an addendum to Visit Austin CEO Tom Noonan’s contract, he […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 5.30.17
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 9. Receive update on DNA issues related to the closure of the Austin Police Department Forensics Sciences Center’s DNA testing lab. […]
Posted inAustin
Task force endorses plan to expand convention center
After nearly six months of toil, a visibly exhausted Visitor Impact Task Force granted its imprimatur to a proposal to fund the expansion of the Austin Convention Center, albeit with a number of attached recommendations. Tuesday’s vote came at the end of a nearly five-hour meeting held on the 17th floor of the Hyatt Regency […]