An East Austin arts nonprofit is looking to organize musicians, artists and other creatives for job opportunities and to put pressure on the city to move forward with building out plans for the African American Culture and Heritage District that were approved by City Council in 2021. The East Austin Creative Coalition is seeking members […]
City Hall
Posted inAustin
Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure
Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin Convention Center. Last week, the Tourism Commission received a presentation from the tourism organization, which […]
Posted inAustin
SXSW is accused of cozying up to ‘war profiteers.’ Musicians are boycotting.
Austin percussionist Thor Harris has been playing South by Southwest since the ramshackle days, when the festival was a platform for up-and-coming musicians hoping to be discovered by music industry insiders. This year, it’s different. “I’ve played hundreds of other music festivals and never heard of any of the other ones having war profiteers as […]
Posted inAustin
City preps for eclipse visitors at a pace to rival SXSW nights
Next month’s solar eclipse is expected to bring a short boost for local hotels that could match some of the nine-day stretch of South by Southwest. Austin’s location as one of the most opportune viewing spots in the path of the April 8 celestial phenomenon is luring tourists from far and wide, with city officials […]
Posted inCity Hall
Austin public safety agencies roll out electronic payroll system
Austin’s public safety agencies – the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS – are in various stages of rolling out an electronic payroll system in an effort to streamline scheduling and other logistical tasks. The city’s Public Safety Commission expressed hope that the new system would improve transparency on how […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 3.7.24
Today, City Council will convene for a normal Thursday meeting, and we’ve put together a few of the items on this week’s (short!) agenda that caught our eye. Proposed changes to environmental protections on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail are on today’s agenda and, if it’s anything like the scene at […]
Posted inBudget
Music Commission’s $3M budget request includes HAAM funds, marketing program
The Music Commission has asked the city for just over $3 million in the next budget to expand some existing programs and provide added economic and medical assistance for local musicians. At Monday’s meeting, the commission unanimously approved six requests for the 2025 budget, which will be submitted to the Economic Development Department as part […]
Posted inBudget
County commissioners prepare for a complicated budget season
Each year, the Travis County Planning and Budget Office presents its budget guidelines for the upcoming fiscal year to the Travis County Commissioners Court, furnishing the court with important data and forecasts while launching talks about further planning efforts. On Tuesday, Jessica Rio, Planning and Budget Office county executive, predicted an encouraging economic outlook for […]
Posted inBudget
HAAM seeks $500K in next year’s city budget to fund local musicians’ insurance
Health Alliance for Austin Musicians is seeking ongoing support from the city and possibly Travis County to cover the costs of subsidized health insurance coverage for more than 2,000 local musicians annually. Tonight’s Music Commission meeting will feature a presentation from HAAM CEO Paul Scott, who is looking for commissioners to approve a request for […]
Posted inCity Council
As Council prepped public support, local Google workers learned of layoffs
Some private-sector workplace drama took place in real time during Thursday’s City Council meeting, with a group of local Google workers learning they’d lost their jobs while commenting on a proposed city resolution intended to support their cause. On the agenda Thursday was an item from Council Member Zo Qadri that called on Google LLC, […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin makes library cards free to people outside the city
People who live in unincorporated areas outside the city no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin Public Library card. In December, City Council voted to remove the fees after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation, commissioners said Austin Public Library is committed to equity, which includes removing barriers that prevent […]
Posted inCity Council
Council passes a resolution calling for greener procurement practices
After its recent approval of a measure to create an investment strategy for financing the city’s climate plans, City Council on Thursday passed a complementary item to establish more sustainable procurement practices. Like the previous resolution, this one, too, was brought by Council Member Ryan Alter to reinforce Austin’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint […]