City Council listened to representatives of the firefighters, police and EMS unions Thursday. Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, and his attorney took the lion’s share of the time to complain about the city’s failure to listen to his group’s input in designing a process to hire new firefighters. The city issued a […]
City Hall
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics
Who Are the Powerful People in Your Neighborhood?
This story comes to us courtesy of our City Hall reporting partners at KUT. As you might have heard, and most probably have felt, Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. But how it should handle that growth is an ongoing debate. As a new city council steps forward, it might help […]
Posted inAustin, Environment, Music & Entertainment, Parks
City plans to repair cyclo-cross damage at Zilker
City staff has revealed a one-year plan that they hope will remediate tree and turf damage related to a national cyclo-cross championship held in Zilker Park earlier this month. Watershed Protection Department Environmental Officer Chuck Lesniak told the Environmental Board Wednesday that Parks and Recreation Department staff and City Arborist Michael Embesi have “a pretty […]
Posted inAustin, Fire, Public Safety
Austin firefighters to again seek input on hiring
The Austin Firefighters Association will have an opportunity at this morning’s City Council meeting to voice concerns to the new Council about its lack of input on a new process for hiring fire cadets. The firefighters’ hope is that this Council will be more receptive than the previous one to their complaints about U.S. Justice Department […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics
Competing Hyde Parkers: Won’t You Be In My Neighborhood Association?
This story comes to us courtesy of our reporting partners at KUT. For a city of nearly a million people, many big decisions in Austin tend to be influenced by a self-selected few. Lots of small recommendations by neighborhood associations can end up having a big impact on how Austin handles its growth. But now, […]
Posted inCity Council, Development, Local Politics, Planning, Zoning
Zoning lesson raises questions for new Council
With single-member districts up and running, myriad changes are on the horizon at City Hall. Tuesday, some clues about how city staff will tackle the nuts-and-bolts of the transition emerged in what was a largely uneventful mock City Council meeting. As part of Council’s ongoing orientation, Planning and Development Review Department director Greg Guernsey explained […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics
Subcommittee meeting on ADUs canceled
A meeting of the Planning Commission Codes and Ordinances Subcommittee was canceled Tuesday because not enough members showed up. Voting members James Nortey, Jean Stevens and Nuria Zaragoza along with ex officio member Jeff Jack waited 30 minutes after the 6 p.m. start time before calling it quits. Nortey said he would try to organize […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Housing
RECA calls for more housing; Austin reacts
Last week, the Real Estate Council of Austin released a paper calling for a fix to Austin’s affordable housing problem. As a solution, the group called for 100,000 new housing units in the city by 2025. The paper, which is filled with statistics about Austin’s decreasing affordability, increasing population and what lies ahead, states in […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Despite PAC reports, some campaign facts unclear
The political action committee that funded an attack ad against consultant David Butts has filed a campaign finance report showing contributions from former Texas Monthly publisher Mike Levy and Bryan Hardeman, owner of Continental Automotive Group. Levy and Hardeman contributed $4,800 and $5,000 respectively to the Coalition of Austin Neighborhoods, according to a report the […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Zoning
Planners back apartment complex on Burnet Road
An automotive repair shop on Burnet Road could become a 60-foot-tall apartment building, if City Council approves a zoning change for the property. At a Planning Commission meeting last week, Robert Crump and Charles Gordon, owners of the property at 8528 Burnet Road — where Gordon Automotive sits — sought the commission’s recommendation to change […]
Posted inAustin, Development
Yogurt shop variance request frozen for now
The Board of Adjustment gave an overall warm reception to a parking variance request sought for a new frozen yogurt shop on East Sixth Street. However, instead of granting the variance request, several BOA members said they thought the Development Assistance Center could potentially waive the parking requirement for the building located at 1105 E. […]
Posted inAustin, Elections, Local Politics
Explainer: What it cost to run for Council in 2014
Each week the Explainer offers a closer look at stories we have been following. This week examines the relative costs of getting elected to Austin City Council in 2014. The 2014 Council election was, of course, the most expensive in city history. New Mayor Steve Adler alone spent around $1.5 million over the span of his […]