The Public Safety Commission and the Austin Police Department are recovering from a tense meeting earlier this month, at which APD leadership threatened to no longer attend commission meetings and commissioners lamented APD’s unresponsiveness, revealing a widening chasm. That’s why APD leadership’s appearance before the Public Safety Commission was noteworthy during a special called meeting […]
City Hall
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.18.23
Once again, this Thursday, Council will convene for their regular meeting. The nitty-gritty of said meeting can be found online, as usual, but we’ve taken some time to read through and make somewhat-educated guesses about what might be interesting today. As discussed at their most recent Public Safety Committee meeting, Council is set to take […]
Posted inCity Hall
Creative Alliance pushes for new city department for cultural affairs
The Austin Creative Alliance has asked the city to create a new department focused on funding and support for the creative economy, and cites changes in how the Economic Development Department handles grant funding for arts groups as the latest shortcoming. In a letter sent to members earlier this month, ACA Board Chair Dewy Brooks […]
Posted inCity Hall
Former city employee abused sick leave policy, audit says
A former employee of the city’s Animal Services Department misused city resources by claiming sick leave after getting a new job at Travis County, according to a report from the Office of the City Auditor. The audit says Luis Negrete, a former animal health technician, took time off from his job in December 2021 and […]
Posted inCity Hall
Manager, AFSCME at odds over mandates to return to offices
The Covid-19 public health emergency officially ended on Thursday and interim City Manager Jesús Garza wasted no time in telling city employees that they need to spend a lot more time in the office now – no less than three days a week for most and five days a week for executives. Garza sent a […]
Posted inAustin
Tourism Commission seeks answers on stalled hotel tax to fund homeless services
The Tourism Commission wants to take a hard look at the lack of progress on, and new considerations involved in, the long-discussed taxing district that could see large hotels contribute a new tax levy toward costs associated with homelessness. Next month, the commission will receive a presentation from Scott Joslove, a former commission member and […]
Posted inAustin
City’s animal commission OKs cat educator
The Animal Advisory Commission unanimously approved a motion for a second permanent position for community cat public health educator last Monday. The Community Cats program in Austin helps the thousands of free-roaming cats in the city remain healthy and safe in their natural homes – whether that is outdoors or in a house. The program […]
Posted inBudget
Community groups propose community investment budget
Representatives of more than 30 community groups, led by Equity Action, will release their proposal for what they call “long overdue investments in public safety,” including higher wages for EMS workers and 911 call takers, at a press conference at noon today at City Hall. In addition to Equity Action, representatives from the Austin Area […]
Posted inCity Hall
LBJ students eye AEDC’s future as deals for city-funded creative spaces proceed
A study of possible growth scenarios for the Austin Economic Development Corporation sees the quasi-public entity as the primary resource for helping to grow local arts organizations while also increasing collaborations between those groups and local developers. A recent report by students from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas looked […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.4.23
City Council will meet today for its regular Thursday meeting. If we were in the business of classifying this meeting, it would probably be a “medium meeting” with a few things of interest on the agenda, but nothing that threatens to make the whole thing a dramatic affair or anything. The biggest item on the […]
Posted inBudget
City Council hears mixed news on financial future
Austin Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo gave City Council both good and bad news at Tuesday’s briefing on the city’s financial forecast. Van Eenoo said General Fund revenues, especially sales tax proceeds and interest earnings, have put the city in a position where staff can recommend increasing the city’s reserve fund to 60 days, […]
Posted inAustin
Austin in line for billions in tech, transportation, clean energy funds from feds
The message to local developers and real estate professionals on Wednesday was clear: Austin is in the mix for tens of billions of dollars in federal money that will continue to transform the area and attract newcomers for decades. Panelists for the Urban Land Institute Austin discussion on federal funding up for grabs for Central […]