For a moment, the possibilities for a former school building in one of Austin’s most coveted neighborhoods seemed endless. A contemporary arts center with space for restaurants. What about a community theater? The 4-acre spot in Hyde Park, several groups suggested, could be used to build homes public school teachers could afford. Even in 2017, […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
City provides update on Covid-19 funding, plan for ‘maximizing’ impact
The city of Austin spent $535.6 million related to Covid-19 through Dec. 31, 2021, according to a May 6 memo from Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members. About 53 percent of those costs have been covered by federal and state assistance programs. The city is hopeful a portion […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.19.22
Today’s City Council meeting could be a long one, with a few contentious items on the agenda in addition to a list of smaller things that can add up quickly. As usual, we’ve gathered the things that are most interesting for this rundown, but the entire agenda can be found online. Though Council won’t take action […]
Posted inAustin
City, music groups seek partners for update of 2015 creative ecosystem census
The 2015 census that showed the Austin music and creative community was becoming economically marginalized will be updated this summer, with organizers hoping to reach a larger and more diverse pool of respondents from the Austin area and beyond. More than a dozen nonprofit, media and governmental organizations have signed on to help gather data […]
Posted inAustin
Staff seeks to build a better way to manage homeless encampments
City staffers are making a series of changes to the management of homeless encampments, with a centralized response and assessment system in the works that is expected to become operational later this summer. City Council’s Public Health Committee received a presentation Wednesday detailing the current state of work to break up and manage the homeless communities […]
Posted inCity Hall
City collisions cost more than $8 million over three years
City Council approved a payment last week of $82,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by Sherri Davis against the city and Austin Energy employee Stephen Tucker. Tucker is identified in the lawsuit as the driver of a city vehicle that struck Davis as she was walking in the crosswalk at the intersection of Friedrich Lane and […]
Posted inAustin
Austin Animal Center faces questions about monthly update
Alongside shelters nationwide, the Austin Animal Center has been struggling with staffing shortages and soaring populations of shelter animals – a situation that was evident in the shelter’s monthly update to the Animal Advisory Commission. In April, a total of 1,067 animals were brought to the shelter, while 419 were adopted and 132 cats, dogs or […]
Posted inAustin
City staffing shortages to delay Live Music Fund deployment until mid-2023
Musicians, promoters and other creatives will have to wait another year to enter into a contract of $5,000-$10,000 from the city’s Live Music Fund. The delay is due to a staffing shortage in the city, including 20 positions in the Economic Development Department, with the management of the fund headed for a third-party contractor. During a […]
Posted inCity Hall
Expanded parental leave benefits on the horizon for city employees
In step with their colleagues at the Travis County Commissioners Court, City Council members made preliminary moves last Thursday to expand the paid parental leave program for city employees. The resolution, sponsored by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, directs the city manager to conduct a cost analysis of several different policy structures and return within three […]
Posted inCity Council
Council moves forward with income pilot program
City Council members attending Thursday’s meeting approved a $1.1 million pilot program to study the impact of providing $1,000 a month to 85 families for a year, with an emphasis on families facing eviction. Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter voted no. Council members Mackenzie Kelly and Leslie Pool, who had indicated misgivings about the program, […]
Posted inCity Council
Guaranteed income pilot program likely moving forward today
Despite the misgivings of at least two City Council members, some members of the public and criticism from the Austin American-Statesman editorial board, Council seems poised to move forward today with a contract to set up a guaranteed basic income pilot program. Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Vanessa Fuentes are the primary sponsors of […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.5.22
Hello, and welcome to another pre-cap of today’s City Council meeting. We’ve picked out a few things that might be interesting today, but as usual, you can find the entire agenda online. At its last meeting, Council postponed a guaranteed pilot program that would give $1,000 per month to 85 families that are threatened by […]