More than two months after City Council passed a new budget that took effect Oct. 1, city management now wants to freeze one of the adopted fee schedules as it relates to the amount developers pay toward parkland acquisition and development. While some Council members appeared ready to deny the request at the outset, a […]
City Hall
Posted inAustin
City sees details of homelessness strategy, with push to raise $115M
City Council learned in detail Thursday how its $210 million in federal aid, bond funds and other allocations will be used to address and possibly end homelessness over the next three years. The presentation by Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey focused largely on how the nearly $107 million the city received from the American Rescue […]
Posted inCity Hall
Board of Adjustment fee assistance moves forward
At last Thursday’s meeting, City Council unanimously approved a resolution designed to alleviate economic barriers to participating in the Board of Adjustment process. The resolution, sponsored by Mayor Pro-Tem Natasha Harper-Madison, outlines the development of a BoA applicant assistance program that would waive application fees for those meeting a certain criteria for financial hardship. Currently, […]
Posted inAustin
Meeting lays out plan for ARPA funds allocated to alleviate homelessness
On Monday, the Homeless Strategy Office hosted a community meeting to discuss the proposed spending plan for the American Rescue Plan Act funds directed toward helping the homeless community in Austin. The city intends to invest $106.7 million from ARPA funds to house individuals and expand services offered to those experiencing homelessness. The meeting served […]
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TipSheet: City Council, 10.21.21
Hello, and welcome to another edition of our TipSheet. Today, City Council will meet for the second time in as many weeks. The meeting promises to be mellow, though a canceled work session Tuesday means that potentially time-consuming briefings will be held today instead. As usual, the entire agenda can be found online, for the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council approves flood resilience resolution ahead of anniversary of devastating floods
As Austin’s southernmost districts remained under flash flood warning last Thursday, City Council took further steps toward flood resilience measures designed to better prepare the city for natural disasters. Led by District 2’s Vanessa Fuentes, Council unanimously adopted a resolution that incorporates a range of initiatives to improve flood mitigation infrastructure, expand disaster response training […]
Posted inAustin
New report underscores inequities for Latinos in Central Texas
Systemic and racial barriers have made it harder for the Latino community to excel in Central Texas, according to a new report from the Hispanic Impact Fund of the Austin Community Foundation. Building a Thriving Central Texas: Advancing Latino Futures takes a closer look at the data underlying the challenges and contributions of Latinos in the […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown business report finds problems for daytime demand, music venues
A new report on Austin’s downtown economy finds that there is a persistent weakness in weekday business, and that entertainment businesses concentrated around East Sixth and Red River streets have been slow to recover from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Downtown Austin Alliance produced the report, which supports earlier findings this year that the ongoing […]
Posted inCity Council
City adopts resolution to expedite supportive housing for homeless
City Council adopted a resolution in September establishing an expedited review and prioritization program for residential developments that provide housing for the homeless. Mayor Steve Adler sponsored the resolution, along with Council members Kathie Tovo, Ann Kitchen, Pio Renteria, and Greg Casar. “The origin of the proposal was a desire to get as many units […]
Posted inAustin
Study reveals positive developments for LGBT Austinites
On Tuesday, Austin’s LGBTQ+ Quality of Life Commission presented its first ever LGBTQIA+ quality of life study to City Council. Overall, the report paints a nuanced but optimistic picture for LGBT Austinites. The report, which has been in the works since 2017 when the commission was founded, includes interview excerpts, demographic data, survey responses, and […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: City Council, 10.14.21
Today’s Austin City Council meeting promises to be heavy on zoning cases, but a number of items on the consent agenda also caught our eye. We’ve detailed them all in this TipSheet. As usual, you can read the entire agenda online or catch the meeting live on ATXN. In terms of process, we’ll be paying attention […]
Posted inAustin
Airport continues to enhance accessibility for all travelers
There’s a lot more to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport than wheelchair access. Last Thursday, City Council’s Mobility Committee was briefed on how travel to and from Austin is – or sometimes isn’t – accessible to all. The city’s Department of Aviation is committed to ADA compliance, ABIA […]