The Office of the City Auditor reports that City Council initiated 47 resolutions, ordinances and other orders related to alleviating homelessness between September 2018 and May 2021. As a result of those directives, the city entered into at least 101 agreements, mostly with nonprofit organizations, to provide various homelessness services. Some of these agreements are still in […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
City backtracks, now says people can testify by phone at public meetings
The proverbial phone line had been cut. Now, it’s being restored. Over the summer, the city of Austin said residents would no longer be able to phone in to public meetings as they’d been doing during the pandemic. The change was allowed after Gov. Greg Abbott suspended parts of the Texas Open Meetings Act, which […]
Posted inCity Council
Early redistricting map reflects population growth of Northwest Austin
City Council districts for the rest of the decade will largely look the same as those created in 2013, based on the reveal of the preliminary map that has been in the works for much of this year. While the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted to approve the map, it could still undergo some changes […]
Posted inAustin
What happened to Austin’s 24/7 restaurants, cafes and coffee shops?
Austin, over the course of its storied history, has developed a thriving hospitality scene. There is no shortage of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes that show the diversity and breadth of the city. Among this grand selection, some of the most beloved are the places that usually stay open 24 hours a day: Magnolia Cafe, […]
Posted inAustin
Animal commission seeks to illuminate the city’s no-kill policy
The Animal Advisory Commission voted unanimously Monday to form a committee to monitor Austin’s no-kill policy, while maintaining the move was not a reflection on city leadership. But first, City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee will need to approve the commission’s request to change its bylaws to allow for the creation of a committee that […]
Posted inAustin
City’s HEAL team moves four encampments to bridge shelters
In the wake of the reinstated camping ban this past May, stakes have risen considerably for those at the helm of the effort to rehouse Austin’s homeless population. Nonetheless, Project HEAL – the Homeless Encampment Assistance Link – which City Council adopted back in February, has moved full speed ahead with its plans to rehouse […]
Posted inAustin
Addressing affordability no easy task in Austin
During last week’s speech on the state of the city, Mayor Steve Adler identified issues the city has been grappling with, including defeating Covid and homelessness. He also pointed out the next big issues the city must tackle in order to allow Austinites to continue to live and thrive here. The top issue on the […]
Posted inAustin
The census in Austin: homelessness, housing and schoolchildren
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the census, especially on a local level. As city demographer Lila Valencia told the Austin Monitor, “The census touches so many aspects of our lives, from our representation at our nation’s capital, to local representation on school boards and City Council districts, to over $1.5 trillion in federal funds for […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: City Council, 9.2.21
This week’s City Council meeting promises to be another blessedly short affair. As usual, you can read the entire agenda online, but for those with less time on their hands, we have collected the items that look the most interesting in this here TipSheet. It’s worth noting that today is the first meeting to be […]
Posted inCity Council
Conduct of meetings is going to change – and change again
Just as Austin’s most civically engaged citizens – including some new to the process – have gotten used to phoning in their comments on the City Council agenda, the rules are changing. In addition, Council will be considering new rules for participation once it learns what options are available. In March 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott […]
Posted inAustin
Mayor Adler praises Austin, warns against misinformation
Mayor Steve Adler told Austinites in his annual State of the City speech Monday that although Austin continues to be “a magical place,” there are those who seek to divide us through falsehoods as the city faces its major challenges: the Delta variant, policing and homelessness. “We cannot let ourselves be distracted or consumed by […]
Posted inBudget
Transportation budget includes post-pandemic rebound in parking fees
The Transportation Department’s $152 million budget was made possible in part by a rebound in parking revenue after a steep decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which drastically reduced single-passenger vehicle use for much of 2020. In a presentation to the Urban Transportation Commission earlier this month, Transportation Department Director Robert Spillar said parking revenues […]