In the wake of Covid-19, revenue at the Austin Convention Center dropped from more than $35.8 million in Fiscal Year 2019 to about $12.8 million in FY 2020, according to a special review of convention center finances conducted by the Office of the City Auditor, at the request of members of the City Council Audit […]
City Hall
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TipSheet: City Council, 4.22.21
Today, Austin City Council will hold its regular Thursday meeting. With about 50 people signed up to speak on the agenda, it looks like it might be a reasonably quick affair. We’ll note that at their last meeting, Council members took up public comment at the beginning as they have been doing during the past […]
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Council to delve into Airport Hilton questions
City Council is preparing to discuss extending a $2.6 million loan to cover overdue bills from the Austin Airport Hilton. The hotel, which is operated by Austin-Bergstrom Landhost Enterprises, or ABLE, lost a considerable amount of revenue over the past year as a result of Covid-19. Although it seems clear that the city is responsible […]
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Music supporters’ budget proposals seek $20M+ for pandemic recovery
Advocates for Austin’s music community have come forward with a pair of budget proposals urging the city to earmark roughly $20 million in its next budget specifically for music-related purposes to help the creative economy recover from the pandemic. On Friday the advocacy group Music Makes Austin released its proposed budget priorities for the city’s […]
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Ethics commissioners say nonprofit acted in ‘bad faith’
The Ethics Review Commission expressed frustration Wednesday that nonprofit Save Austin Now has not yet brought evidence to refute an ethics complaint filed against it, delaying a final hearing that was set for the meeting. Counsel for the nonprofit said they needed more time to provide the evidence that they had promised was coming at […]
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City names anti-displacement officer as real estate prices climb
As Austin’s real estate prices continue to soar, the city has named a new point person in charge of reducing the displacement of residents from affordable housing units. Nefertitti Jackmon recently started her new role as the community displacement prevention officer within the Housing and Planning Department. Jackmon previously worked on programs related to displacement […]
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Austin’s village of tiny homes for formerly homeless folks to triple in size
The nonprofit that runs Austin’s Community First Village has acquired land and plans to build out more tiny homes to house Austinites transitioning out of homelessness. The far East Austin development of tiny homes and trailers, managed by Mobile Loaves and Fishes, houses 221 formerly chronically homeless people. The expansion could add space for at […]
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Investigation finds theft and resale at Austin Energy
A city investigation has found that an employee stole and sold more than $130,000 worth of items from Austin Energy. A letter from Rodney Stockton’s attorney, Rick Cofer, clarified that Stockton does not admit responsibility for all of the missing items. In his letter of resignation, Stockton confessed that he had stolen two nitrogen oxide analyzers […]
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TipSheet: Travis County, 4.13.21
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website. The meeting will be streamed live on the Travis County website. Special joint session Covid updates County Health Authority […]
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City to create disaster-relief hubs
Spurred into action by Winter Storm Uri, City Council has moved to establish emergency hubs across the city where residents can go during a natural disaster to find food, water and shelter – belatedly acting on plans from two years ago. The city, working with community groups, will pilot six of these “community resilience hubs” […]
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Council barely OKs eminent domain for U.S. 290 expansion
With just six members voting in the affirmative last Thursday, City Council authorized staff to move forward with eminent domain proceedings to purchase new right of way in order to move wastewater lines that are in the path of the expansion of U.S. Highway 290, or the Oak Hill Parkway. Council members Mackenzie Kelly, Leslie […]
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City awards second round of SAVES funds to closed music venues
The city has begun awarding grants to 28 music venues selected to receive assistance from a $5 million program created to help preserve businesses that have been largely closed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring. The grants of up to $140,000 each were the second phase of awards from the Save Austin’s […]