Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison speaks plainly about the burnout and fatigue she was facing for much of 2023, which led to her decision in September to take a nearly two-month leave of absence from her seat on City Council. A deterioration in sleep patterns, eating habits and her general state of mind was accompanied by […]
Districts
Posted inCity Council
Fuentes spent 2023 on program implementation
City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes continued her focus on working families and delivering community-focused policies in 2023, bringing forward 19 items and co-sponsoring another 80 resolutions. “We’ve been very active and collaborative with my colleagues on the dais,” Fuentes told the Austin Monitor. She is most proud of the measure she sponsored directing the city […]
Posted inCity Council
D3’s Velásquez says: ‘We’re doing exactly what we set out to do’
For District 3 City Council Member José Velásquez, this past year’s theme was accessibility and constituent relations. “We’re doing exactly what we set out to do, which was make the office as accessible as possible and make the person sitting in the chair as accessible as possible,” Velásquez told the Austin Monitor. “That hasn’t always […]
Posted inCity Hall
Vela: Austin may have country’s most progressive housing policy
Chito Vela has had no sophomore slump in 2023. In his second year, the District 4 City Council member has ushered in a new regimen of land use policies tackling Austin’s housing crisis at breakneck speed. “We were in a real bind for decades, and I think there was universal acknowledgment that our code was […]
Posted inPreservation
Preservation of East Austin Folk Victorian home advances to City Council
A Historic Landmark Commission-led bid for historic zoning in East Austin won the endorsement of the Planning Commission at its most recent meeting, despite opposition by the owner. Commissioners voted 10-1 in favor of preserving the original footprint of the home, with Commissioner Jennifer Mushtaler voting in opposition. Vice Chair Claire Hempel and Commissioner Alice […]
Posted inCity Council
Delay gives city a hard Dec. 14 deadline to end Seaholm special taxing district
City Council will have until its Dec. 14 meeting to close down a taxing district created to revitalize the Seaholm Power Plant property. That deadline comes because of a decision at last week’s meeting not to close down the tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) that was created in 2008 to fund improvements to the Seaholm […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin throws $2.6 million more into project converting hotel into housing for elderly people without homes
Lee esta historia en español More money is being poured into a former North Austin hotel that will be converted into housing for elderly people who are exiting homelessness. City Council on Thursday authorized an additional $2.6 million for continued renovations to the Pecan Gardens project, raising the total contract to $6.5 million. The contract […]
Posted inCity Council
Council postpones decision on historic Barton Springs Bridge reconstruction
Although city staff urged City Council to authorize a complete destruction and rebuilding of the historic Barton Springs Bridge, Council postponed action on the item Thursday. Several members of the public urged them not to move forward with the plan and criticized the process for lacking sufficient public input. “When the Council is asked to […]
Posted inParks
Parks and Recreation Board backs calls for expanded senior center facility in North Austin
The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended the city find funding to create a senior activity center to serve District 4 and areas north of Highway 183 – and consider the Gus Garcia Recreation Center as a possible location. Austin’s senior population is on the rise, and many seniors are economically and socially vulnerable. […]
Posted inParks
Bathhouse working group suggests city start process to rename Barton Springs
At its regular meeting on Nov. 27, the Parks and Recreation Board heard from the Barton Springs Bathhouse Working Group about its report, which includes a list of potential names for an updated bathhouse in addition to calling for the city to also reexamine the name of Barton Springs. The working group was established to […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro settles with city on East Austin real estate deal that paves the way for wastewater project
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is selling the city of Austin a piece of land in East Austin to pave the way for the Walnut Interceptor Odor and Corrosion Improvements capital project. At its meeting on Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved the sale of a small plot of land at […]
Posted inPlanning
‘Little Luckenbach’ could link Sam’s Town Point to $270M South Austin entertainment district
The owner of Sam’s Town Point hopes that a forthcoming mix of “rural retail” – including a farmers market and possible hemp cultivation along with live music offerings on the 10 acres surrounding the popular music venue – could link up to a planned entertainment district south of Slaughter Lane along Menchaca Road. Ramsay Midwood, […]