Austin City Council members received a set of updated Urban Rail statistics Tuesday. The presentation offered a glimpse at the ongoing process as staff and Mayor Lee Leffingwell did their level best to drive home the point that a route for the project — still subject to voter approval via a probable 2014 bond election […]
Elections
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
City Council to take up battle over Urban Farms Ordinance
A fight over revisions to the city’s Urban Farm Ordinance has made its way to City Council, but with a postponement looming, that fight may not be over quite yet. Opponents to ordinance changes are calling for a postponement, which they are likely to get, unless City Council breaks from the long-standing understanding that […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Uncategorized
Council members, City Manager discuss limits on policy directives
Two attempts at dealing with a pending city crackdown on ornamentation of gravesites in city-owned cemeteries forced Council members Tuesday into a wider discussion over the limits of their purview when it comes to directions for City Manager Marc Ott. At immediate issue is a proposed delay in the enforcement of city rules that […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Council, police chief clash over district representative assignments
Austin City Council members continued to do battle amongst themselves and with Police Chief Art Acevedo Tuesday over lingering issues associated with the opening of three segments of city hike and bike trails to 24-hour traffic. It all comes against the backdrop of the continuing dispute over how many officers it takes to serve the […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter, City Council, Elections
Neighborhoods mostly unhappy with first map of Council districts
Though some may have worried that breaking Austin up into 10 Single-Member Districts would divide the city, that hasn’t proven to be true so far. Monday night, Austinites from across the city united in expressing their discontent with the initial map drawn by the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The complaints emphasized two main points […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Eastside juice bar gets go-ahead despite some Council misgivings
Despite hand-wringing over the prospect of a drive-though in far East Austin, a modest juice bar proposal emerged unscathed from City Council consideration last week. “Here’s a guy trying to make a go of a small business. Everybody knows that he is going to get more business if he has this extra capability to […]
Posted inElections
VanDeWalle is lone Republican candidate in District 50 House race
Four weeks from Tuesday, Travis County voters who live in Texas House District 50 will have the opportunity to clearly define the kind of representation they want on the state level. For them, November’s election is made more interesting in part because of the candidacy of North Travis County chiropractor, Mike VanDeWalle. VanDeWalle is the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council clarifies affordability calculations on PUD Ordinance
Moving with a swiftness seldom seen at City Hall, City Council members approved changes to the city’s Planned Unit Development Ordinance at last week’s meeting. Council voted 5-2 to approve the new ordinance, with Council Members Kathie Tovo and Laura Morrison voting in opposition. The changes are a result of a lack of […]
Posted inElections, Uncategorized
Celia Israel runs for District 50 with a long history of public service
Celia Israel’s civic service resume reads a mile long. The long-time Travis County Democrat is probably most recognized for the work she did on former Gov. Ann Richards’ administration. But that was only one of many destinations along Israel’s political journey. Now Israel is racing toward the District 50 State Representative seat Mark […]
Posted inElections, Uncategorized
Chang Sheppard uses business experience to run for District 50
Jade Chang Sheppard – Democratic candidate for State Representative, District 50 – makes being a successful business woman, a wife and mother of two, and doting daughter look good. But parts of the political hopeful’s journey to get where she is today were decidedly ugly. Chang Sheppard was a baby when her father left Taiwan […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council to add 7 new members to Buildings-Standards Commission
Austin City Council members Thursday took the first steps toward a larger Building and Standards Commission – one that would, theoretically, be able to better handle a hefty volume of building code violations. Council members unanimously offered tentative approval of the addition of seven members to the Commission. The move would bring the total […]
Posted inElections, Uncategorized
Profile: Reyes says varied background is an advantage in District 50 race
Rico Reyes’ run for the vacant District 50 State Representative seat rests firmly on his desire to give to a community he claims to know more intimately than his competitors. If roots were votes, Reyes might automatically be front-runner. He was born in Austin, his grandfather worked as a janitor for Del Valle High […]