Austin City Council members are studying an Austin Energy plan to lower regulatory fees in 2015, which will cut the average monthly residential bill. Utility officials floated the plan Thursday at the Council Committee on Austin Energy. Austin Energy officials say the proposal would reduce a consumer’s portion of an Electric Reliability Council of Texas […]
Environment
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TipSheet: Lower Colorado River Authority
The LCRA board meets Wednesday. On the agenda is a report on the condition of the Highland Lakes, amendments to Downstream Water Rights and possible amendments to a pending water management plan. Lower Colorado River Authority Board 10 a.m. August 20, 2014 LCRA Board Room, 3700 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin Items from the Chair […]
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TipSheet: Austin City Council Budget Work Session
The Austin City Council meets Tuesday morning for another Budget Work Session. Highlights on this week’s agenda: Council members will consider adopting the maximum tax rate of 49.22 cents per $100 taxable value and set the date to adopt the FY2015 tax rate. The Council will also set public hearings on the tax rate and […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources, Uncategorized
Council punts decision on AE reserves
The Austin City Council decided with a 4-3 vote Thursday to postpone a decision to transfer $30 million from Austin Energy’s Operating Fund to its Strategic Reserve Contingency Fund as requested by staff in order to bring the utility closer to complying with its own financial reserve policies. Council Member Laura Morrison made the motion. Joining her […]
Posted inResources
Austin Monitor Radio, Show 11: Water
Austin Water Utility Director Greg Meszaros joins the Monitor‘s Mike Kanin to talk drought, rates, and the future of water in Central Texas. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163019200″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources, Uncategorized
Pay raise for Travis County employees in limbo
Travis County elected officials will not get a pay raise next year, following a recommendation by the Planning and Budget Office that the Commissioners Court unanimously approved Tuesday. Other county employees, with few exceptions, will have to wait to find out whether they will get a pay increase until budget markup in early September, when the Commissioners […]
Posted inEnvironment, Resources
Plan suggests shutdown of Decker power plant
The City of Austin is considering taking the Decker Creek Power Station offline in order to secure access to water from adjacent Lake Walter E. Long in the case of a future drought emergency. The idea is one of several key recommendations set forth in a report by the Water Resource Planning Task Force, a team that the Austin […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment
Environmental Board rejects fee hike for buyouts
A plan to finance Onion Creek home buyouts through an increase in the city’s drainage utility fee found no support at the Environmental Board last week. Board members asked City Council members to find another way. In a resolution passed Wednesday, Environmental Board members asked that Council “seriously consider utilizing the general bond option, rather […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Austin Energy pitches Council to restore its cash reserves
Austin Energy officials pressed Austin City Council members Tuesday to allow the utility to reconfigure its cash holdings to allow it to fill a series of neglected reserve funds. The move, according to utility representatives, would better position the utility for lower interest rates when it sells bonds — and could save the city millions […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Austin Energy looks to get under affordability cap
Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis told the Austin Monitor Tuesday that he and utility staff are working on a proposal that would keep the utility’s FY2015 budget revenue request under a 2 percent affordability cap on potential rate increases. Weis added that the proposal would address concerns first raised by Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell […]
Posted inResources
LCRA finalizes sale of 18 small water systems to Corix Utilities
The Lower Colorado River Authority has closed the sale of 18 of its former small water/wastewater systems to Corix Utilities Texas, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Corix Utilities. Officials gave no price for the transaction. LCRA officials announced in 2010 that they were planning to sell the group of systems, which at the time was costing […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety, Resources
Energy, water utility rates top Council concerns over 2015 budget
The Austin City Council took on next year’s budget in earnest Thursday. Of the $3.5 billion budget, members’ biggest concerns continued to rest with the city’s water and energy utilities. A proposal from Austin Energy to increase the fuel charge customers pay had Council particularly on edge. That increase will add $4.67 to the average […]