Revenue is down for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and its board members are starting to worry. The members expressed concerns at Thursday night’s meeting as they approved the fiscal year 2015 budget, citing a revenue loss of $26,000 from last year and nearly $40,000 in the last two. Though the budgetary gap […]
Environment
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Transportation
Supporters jam hearing on SH45 SW environmental impact statement
Supporters of the State Highway 45 Southwest toll road project showed up in the of hundreds Tuesday night at a Texas Department of Transportation public hearing on the project’s draft environmental impact statement. While vocal opponents of the project – including the City of Austin and Save Our Springs Alliance – denouncing the draft’s conclusions […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Transportation
Aquifer district staff critical of SH45 SW environmental study
The staff of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is expressing strong doubts about the science and data behind a proposed environmental impact statement for State Highway 45 Southwest. In their review, district staff calls the information in the draft document “incomplete and deficient,” and recommend that state officials go back to the drawing […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics, Resources
Travis County renews affiliation with water policy resource group
Travis County Commissioners voted last week to continue participation in a Central Texas organization formed originally to purchase a section of small water utilities from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The vote came after the expression of some concern over the partnership at last Tuesday’s court session. The county passed a resolution in February 2013 […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Resources
City hopes Eco-Industrial park will bring jobs
The City of Austin is planning to spend up to $10 million to create an eco-industrial park south of the city’s airport. Officials hope the park will lure dozens of businesses that specialize in manufacturing goods from recycled, reused or repaired materials. They add that the project could bring more than 1,200 new jobs for […]
Posted inDevelopment, Resources
Despite ruling, city expects no immediate change to drainage fee
A judge’s ruling rendering a portion of the city’s Drainage Fee invalid could put millions of dollars worth of critical flood control and watershed protection programs at risk. State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled Friday that the flat $9.20 fee charged to almost all of Austin’s utility customers was unfair to people living in […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics, Public Safety, Resources
Council approves funds for buyout of 140 more homes in Onion Creek
Though some relief is on the way for Halloween Flood survivors, the fact that nearly 15 percent of the funds could be spent on consultants raised some eyebrows at City Council Thursday. Council members approved all four items related to the Onion Creek buyouts but they faced some pushback from citizens concerned about the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics
Council takes no action on move to remove Leffingwell from BCCP
Activists opposed to State Highway 45 Southwest lost a battle at Thursday’s City Council meeting when a motion died to replace Mayor Lee Leffingwell as chair of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan’s Coordinating Committee. Council Member Kathie Tovo moved to replace Leffingwell with Council Member Laura Morrison, but the motion died for lack of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Resources
Water task force recommends finding more ways to save water
After months of tedious and lengthy meetings, the city’s blue ribbon task force assigned to make recommendations on how Austin should deal with an ever-shrinking water supply unanimously approved a report to City Council Wednesday. The major message from the Austin Water Resource Planning Task Force to the Austin Water Utility and citizens was: […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics, Resources
Ott pulls Austin Energy building plan from City Council agenda
Austin City Manager Marc Ott plans to remove a controversial item from today’s agenda that would authorize the design of a new Austin Energy headquarters. Speaking from the dais at Council’s regular Tuesday work session, Ott noted the need for more information. “Certainly I recognize that Council has a lot of questions and I […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Public Safety, Resources
City in line for flood buyout reimbursements from Corps of Engineers
Austin City Council members got a bit of good news with regard to buyouts in the Onion Creek floodplain. The city’s governmental relations officer, John Hrncir, told Council members during Tuesday’s work session that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was likely to reimburse the city for the costs of the program dating as far […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics
Leffingwell clashes with Morrison, Tovo on his position on SH45 SW
A testy exchange between Mayor Lee Leffingwell and several members at Tuesday’s Austin City Council work session put deep divisions about the proposed State Highway 45 Southwest on full display. Leffingwell found himself in the hot seat when colleagues asked him how he’d vote if the highway appeared on the agenda of the Balcones […]