Tom Gleason, sustainability project manager with Transportation and Natural Resources, presented the 2020 annual sustainability report to the Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. While the report has historically focused on solid waste and TNR’s diversion efforts, it has expanded within the last couple of years to cover more comprehensive sustainability efforts. Such efforts include […]
Environment
Posted inEnergy
Gas companies seek interim rate hikes
The three companies that supply natural gas to Austin residential and commercial customers are each seeking a rate increase under the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program, or GRIP. City Council acted on April 8 and again on Thursday to temporarily suspend implementation of those increases. However, the increases are likely to take effect after a short […]
Posted inResources
Austin Resource Recovery reworking Zero Waste Master Plan
When City Council unanimously adopted the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan in 2011, it was a bold step toward making Austin “the most livable city in the country.” At more than 300 pages, the plan laid out a number of environmental sustainability goals for the city over the next three decades, but the primary objective was […]
Posted inResources
County launches Civilian Climate Corps to create green jobs
The Commissioners Court approved a resolution Tuesday to create the Travis County Civilian Climate Corps, sharing the goals of a city initiative created last May, the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps, to create green jobs and redress pandemic-era unemployment. Commissioners Anne Howard and Brigid Shea led discussion on the project. “This is a resolution for us, […]
Posted inParks
Park rangers continue reworking operations ahead of summer season
In a memo sent to City Council last week, Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly McNeeley provided an update about PARD’s upcoming summer operations, detailing “Covid-19 modified protocols, winter storm recovery challenges and general operational details for the season.” The update also described the state of operations among the city’s park rangers. The overall finding? Fasten […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission recommends removal of two West Campus heritage trees
The Environmental Commission has recommended the conditional removal of two heritage trees from a property near UT Austin that is being developed as student housing. The 32-inch red oak, in “fair” condition, and a 25-inch pecan tree in poor condition stand on a property at the intersection of Nueces and West 24th Street, a couple […]
Posted inWater
Before Uri, Austin Water didn’t see winter weather as a threat
Austin Water deemed winter weather a low risk to the city’s water supply before Winter Storm Uri, the utility told the Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Multiple climate and disaster preparedness plans failed to mention the threat of extreme winter weather, leaving the utility underprepared for the impending crisis. “Unfortunately, in this event, we did […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmentalists, city say sewage will harm Barton Creek
Houston developer Stephen Cleveland has requested a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to dump partially treated sewage into Long Branch, a tributary of Barton Creek. Although TCEQ has issued a draft permit, environmental organizations and the city of Austin have objected, saying the discharge will diminish the quality of the creek, which […]
Posted inParks
Commissions plan joint work group to address off-leash dogs
The Parks and Recreation Board and the Animal Advisory Commission are expected to form a work group to address the growing issue of off-leash dogs in Austin. Both bodies have received complaints from Austin residents about off-leash dogs and noncompliant pet owners in parks and in city neighborhoods. According to a monthly report provided this […]
Posted inEnvironment
Proposed concrete plant at ACC upsets neighbors
When Cynthia Wilcox, president of the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods, heard the news that there would soon be a functioning concrete plant at the Austin Community College Pinnacle campus near her home she felt “completely blindsided.” Wilcox reached out to her state representative, Vikki Goodwin, on Sunday. Her neighbors, Paul Robbins and Carol Cespedes, […]
Posted inParks
Trail Foundation safety and mobility study seeks improvements
Stretching 10 miles, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is one of Austin’s most beloved features, receiving more than 4.5 million visits a year. Behind the trail’s natural beauty and serenity, however, are countless hours of planning and execution. The Trail Foundation recently published a safety and mobility study of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, developed with the […]
Posted inEnergy
‘We did the best we could’: Commissioners evaluate Austin Energy’s winter storm response
At a special called joint meeting Monday, commissioners from the Electric Utility and Resource Management commissions praised Austin Energy’s response to last month’s winter storm that left hundreds of thousands of people without power for days. Commissioners also offered ideas on how the utility could improve if a similar scenario were to occur again. Resource […]