Austinites who want to use solar power but cannot install solar panels will soon be able to draw from a community pool of solar energy. A new project to be operated by Austin Energy will allow electric customers who cannot afford to install individual solar panels or live in a home where panels are not […]
Environment
Posted inResources
Skeptical Council hears new AE generation plan
Despite disagreements over exactly how much solar energy Austin Energy should purchase by 2020, both sides in a tug of war over the utility’s generation plan agreed Thursday that Austin Energy should move forward with a request for proposals for more solar power. City Council members, sitting as the Committee on Austin Energy, heard more […]
Posted inResources
HHS Committee works to fund agency contracts
City Council’s Health and Human Services Committee continues to meet and discuss how to stretch a limited amount of money to fund contracts with Austin social service agencies for the next fiscal year. The panel made progress Wednesday but still has work left to complete a proposal for the entire Council. According to Council Member Laura […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Reporter’s Notebook: Council chamber progress
New Council Chambers taking shape … We just got a sneak peak at the refurbished City Council chambers and it is spectacular. That brand-new dais is carved ‘pecky Pecan,’ according to Bob Nagelhout, whose company designed and built the dais, matching podium and two rows of desks on each side of the center aisle for […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Resources
Travis County battles shortage of foster homes
There is a severe lack of homes for children and youth in Travis County’s foster care system, according to the judges and officials who administer the system. They say the situation has become critical, to the point that children are often moved out of their home community and placed in homes that are many miles […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Reporters Notebook
Hey, it’s our med school, so it must be our sky bridge … Central Health is all for the proposed sky bridge between the new medical school at Seton Medical Center and an associated parking garage, as long as there’s some flexibility in the planning process. At Wednesday night’s regular meeting of the Central Health […]
Posted inResources
Water bills to get increased scrutiny after audit
The City Auditor’s Office has found that the customer billing system that generates the City of Austin’s combined utility bills does not routinely scrutinize the readings on the majority of water bills, leading to the possibility of overcharges. for nine out of 10 customers. Austin Energy manages the customer billing system, which generates a single […]
Posted inResources
City Council studies potential solar power deal
Austin Energy staff is set to present City Council members with a new potential 25-year community solar contract Thursday that would produce as much as 3.2 megawatts of “local” solar power for the utility. If approved, the deal would cost up to $13 million over that time span. Staff’s suggested contract awardee is PowerFin Solar […]
Posted inPremium Types
Tip Sheet: Travis County Commissioners 9.30
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 10. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON PROPOSED REQUEST FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment
Council approves Urban Trails Master Plan
It was a rough road for the Urban Trails Master Plan, but after a few tweaks, City Council embraced the proposal last week. Council members voted 7-0 to approve the master plan after hearing nearly an hour’s worth of public input — both for and against the plan. Those speaking against the plan were vocal […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Environment, Local Politics, Resources
Whispers Roundup: Keeping secrets badly
Whispers Roundup is a weekly column of items from our reporters’ notebooks. “We won’t say a thing to anyone – we swear!” . . . Despite a handful of speeches at Wednesday’s Austin Neighborhoods Council forum imploring the candidates to keep endorsements secret until Monday, a few of the winners have already let the cat […]
Posted inResources
AE offers new generation mix proposal
Austin Energy officials presented City Council members Tuesday with a new proposal for a generation mix that would approach the renewable energy numbers suggested by a July task force report. Though no solid generation plan has been presented — let alone approved — the utility’s latest suggestion would bring in 500 new megawatts of solar […]