Austin mayoral candidate Steve Adler, who has already issued extensive position papers on affordability and education, got his feet wet Wednesday with a new plan to deal with Austin’s water crisis. He issued an “agenda paper” that primarily opposes buying and shipping new water from elsewhere, preferring to emphasize conservation, reuse and a restructuring of […]
Environment
Posted inResources
Monitor Radio, show 17: Michael Osborne and Tom “Smitty” Smith
Michael Osborne and Tom “Smitty” Smith of the recent Austin Energy generation task force join Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk solar power and the future of AE generation. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/169249173″ 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
Water Task Force chair urges innovation for utility
The chair of a task force charged with examining the City of Austin’s position relative to its water resources urged City Council members Tuesday to angle toward “decentralization” of water supply management philosophy and innovation. The switch was suggested to fend off deeper negative impacts related to dwindling supplies. Sharlene Leurig, director of the Sustainable […]
Posted inResources
HHS panel wants more information from agencies
Members of the Council Health and Human Services committee heard from more than a dozen representatives of social service agencies Monday during a called meeting that was a continuation of the panel’s regular meeting last week. A number of social service agencies, many who have been receiving funding from the city for years, say Austin’s […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
Walnut Creek trail progresses, despite concerns
Despite some pushback from neighborhoods, phase two of the Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail marches on. Public Works Department project manager Richard Duane gave the Environmental Board an update on the project at the last meeting, after the board heard concerns about the project. Though it has faced some hurdles, the trail is now […]
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Tip Sheet: Travis County Commissioners 9.23
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 APPROPRIATION ACTION REGARDING PROFESSIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES PROGRAM AS FOLLOWS: […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Environment, Local Politics
Whispers Roundup: The ANC Mega-Forum
Whispers Roundup is a weekly column of items from our reporters’ notebooks. ANC plans mega-forum next week … The Austin Neighborhoods Council will hold its candidate forum next week. Following the forum, ANC will vote on its endorsements, which will be announced Sept. 29. Those of you with some (or a lot) of time on […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government, Resources
LCRA approves Water Plan changes and reservoir
The Lower Colorado River Authority’s board members unanimously voted to accept several key amendments to their its 2012 Water Management Plan Wednesday. The board also voted to build the LCRA’s first new reservoir since the 1940s. The vote was the final step in getting the Water Management Plan ready for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Resources
County seeks public input on development plan
Counties in Texas have few powers to regulate development in their jurisdictions, but that is not stopping Travis County from trying to make the best use of what tools they have. County officials are seeking public input on a Land, Water and Transportation Plan — developed over the past two years by the Transportation and […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Social service contract process causes ruckus
Once again, the awarding of social service contracts by the city is shaping up to be a contentious issue. Though the scoring of contracts has been modified, the changes have not kept some big names from being left out. “We realize that there are serious issues that we are going to have to sort through […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government
Travis Commissioners endorse LCRA water plan
Travis County Commissioners approved a letter Tuesday endorsing the Lower Colorado River Authority’s latest Water Management Plan, saying that while the plan was the product of some “tough calls,” it does the best job of protecting the water supply in Central Texas. The LCRA board of directors will vote on the Water Management Plan today, […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Environment, Local Politics, Transportation
East Austin candidates pack stage at North Door
Candidates went head-to-head in the race to represent East Austin voters in District 3 at the latest in a series of community forums hosted by the Austin Monitor and KUT News. All of the district’s 12 candidates attended Monday’s question and answer session at the North Door on Brushy Street to talk about affordability and […]