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 […]
Resources
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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 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 […]
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TipSheet: Travis County Commissioners
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: 23. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON ORDER AMENDING AND CORRECTING ORDER SETTING SALARIES […]
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Commissioner calls water rate increase misleading
As if there weren’t enough questions swirling around the tenuous adoption of new water rates for the city, one member of the Water and Wastewater Commission has struck out against what she calls a “years-long pattern of obscuring utility rate impacts.” In August, Commissioner Mickey Fishbeck, who also chairs the Joint Committee on Austin Water […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Local Government, Local Politics, Resources
Whisper Roundup: Accuracy a casualty in mayor’s race
Longtime readers of the Austin Monitor and its predecessor will remember Whispers as a column of information about what is really going on at City Hall, Travis County and the myriad other entities we cover. With our recent changeover to a new publishing format, Whispers became more difficult for our readers to find, so we […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
City Council adopts $3.5 billion 2015 budget
City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2015 budget and tax rate Tuesday, despite Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s dissent. Council members voted in favor of an operating budget with an $854 million general fund after approving a set of amendments this week that totaled $3.4 million. They also increased combined enterprise and internal service fund spending by […]
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Council approves new water rates, for now
A last-ditch proposal to change the structure of Austin Water Utility rates didn’t gain enough traction to pass at City Council’s budget session Tuesday. But the proposal may have an impact soon. Council members voted 6-1 to approve what they had already agreed upon earlier in budget discussions, with Council Member Kathie Tovo voting in […]
Posted inEnvironment, Resources
Materials Marketplace boosts Zero Waste plan
City officials are touting a new initiative they say will move Austin toward its Zero Waste goals while helping businesses along the way. The Austin Materials Marketplace is a business-to-business material reuse program. Basically, the initiative created an online database that connects businesses looking to discard unwanted materials with other businesses that could use those […]
Posted inEnvironment, Resources
Committee seeks to create zero emissions plan
A recent study by climate scientists predicts dire consequences for the Austin region if it does not act to cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly over the next 20 to 30 years. The National Climate Assessment says temperatures in Central Texas could rise by an average of 3 to 4 degrees and average rainfall rates could […]