Resources
Communication breaks down between city and community over Sunken Garden tree removal
When the city of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department decided to remove three trees from Sunken Garden, home to one of the three cardinal springs that feed Barton Springs, it did so before seeking community input — and now the feedback…
Parks • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 20, 2015
Local small-business alliance proposes energy policy change
Small-business owners often wrestle with financial uncertainty, and some have complained that Austin Energy policies contribute to that challenge. Rebecca Melançon, executive director of the Austin Independent Business Alliance, wrote a letter to City Council and Austin Energy management Monday…
Energy • By Tyler Whitson • Jul 16, 2015
Should Austin's small parks be held to different standards?
The Parks and Recreation Department says it does not make sense to create a unique policy addressing pocket parks – small urban parks less than 2 acres in size – despite the challenges faced by locals who say it has…
Parks • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 16, 2015
Austin Monitor Radio: Groundwater with BSEACD's John Dupnik
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District General Manager John Dupnik joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin to talk groundwater, groundwater policy, and much more.
Monitor News & Media • By Michael Kanin • Jul 6, 2015
Council wades deeper into drainage-fee issues
As City Council prepares to take action on restructuring the city’s drainage fee today, it is working through several issues that the current proposal presents for residents and property owners. That conversation continued at a special called meeting Tuesday. Council…
Resources • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 25, 2015
City announces recycling-education campaign
Austin residents are sending a lot of recyclables to landfills, and city staff hopes to help change that with a new educational campaign. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Bob Gedert made the announcement at a press conference on Monday. “The…
Resources • By Tyler Whitson • Jun 23, 2015
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Council prepares for reworked drainage fee
In the wake of last year’s ruling that the city’s stormwater drainage charge is unfair to certain residents, City Council will hold a public hearing today to consider adopting a new fee structure that staff says would be more equitable…
Resources • By Tyler Whitson • May 21, 2015
Almost half of Austin curbside trash recyclable
Despite the city’s ambitious goal to achieve zero waste by 2040, many Austin residents are sending items to landfills that they could be putting into the city’s blue recycling bins. Austin Resource Recovery Department Director Robert Gedert told members of…
Environment • By Tyler Whitson • May 18, 2015
Residents confront Parks Board over pool closures
East Austin residents demanded answers from the Parks and Recreation Board during its Tuesday meeting over news that Metz Neighborhood Pool and Mabel Davis Municipal Pool will close this summer for extensive repairs. The item was not on the board’s…
Parks • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Apr 29, 2015
New water tap rule causes cost, consternation
In the midst of what almost everyone agrees is a housing affordability crisis in Austin, planners and residential contractors have discovered a new rule that significantly increases the cost of retrofitting garages into apartments and building new granny flats. Longtime…
Resources • By Jo Clifton • Apr 21, 2015
Downward oxygen trend a risk for salamanders
Barton Springs is the only known home to the endangered and federally protected Barton Springs and Austin Blind salamanders. Unfortunately, for these unique creatures, the level of life-sustaining dissolved oxygen in their ecosystem has dropped on average over the past…
