Reporters’ Notebook
Reporter's Notebook: Phone home, ETJ
Racial discourse… When Defend Our Hoodz came to the June 11 meeting of the Planning Commission, City Hall was prepared. Protesters opposed to the 4700 E. Riverside project – a development they refer to as the Domain at Riverside –…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Jun 17, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Trees, fiber, petition
Heritage tree transplants see high success rates… Moving heritage trees within the city of Austin is no easy feat. It is, however, almost always successful. Out of the 20 transplant sites listed on the City Data Portal, all of the…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Jun 3, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Trees and tribulations
Water woes… Out of the 33 water utilities in the South that deliver water to at least 400,000 customers, a new study by J.D. Power reports that Austin ranks 28th in terms of customer satisfaction with 707 points. San Antonio,…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • May 20, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Once upon a time ... and other stories
Renteria remembers… Texas Health and Human Services, the city of Austin and several area nonprofits, including Age Well Live Well, are collaborating to record and exhibit the stories of longtime East Austin inhabitants for a new storytelling project. Beyond preserving…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • May 13, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Eyes on the Prii
Now we’re here… As public engagement sessions go, the April 27 kickoff for the input gathering process for the Drake Bridge Commons Project was certainly among the more novel we’ve encountered. Among the planned activities: actors portraying historic Austinites William…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Apr 29, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Politics, resurrected
The return of Zimmerman… After a few years of (relative) silence from Don Zimmerman, it appears that the former District 6 Council member is once again ready to enter the fray. In an Easter Facebook post, Zimmerman announced he was…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Apr 22, 2019
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Reporter's Notebook: Chopped
Bueller?… Council Member Alison Alter took time from Tuesday’s work session to highlight a concern that current appointees to some city boards and commissions have been racking up absences, creating an issue of making quorum at several points. During discussion…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Apr 15, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Water stalled?
Next steps forward… Last fall, Council urged Austin Water to accelerate the implementation of alternative water ordinances that would change how developers incorporate water conservation into their construction. Yet at the most recent meeting of the Austin Integrated Water Resource…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Apr 8, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Beach Boy Blues
Elvis has left the building and gone onto the water… In short order, there will be a new old way to get around on Lady Bird Lake. Many moons ago, Glastron, the No. 1 fiberglass boat producer in 20th-century America,…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Apr 1, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Something we agree on
The link between governmental and residential Texas houses… Occasionally a contentious zoning case stirs up old memories that have been tucked away, but not forgotten. In the wake of the Historic Landmark commissioners’ reaction to the presented plans for 1602…
Reporters' Notebook • By Elizabeth Pagano • Mar 25, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Dark Skies over ZAP
Doggone open data… During last week’s SXSW-adjacent session at Capital Factory about the value of open data provided by governmental entities, the city of Austin got an unexpected plaudit that also offered a not-unexpected snapshot into the city’s priorities. Panelist…
Reporters' Notebook • By Austin Monitor • Mar 18, 2019
Reporter's Notebook: Of departures and festivals
Cofer resigns… Rick Cofer, the vice chair of the Parks and Recreation Board, resigned several hours after City Council approved his reappointment to the board. His resignation came just hours after a concerned constituent emailed Council Member Kathie Tovo, who…
