A decades-old plan to put an unprotected area of western Travis County into a groundwater conservation district, or GCD, appears to have been killed with the stroke of a pen recently by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The most recent effort to create a district for the area or to merge it with […]
Local Government
Posted inLocal Government, Public Safety
Attorneys protest Travis County Jail’s cooperation with ICE
Pressure is growing for the Travis County Jail to halt its participation in a federal program to put immigration holds on certain inmates for possible deportation, as a group of more than 100 attorneys and law professors are calling the program unconstitutional. The group sent a letter Thursday to members of the Travis County […]
Posted inLocal Government
Extra cost stops commissioners from changing employee paydays
What started out a few weeks ago as a routine request to change the frequency of paychecks to Travis County employees turned into a major disagreement among Commissioners Tuesday over the cost of making such a change. In the end, the court voted 3-2 to keep the current bimonthly pay system. County Auditor Nicki […]
Posted inLocal Government, Public Safety, Resources
Community group seeks organized assistance for flood victims
A community organization called the Travis Austin Recovery Group (TARG), formed in the aftermath of the historic 2013 Halloween floods, is noting the six-month anniversary of the event with the release of a Draft Recovery Plan for the people and businesses affected by the disaster. Though copies of the plan were sent to officials […]
Posted inLocal Government, Public Safety
Lawsuit says sheriff’s office, phone vendor violating inmates’ rights
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses several local law enforcement agencies with violating defendants’ constitutional rights by listening in on conversations between inmates at the Travis County jail and their lawyers and using that information to gain a conviction. The Texas Civil Rights Project filed the suit, naming the Travis County Sheriff’s Department, telephone […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government
Neighbors upset over subdivision of lots in eastern Travis County
A landowner’s request to divide a two-acre lot in the Estates of Wilbarger Creek into two one-acre lots has riled up some neighbors, who say they moved out to the picturesque preserve in east Travis County to enjoy the wide open spaces. But Travis County Commissioners were told they had little choice but to approve […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics, Public Safety, Uncategorized
Travis County seeks new way to appoint attorneys for poor defendants
Travis County is considering revamping its system to assign court-appointed attorneys. For years, its system was a model for defending the poor. But now, judges and staff are looking west for a new model to adapt to the county’s needs, to of all places, Lubbock County. They are also looking for grant funding in […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
Hays County plans $1 million study to examine FM 150 realignment
As Hays County’s population continues to grow, officials are scrambling for needed infrastructure and improvements aimed at addressing the projected influx of new residents. Hays County Commissioners previously approved $1.1 million in funding for the realignment study of FM 150. The county’s 2013 Transportation Plan indicates there is a need for increased capacity through a realignment […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government
Caldwell residents fighting proposed landfill
LOCKHART — Plans for developing an industrial park and landfill in northern Caldwell County have run into fierce opposition from local residents, who say it is a danger to the county’s water supply and that there is no need for the facility. Green Group Holdings is a Georgia-based developer that specializes in large-scale infrastructure […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government
Travis Commissioners again delay decision on condo project
Developers of a proposed condominium project on Lake Travis — and those who oppose it — are still waiting for a decision from Travis County Commissioners. For the second week in a row, commissioners heard from neighbors and developers, but delayed a decision to let the project move forward. The detached-condo project, currently called […]
Posted inLocal Government, Resources
Hays County, Forestar water contract in jeopardy
Hays County’s attempt to secure a water supply contract from Forestar Real Estate Group has run into a legal roadblock in addition to the fact that Forestar currently can’t deliver the amount of water promised in the proposed contract. Late last year, Hays officials contracted with Forestar to provide 45,000 acre-feet of water from the […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Government, Transportation
SH45 SW opponents say roadway would cause damage to aquifer
State officials expect to have an environmental impact study of the proposed four-lane State Highway 45 Southwest ready for public review within the next two months. Challengers of the toll road plan say it would expose the Barton Springs zone of the Edwards Aquifer and natural features above it to damage and pollutants, and do […]