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Travis County
Where some see problems, Travillion sees opportunities
Travis County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion acknowledges that 2021 was a “challenging year.” But where others saw problems, Travillion saw opportunities. In areas lacking basic amenities like hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, Travillion made use of public schools and community…
Travis County • By Eniola Longe • Dec 28, 2021
Diversion programs can reduce mass incarceration in Travis County
At Thursday’s work session, the Travis County Commissioners Court fielded discussion about the benefits of, and recent updates to, several jail diversion programs underway in Travis County. Such programs included pretrial and pre-charge diversion programs, as well as a DWI…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Dec 20, 2021
County irons out details in disaster preparedness plan
The Commissioners Court convened for a work session Thursday to hear a presentation on county preparations for disasters, particularly those in the vein of last February’s Winter Storm Uri. The briefing was a response to a resolution commissioners approved on…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Dec 10, 2021
County looks to expand its HUB program
Over the past four years, Stephen Blake, a partner at North Park Consulting, has served as a Travis County contractor, helping county agencies to function more efficiently. His work with the county began through the Travis County Historically Underutilized Business,…
Travis County • By Molly Walsh • Dec 9, 2021
Employees at Integral Care, Travis County’s mental health agency, want to unionize
Employees at Integral Care, the nonprofit that manages mental health care across the Austin area, intend to unionize. A group of more than 20 employees gathered at Integral Care’s South Austin headquarters Monday morning, dropping off a letter to the…
Travis County • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Dec 7, 2021
County to temporarily halt applications for rental assistance, pending Treasury response
There was no shortage of confusing acronyms and numbers being batted around during Tuesday’s discussion of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Option One, Option Two, ERAP 3, ERAP 2, the aggregate of ERAP 1 and ERAP 2. “Can we refer…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Dec 2, 2021
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What would remote work mean for Travis County?
In September, Travis County announced its goal to transition 75 percent of its employees to work from home permanently, tasking Deloitte Consulting to smooth the process. On Nov. 18, commissioners convened a special session to examine the findings of Deloitte’s 14-week…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 29, 2021
County updated on historically underutilized business program
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court fielded discussion and informational updates in regard to the Historically Underutilized Businesses program performance in 2021. The project is aimed specifically at making the process of government contracting and procurement with local businesses…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 18, 2021
County acts to prepare for next big storm
The question of disaster relief preparedness was central at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session. With the memory of Winter Storm Uri still fresh in people’s minds, the county is putting together a contingency plan. “The goal here is to get some…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 11, 2021
Following string of bigoted acts, county joins state in denouncing antisemitism
The only item on Tuesday’s Commissioners Court docket pertained to a resolution condemning antisemitism in all its forms in Travis County. The resolution comes in response to a recent series of antisemitic acts in Austin and Travis County, as well…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Nov 4, 2021
Commissioners applaud county’s assistance to ‘those who need help’
On Tuesday, Health and Human Services staffers gave commissioners a report from the Family Support Services Division, the section of HHS that operates out of community centers and provides basic services for low-income families. According to Kirsten Siegfried, HHS division…
Travis County • By Seth Smalley • Oct 27, 2021
County staffers update commissioners on the jail plan resolution
Last Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session focused on the future of the women’s jail. The Planning and Budget Office reported on the June 15 resolution, which asked county staff for strategies to reduce the number of incarcerated women and enhance jail…
