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Austin Energy officials say utility will be able to meet summer's demand Hot weather's good for business–if you run an electric utility. The city-owned Austin Energy has set another record for peak demand, this time for the month of May. Austin Energy General Manager Chuck Manning said last night that peak demand hit 2029 megawatts […]

Quintanilla edged by a mere 201 votes out of more than 20,000 cast The June 3 runoff election in which Raul Alvarez defeated Rafael Quintanilla by a mere 201 votes involved more than the candidates. The winners included the Save Our Springs Alliance and SOS Action Political Action Committee (PAC), consultants Blizzard Fawal & Associates, […]

Even Assistant Police Chief McDonald says oversight needed, if problems fixed Strong support was evidenced last night for civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department (APD) and the City Council is likely to vote next week to refer the recommendations of the Police Oversight Focus Group (POFG) to become made part of negotiations already underway […]

Nonresidential customers who knew got refunds, but not everyone knew For years the City of Austin has been overcharging some of its customers by levying drainage fees that are too high. All nonresidential customers pay the same rate, currently $51.12 per developed acre. The problem is that the determination of the number of developed acres […]

Briefing and public hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 1 Civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department (APD) is back on the City Council's agenda this week–but only for a briefing and public hearing, and not for action. As reported by In Fact Daily May 18, the Police Oversight Focus Group (POFG) spent nine months of […]

Pumping from aquifer would have to stop to maintain flow in the springs If Texas experiences a drought as severe as the drought of the 1950s, Barton Springs could go dry unless pumpage from the Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer just south of Austin were halted. This information comes from a draft report […]

Hays County Water Planning Partnership claims illegal change to roadway plan The Hays County Water Planning Partnership (HCWPP) for the second time has sued the Hays County Commissioners Court over allegations the court has violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. The lawsuit filed yesterday in Hays County District Court alleges that the 2025 Transportation Plan […]

Environmental groups disappointed but see positive potential The unanimous vote yesterday by the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to approve the expedited extension of water service to existing development in the Dripping Springs area drew cautious responses from environmental organizations, including two that had previously issued notices of intent (NOI) to sue […]

Mayor Pro Tem Goodman examines attendance records When development representatives ask the city's Planning Commission to bless their subdivision or zoning change, those with experience count commissioners before deciding whether to proceed or ask for a postponement. Even if neighborhood leaders muster a crowd, they may have to go home without a hearing and just […]

Commissioner Molenaar opposes City of Austin presence in Hays County Members of the Hays County Water Planning Partnership (HCWPP) offered a solution to emergency water needs of residents of Sunset Canyon Monday, but Precinct 4 Hays County Commissioner Russ Molenaar forcefully rejected any plan that includes the City of Austin. HCWPP Chair Erin Foster and […]

Argument over whether agreement with federal agency is strict enough Erin Foster, chair of the Hays County Water Planning Partnership (HCWPP), said Sunday that her group will hold a press conference today to ask the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to consider alternatives to a pipeline for solving the water problems of residents of the […]

Spelman recalculates total and comes up with $2.5 million actual 'incentives' While a $15.1 million package of incentives to attract Intel Corp. might look like a big carrot for Intel, it was a figure that Council Member Bill Spelman thought tasted more like rotten cabbage and was hard to swallow. So before the City Council […]