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Commissioners postpone Smart Growth amendments again Only five of the nine members of the city's Planning Commission attended last night's meeting, so the group postponed hearings on Smart Growth amendments to city regulations relating to traffic impact and housing, even though the items are already scheduled for City Council consideration. An amendment relating to traffic […]

Marathon meeting jells most issues for report but will not be unanimous The baby has been gestating for nine months and after an intensive seven and a half hours of labor yesterday the delivery was a success, more or less. The baby in this case is a final agreement among members of the council-appointed Police […]

Alvarez campaign cranking while chief opponent Quintanilla lags behind City Council candidate Raul Alvarez has released a plan for protecting Austin neighborhoods that includes hiring a neighborhood liaison officer who would report directly to the council. Alvarez announced his plan at a campaign party in the Clarksville neighborhood this weekend. "In terms of information, resources […]

Unanimous vote grants variances from SOS Ordinance With mayor and council agonizing aloud about making a decision after an agonizingly long (five hours and 20 minutes) final hearing and debate that followed an agonizing process of negotiations that began more than eight months ago ( In Fact Daily Aug. 13, 1999), the City Council at […]

Lewis gets two opponents while most scramble for two open seats You've heard about low voter turnout for council elections, well how about low candidate turnout? The dearth of kamikaze candidates to take on Mayor Kirk Preston Watson is understandable. So is the lack of challengers trying to unseat incumbent Place 6 Council Member Willie […]

Letters of resignation flying as chair takes stance at odds with board Protecting the environment is more important than party loyalty, says Robin Rather, chair of the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOSA), in explaining why she took a position totally at odds with SOSA's board of directors to support the proposed Bradley Settlement. The settlement […]

Bulk of $11.9 million package to come later A $2.2 million down payment on the total package estimated at $11.9 million for incentives to keep Tivoli Systems Inc. in Austin comes due Thursday in items before the City Council. The package was devised under the city's Smart Growth Initiative to motivate this major employer and […]

Owner, Sarah Crocker Consultants Sarah Crocker, owner of Sarah Crocker Consultants, represents property owners in every stage of the labyrinth that is the City of Austin's land development process. "We do subdivisions, site plans, building permits, the whole gamut," she said. Crocker started her business in 1988, coming to Austin after spending several years in […]

Industry members continue to disrupt meetings As members of the city's committee to recommend new regulations for on-site sewage facilities (OSSF) struggle to wade through the more than 50-page document, the audience is allowed to interrupt, ask irrelevant questions and argue with the staff and committee members. Water and Wastewater Commissioner Harriet Harris, a member […]

Change could cost commercial customers thousands of dollars annually If the city's Environmental Board has its way, the deep discount that some commercial property owners currently get on drainage charges may be reduced drastically. Last night the board discussed at length a proposed ordinance that would repeal and replace City Code Chapter 18-3 regarding the […]

Political contests pull 15.67 percent of registered voters The final tallies on the Travis County elections straggled in at midnight last night at the City Coliseum, with few surprises for the small crowd of hangers-on. The only race in doubt at that point was between two Democrats running for judge of the 53rd Judicial District […]

Strict limit on trips per day imposed per neighborhood associations' request The City Council on March 9 finally concluded the seemingly never-ending struggle to zone more than 200 acres of land owned by the Champion sisters, Josie Champion, Juanita Meier and Mary Roberson. The land lies west of Loop 360, and straddles both FM 2222 […]