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Environmental Board suggests numerous conditions to qualify Smart is in the eye of the beholder and one man's smart may be another man's dumb. This is the distinct impression left by the Environmental Board's energetic discussion last night regarding just one of a number of Smart Growth initiatives that are working their way through the […]

Developers seek to put item on the May 6 ballot Members of the city's Parks and Recreation Board last night told developers to proceed to City Council without the group's recommendation on plans to build an upscale golf course and resort hotel at Lake Walter Long (In Fact Daily Feb. 16). Noting that many questions […]

Environmental concerns for salamander to be monitored The City Council reluctantly approved a $1 million last Thursday for construction of the Gardens at Bull Creek Regional Detention Facility. The work will be done by Ranger Excavation Inc. of Austin. The structure will consist of an 700-foot-long, 20-foot-tall, earthen dam pierced by a nine-foot box culvert. […]

Questions and concerns raised and will be answered, council says Snowball's chance or a doable deal? It's still too soon to tell. Too many people are still combing the proposed Bradley Settlement at this point, and the City Council isn't slated to vote till March 9. The environmental community is treading through the material as […]

He brings 35 years in Austin and loads of community service Rafael Quintanilla wants to convince voters he's the best candidate to succeed Gus Garcia on the City Council and be the de facto Hispanic representative. Quintanilla's been slow and methodical about how he approaches the campaign. Supporters were urging him to crank up his […]

Eleven years at the helm and 26 years in the industry The Lower Colorado River Authority has stolen another of Austin's top utility managers. This time it's Randy Goss, who has been director of Austin's Water and Wastewater Department since 1989. Goss has taken the job of director of the LCRA's water and wastewater utility. […]

Executive assistant Vassallo going to mayor's staff immediately City Council Member Bill Spelman said he needs to devote more time to his professional duties and his family Monday as he made official his decision not to seek reelection to the Place 5 seat. Spelman said, "I'm proud to have been a member of the team […]

Downtown developer Will Wynn expected to run for Spelman's seat After months of speculation, Council Member Bill Spelman is expected to announce this morning his decision not to run for reelection to the Austin City Council. Spelman, a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, confirmed that he would make an announcement today, but […]

It's too soon to decide, and Legislature may tweak rules before competition starts The electric utility owned by the City of Austin is in great shape and its rates just became more competitive because a potential future competitor just raised its rates. That's the nub of the 20-minute presentation delivered to the City Council last […]

Overwhelming majority ready to go for high-intensity development Two competing plans are on the table for consideration by people with a stake in the redevelopment of the historic Rainey Street Neighborhood, and the door is open for other plans as well. So says Robert Knight, chair of the Downtown Commission and the proponent of what […]

New deputy city manager's slot with be rotated annually among assistants City Manager Jesus Garza is playing musical chairs with his top executives, a move that at least two City Council members believe is well founded. In a Feb. 4 memo to mayor and council members, Garza outlined the new organizational structure that includes a […]

Boosters say Seaholm ideal home for museum Council Member Beverly Griffith, back from a whirlwind tour of science and technology museums, said she is highly enthusiastic about the prospects of bringing such a museum to Austin. "We can do an Austin museum of science and industry. We need to do it and we need everybody's […]