Whispers

During the Onion Creek buyout discussion, City Council took extra care to make sure the conversation was being understood. At the beginning, Council Member Greg Casar explained in Spanish that there would be both sign language interpretation during the meeting as well as simultaneous Spanish translation. Headphones were then distributed for those needing the latter. […]

The Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects announced Thursday that Ingrid Spencer will serve as its new executive director. According to a news release from AIA Austin, Spencer began her design career in New York as the managing editor of Contract Design Magazine, and then Architectural Record. Since moving to Austin, Spencer has […]

City of Austin government facilities will open at 1 p.m. today due to a forecast of winter weather conditions. The regularly scheduled City Council meeting will not begin until 1:30 p.m. The delayed openings include Austin Municipal Courts, Downtown Austin Community Court and the Public Library system. In addition, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport may be experiencing delays. Air […]

As reported by the Austin American-Statesman and at our own discussion series, “Beer, Brains and Betterment,” the city continues to refuse release of a draft report that recommends improvements to the Planning and Development Review Department. Neighborhood activists and media alike have been able to get only copies of the Zucker Report that have been […]

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality gave the Lower Colorado River Authority permission Wednesday to limit the amount of water it releases downstream this year from lakes Travis and Buchanan for the fourth year in a row. Citing the persistent drought afflicting the two Central Texas reservoir lakes since 2008 — now officially the worst on […]

Michael McGill, chief of staff for former Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, has been working for the Office of the City Auditor as temporary staff since January. Now he has been hired as a senior auditor, according to acting City Auditor Cory Stokes. McGill worked for Cole for three-and-a-half years. Before that, he spent 10 […]

The city is seeking public input on its plans for the Montopolis Recreation and Community Center at a neighborhood meeting next week. The public can review how the city’s Request for Qualifications process for professional services consultant selection works and give input and feedback on the development of the RFQ; discuss the next steps in […]

Another long work session Tuesday morning led to the first committee meeting of the new City Council to be postponed. Though the Audit and Finance Committee meeting was scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the work session ran until 4:30 p.m., and Chair Kathie Tovo explained that committee members had other obligations. The […]

This Friday, as part of their tireless search for policy knowledge, City Council members will tackle two more topics. From 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., they will discuss economic development. And from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., they will dive into “Cost of Living and Quality of Life in Austin: Issues and Collaborative Strategies.” The […]

The City of Austin has announced its People’s Choice selection from the 2014 People’s Gallery exhibition. Mountain Laurel Mandala II, a sculpture by Shalena White (2014), has been added to the permanent art collection at City Hall. Mountain Laurel Mandala II is a site-specific installation that consists of Texas mountain laurel seeds and sewing pins arranged […]

The Austin Parks Foundation and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department are hosting the 13th annual “It’s My Park Day” on Saturday.  It’s My Park Day is held the first Saturday of March, and each year, thousands of volunteers work to improve parks and greenbelts throughout the city. In 2014, there were over 100 projects […]

Former Texas Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong, 82, passed away Sunday night. Armstrong, who began his political career as a Texas House member from Austin, also served in President Bill Clinton’s administration as an Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Armstrong served as Texas Land Commissioner from 1970 to 1983. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor […]