Whispers

Plans for the revival of a jazz festival at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard are on hold after the majority of City Council members opted to shift funding to the budget process currently underway. Council Members Mike Martinez and Chris Riley sponsored the item, which would have funded the event through $25,000 of Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue. […]

After a brief foray into the ins and outs of ham radio operation, Austin City Council passed its new Distracted Driving Ordinance on Thursday, despite persistent concerns that the law has too many loopholes. The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015, bans operators of motor vehicles and bicycles from using portable electronic devices. Those […]

The Monitor and four media partners — KUT, KXAN, Univision and the Austin Chronicle — will add to the extreme level of political discussion with a series of their own public candidate forums. The outlets will go into each of the city’s 10 districts between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8. They will also host a […]

David Foster, state director for Clean Water Action, announced Thursday that his organization has endorsed Gregorio “Greg” Casar in District 4 and Ann Kitchen in District 5. Noting that District 4 is 65 percent Hispanic and “includes many working class neighborhoods,” Foster said Casar “fully understands that protecting the environment and growing the economy go […]

Austin Resource Recovery is extending its curbside recycling program to accept all hard plastics in its blue recycling carts for pickup at no extra cost.  Resource Recovery officials say that in addition to plastic bottles and containers, items such as buckets, lawn chairs, laundry baskets, pet carriers, milk crates, non-battery operated toys, totes and lids, tubs, flower […]

Members of the South Lamar Neighborhood Association were seen around City Hall this week as they waited to talk to Council members about how to name a new park at 3000 Del Curto Road. Council voted 4-3 in June to name the park the Thomas Lasseter Neighborhood Park after a man who lived on the property […]

Austin’s Stonewall Democrats met Wednesday night to consider endorsements for six of 11 city races on the November 4 ballot. The group endorsed Ora Houston for District 1; Greg Casar and Katrina Daniel for District 4; and Ann Kitchen for District 5. They also endorsed Jimmy Flannigan in District 6 and Ed Scruggs in District 8. […]

Today’s Council agenda includes two contentious zoning cases that have sparked valid petitions from their respective residents. The developer of the Overlook at Spicewood Springs wants to build an 18,000 square foot building, but neighbors are seeking to cut that down to about 10,000 square feet. There is also a disagreement over how close the […]

Reyne Telles, media manager for the city’s Public Information Office, has accepted the position of executive director for the Department of Communications and Community Engagement with the Austin Independent School District. Telles is a seven-year veteran at the city and most recently has served as director of communications for Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “I am thankful […]

Friends of Amy Everhart, who has worked as Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s policy director for the past five years, gathered at the mayor’s office Tuesday night for a farewell celebration. Everhart is starting her new job next week as director of government relations for Hahn Public Communications. “I will probably be working on a lot of […]

Austin Bergstrom International Airport passed a major milestone in July, logging a record one million passengers traveling through the Barbara Jordan Terminal that month. The airport has experienced passenger growth for 54 of the last 55 months, since January 2010. It is on track in 2014 to pass its 2013 record of 10 million passengers. Part […]

The Austin Parks and Recreation Board heard a presentation Tuesday evening on revisions made to the proposed Special Events Ordinance. Under the revisions, neighborhood block parties would not fall under the ordinance. Instead, block parties would require a separate permitting process that would be easier to get than a permit under the Special Events Ordinance. Most of […]