In August of 2023, after three years of planning and many thousands of dollars, City Council was forced to scrap its comprehensive Zilker Park Vision Plan, amid a bitter battle waged by detractors and the park’s surrounding residents. But the million or so visitors to the park have not flagged in the years since, and […]
Austin City Council Climate Water Environment and Parks Committee
Posted inWater
Austin Water reports progress and challenges as drought persists
Amid a second year of drought restrictions, city leaders are navigating community debates about whether water conservation goals are aggressive enough. In a presentation to the City Council’s Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee, Austin Water shared its first quarterly progress report following updates to the city’s Water Forward, Drought Contingency, and Conservation plans last […]
Posted inParks
City, parks boards weigh funding options to stem expected shortfalls
The city could consider new user fees, expanded partnerships, naming rights and even the creation of a regional park authority as part of a broad effort to close a growing funding gap in the parks system, according to a consultant report released last month. Commissioned by the Parks and Recreation Department, the report outlines short- […]
Posted inEnvironment
City saves $2.5M by electrifying fleet with plans to nearly double EV count by 2030
At the Climate, Water, Environment and Parks Committee meeting Monday, Austin officials reported $2.5 million in savings from electrifying the city’s fleet and outlined plans to nearly double the electric vehicle fleet size by 2030 as part of a broader push to cut emissions and grow citywide charging infrastructure. “Every electric vehicle that we deploy […]
Posted inPlanning
Council committee briefed on proposed LDC amendments for wastewater treatment plant expansion
Austin City Council’s environmental committee received an update Wednesday on the $1 billion expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will require several site-specific variances or amendments to the Land Development Code. The Council last month directed staff to identify the amendments necessary to facilitate construction of the project, which will increase the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Updates to erosion protections coming to Council
During the inaugural meeting of City Council’s newly formed Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee on Feb. 26, members heard a briefing on a proposed ordinance from the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) to increase erosion protections along the Colorado River. The Austin-area segment of the river crosses several jurisdictional boundaries, including the Travis County line, […]