The ongoing study of a potential equity overlay in East Austin is drawing concerns from residents and commissioners over its slow pace and lack of direct community engagement. At a recent meeting of the Community Development Commission, representatives from Atlanta-based APD Urban Planning and Management outlined their progress on the study but faced pointed questions […]
Austin City Council
The Austin City Council is the body with legislative purview over the City of Austin. It offers policy direction, while the office of the City Manager implements administrative actions based on those policies. Until 2015, the body contained seven members, including the city’s Mayor, all elected at-large. In 2012, City of Austin residents voted to change that system and as of 2015, 10 members of the Council are elected based on geographic districts. The Mayor continues to be elected at-large.
Posted inCity Council
Council approves call for better coordination, planning among downtown projects
The city hopes to bring coordination to the many high-profile projects taking over downtown Austin in the coming years, with the city manager charged with determining the budgetary and planning resources needed throughout the district. On Thursday, City Council approved the Downtown Austin Strategic Initiative, a comprehensive plan aimed at coordinating strategies targeting mobility, infrastructure, […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin just made it illegal to park in bike lanes
Austin City Council has approved a rule making it illegal to park in a bike lane. Thursday’s unanimous vote means violators will be ticketed and fined. Fines could range from $50 to $300. Council Member Paige Ellis said several people in the community had expressed concerns about bicycle safety on busy downtown roads. If a […]
Posted inCity Hall
Evaluation will resume this month on proposal to consolidate and eliminate some boards and commissions
Discussions about a proposal from Council Member Ryan Alter to revamp the city’s citizen advisory boards are set to continue. In a City Council Message Board post on Wednesday, Alter provided an update on his December resolution (which Council unanimously approved) directing a review of the city’s boards and commissions, task forces, council corporations and […]
Posted inZoning
Council-initiated Dessau Road rezoning for nonprofit office to be returned with dueling recommendations
A rezoning initiated by City Council on two properties that local nonprofit Foster Village plans to use for office space will come back with dueling recommendations from the Planning Department and the Zoning and Platting Commission after the latter voted down the former’s and submitted its own during a special called meeting on Feb. 6. […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council 2.13.25
Today, the Austin City Council will convene for a regular meeting with a manageable agenda that has some issues worth diving into. As usual, we’ve taken a minute to highlight those issues and, as usual, the whole agenda and backup is also posted online for all to read. As we reported on Wednesday, Council continues […]
Posted inLand Development Code
A streamlined approach to infill housing is set for Council action
City Council members received a preview Tuesday of a proposed infill ordinance, or “site plan lite,” aimed at streamlining the approval process for small-scale residential projects. The proposed ordinance on Thursday’s agenda would apply to developments of five to 16 housing units and would allow for flexibility on drainage calculations and greater reliance on private […]
Posted inHousing
City considers new STR rules requiring oversight from platforms
The city’s proposed overhaul of regulations for short-term rental properties could tighten licensing requirements, impose new restrictions on ownership, and shift enforcement responsibilities onto rental platforms. Members of City Council and the Planning Commission got a detailed look at the possible changes last week during a joint meeting that served as the first public hearing […]
Posted inCity Hall
Resource Management Commission recommends against proposed merge
Members of the Resource Management Commission voted unanimously to recommend against a resurrected proposal to merge the RMC with the Zero Waste Advisory Commission, or ZWAC, at a special called meeting on Feb. 3. In their resolution making the “no” recommendation, the RMC argued that the overlap between the two commissions is “narrow in scope” […]
Posted inCity Hall
Push to consolidate city boards and commissions draws criticism from UTC
The Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) voiced opposition to a City Council-backed proposal to consolidate several of Austin’s boards and commissions, including a plan to merge the Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) into the UTC. The proposal, aimed at streamlining city operations and reducing administrative burdens, could come back to Council for […]
Posted inElections
January reports show who’s got the money to run again
On Jan. 15, months after votes from the November election were tallied, all City Council members and candidates filed reports showing how much they had in their campaign bank accounts as of Dec. 31. Mayor Kirk Watson is clearly the big spender from the November City Council ballot, having spent more than $1 million to […]
Posted inTransportation
South Austin’s newest trail is under construction. Will the Trump administration help pay for it?
An abandoned railroad line in South Austin is being converted into a trail for pedestrians and cyclists, with the first section set to open next year. But uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants has cast doubt on how much of the bill the feds will cover and whether the city will have […]