While the city of Austin will continue to pursue its challenge of the Travis Central Appraisal District’s valuation of commercial properties, it has chosen a new venue for the fight. Mayor Steve Adler said during yesterday’s City Council meeting that city legal staff will move their challenge from the Appraisal Review Board to a district court, thereby […]
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 to disperse quarter-cent fund “equitably”
On Thursday, City Council took the first step in a plan to disperse the $21.8 million remaining in the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Quarter-Cent Fund “equitably across all Council districts” for transportation and mobility improvement projects. In a resolution, Council directed Transportation Department and Public Works Department staff to work with each Council member and […]
Posted inCity Council
Council cuts 2.3 city positions
City Council approved cuts to long-vacant city positions Thursday, but the result didn’t come close to the budget savings first envisioned. The effort to eliminate positions that had been vacant for more than a year was led by Council Member Ellen Troxclair. She cited the savings this move would bring in her unsuccessful push for […]
Posted inAustin
Committee proposes delay on drainage fee
With pressure mounting for City Council to adopt a new drainage-fee structure in the face of legal and budgetary concerns, the Public Utilities Committee took up the issue Wednesday but made no official recommendation to Council. The ordinance that the Watershed Protection Department has proposed is on today’s Council meeting agenda but will likely be […]
Posted inWater
Council to consider settling with WTP 4 contractors
After years of public discussion and argument, the city built Water Treatment Plant 4 and it began operating six months ago with little fanfare. There is just one piece of business remaining for completion of the plant and its financing. City Council will consider today whether to settle a claim with the construction manager at […]
Posted inCity Council
Committee circles accessory dwelling unit changes
The City Council Planning and Neighborhoods Committee took on accessory dwelling units at its Monday meeting. Though members acknowledged they had a lot of work to do on the ADU ordinance, at their most recent meeting they largely steered clear of discussing it, or ADUs in general, and instead focused on what their future discussion […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Austin City Council 6.17.15
The Austin City Council will have its regular meeting Thursday. Below is a list of items we’re watching for the upcoming week. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda. The City Clerk’s office posts a copy on its Web site, here. 5. Approve an ordinance authorizing an increase in the Fiscal […]
Posted inCity Council
Concrete pouring ordinance may need more time
City staff’s proposed restrictions on notoriously loud and bright overnight concrete pouring at downtown sites may not be ready to hit the ground yet. That’s according to a discussion City Council had at its Tuesday work session ahead of a vote on the issue Thursday. “There was a lot of conflicting information,” said Council Member […]
Posted inCity Council
Transition group will begin posting meetings
It was never intended to be a committee. But the City Council committee on committees, also known as the transition committee and the Transition Work Group, has met at least twice without the usual notice to the public, video recording or broadcast on ATXN. What at first seemed like just an informal gathering of four […]
Posted inAustin
Staff seeks more funding to finish Waller Tunnel
City management is asking City Council for the authority to issue $5.6 million in Certificates of Obligation in order to finish construction work for the main inlet facility of the Waller Creek Flood Control Project. But they are hoping to never have to use those funds. If all goes as the city hopes, it will […]
Posted inPlanning
Council OKs mixed-use zoning on E. Fifth St.
With the blessing of the neighborhood contact team, city staff and the Planning Commission, City Council unanimously approved a request for mixed-use zoning in East Austin last week, despite a valid petition from some neighbors. The property in question is located at 2901 East Fifth St. Though city staff describes East Fifth Street as primarily […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Austin Monitor Radio: King, Rockwell, Pagano, and Kanin on the new Council
The Austin Chronicle‘s Michael King and the Austin American-Statesman‘s Lilly Rockwell join Monitor editor Liz Pagano and publisher Mike Kanin to talk about life under the new Austin City Council. Show is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210434730″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]