While the city has begun a process to rewrite regulations for both taxicabs and transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft, a looming expiration of the city’s taxicab franchise agreements and a bill in the Texas Legislature appear to be complicating the matter. In an effort to address the issue, the City Council Mobility […]
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, Energy
Council pushes Austin Energy on solar solicitation
To RFP or not to RFP? According to City Council, the answer is yes, and ASAP — or at least by April 15. Council voted Thursday to impose the deadline for Austin Energy to issue a request for proposal, or RFP, for up to 600 megawatts of utility-scale solar power generation and require that the […]
Posted inPremium Types
Tick Tock: Austin City Council Meeting 4.02.15
Tick Tock is the sortable-by-item-number transcript of Monitor publisher Mike Kanin’s Twitter feed from Council day. Simply click on the item number to scroll to the corresponding. Votes are color-coded: Green for yeas, red for nays, et cetera. It’s embedded below. ITEMS 4 5 10 12 13 15 20 21 26 27 33 36 37 […]
Posted inCity Hall
Council puts off controversial appointment
City Council postponed the appointment of a controversial cemetery advocate to two parks committees Thursday, with only Council Member Don Zimmerman, who sponsored Sharon Blythe’s appointment, in opposition. In the past, Council nominations for city boards and commissions have caused little stir. However, Zimmerman’s nomination of cemetery activist Blythe to the Parks Board as well […]
Posted inCity Council
Where there’s smoke, there are stakeholders
In a very Austin conversation Thursday, City Council took up the issue of barbecue joints, neighborhoods and how to encourage their peaceful coexistence. And, in a very Austin conclusion, Council members voted to initiate a stakeholder process to discuss the issue further. In this case, the issue at hand is how the city can best regulate […]
Posted inCity Council
Council votes for extra staff through September
Following weeks of deliberation, the mayor and City Council offices are receiving a boost in staffing — at least for the next few months. Council voted 9-2 Thursday to approve a resolution that will effectively add three full-time staff members to Mayor Steve Adler’s office and one full-time staff member to each Council office for the […]
Posted inCity Council, Fire, Public Safety
Council delays fire department reclassification plan
A proposal to modify the Austin Fire Department’s leadership hierarchy has encountered headwinds at City Hall. City Council Member Don Zimmerman moved Thursday to prevent a vote on the resolution that proposes tweaking the department’s classification system, including removing several lower-level positions and adding two new division chiefs to Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr’s executive team. […]
Posted inAustin, Budget, City Council
Council staff proposal up in the air ahead of vote
Despite committee efforts and new cost projections, a conversation among City Council members Tuesday revealed that they still have some work to do on a proposal to increase staffing and resources for the mayor and Council offices ahead of a vote Thursday. “We’re two months, already, past January,” said Mayor Steve Adler, urging his colleagues […]
Posted inAustin, City Charter
Council to decide on X Games funding application
The Austin City Council is considering whether to endorse the application of the Circuit of the Americas for funding from the Texas Major Event Trust Fund for the summer X Games this year and in 2016 and 2017. The Major Event Trust Fund applies local and state gains in sales and other taxes generated by […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Renteria making changes to barbecue proposal
In response to owners of barbecue restaurants worried about their future in Austin, City Council Member Pio Renteria is making some changes to his resolution directing city staff to create rules to regulate smoke from commercial barbecue smokestacks. Originally, the resolution was written to require restaurants and mobile food vendors who use a wood or […]
Posted inBudget, City Council
Committee tweaks, approves Council staff boost
This Thursday, City Council members will once again take up the issue of increasing their own staff. Last week, the Council Audit and Finance Committee considered the proposal for a second time. Members voted unanimously to recommend adding 12 full-time positions — one for each Council office and two for Mayor Steve Adler’s office. Most […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Austin City Council 3.31 & 4.2
Council continues its run of brief (by comparison) voting session agendas. As always, the Austin City Council meets in an agenda work session Tuesday and for 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 […]