At least four members of City Council expressed an interest Tuesday in sending the question of whether the city should enter into the contract for a developer to create two PGA-class golf courses at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park to a Council committee, making it less likely that Council will actually vote on the item […]
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, Development, Zoning
Council plays fast and loose on Garza Tract vote
Those familiar with the previous City Council’s strict adherence to procedural rules have been left dizzy by the new Council’s first few meetings. Last week, during the Garza Ranch discussion about the maximum allowable number of vehicle trips per day on the tract, that confusion reached new heights — and after some investigation, the Austin […]
Posted inCity Council, Energy, Environment
Council puts energy consulting contracts on hold
Picking up where others left off can be difficult, especially when it involves something as expensive and complicated as the Austin Energy generation plan. Rather than decide on up to $2 million worth of contracts for energy demand management consulting related to the plan, City Council voted Thursday to refer the decision to one of […]
Posted inCity Hall, Music & Entertainment
New temporary permit fees are actually temporary
This year, Austin briefly had higher temporary food permit fees. Those are gone after a City Council vote last week, but work is already underway to establish new fees, again. As part of this year’s budget, Council moved forward with a new fee schedule for temporary food permits and approved eight new positions to keep […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Austin City Council 3.3 & 3.5
A light agenda for a week when some of the fireworks may be reserved for the March 2 first meeting of the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee–which is set to tackle the latest Council staffing proposal from Mayor Steve Adler. As always, the Austin City Council meets in an agenda work session Tuesday and for […]
Posted inAustin, Budget
Council considers health care for more employees
Though the City of Austin offers health coverage to most of its regular employees, City Council has kick-started a process that could lead to an expansion to all employees in the next fiscal year. Council voted Thursday to direct city staff to identify and categorize city employees who are not eligible to receive health coverage […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Council votes for more study of Adler staff plan
On a 6-5 vote, City Council postponed action Thursday on Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to add five staffers to his office, sending the question to the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. Those voting for the postponement included Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo and Council Members Ellen Troxclair, Greg Casar, Ora Houston, Don Zimmerman and Delia […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Development, Planning
Council takes small step in Garza case
Though they were only deciding one small detail of a decades-long fight over what was once the Garza Ranch, City Council members took hours to contemplate how many trips per day should be allowed on the last piece of land. In the end, it was a chaotic finish, with motions, suggestions and compromises flying across […]
Posted inCity Hall
Adler seeks public’s help in lobbying for more staff
Mayor Steve Adler is trying to boost the chances that his 10 City Council colleagues will vote for a resolution directing the city manager to identify funding options for five new members of the mayor’s staff — at a projected annual cost of $490,645. Even if Council approves the resolution today, it does not guarantee […]
Posted inMonitor News & Media, Radio
Austin Monitor Radio: Mayor Steve Adler, the BBB interview
This is the complete recording of Monitor publisher Mike Kanin’s live interview with Austin Mayor Steve Adler as part of the Monitor‘s Beers, Brains, and Betterment discussion series. Portions of the interview were broadcast on KOOP for Austin Monitor Radio on February 25. Sponsored by Kerbey Lane Cafe. Program is embedded below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/193053583″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Mayor foresees messy, but effective, City Council
Austin Mayor Steve Adler says in the wake of what he hopes will be a more efficient and more inclusive City Council, don’t be surprised if there’s a little mess. “We have conversations that are out for everyone to see. Sometimes conversations and communications are messy,” Adler told Monitor Publisher Michael Kanin last night at […]
Posted inAustin, City Council
Council to continue July vacation tradition
Rejoice, city staffers. Your July vacation is probably safe — unless you are part of the budget staff. At Tuesday’s work session, City Council members agreed that they would continue the tradition of not scheduling meetings during July. Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo brought up the issue during a discussion about scheduling Council and Council […]