The Austin City Council backed away from filing a challenge petition over the Travis Central Appraisal District’s commercial property valuation process early Friday, voting instead to postpone any action until 2015. But Council members will not be sitting on their hands. Instead, they have assigned city staff to work with experts to figure out […]
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 inLocal Politics, Resources
Council votes to cut Seton’s fee waiver request by more than half
Those opposed to offering the future Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas a bundle of fee and requirement waivers can take heart after the Austin City Council cut the total value of the waivers from over $2.4 million to $902,000. The Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance waiving some fees […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council removes covenant but postpones Lake Austin zoning case
Council members dispensed with at least one aspect of the 2208 Lake Austin Boulevard zoning case Thursday. While members postponed the main zoning case indefinitely, Council unanimously voted to remove a restrictive covenant on the property. Alice Glasco, representing the property owners, asked for the postponement in order to talk to the neighborhood, in […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council meeting going strong well past midnight
Despite severe weather Thursday night that left thousands of Central Texans without power, Austin City Council members were still in session with several major items still on the agenda shortly after midnight. The Monitor will have coverage of these issues in Monday’s edition.
Posted inDevelopment, Transportation
Road extension causes concerns over Lamar Beach master plan
An item on today’s City Council agenda calling for the expedited perusal of a master plan for the Lamar Beach Metro Park merged with community and Austin Independent School District concerns about the extension of Pressler Street– included in the master plan – at Councils’ Tuesday work session. Council Member Bill Spelman also expressed specific […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Tovo, Martinez disagree with Mayor over rejection of incentive deals
After learning Monday that National Instruments and Dropbox terminated economic incentive agreements with the city, Austinites learned Tuesday that a third company, U.S. Farathane, also ended its participation in the program which gives companies tax breaks or fee waivers in return for promises of good wages and other benefits for new employees. For Mayor […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics, Resources
Council members grill Austin Energy over plans for new building
City Council members expressed concern at Tuesday’s work session over the transparency of the route taken by Austin Energy officials in search of roughly $9 million to design a new headquarters building in East Austin and an additional $5.2 million for what was described as upgrades to a system that may, when it’s all done, […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government, Local Politics
Austin Monitor Radio, Show 2
Travis County Chief Appraiser, Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo, and Travis County Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein join the Monitor‘s Mike Kanin and Beth Cortez-Neavel to talk property tax appraisals. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154218203″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inDevelopment
Code Compliance making slow progress solving rental problems
One city department that unexpectedly made headlines last year was Code Compliance. The City Council heard details about how the department is dealing with problems that have plagued apartment dwellers for years during last week’s budget session. Council Member Chris Riley asked how things were going with a new city initiative to address “problem […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council reviews Central Corridor Study’s report on Urban Rail
The Austin City Council got a look Thursday at Project Connect’s Central Corridor Study recommendations for the city’s proposed high-capacity transit line, its initial route and its price tag. Project leader Kyle Keahey told Council members the study team recommends a Locally Preferred Alternative, or LPA, of an Urban Rail route from Riverside Drive […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council spending
Here is a detailed look at how much money the Council spent this week: · $4,500,000 to Stanley Consultants Inc. to provide engineering services for Austin Energy’s Electric Service Delivery. · $3,111,207 to Clark Equipment Company DBA Bobcat Company, Central Texas Equipment, Cooper Equipment Company INC, Austin Truck and Equipment INC. LTD DBA Freightliner […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council sends Auditorium Shores renaming to 90-day vetting process
Austin City Council members sent a proposal to rename a section of Auditorium Shores after late civic leader Vic Mathias to a full 90-day vetting process. The move, debated in front of the friends and family of the former Austin Chamber head yesterday, came after questions surfaced over whether Mathias was involved in the municipally […]