Austin City Council members Thursday approved requiring staff to come up with an affordability benchmark to give both staff and themselves more information when making decisions about the city’s budget. Council Member Bill Spelman authored the proposal. The figure represents how much Austin residents have seen their income increase, on average, over the past […]
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
Split Council passes economic incentive deal for Athenahealth
City Council members approved on a 5-2 vote an incentives package aimed at bringing Massachusetts- based Athenahealth to the city. The move came as Council Members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo continued to question the appropriateness of the city providing incentives during times of economic success, and voted against the measure. Ultimately however, their […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Canceled work session leaves several Council issues hanging
Austin City Council members were prepared to discuss new visitability regulations, an agreement between the City of Austin and the University of Texas that would have allowed for an $85,000 study of the Project Connect effort, and the Holly Shores Master Plan, among other items, had Tuesday’s work session not been canceled due to weather. […]
Posted inLocal Government, Local Politics
Rapidly developing winter storm catches city officials off guard
A relatively quick and unexpected change in weather conditions early Tuesday morning resulted in a considerable scheduling confusion in the Central Texas region. Among other changes, Austin City Council members found themselves suddenly without a work session Tuesday morning. Travis County Commissioners, meanwhile, delayed the start of their proceedings until 10:30am. City employees are […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members discuss plan to put dog park in industrial area
The City Council discussed and postponed action Thursday on what could be a controversial new dog park located in an industrial complex in southeast Austin. The proposed park, located off Winnebago Lane in the Missouri-Pacific Industrial Complex, would be, as of now, void of any pedestrian access and only accessible by driving through the industrial […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members approve $15 million in bond funds for housing
Austin City Council members Thursday signed off on $15 million in bond funds for the city’s Neighborhood Housing Department. Their approval marks the first use of the $65 million in affordable housing bonds approved by voters in November 2013 to the department that will administer its use. In so doing, Council members approved funds […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council members skeptical over incentive deal for AthenaHealth
Austin City Council members Thursday expressed no small amount of skepticism about an economic development incentives deal that would bring a new AthenaHealth Research and Development facility to the former Seaholm Power Plant. Concerns – mostly from Council Members Laura Morrison, Chris Riley and Kathie Tovo – included whether incentivizing the facility’s move to Seaholm […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council plans to move on Rob Roy zoning, covenant change
Though a lawsuit is already pending, the City Council will move ahead with a Rob Roy zoning and a change in a restrictive covenant change next week. Before Council looked at the matter Thursday, Rob Roy homeowners Russ and Terri Harris filed suit against the City of Austin and Brandywine Acquisition Partners, LP. That […]
Posted inDevelopment
Measure to set residential occupancy limits headed for City Council
An effort to curb stealth dorms that would radically limit how many unrelated people can live in Austin’s residences is heading quickly back to City Council. This past November Council started the process of limiting occupancy to four unrelated adults in single-family zoned property. Currently, the city puts that limit at six unrelated adults. […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Tinkering with city’s over 65 property tax exemption proves tricky
Increasing the City of Austin’s tax exemption for residents 65 and older and the disabled could cost the city a substantial amount in lost revenue. According to Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo, who wrote in a memo in response to requests from Council members during last year’s budget discussion, even a small change […]
Posted inTransportation
City plans ‘tight enforcement’ of violations in new bus transit lanes
Austin Transportation Department Director Rob Spillar told Austin City Council members Tuesday that city prohibitions on parking and driving in the dedicated downtown transit lanes would be “patrolled very tightly” until parking in those lanes “starts to switch over.” “The violations, I anticipate, will be from a new driver that doesn’t fully understand what […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council to consider upping fine for blocking new priority bus lanes
Austin City Council members will consider whether to implement significantly increased fines for vehicles parked illegally in designated transit priority lanes Thursday. The measure would allow traffic officials to impose up to a $500 fine on vehicles left in lanes set aside for Capital Metro’s soon-to-be-unveiled MetroRapid Transit system. The move is aimed squarely at […]