The Austin City Council cut Thursday’s meeting short in order to allow city employees to continue with flood relief duties in the city, but they spent enough time on the dais to pass two significant measures for those affected by the rushing waters. Mayor Lee Leffingwell took a moment to note the two flood-related […]
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 inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council approves fund to preserve heritage of Rainey Street District
Though they ultimately voted unanimously to create a Rainey Street District Fund from collection of development fees, it took at fair amount of bickering for City Council members to get there last week. It remains to be seen exactly how much money will go into the fund, but that was only a part of the […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Final vote on Special Events Ordinance may wait until January
Though Council members unanimously approved the pending on first reading Thursday, that action came with anticipation of the creation of a Council subcommittee that would deal with lingering issues about the matter. Chief ordinance sponsor Council Member Mike Martineztold his colleagues that he and Council Member Chris Riley would bring forward an item to create […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Resources
Council votes to raise water impact fees to near maximum rate
Austin City Council members Thursday approved an immediate increase of impact fees for public infrastructure to just below the maximum allowable rate. Those are the fees that the Austin Water Utility assesses to help offset the cost of extending water and wastewater utility lines. The move, which came by unanimous vote, sets the fees to […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council reluctantly votes to end overnight access to bicycle trails
City Council members voted Thursday to end the pilot program that had opened portions of the city’s urban trails to bikes overnight, though many members expressed frustration about the position the issue put them in. Council members had the options of either leaving the trails open or consenting to remove officers from the city’s […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council OKs prevailing wage as part of economic development deals
The City Council on Thursday voted to make Austin the second city in Texas to mandate prevailing wages for construction workers as part of its economic development process. Mayor Lee Leffingwell was the only Council member to oppose the measure. The discussion and vote, a four-hour conversation, solidifies what has become an automatic late […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council to hear proposals linking wage rules to development deals
Council members remain at work on potential amendments to a proposal from Council Members Mike Martinez, Kathie Tovo, and Laura Morrison that would link wage requirements to city economic incentive deals. It was unclear as of Wednesday afternoon just what form those amendments might take. An up or down Council vote is expected as part […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Council scrutinizes details of proposed Special Events Ordinance
Austin City Council members will have the opportunity to take action tonight on what Council Member Laura Morrison on Tuesday called the “much discussed, monster ordinance on special events.” At the work session, Council discussion focused on a host of issues surrounding the Special Events Ordinance, including the process – or lack thereof – […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council members concerned over funding issues for Lone Star Rail
Austin City Council members are calling for more in-depth discussion about a potential interlocal agreement with the Lone Star Rail District. The agreement, if approved, would govern the partnership between the city and a potential rail agency for a line that could run from Georgetown to San Antonio. It is one of several such agreements […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council to update density benefit regulations for Rainey Street area
Austin City Council members Thursday OK’d the start of a process that will result in a set of changes to the way that developers can exchange extra project density for community benefits in the area in and around Rainey Street. The new rules, once codified, are designed to bring Rainey’s development rules into alignment with […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council again postpones action on 24-hour access to hike-and-bike trails
A battle over whether three segments of the City of Austin’s hike-and-bike trails should remain open will last at least another week, after City Council members postponed a vote on an ordinance that would end the pilot program. However, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t any action. Though the item was quickly dispatched Thursday, […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council looks at compromise on Rainey Street density bonus plan
Austin City Council members returned Tuesday to the question of how to calculate public amenities associated with density bonuses for projects located in the Rainey Street neighborhood downtown. As part of the discussion – postponed from Council’s last agenda – Council Member Laura Morrison offered a potential compromise. Morrison’s proposal would adopt the Downtown […]