Texas Gas Service Company and CenterPoint Energy Resources, which serve gas customers in Austin and surrounding areas as well as other parts of the state, have filed notices of their plan to raise rates for the service regions that include Austin. The increase for the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program is intended to repay the company […]
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 inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 3.6.25
The Austin City Council will meet today to vote on an abbreviated agenda – just 48 items – but we managed to find a few things to dive into nonetheless. As usual, the entire agenda and backup is also available online and is available to the thorough here. On today’s modest agenda, the biggest item […]
Posted inEnergy
Austin Energy seeks to dampen fears of cooling department employees
Despite assurances that Austin Energy is not currently contemplating a sale of its District Energy and Cooling Department, called the DEC, some employees remain concerned that the utility might decide to sell the cooling system, which provides chilled water cooling for producing electricity. According to the utility, “overall, Austin Energy’s district cooling facilities serve more […]
Posted inCity Council
Council sets the stage for more short-term rental regulations, with tax collection to begin in April
The city will soon begin requiring platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo to collect and remit Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues on behalf of short-term rental properties, marking the first in a number of expected changes in the industry. The change, which goes into effect April 1, is aimed at closing loopholes that have allowed thousands […]
Posted inCity Council
Council solidifies transparency in labor talks over APA’s opposition
City Council on Thursday approved a resolution reaffirming the city’s transparency policy in labor negotiations, despite objections from the Austin Police Association president. The one-page resolution, introduced by Ryan Alter, reiterates the city’s policy that meet-and-confer and collective bargaining discussions with public safety unions are publicly recorded and broadcast. It also ensures that documents exchanged […]
Posted inCity Council
Council will likely delay implementing new STR rules pending legislative action
Austin City Council today will consider an overhaul of the city’s short-term rental regulations but is expected to delay implementing most changes until the summer. At Tuesday’s work session, Mayor Kirk Watson suggested pausing the new rules pending the outcome of several STR-related bills before the state Legislature. “There are some key aspects of what […]
Posted inTipSheets
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 2.27.25
Austin City Council will meet today for their regular meeting and, looking over the agenda, it promises to be a shorter meeting, for the most part. As for the other part, Council is poised to consider, if not adopt, new regulations for short-term rentals today. Mayor Kirk Watson (who usually gets his way) has suggested […]
Posted inPlanning
New convention center design revealed at Council
Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center, promised during Tuesday’s City Council work session a “world-class design” and the “first net-zero carbon convention center in the world.” Katy Zamesnik, assistant director of the convention center, told Council that Austin is the 11th-largest city in the United States but has the 61th-largest convention center. After […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Bond task force votes to roll climate-related projects into 2026 election
The city’s 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force has decided against pursuing a climate-focused bond election in 2025, opting instead to incorporate climate-related projects into a broader 2026 general obligation bond election. The decision followed discussion about funding availability for bond elections in consecutive years, the public engagement process for a 2025 election and the […]
Posted inPlanning
Student housing union advocates for renters ahead of city’s UNO update
The University Tenants Union student group at the University of Texas has launched a new housing toolkit aimed at helping student renters better navigate the housing market in West Campus and surrounding areas. The organization, which advocates for tenant rights and policy reforms affecting student housing, developed the resource to centralize legal and practical guidance […]
Posted inPlanning
Downtown Commission wants all-new plan to address needs of city core
The Downtown Commission has recommended the city pursue a complete rewrite of the Downtown Austin Plan rather than making updates and smaller changes to a document that commissioners say doesn’t reflect the needs of the city’s core. The combination of increasing population, mobility challenges, overlapping redevelopment projects and other significant changes to the area are […]
Posted inCity Hall
Audit and Finance seeks more input before voting on board and commission changes
The City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday deliberated scaling back about two dozen of the city’s boards, commissions and other governmental bodies but ultimately took no action pending further input from the affected groups. The discussion centered on a City Council-approved resolution to consolidate or dissolve up to 36 citizen groups, although Council […]