City staffers hope to dramatically shorten the early lag in approved bond projects that typically add a year to construction and acquisition schedules, which can also increase costs or reduce the scope for proposed projects. Last week’s meeting of the Bond Oversight Commission included an update on progress for Parks and Recreation Department projects included […]
Bond Oversight Committee
The city’s Bond Oversight Committee ensures the efficiency and accountability bond programs implementation.
Posted inParks
Parks board members call for better oversight of city’s bond spending
Members of the Parks and Recreation Board lobbed criticism at the city’s Bond Oversight Commission over frustration that the group has canceled the majority of its meetings since late 2018 and failed to properly review the city’s use of bond dollars. The comments came during a staff briefing Tuesday on the parks department’s capital improvement […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Which side?
More news from the Amazon (bid)… Austin has landed on the bad side of an LGBT rights group’s effort to influence online retail giant Amazon’s decision on where to build its next headquarters. The “No Gay? No Way!” campaign issued a statement last week that singled out nine of the 20 finalist sites for being located […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
2012 APD bond projects appear to be stalled on many sides
Generally, if a bond is issued with a specific project in mind, when the money is awarded, the city gives a project team five years to complete whatever project the taxpayers are funding. That is, of course, unless the costs of the project were arbitrarily estimated and the team runs out of funds before the […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Proposed bond includes big money for parks
The Austin parks system is looking to win big from a major bond that voters will likely be asked to approve in 2018. A citizen task force is currently in the process of drafting a general obligation bond to fund affordable housing projects, stormwater infrastructure, libraries and a variety of other upgrades to municipal facilities. […]
Posted inCity Council
Council rejects gun rights advocate for commission
City Council took the rare move Thursday of rejecting a nomination to a citizen commission over the nominee’s controversial statements. Only two of the nine members of Council present voted to support appointing Michael Cargill, the founder of Central Texas Gun Works and the executive director of Texans for Accountable Government, to the Bond Election […]
Posted inTransportation
Gentrification, confusion and meddling: How a commission makes sausage
Austin’s Bond Oversight Commission on Wednesday morning stuck the landing in its second attempt to boost hundreds of millions of dollars for pedestrian, bicycle and transit infrastructure. In an 8-1 vote, the commission passed a resolution recommending that City Council explore a potential November bond proposition that would fully fund the city’s highest-priority sidewalk needs, […]
Posted inBicycles
Bond Oversight commissioners nix bike plan recommendation
Austin’s Bond Oversight Commission on Thursday evening voted down a proposed recommendation to City Council to consider placing on the November ballot a bond that would fund bicycle and sidewalk infrastructure. Chair Keri Burchard-Juarez, who was put on the commission by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, scheduled the special meeting at 6 p.m. in downtown […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Oversights and overheads
Mapgate: What we saw… There was little indication at the conclusion of last week’s meeting of the Zoning and Platting Commission that Scott Gross, an engineer for the city’s Transportation Department, was in big trouble. After concluding a half-hour presentation on city transportation, he’d received gentle pushback from two commissioners for using a satirical map […]
Posted inThe Code
Confusion reigns over Zoning and Platting Commission’s duties
The Zoning and Platting Commission’s attempts to work more closely with the Planning Commission continue to encounter confusion and pushback from commissioners, city staff and City Council. For starters, Chair Gabriel Rojas is still smarting over Council’s decision last month to abolish the Economic and Capital Budget Joint Committee, one of the two joint committees […]