There was sympathy on the dais, but last week District 10 residents lost a City Council appeal against a building constructed without a permit. Though some Council members openly expressed regret about the decision, they voted 6-3-1 to deny the appeal. Council Members Leslie Pool, Ora Houston and Ann Kitchen voted in approval. Mayor Pro Tem […]
Austin Code
Formerly known as Code Compliance, this is the city department that handles enforcement of city code violations. Its work is complaint-driven.
Posted inAustin, Music & Entertainment, Police
Police to enforce noise ordinance during RoundUp
The Austin Police Department says it will enforce the city’s noise ordinance in the West Campus area during the University of Texas RoundUp festivities, scheduled for this weekend. RoundUp is a nationally known weekend of parties and live performances put on annually by the UT Greek community. In recent years, the city has not rigidly […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, The Code
Zimmerman: Fine Code Compliance for losing case
City Council Member Don Zimmerman has proposed a unique punishment for the city’s Code Compliance Department when it loses a case in Municipal Court: It will have to pay. Zimmerman, who has made no secret of his disdain for the department’s involvement in minor matters, has distributed a resolution that calls on the city manager […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Local Politics, The Code
Audit finds short-term rental enforcement lacking
Members of the Council Audit and Finance Committee learned Monday that, though the city has had success in bringing illegal short-term rentals into compliance, those that do not come into compliance are falling through the cracks. On a positive note, a city audit found that the Code Department had been largely successful at bringing unlicensed […]
Posted inCity Council, Housing, Public Safety, The Code
City looks to improve rental registration program
As part of an ongoing effort to beef up how the city addresses problem rental properties, City Council will consider whether to amend its rental registration program today. So far, the program has managed to capture only a handful of properties. Code Department director Carl Smart explained that the poor showing is a result of […]
Posted inResources, Uncategorized
Code violators may get administrative hearings
The Code Department may soon have a new tool to enforce city code, if an ordinance passes at today’s City Council meeting that would create an administrative hearing process for certain violations. Code Department Director Carl Smart told Council members at Tuesday’s work session that he hopes the new procedure will help to streamline the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Commission denies commercial zoning for resident’s garage
An attempt to rezone a North Austin property from single-family to residential simply to increase the impervious cover on the lot found no friends at the Planning Commission last week. Minh-Tu Ngoc Doan explained that he had no intention of operating a commercial garage on the site. He said that fixing cars was a […]
Posted inTransportation
Planning Commission hears pros, cons of Megabus permit
Austin Megabus, the low-cost intercity transit company, will be making a return stop at the Planning Commission next month in order to address the concerns of unhappy neighbors. Megabus NE, LLC was seeking a Conditional Use Permit from the commission in order to change the use of their depot at 2002 Whitis Avenue. Currently, […]
Posted inDevelopment
Standards Commission imposes hefty fine for neglected house
Austin’s Code Compliance Department is making efforts to resolve outstanding cases involving dilapidated homes, but some members of the city’s Building and Standards Commission say the department’s fines are too high, and the city should take more responsibility for homes that have fallen under the radar. In a vote of 5-2, the commission voted […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members question staff over code enforcement issues
Members of the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday questioned city staff over their ongoing efforts to revamp code compliance. Code enforcement has been in the spotlight since a balcony collapse at the Woodridge Apartments set off a wave of criticism after lax enforcement of safety regulations was revealed. As Council members discussed […]