A judge has ruled against an environmental group that sued the city of Austin, alleging elected officials violated state law with their vote allowing redevelopment along the shores of Lady Bird Lake. Travis County judge Jan Soifer did not include a reason for her ruling. Save Our Springs Alliance had argued that, by not adequately advertising the scope of […]
Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS)
An advocacy organization. According to its web site, Save Our Springs “works to protect the Edwards Aquifer, its springs and contributing streams, and the natural and cultural heritage of the Hill Country region and its watersheds, with special emphasis on Barton Springs.”
Posted inAustin
Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
Jackie Goodman, 79, who served on the Austin City Council for 12 years starting in 1993, passed away on Tuesday. She had been hospitalized but had come home before her death. She served as Mayor Pro Tem for several years starting in 1998. She is survived by her sisters, Janis Morgan of Austin and Joann […]
Posted inCourts
SOS suing state agency over failure to provide information on MoPac expansion
The Save our Springs Alliance has filed suit against the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority because of the agency’s failure to release information about the proposed 8-mile expansion of MoPac Expressway South. SOS says that expansion is “one of the greatest threats we’ve seen to Barton Springs, Barton Creek, and the Edwards Aquifer in recent […]
Posted inWater
$1 billion expansion of wastewater treatment plant poised to break ground
With a major expansion on the horizon for Austin’s Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Kirk Watson is working with city staff to ensure the $1 billion project goes off without a hitch. The project, which City Council approved last May, would expand the site’s processing capacity from 75 million to 100 million gallons of […]
Posted inEnvironment
Golden-cheeked warbler may be downlisted to ‘threatened’ status
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken the initial step to downlist the Hill Country’s golden-cheeked warbler from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. According to a news release from USFWS, there will be a lengthy process before the bird’s official status is changed. The much-cherished songbird was listed as endangered in […]
Posted inDevelopment
SOS sues utility to protect Barton Creek Habitat Preserve
The Save Our Springs Alliance has filed suit against the West Travis County Public Utility Agency and its board of directors, challenging the utility’s decision to condemn 2.685 acres of the Barton Creek Habitat Preserve in Southwest Travis County. SOS describes the preserve as “one of the most significant, untouched natural areas in Central Texas, […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City considers acquiring new combined HQ for police, fire and EMS
Next week, City Council will consider approving a $107.8 million allocation to acquire an office campus along South MoPac Expressway that would serve as a consolidated headquarters for the city’s public safety agencies, which are located in outdated and cramped facilities across the city. If approved, the headquarters would house the Austin Police Department, Austin […]
Posted inCity Council
City Council adopts new rules around allowing residents to speak at meetings
City Council made several changes to its meeting rules that the city hopes will improve public engagement and transparency. The changes adopted Thursday follow a Travis County judge’s ruling in May that found the city had violated the Texas Open Meeting Act by not allowing people enough time to speak during the public comment period […]
Posted inCity Council
Council work sessions slated to resume, with some changes
It looks like City Council work sessions may be resuming soon. After three consecutive cancellations, there was some speculation that work sessions might be eliminated, or only utilized for necessary Council briefings. However, today, Council will vote on a proposal from City Manager T.C. Broadnax to restructure work sessions beginning in October. Work sessions are […]
Posted inHousing
Council declines site plan appeal despite claims of ordinance violations
City Council last week declined to even discuss an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision to approve a site plan, despite area homeowners’ arguments that the plan violates not only the Save Our Springs Ordinance but also the Hill Country Roadway Ordinance. The SOS Alliance, though not an appellant, argued in favor of the appeal […]
Posted inCourts
Judge’s order halts Nov. 5 charter election
Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble on Thursday ordered the city of Austin to eliminate 13 proposed charter amendments from the Nov. 5 ballot because City Council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act in setting a hearing on the proposed charter items. Other items on the ballot, such as Council races, are not impacted […]
Posted inCourts
Save Our Springs Alliance files another lawsuit against City Council over Open Meetings Act
Claiming that City Council has again violated the Texas Open Meetings Act, the Save Our Springs Alliance on Monday filed a lawsuit seeking to block the city’s placement of 13 proposed charter amendments on the November ballot. It is the second lawsuit this year the SOS Alliance has filed against Council alleging violation of the […]