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Whispers
Friday, July 25, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Media tour of Urban Rail route planned
The Project Connect: Central Corridor Study Team is inviting local media types (that’s us) to tour the adopted Urban Rail Locally Preferred Alternative route next week. Attendees will be driven by bus through the 9.5-mile LPA route, stopping at destinations along the way to discuss characteristics of each stop and the influence each area had on definition of the LPA. In addition to the Project Connect team, reporters and their camera-toting sidekicks will get some face time with several people involved with the rail project, including: Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Capital Metro Board Member John Langmore, Downtown Alliance Executive Director Charlie Betts, UT Sustainability Director Jim Walker and ACC President Dr. Richard Rhodes. Look for the results on your 10 o’clock news Wednesday. The tour begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Daniel E. Ruiz Branch Library, 1600 Grove Blvd.
Friday, July 25, 2014 by Michael Kanin
State to invest in Schwab expansion in El Paso, Austin
Our bespectacled governor, Rick Perry, is apparently sending more than the Texas National Guard to the border these days… Now he’s sending stockbrokers. He announced Thursday that the Texas Enterprise Fund is making two multimillion-dollar investments in the Charles Schwab Corporation, one for a new operations center in El Paso and another to boost Schwab’s presence in Austin. The TEF is providing $1.45 million for the El Paso project, which is scheduled to create 445 jobs and $21.5 million in capital investment over the next 10 years. The $4.5 million TEF investment in the Austin project would create 823 jobs and a $210 million investment over the next decade. The El Paso operation is the newest major employment center for Schwab, joining its San Francisco corporate headquarters along with Denver, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Richfield, Chicago, Orlando and Austin as cities with significant numbers of employees. The financial services company also has some 320 retail branch offices across the U.S.
Thursday, July 24, 2014 by Jo Clifton
Morrison quashes rumor
Contrary to rumors, Council Member Laura Morrison has not declared her support for District 4 candidate Laura Pressley. Morrison said she has a favorite in that race and plans to announce her choice later this summer. But she said that choice is not Pressley. So far, Morrison has endorsed her colleague Kathie Tovo over her other colleague, Chris Riley, for District 9. She also said she favors Leslie Pool in the District 7 race . . .
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Thursday, July 24, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Meetings
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board – CAMPO Nominations Committee meets at Travis County, Room 2.700, 700 Lavaca Street at 1:30 p.m. . . The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board meets at 6 p.m. at agency headquarters at 1124 Regal Row in Manchaca . . . The Community Emergency Response Team meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Combined Transportation Emergency Communications Center, 5010 Old Manor Road.
Thursday, July 24, 2014 by Michael Kanin
New candidate for Mayor
Ronald J. “Ron” Culver jumped into the Mayor’s race yesterday, appointing himself his own campaign treasurer and filing the necessary paperwork to be on the ballot. His address indicates he lives in far Northwest Austin in Williamson County. Culver pledged not to collect or spend more than $500 on the race. Otherwise, the only candidate who has actually filed for Mayor is Mike Martinez, who did so Monday.
Thursday, July 24, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Early signs?
Many candidates and prospective candidates were present at Wednesday’s Austin Neighborhoods Council meeting. However, those gathered for the meeting offered applause for just two – District 3’s Susana Almanza and District 1’s Ora Houston. Neighborhood interests have traditionally held sway in Austin City Council elections. We’ll have to wait until Nov. 5 to see if that is true under the new system with many more candidates and voters.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Two more join the battle
Two more City Council candidates made it official Tuesday by filing their ballot applications for a spot on the Nov. 4 ballot. Jeb Boyt filed for the District 7 seat and Margie Burciaga filed for the District 10 spot. That brings the total of official candidates to nine.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Watching PACs
Texans for Accountable Government has declared its support for anti-fluoride activist Laura Pressley, a candidate in the District 4 race. The largest donor to this group was Jeff Kantoff, identified online as a member of Ron Paul Republicans Meetup Group. Austinites for Geographic Representation filed the appropriate paperwork for dissolution of their political action committee. Stacy Suits, campaign treasurer, declared no further expenditures would be made and there was no money left in their coffers. After all, they won their fight more than 18 months ago when Austinites finally agreed to single-member districts. Let’s Go Austin, the PAC collecting money to support Austin’s rail project on the November ballot, raised about $76,000. Of that, the Downtown Austin Alliance contributed $37,000, dwarfing others’ donations. Tyson Tuttle, the CEO of Silicon Labs, contributed $10,000. The architects of Page Southerland Page gave $5,000, as did Texas Gas Service. Rather surprisingly, the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association donated $4,000 to the effort. Engineers and land planners Cunningham- Allen, Inc. gave $2,500.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
City employee killed in crash
Ernesto Gonzales, a 22-year veteran of the city’s Resource Recovery Department, died Tuesday in a crash near Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Police say a pickup truck driven by Gonzales was involved in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer on FM 973 near Eva Street. Police say Gonzales was pronounced dead at the scene. City Manager Marc Ott issued a statement Tuesday offering condolences to Gonzales’ family and co-workers.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Zumba Time at Zilker Park
The Parks and Recreation Department is planning to ‘Zelebrate’ Zumba at Zilker Park Thursday. Attendees may enjoy a group Zumba class and giveaways. Zumba is a popular dance fitness program. On July 1, Mayor Lee Leffingwell proclaimed July as Parks Month in support of PARD and the National Recreation and Park Association’s nationwide initiative to promote healthy communities through recreation and leisure. The “Zumbathon Zelebration” is set for 10 a.m. at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Appraisal issue returns to Austin Monitor Radio
Travis County Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator Deece Eckstein joins Monitor Publisher Mike Kanin to talk about ongoing concerns associated with the Travis Central Appraisal District’s property tax appraisal process. Tune to 91.7FM KOOP at 2 p.m. today to hear the discussion.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014 by Michael Kanin
Meetings
The Commission on Immigrant Affairs plans a special called meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Terrazas Branch Library, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez Street . . . The Building and Standards Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road.