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Austin Monitor
For the first time in 20 years, more people are leaving Travis County than moving in
Between July 2022 and July 2023, roughly 2,500 more people moved out of Travis County than moved in. This figure, which comes out of population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week, marks a reversal in population trends over the last two decades. “I haven’t seen negative net...
Black arts collective wants progress on city’s African American cultural district
An East Austin arts nonprofit is looking to organize musicians, artists and other creatives for job opportunities and to put pressure on the city to move forward with building out plans for the African American Culture and Heritage District that were approved by City Council in 2021. The East Austin...
Austin still looking for more 911 call takers
Austin’s 911 call takers are regularly asked to take on a high call volume, but the Austin Police Department does not have a regular process for expediting call taking when the volume reaches higher-than-normal levels, according to a special report from the Office of the City Auditor. City Council members Vanessa Fuentes and Alison Alter requested a special review and report on the 911 call center last year in response to concerns about long wait times for people in emergency situations.
Austin’s giant troll is finally finished. Here’s where you can find her.
Pease Park’s newest art installation is tucked away in the woods, but she’s hard to miss. Malin is an 18-foot-tall troll made of local and repurposed wood. And in her hands is an offering: a basin full of water to nourish the wildlife. But the water is there...
Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure
Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin Convention Center. Last week, the Tourism Commission received a presentation...
City, police union resume bargaining over long-term police labor contract
After more than a yearlong hiatus, the city and the Austin Police Association (APA) resumed long-term police labor contract negotiations on Wednesday. But it remains to be seen whether the two bargaining teams will be able to reach an agreement that complies with the Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA), a condition of City Council approval and city attorney certification.
Planning Commission gets its first look at Equity-Based Preservation Plan
With the draft Equity-Based Preservation Plan now available for public review, city boards and commissions are getting briefed on the document that includes over 100 recommendations for preserving the highs and lows of Austin’s history. The Planning Commission, which will be voting on the plan this fall, heard an...
Imagine Austin series looks at prospects for equitable development amid rapid growth
Austin’s combination of intense population and income growth and state laws that limit inclusionary zoning might make it difficult to institute equitable housing policies, but a national land use leader advises there are still ways for the city to adapt to the demands of being a growth center. At...
APD settles another use-of-force case from 2020
The city of Austin has settled another case involving use of force against a citizen during the August 2020 protests against police violence. According to a news release from the Kaplan law firm, city officials agreed to and have paid a $55,500 settlement to Eli Winkelman on behalf of the city and two Austin police officers for their use of force against her.
Preservation victory appears short-lived for Travis Heights home
A 114-year-old home in Travis Heights that narrowly escaped demolition last year might be on the chopping block after all, with neighbors taking to the podium at last week’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting warning of a possible demolition by neglect. Preservationists celebrated their victory over 409 E. Monroe St....
SXSW is accused of cozying up to ‘war profiteers.’ Musicians are boycotting.
Austin percussionist Thor Harris has been playing South by Southwest since the ramshackle days, when the festival was a platform for up-and-coming musicians hoping to be discovered by music industry insiders. This year, it’s different. “I’ve played hundreds of other music festivals and never heard of any of the...
Central Health to spend millions on opioid abatement
Central Health, Travis County’s hospital district serving low-income residents, is due to receive over $3 million from the state’s opioid abatement trust fund this spring. An allocation of nearly $10 million more – largely “front-loaded” – will be disbursed over the next 18 years.
City seeks feedback from disability community on five-year federal housing plan
The Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities heard a briefing last week from the Housing Department, which is seeking input from Austin residents with disabilities to identify the greatest community needs that could be addressed using federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the 2029 fiscal year.
Austin Energy pauses to analyze path forward for climate plan
Austin Energy General Manager Bob Kahn has informed the mayor and City Council that the utility is pausing the current process of amending its resource, generation and climate protection plan. The utility had been working to provide proposed changes to that plan this month. In 2022, Council directed Austin Energy...
Travis County signs up for more reclaimed water
Last week, City Council authorized Austin Water to move forward with an interlocal agreement with Travis County to share the costs of designing and building oversized reclaimed water mains and pipes within the central business district. This will provide service to Travis County’s Civil and Family Court Building at 1700 Guadalupe St. and the Probate Court Building at 200 W. Eighth St.
Considering a community-first approach to public safety and crime prevention
Criminal justice leaders at the state and federal levels see benefits in changing the idea of public safety in the U.S. to promote community intervention and public health approaches to problems like gun violence as well as most nonviolent crimes. At a South by Southwest panel last week that considered...
Federal grant provides $105M for Chavez-Fourth Street cap over rebuilt I-35
The city received a boost in its plan to construct broad, plaza-like caps over sunken portions of Interstate 35, with the announcement of a $105 million federal grant to fund a portion of the construction. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation named Austin as a recipient of a Capital...
ATP lawyer argues against sharing information with the public
Lawyers for the Austin Transit Partnership and Austinites who have filed suit to try to stop ATP from proceeding to build a light-rail system without another vote will be in court next Monday to argue about whether the city of Austin should be removed as a party in the lawsuit. Attorney Bill Aleshire is representing the plaintiffs, including former Council Member Ora Houston and former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos.
Plumbing problems could cost the county $4 million
On Tuesday, a coalition of Travis County staff appeared before the Commissioners Court requesting funding for a derelict section of plumbing in the Travis County Jail. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Travis County Planning and Budget Office requested $150,000 for an “engineering assessment” of the scope of work necessary to repair the jail’s plumbing infrastructure, with funds to be drawn from a variety of sources, including internally.
Council approves changes to environmental protections to upgrade Butler Trail
With little discussion, City Council last week approved amendments to environmental protections to clear the way for capital improvements on the popular hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake. The code changes allow for exemptions from critical water quality zone rules protecting Lady Bird Lake, thus giving the Trail Conservancy the...
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