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Austin Monitor
Smog got you down? Here’s why air quality in Austin has been so bad this spring.
This spring has been a challenging one in Central Texas weather-wise. There was punishing heat, destructive hail and a thick yellow-gray haze that blanketed the region. But, of these three apocalyptic-feeling weather phenomena, the smog stands out as particularly unique. It’s been worse this year than many can remember.
Council to honor former member by naming a bend in Shoal Creek trail
At 1 p.m. today, City Council will consider and most likely approve an ordinance honoring former Council Member Chris Riley, who has spent years advocating for Austin’s trails and greenbelts, as well as for the safety of those who use them. The resolution directs the city manager to name and prepare signage for the segment of the Shoal Creek Greenbelt Trail between West Avenue and Fifth Street to honor Riley.
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 5.30.24
City Council will meet today for the last time before its summer break. Because the next meeting isn’t until July 18, one might expect the agenda to be overstuffed, but it’s really not that bad. As usual, we’ve done our optimistic best to guess at what might be most interesting.
As federal funds decrease, Council to consider future funding for homelessness
With the city nearly exhausted of the federal money dedicated to providing housing for people who are homeless, City Council will likely direct staff to adjust and improve processes, in coordination with Travis County, for short-term assistance and long-term housing and services. A recent joint meeting of the Public Health...
Charter changes might include city attorney appointment
This November, Austin voters will have plenty to ponder as they look at the city’s portion of the ballot. Every Austin voter will have a chance to vote on mayoral candidates, and voters in Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10 will be choosing a City Council member to represent them for the next four years. In addition, voters will be able to decide on changes to the city charter.
Across Austin, Street Impact Fees are being collected but not yet spent
Though none of the money has been spent, two years of collecting Street Impact Fees has netted a potential $17 million in roadway capacity projects for Austin roads. Curious members of the Downtown Commission got an update on the city’s Street Impact Fee program from Transportation & Public Works supervising engineer Nathan Aubert at their most recent meeting. Though the Street Impact Fee officially went into effect when the ordinance was adopted in December 2020, collection didn’t begin until June 21, 2022.
Leaking city pipes appear to be drought-proofing some Austin trees
Austin loses an estimated 21 gallons of water per person every day, mostly through leaks in the city’s water distribution system. Last year that totaled 8.6 billion gallons lost. Those leaks waste more than water; they drain energy and cost money. But there could be a small silver lining...
Transportation official’s movie rental with city credit card was fraud, audit finds
Acting on a request they received last August, members of the Office of the City Auditor’s investigative team uncovered a trail of fraudulent behavior by Transportation and Public Works Department superintendent Michael Collier. In an audit report released last week, they said Collier falsified records related to his use of a city credit card.
East Austin organizers push for equity/anti-displacement overlay to address affordability
A coalition of community groups representing East Austin is pushing City Council to require new infill residences built on smaller lots in the Eastern Crescent be made affordable for longtime residents at risk of being displaced due to the rising cost of living. Prior to Council’s recent passage of the...
Memo outlines the high cost of planning for Austin’s environmental future
With the city already facing a budget deficit exceeding $13 million in the 2025 budget year, a recent staff memo with cost estimates for funding an array of environmental initiatives may be causing sticker shock in some circles. Yet proponents of financing the city’s climate goals view the projected costs as an investment that could yield substantial long-term savings.
SOS sues city to stop Statesman PUD
The Save Our Springs Alliance has sued the city in an attempt to stop construction of the Statesman Planned Unit Development that Council approved in December 2022. Specifically, the environmental organization seeks to stop any “permit approvals, city fee waivers, and ‘other development subsidies’ contained in the final ordinance.”
Travis County has seen a surge of fentanyl overdoses. A new report shows it’s not slowing down.
Fentanyl-related overdoses continue to be the leading cause of accidental overdose deaths in Travis County, according to a new report from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. In 2023, 279 people died from a fentanyl-related overdose – up from 245 the year before. That’s about a 14 percent increase....
Watson eyes city grants for child care providers in tandem with proposed county tax vote
Mayor Kirk Watson voiced support Thursday for a proposed grant program for home-based child care providers throughout the city, as one piece of a countywide effort to address one of the most persistent affordability issues in Austin. Speaking at a summit examining the causes and possible solution for the city’s...
Council members are looking into need for increased funds for parks maintenance
Austin’s parkland acreage is growing along with the population – however, staffing for maintenance of those parks has not kept pace, according to a report discussed Wednesday among City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. After comparing the number of parks maintenance workers in 2014 to the current number, analysts at the Parks and Recreation Department and budget and finance concluded that PARD “was providing a higher level of service frequency in FY 2014 than in FY 2023.”
Wheatsville to close Guadalupe Street store that opened in 1981
Wheatsville Food Co-op – a local, member-owned natural food store operating in Austin since 1976 – plans to close its location on Guadalupe Street and focus on building smaller stores. In a special edition of Wheatsville’s newsletter, General Manager Bill Bickford acknowledged the store was facing financial struggles...
Council tailors ETOD zoning, affordability requirements to maximize transit use
Included in last week’s slate of land use changes approved by City Council were adjustments to the density bonus incentives and other guidelines covering equitable transit-oriented developments intended to maximize usage of transit corridors throughout the city. Following the prior day’s marathon public comment session, Council reconvened on May...
Audit points out deficiencies in city’s criminal background checks
Although the city has improved its processes for conducting criminal background checks on prospective employees being considered for sensitive positions, a report from the city auditor’s office shows some gaps in the Human Resources Department’s process that could result in “legal, financial, and reputational risk for the City.”
Transit, housing initiatives highlight accessibility concerns for disabled community
Advocates for disabled people in Austin want to ensure upcoming major changes to the local transportation network and housing market don’t exclude those with physical, visual or hearing impairments. A discussion on Tuesday at the Austin office of the advocacy group ADAPT of Texas brought together leaders attached to...
Water quality plan draws opposition from Reed Park neighbors
A water quality improvement project slated for a West Austin neighborhood park has sparked controversy among Tarrytown neighbors opposed to the prospect of losing an informal ball field to a biofiltration pond for stormwater runoff. Reed Neighborhood Park, given to the city in the 1950s by the late Roberta Crenshaw,...
Affordable housing complex competes for space with a church in Payton Gin zoning change
Planning Commission members have embraced an affordable housing project in North Austin despite concerns from the church it will replace. Developers plan to build a 100 percent affordable, six-story, 192-unit apartment complex at 1706 Payton Gin Road using the city’s Affordability Unlocked program. In return for the development incentives offered through the program, the project promises 27 one-bedroom units, 88 two-bedroom units and 77 three-bedroom units. In terms of affordability, at least 20 percent of those units will rent to households at or below 50 percent of the median family income (MFI) and at least half will be offered at or below 60 percent MFI for at least 40 years. In order to do that, they are seeking a zoning change from Neighborhood Commercial (LR) to Community Commercial (GR).
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