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Austin Monitor
Austin’s shift to electric buses is plagued by vehicle glitches and supplier bankruptcy
Capital Metro’s drive to electrify its entire fleet of buses is coming with some hard lessons about the high costs of early adoption. The transit agency’s battery-powered buses have been less reliable and harder to fix. Now, a company selling million-dollar electric vehicles to Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, throwing a new wrench into the gears.
Music Commission considers dedicated grant stream for live music venues
Music venues around the city could have a dedicated source of funding in next year’s Live Music Fund program, which was created to help inject city money into the local music economy. During discussion on expected changes to the program in 2024, members of the Music Commission told city...
HOME proponents, opponents speak out
City Council Member Leslie Pool led the charge in talking about the HOME initiative at a City Hall press conference Tuesday. Joining her in promoting the plan to reconfigure Austin’s single-family zoning rules were several Council members as well as representatives of labor, environmental and transit organizations. As of...
Travis County dismisses charges against APD officers who used beanbag rounds in 2020 protests
The Travis County district attorney has dropped assault charges against 17 Austin police officers who used so-called “less lethal” beanbag rounds over a weekend of racial justice protests in 2020. District Attorney José Garza pursued charges against 21 officers after several Austinites were seriously injured during protests in...
Council greenlights update to urban trails, sidewalks and bikes plan with last-minute amendments
As the city prepares for a decade of unprecedented public transportation and highway infrastructure projects, Austin’s Transportation Department is making moves to spread the love to those choosing to walk, bike or roll. Since early last year, staff has been devising updates to the 2019 Strategic Mobility Plan, a...
Audit examines alleged fraud by employee of Forensic Science Department
The former forensic services manager for the city’s Forensic Science Department allegedly misused his city credit card to purchase $3,000 worth of gift cards and firearm accessories for his personal use, according to a report issued by the Office of the City Auditor. Staff of the Financial Services Department...
Delay gives city a hard Dec. 14 deadline to end Seaholm special taxing district
City Council will have until its Dec. 14 meeting to close down a taxing district created to revitalize the Seaholm Power Plant property. That deadline comes because of a decision at last week’s meeting not to close down the tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) that was created in 2008 to fund improvements to the Seaholm property, with later amendments added to help the surrounding area. The proposed ordinance amendment to close down the TIRZ was voted down 6-4, with Mayor Kirk Watson and Council members Leslie Pool, Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voting in favor. Council Member Ryan Alter was not present for the vote.
Austin throws $2.6 million more into project converting hotel into housing for elderly people without homes
More money is being poured into a former North Austin hotel that will be converted into housing for elderly people who are exiting homelessness. City Council on Thursday authorized an additional $2.6 million for continued renovations to the Pecan Gardens project, raising the total contract to $6.5 million. The contract was also extended through March 2024 to finish out the renovations.
Data collection issues threaten initiative to prevent gun violence
A disconnect between the Austin Police Department and a criminal justice reform organization could delay a new violence reduction initiative, Travis County officials said Tuesday. The glitch came to light Tuesday during a progress report to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Last November, commissioners dedicated federal funds from the American...
Council postpones decision on historic Barton Springs Bridge reconstruction
Although city staff urged City Council to authorize a complete destruction and rebuilding of the historic Barton Springs Bridge, Council postponed action on the item Thursday. Several members of the public urged them not to move forward with the plan and criticized the process for lacking sufficient public input. “When...
Austin helped buy cheap apartments with the intent of keeping prices low. Instead, rents went up.
In the parking lot of a two-story apartment building in Central Austin last month, former and current politicians came together to celebrate something increasingly rare in this city: low rents. The city, along with a real estate investment fund, had bought seven apartment complexes in some of Austin’s priciest neighborhoods....
Doggett urges further federal action on airport safety
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett continues to ring the alarm about safety concerns at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and across the country as the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure grapples with a staffing shortage that has resulted in hundreds of near-miss incidents between aircraft on airport runways. On Thursday, Doggett...
Council eyes details of new maintenance facility included in Oracle land swap
City Council members are expected to bring some scrutiny today to the nearly completed land swap deal that will see tech giant Oracle America Inc. build a new central maintenance facility for the city in exchange for 9 acres of parkland. The finer points of the deal, which has taken years to assemble and manage, includes Oracle giving the city 50 acres of property in East Austin near the Colorado River and paying $1 million to help rehabilitate land at Fiesta Gardens.
Council to consider public safety stations as community benefit eligible for density bonuses
City Council will consider adding public safety space – like fire, police and EMS stations – as a community benefit eligible for density bonus programs and planned unit developments (PUD) at its meeting on Thursday. District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly sponsored the resolution, which would direct the...
Parks and Recreation Board backs calls for expanded senior center facility in North Austin
The city find funding to create a senior activity center to serve District 4 and areas north of Highway 183 – and consider the Gus Garcia Recreation Center as a possible location. Austin’s senior population is on the rise, and many seniors are economically and socially vulnerable. The city...
Need for county mental health diversion center grows
Travis County’s mental and behavioral health diversion center is more than five years from opening and needed more every day, the Commissioners Court learned Tuesday. With an epidemic of mental illness and an overcrowded Travis County Jail, commissioners said the county must build the center as quickly as possible while involving relevant community groups. The project also includes a new central booking facility for the jail.
TipSheet: Austin City Council, 11.30.23
City Council will once again convene for a meeting at City Hall today and, as a preview of sorts, we’ve compiled our best guesses as to what might be of interest at the meeting. We’ll note that though Tuesday’s work session was focused on the HOME initiative, that will be the focus of a special called Dec. 7 meeting. However, there’s plenty on today’s agenda that’s worthy of attention as well.
Bathhouse working group suggests city start process to rename Barton Springs
At its regular meeting on Nov. 27, the Parks and Recreation Board heard from the Barton Springs Bathhouse Working Group about its report, which includes a list of potential names for an updated bathhouse in addition to calling for the city to also reexamine the name of Barton Springs. The...
Staff, City Council continue to work on HOME initiative
At Tuesday’s work session, City Council heard from the city’s planning staff as well as two architects from the local American Institute of Architects housing committee on various aspects of the HOME initiative, a proposal to make changes to the city’s Land Development Code. Council is scheduled to hold its last hearing on Dec. 7 and vote on the first part of the proposal, which advocates hope will result in more housing options for middle-income residents. However, many questions still remain – not only about staff’s recommendations, but also about Planning Commission proposals and amendments that Council members may offer.
Council hears of progress on resilience hubs, planning for winter weather emergencies
With the National Weather Service advising local leaders of the high likelihood of a significant ice event this winter, City Council received an extensive update on weather preparation efforts on Tuesday. The update from the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department attempted to consolidate the city’s many steps to recover from winter weather disasters in 2021 and 2023 that wiped out power and other services to much of the city.
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Five days a week, we bring you the news from Austin City Hall, Travis County Commissioners Court, and multiple other civic entities that make key decisions for central Texas. We stick to the facts. We aim to be fair. When we err, we correct it fast.
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