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Austin Monitor
Audit finds police department backlog of 20,000 public information requests
The Austin Police Department recently had a backlog of more than 20,000 public information requests, causing some requests to wait for more than a year to receive a response, according to a recent city audit. That audit also found APD has far less public information staff to handle requests than...
Planning Commission recommends airport master development plan update
The Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend an update to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s Master Development Plan Ordinance. The airport’s Master Development Plan Ordinance must be updated every 10 years. It allows the city to look at the site comprehensively, and for a streamlined construction process on future projects. This version will replace the last version updated in 2012 and is the result of a collaborative effort between AUS, the Watershed Protection Department, and Development Services.
Site plan appeal reveals city tech failings at ZAP
Though an appeal to a site plan extension failed at the Zoning and Platting Commission’s most recent meeting Aug. 15, the case exposed what happened after mayoral declaration to help development held up by the pandemic went into effect. In this case, Cindy Barron was contesting the extension for...
I-35 expansion through downtown Austin gets final green light
The state’s contentious plan to make the biggest road in Central Texas even bigger has cleared a major bureaucratic hurdle, paving the way for the historic expansion of Interstate 35 from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. Highway 290 East. The Texas Department of Transportation issued a final environmental impact...
CAMPO board OKs amendments to I-35 expansion project without votes from 3 Council members
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Board voted last week to approve amendments to its highway improvement plans, which will pave the way for the latest version of the Interstate 35 Capital Express project. It did so without the votes of three City Council members appointed to the board.
Financial justice nonprofit gets boost to expand services
A local financial justice nonprofit group will be able to expand its services in Austin and around the state dramatically with a $250,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The banking giant’s gift will let Financial Health Pathways more than triple the number of participants in its I Save Texas!...
Austin Energy in talks to expand community solar program
As residents bemoan scorching temperatures, Austin Energy is looking to leverage the sunny weather’s benefits, with plans to ramp up the utility’s community solar program over the coming year. Customer Renewable Solutions Manager Tim Harvey stopped by last week’s Electric Utility Commission meeting for an update on the...
Council delays transfer of 37 civilian position to APD, citing transparency concerns
Before City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding, District 4 Council Member Chito Vela proposed an amendment delaying the transfer of 37 full-time civilian staff positions to the Austin Police Department, citing a need for more clarity. Although city staff attempted to answer Vela’s...
NOAA heat impact study puts faces to local effects of 2023 heat wave
Community organizations have been advocating for the city to direct more resources toward heat relief and climate emergency response. A 2021 study examining how extreme heat affects East Austin residents is giving more weight to that work. The study, titled “Heat vulnerability of Latino and Black residents in a low-income...
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon announces retirement
Chief Joseph Chacon will leave the Austin Police Department next month. Chacon told interim City Manager Jesús Garza of his plans to retire last week, city leaders said, and he officially gave his notice Monday morning. He has served in law enforcement for 31 years. Chacon said he had...
City says Austin Energy’s budget reflects needs
All Austin Energy customers will see a small increase in their electric bills this fall – about $1.04 a month for the typical residential customer. According to the utility, its residential bills are still among the lowest in the state. However, Austin Energy is facing a number of challenges,...
Austin provides shelter in freezes but not in triple-digit heat – and advocates want change
Austin’s triple-digit temperatures – 44 days in a row as of Sunday – have been near-unbearable for people living outdoors. And with the heat streak likely to continue well into next week, a group of nonprofits is asking the city to set up emergency shelter on a more consistent basis.
As heat wave continues, city fleet department works to improve AC maintenance for Austin Resource Recovery
Amid an ongoing spike in repair requests for Austin Resource Recovery vehicles, managers of the city’s fleet have made some changes to improve air conditioning maintenance. A memo released last week showed that since June and July 2022, the Fleet Mobility Services Department has observed a 49 percent increase in repairs for heating and air conditioning units in the waste disposal trucks. The department oversees the use and operation of 4,862 on-road vehicles across all city departments. Currently, there are 125 vehicles with work orders related to AC issues, the memo notes.
Council-approved budget contains record-high police funding, sparking dissent from both sides
Three years after mass protests against police violence and racial injustice spurred the now-defunct Reimagining Public Safety initiative, City Council on Wednesday voted 10-1 to approve the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which includes record-high police funding and sets a new minimum for future city spending. Council’s decision has provoked both the police union and police reform advocates, who agree that increased funding will do little to alleviate police staffing shortages – and on little else.
Leslie Pool takes question of water extension requests off Council agenda
City Council Member Leslie Pool notified her colleagues that she has withdrawn her request that the group consider a controversial item related to the extension of water and wastewater service in the city’s Drinking Water Protection Zone and outside the city’s jurisdiction. A service extension request is required...
Capital Metro updates financial forecast, returns $130 million to contingency fund
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Finance, Audit and Administration Committee heard an update on the agency’s financial status at its meeting on Aug. 14. Catherine Walker, chief financial and risk officer, presented a financial report as of the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-23. According to the presentation, sales...
Extreme heat bakes Austin’s streets, making them warp and crack
Austin roads are taking a beating this summer. An extended heat wave that could be the most severe on record is warping highways and cracking streets. But the pavement is shriveling so slowly, it can be hard to notice. One of the most catastrophic – and fortunately, most rare –...
City Council approves Austin’s $5.5 billion budget for 2024
With Mayor Kirk Watson in the driver’s seat, City Council delivered the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget of $5.5 billion just before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, including amendments requested by a variety of assistance groups and pushed forward by Council. Council approved the budget and tax rate by a vote...
Equity Action to continue push for community needs not met in new city budget
Late changes to Austin’s next budget, which was adopted on Wednesday by City Council, include a mix of items from the Community Investment Budget. A coalition of community groups led by Equity Action months ago released a proposal for what they called “long overdue investments in public safety.” Equity Action’s members criticized city management‘s budget priorities, including a preference for increasing the cash reserves over addressing more needs of residents.
Courthouse dining elevated: Veracruz All Natural contracts with county courts facility
Veracruz All Natural, which makes some of Austin’s most acclaimed tacos, will open an outpost downtown to serve the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility. The facility opened earlier this year, with about 2,247 square feet of real estate located on the first floor of 1700 Guadalupe Street. And its cafe space has been unoccupied since, said Gabriel Stock, the interim director for facilities management – until now.
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