Mountain View
Austin Monitor
Parks board recommends park safety task force
The Parks and Recreation Board is calling for City Council to establish a parks safety task force to evaluate park safety, consider whether to reinstate a parks police unit and recommend ways of supporting the growing number of homeless residents dwelling in city parks. The parks board unanimously recommended the...
Environmental groups sue FAA over SpaceX damage to Boca Chica
In response to the massive explosion of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket at Boca Chica in South Texas, the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, the Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas Inc. sued the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday for failing to fully analyze and mitigate the environmental harms resulting from the launch program.
Fentanyl-related overdoses doubled in a year in Travis County, per medical examiner
Despite significant work across Travis County over the last year, the number of overdose deaths increased 35 percent and the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths climbed 108 percent. That number has increased tenfold since 2019 and has doubled since last year’s report, when the county declared a public health crisis.
Proposed 48-story tower to replace Irene’s, Taquero Mucho
A new 48-story residential tower may soon rise at 506 and 508 West Ave. in downtown, replacing restaurants Irene’s and Taquero Mucho. The Planning Commission last Tuesday voted unanimously to support a rezoning that would enable the developers to build taller than allowed under the site’s current zoning, following a series of delays due to opposition from residents in the adjacent Austin City Lofts.
A month into Austin patrols, state police are disproportionately arresting people of color
New data from the Travis County Attorney’s Office shows Black and Latino people have been disproportionately arrested by state police in the last few weeks. The data provides a look into the first few weeks of the Austin Police Department’s partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety – and raises concerns about racial profiling.
City officials say no to bond elections before 2026
The city of Austin has promised voters it would build a wide variety of projects, ranging from roads to affordable housing to parks, libraries and health centers. City financial advisers told the City Council Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday that the total authorization for public improvement bonds is currently at $3.5 billion. But because the city has “an enormous amount of unissued debt – $1.8 billion,” in the words of interim City Manager Jesús Garza, it is not advisable to have another bond election until 2026.
Economic Development staff opts to withhold music census data from city data portal
Staffers in the Economic Development Department have declined to publish data from the most recent census of the Austin music ecosystem on the city’s open data portal, despite a request to do so from the Music Commission and the support of City Council members. Emails obtained by the Austin...
Parks board hears update on project to convert Nash Hernandez building into intergenerational community hub
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board reviewed progress in the ongoing effort to convert the Nash Hernandez building in East Austin into an intergenerational resource and activity center. At the board’s April 24 meeting, members of the Intergenerational Resource and Activity Center Advisory Group and facilitator Jacqueline Angel, a...
Planning Commission recommends historic zoning for Broken Spoke
The iconic Broken Spoke dance hall is headed for official historic status, ensuring the venue is preserved as the South Lamar corridor continues to develop. The Planning Commission on Tuesday voted 8-0 to recommend approval of historic zoning for the Broken Spoke, which has hosted live country music and dancing at 3201 S. Lamar Blvd. since 1964.
Audit shows growth of firefighters’ overtime spending
Firefighters continue to rack up overtime while the Austin Fire Department continues to recruit and train more firefighters as others retire. According to a report presented to the city’s Audit and Finance Committee on Wednesday, the department was on track to spend more than $20 million on overtime for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2022. When the Austin Monitor asked AFD for the final figure for overtime in the previous fiscal year, a spokesperson said that number was $21.1 million, the highest overtime figure so far for the department.
City and county join forces for mental health diversion center plan
The words of Travis County Judge Andy Brown reflect the disturbing reality that, right now, the county jail is the largest mental health facility in the county for people who have needs that would be better addressed with other resources, instead of the extended suffering of incarceration. “Providing people with...
Why aren’t there more tree-lined streets? Development professionals blame complicated city rules
Following the historic February ice storm that damaged over 10 million trees in Austin and knocked power out for 265,000 Austin Energy customers, city leaders are pushing to bury more power lines – a move aimed not only at protecting utility infrastructure but also allowing more trees to be planted along city streets.
Austin in line for billions in tech, transportation, clean energy funds from feds
The message to local developers and real estate professionals on Wednesday was clear: Austin is in the mix for tens of billions of dollars in federal money that will continue to transform the area and attract newcomers for decades. Panelists for the Urban Land Institute Austin discussion on federal funding...
Last year, your property appraisal went way up. This year (maybe) it’s down. What does it all mean?
If you own property in the Austin area, chances are you recently received your latest property appraisal. This number, known as your appraised value, is an estimate from the Travis Central Appraisal District of what your home would sell for in Austin’s current housing market. Last year, appraisals went...
Watershed Protection wants code change to allow funding for floodplain restoration projects
The Environmental Commission approved a resolution last week recommending a change to the city’s Watershed Protection Ordinance. The change is intended to clarify that the Riparian Zone Mitigation Fund may be used for floodplain restoration projects. Ana Gonzalez, manager of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division for the Watershed...
Planning Commission delay pushes Council action on Palm District until July
After a series of delays stretching back to November, the Planning Commission is now expected to consider and possibly approve the Palm District Plan at a special called meeting May 30. As a result of the new meeting time, City Council is not expected to hold a public hearing on...
Taxpayers sue City Council over funding plan for Statesman site
Taxpayers Against Giveaways, the Save Our Springs Alliance and three taxpayers – former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, former City Council Member Ora Houston and Allandale neighborhood homeowner Faye Holland – have filed a lawsuit suit against City Council to stop it from putting tax money into a fund for development of the former Austin American-Statesman site on Lady Bird Lake.
Council OKs license-plate reader contract negotiations, amid community concerns
City Council is taking steps that will allow the Austin Police Department to reintroduce – on a much grander scale – its license-plate reader program, which was shelved as a result of major departmental budget cuts in 2020. Council authorized city staff to negotiate a new contract for...
Project Connect could be on the ballot again this November
Austin’s mayor is adopting a new strategy against a Texas bill that threatens to derail the city’s voter-approved transit expansion: Get the legislation passed as quickly as possible with overwhelming support in the Texas House and Senate. The approach seemed shockingly counterintuitive to some Project Connect advocates who...
Restoration of wetland impacted by airport jet-fuel storage facility construction site leak nearing completion
Work to remediate a non-toxic mud spill on protected wetland near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will conclude at the end of this month. The spill occurred in September as crews bored a tunnel underneath the airport runway. The Environmental Commission reviewed the status of the cleanup during an April 19 update...
Austin Monitor
4K+
Posts
3M+
Views
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.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.