BG Note | News - What We're Reading (November 10, 2017)
[Austin Metro]
Reversing course, Austin council to reveal city manager finalists (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
Austin City Council members will reverse course on their secret search for a city manager and release up to five finalists’ names in the coming days, a week after the American-Statesman staked out candidate interviews and sued the city over refusing to release records on the search.
Stephen Newton, a representative of search firm Russell Reynolds, told the council Thursday that he recommended making the finalists’ names public — a departure from his previous advice, and from a decision the council made in March to keep the process confidential until the council made its final pick...
Austin wants to make it easier to build garage apartments (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
City Council took a step yesterday to streamline the process of building and remodeling homes by approving the Family Homestead Initiative. The resolution calls for the city to identify all the regulations and costs associated with the process.
Council Member Delia Garza, who sponsored the measure, said she wants to create a separate permitting process for homeowners because they shouldn’t have to contend with the same regulations as large developers...
Travis Democratic Party chair candidate drops out over Facebook posts (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
Yet another candidate has announced then quickly pulled out of the race for Travis County Democratic Party chair.
Mike Lewis announced in a statement on Facebook on Thursday that he is ending his campaign in light of the publication of a website that highlighted his previous Facebook posts and made a case that Lewis did not support the Democratic Party agenda...
2nd Street gets another five years of free parking (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
For at least another five years, patrons of businesses located in the downtown Second Street District will continue getting two hours of free parking in the City Hall parking garage.
After a lengthy debate Thursday, City Council voted to renew a parking deal that the city originally struck in 2005 with AMLI and UP Schneider, the owners of the properties that include dozens of small, local businesses.
The vote came after an attempt by Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo to scale back the commitment to two years. Tovo has cast doubt on whether the city should be subsidizing parking for merchants...
Council approves searching city land for soccer stadium site (Austin Monitor) LINK TO STORY
City staff will begin compiling a list of publicly owned parcels of land that could host the stadium for a professional soccer team that relocates to Austin.
City Council on Thursday approved a resolution from Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo to begin the process of finding a site in the greater Austin area where a soccer club could build a facility that could hold more than 20,000 fans...
Threadgill’s to remain on Riverside Drive — for now (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
Threadgill’s has a new lease on life — at least for the near term.
Proprietor Eddie Wilson has signed a lease with his landlord, members of the Moton Crockett Jr. family, that will keep Wilson’s homestyle cooking restaurant and live music venue at West Riverside Drive and Barton Springs Road for another three years, according to Jack Burton, executive vice president of Crockett Properties Inc.
Wilson recently told employees he planned to close Threadgill’s World Headquarters next year due to rising property taxes, rent and insurance that he said has soared more than 500 percent in the past five years at the valuable downtown-area site at 301 W. Riverside Drive...
[STATE]
Gov. Abbott endorses Rep. Paul Workman of Austin for re-election (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday endorsed state Rep. Paul Workman, R-Austin, for re-election. It was the first of what the governor has promised to be a number of endorsements in contested GOP primary races on behalf of legislative allies, and perhaps also, in support of challengers who he finds to be more in sync with his agenda.
Workman is being challenged in the Republican primary by Jay Wiley, who has been endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and portrays Workman as an ally of House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio...
State Rep. Jason Isaac announces congressional run (Austin American-Statesman) LINK TO STORY
State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, announced in an email to supporters Thursday that he’s running for retiring U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith’s seat in Congress.
“During my four terms in the Texas Legislature, I’ve had the honor and privilege of participating firsthand in helping make Texas the freest state in the nation — and it’s time to take those values and experience to Washington,” Isaac said in the message. “A new administration promises new hope for constraining the growth of the federal government, but it can’t be done without principled conservative leadership in Congress.”...
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