BG Reads | News - October 4, 2022
[AUSTIN METRO]
Business groups alarmed at proposed Austin Energy fee hikes (Austin American-Statesman)
The prospect of a big and sudden increase in a critical expense — such as the cost of electricity — can trigger nightmares for many business owners. That’s the position in which Austin Energy has put local companies, according to industry groups that are expressing alarm at the utility’s recent proposal to sharply raise some fees beginning Nov. 1. Austin Energy has said its proposed increases to so-called "pass-through" charges intended to recoup costs that are beyond its control — such as higher prices for natural gas — would boost monthly electricity bills for average residential customers by about $20, or $240 annually, not including the impact of unrelated proposed increases to the utility's base electricity rates. While the sum is significant, it's a fraction of what the city-owned utility's local commercial and industrial customers are facing…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
'Progress is being made' on rezoning request for huge Statesman PUD (Austin Business Journal)
Despite Austin City Council's decision to again postpone addressing a rezoning request that could result in the transformation of the former Austin-American Statesman headquarters into a district of mixed-use towers, there are signs developer Endeavor Real Estate Group LLC is making progress.
City Council on Sept. 29 did not vote on the request for a planned unit development, or PUD, for the property at 305 S. Congress Ave. It was the?fourth postponement?of the PUD vote, which would allow Endeavor to build taller and denser on the 19-acre tract just south of Lady Bird Lake than typically allowed…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Nonprofit groups getting $20M in Project Connect funds to prevent displacement (Austin Monitor)
The city has named the 14 nonprofit organizations that will use $20 million in funds from Project Connect to enact community-level programs to prevent displacement as the massive transit system moves forward.
Last week, the city’s Affordable Housing Finance Corporation approved the awards, which will be drawn from the $300 million in anti-displacement, affordable housing funds included in the voter-approved plan. The full list of recipients, award amounts and project descriptions is available?here…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Self-driving car company Cruise aims to launch in Austin by end of year (KUT)
Cruise, a self-driving car company, plans to start offering driverless rides in Austin by the end of the year.
Drivers might find themselves pulling up next to a tech-laden car maneuvering by itself?more often as the city becomes a center for this kind of vehicle. Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, joins several other companies, including Lyft and Argo AI, that offer this self-driving car service in Austin.
Cruise currently has a fleet of 75 autonomous Chevy Bolts in San Francisco driving around from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., offering rides to people on a waitlist. Cruise Vice President Megan Prichard said the service will function in a similar manner in Austin and she anticipates the company will be able to scale up to a similar number of vehicles...?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Cedar Park, Leander lift emergency water restrictions necessitated by pipe break (Community Impact)
With the repair of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority underwater raw intake pipe completed, both Cedar Park and Leander have returned to their nonemergency outdoor watering schedules, the cities announced in Oct. 3 news releases.
In Cedar Park, this means residents can run their outdoor irrigation system on their two designated water days per week, and residents in Leander can water once per week on their designated day, according to the release.
Due to drought conditions and in an effort to save water, both Cedar Park and Leander remain in Phase 2 of their water conservation plans…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Parks board recommends Brodie Oaks development (Austin Monitor)
Last week, the Parks and Recreation Board voted to recommend the Brodie Oaks planned unit development as superior to City Council, contingent on the applicant complying with a list of?board recommendations?concerning public access to the on-site park and related facilities.
The proposed PUD, located at Loop 360 and Highway 290, would?reimagine the shopping center?that was once home to Toys R Us. The applicant is proposing a walkable,?mixed-use development?with 1,700 residential units on 37.6 acres. The area is also an Imagine Austin activity center…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Firefly Aerospace successfully sends rocket, small satellites into orbit (Austin Business Journal)
“With the success of this flight, Firefly has announced to the world there is a new orbital launch vehicle, available today, with a capacity that is pivotal to our commercial and government customers,” CEO?Bill Weber?stated. “Proving our flight and deployment capabilities on only our second attempt is a testament to the maturity of our technology and the expertise of our team."…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
领英推荐
Inside the stress elections officials face ahead of the midterms (Texas Tribune)
Although election deniers at one point concentrated their efforts in states like Arizona and Georgia, supporters of former President Donald Trump have since sent a barrage of public information requests to elections offices nationwide, including those in the smallest and reddest Texas counties, where Trump won handsomely.
So on top of fulfilling their normal job duties, such as preparing ballots and updating polling information, officials are fielding questions from concerned voters. The increased demands have left some workers burned out. According to the secretary of state’s office, 30% of Texas elections workers have left their jobs since 2020. In one county, the entire elections administrator’s office?resigned…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Supreme Court opens a new and likely contentious term with some Texas cases on the line (Dallas Morning News)
After a controversial U.S. Supreme Court term that featured a milestone decision to reverse Roe vs. Wade, justices begin oral arguments in its new term Monday amid historically low public trust. Upcoming cases could yield landmark decisions on First Amendment protections for social media platforms, voting rights and more. One of the most anticipated hearings in the upcoming session is a Big Tech, First Amendment case that hasn’t even made it to the docket yet. On Sept. 21, Florida’s attorney general asked the Supreme Court to decide if states have the right to regulate social media companies and how they moderate content. This case could directly impact state laws in Texas and Florida that prevent social media platforms from blocking certain political speech. The Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in after conflicting rulings in federal appeals courts…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
Gov. Greg Abbott appoints first school safety chief four months after Uvalde shooting (Texas Tribune)
Gov.?Greg Abbott?on Monday appointed former U.S. Secret Service agent John P. Scott as the Texas Education Agency’s first chief of school safety and security, a position the governor created in response to the Uvalde mass school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Scott formerly served as a Secret Service agent in the Vice Presidential Protective Division from 2006 and 2010 during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, according to his LinkedIn profile. He later helped lead the Secret Service field office in Dallas.
In his new role, which started Monday, Scott will “take every action possible to ensure schools are using best practices to safeguard against school shootings or other dangers,” according to?a press release?from Abbott’s office…?(LINK TO FULL STORY)
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[BG PODCAST]
Today's episode (167)is an introduction to the Austin Monitor.
The Austin Monitor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization covering important issues and key decisions at the intersection between the local government and the community.
Joel and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss its history, present, and future.
NOTE: A.J. serves on the Austin Monitor board as Vice-Chair.
->?EPISODE LINK?<-
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