The city council stuck with most of the proposed budget for 2011-12, but did make some adjustments in their vote yesterday. The extra money in city coffers (mostly gained from high energy use through Austin Energy this summer) meant that the city council could keep some things in the budget that had been suggested for cuts. more ›

The City Council rejected a possible settlement deal with the family of Nathaniel Sanders II in June 2010. However, this morning, Austin City Council voted 5-2 to a $750,000 settlement. Sanders was fatally shot by APD officer Quintana in May 2009 while in a car parked in an apartment complex lot on Springdale. APD stood with Quintana, saying he made no use of excessive force, but the officer has since been fired from the force (twice). The five votes for settlement included Chris Riley, who had previously voted against settlement, and new councilmember Kathie Tovo, whose interest in the settlement is the reason it was brought up for a vote today. The votes against settlement were cast by Mayor Leffingwell and Mike Martinez. [Statesman] more ›

We spent a large chunk of yesterday afternoon with eyes on @CityHallHustle's live-tweets as the city council mulled over Mike Martinez's suggested extended parking meter hour compromise during their meeting. There was disagreement on the changed grid in this compromise. However, the updated days and times were included in the plan that passed yesterday. more ›

Councilmember Mike Martinez has proposed a compromise on the extended downtown parking meter hours, which were originally set to kick in this month but had been delayed until September 6. Newly-elected councilmember Kathie Tovo and councilmember Laura Morrison had considered attempting to delay the meter changes even further, but Morrison has said that given this compromise, she'll withdraw her call to postpone implementation of the extended hours til 2012. more ›

The proposed budget presentation put together by the City Manager and being currently considered by the City Council is now posted online (in .pdf) . A few items of note suggested by the proposal: shaving ten hours off the Central Library's weekly schedule, implementing new fees for the Zilker Botanical Garden, converting Austin Recreation Center from a full service center to a lease/rental venue, bumping the APD cadet academy start date from this October to April 2012, and raising property taxes as well as water and energy rates (if the Council approves Austin Energy's rate increases). Public hearings on this budget proposal will be held in August, with the City Council making the final decision in September. [KVUE] more ›

The Austin American-Statesman reports that Mayor Leffingwell and two city councilmembers are set to propose a ban on grocery/retail store plastic bags today. A resolution to be voted on August 4th will have city staff come up with a timetable for the gradual implementation of the ban. more ›

You guys: KUT broke some rock'n'roll news. The city council agreed today to give Fun Fun Fun Fest an extra day at Auditorium Shores. We're sure that this means a ton of extra meat chaps (the serious tough guy kind), courtroom dramas starring scorpions, and lots more cool people bathing in the lake, instead of the usual crappy people bathing in the lake. Oh yeah, and more bands, comics, and DJs, too. We'll have more with macho folks from the festival next week. more ›

The Paramount Theatre, in conjunction with Austin's creative community, is taking the politicians out of the political arena and onto the stage in order to answer public questions pertaining to the arts. At 7pm tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29, the city council candidates on the ballot for the May election will partake in this Q&A session. The evening's forum will be moderated by Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune. more ›

We took the survey, read the Transportation Department's recommendations, and on Thursday the city council will finally decide whether to extend paid parking hours downtown (as the Transportation Department recommends) or not. The suggestion put to the city council is to change the weekday parking hours from 8:30 to 5:30 to 8am til midnight -- and to include Saturdays under these new hours. more ›

Earlier this week, two Austin City Council members announced a plan to start sending “creative industries ambassadors” to other parts of the country. more ›

• What do Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon have in common? Tear gas, water cannons and old fashioned beatings.
• Why are we still talking about President Obama's birth records?
• Where's the beef? We're looking at you, Taco Bell.

• South Korea, "cancel your military drill or we shall taunt you a second time!"
• Income inequality continues with $858 billion tax-cut extension plan.
• WikiLeaks facing "aggressive" investigation by US, Assange thinks he may be extradited to face espionage charges.

• Assange granted conditional bail.
• If at first you don't succeed: South Korea back to holding live-fire artillery drills on disputed Yeonpyeong island.
• DOJ files civil suit against nine companies related to BP oil spill.

• Are you okay with people touching your junk?
• This junk is upsetting the Irish.
• Can anyone guess what America's favorite junk food is?

• Is pulling out the best move?
• Be careful when you buy breakfast tacos this weekend.
• WaPo: "The oil is still there, at least 22 miles of it."

In last Thursday's meeting, the already shaky possible settlement agreement for $750,000 between the City of Austin and the family of Nathanial Sanders II was narrowly rejected by the City Council. more ›

• Economic recovery appears to be losing whatever momentum it might have had.
• Areas of Pakistan dealing with massive flooding.
• Billionaire Texan Wyly brothers charged with $550 million worth of fraud.

• Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens retiring.
• Teabag Party pressure forcing Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak to retire.
• Ignorance over health-care reform spurs rise in threats against Congress members.

• McCain moves to block FCC net neutrality.
• Still no word from Iran on proposed nuclear deal.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong Il makes summit offer to South Korea.

Austin's department of Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services has posted a job listing for Music Program Manager. The job is Austin City Council's alternative to a city music department. more ›

• Interracial couple in Louisiana denied marriage license.
• Bank of America loses $2.24B as loan losses rise.
• Bomb kills 4 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

A resolution set to go before the city council this week would change the rules of the road for Austin drivers. The measure would prohibit drivers from texting or emailing while driving and calls for a three-foot safety zone between drivers and pedestrians or cyclists. more ›

• California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia all report record unemployment numbers for May.
• Iran's top leader warns of protest crackdown.
• No city music department for Austin, just yet.

Rick Perry makes Rush Limbaugh honorary Texan, saying, "God bless Rush Limbaugh!" A disturbing record: 200 executions under Gov. Perry (so far). 27-year-old Lance Cpl. Matthew G. Reza from Austin was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend. 30-year-old man charged with capital murder in recent death of 17-year-old LBJ High School student. Mother caught on tape at Dell Children's Hospital repeatedly putting feces through her 3-year-old daughter's feeding tube. Teenager smoking in bed starts a fire in South Austin apartment complex. Blanton Museum has a new director: Dr. Ned Rifkin, former undersecretary for art at the Smithsonian Institution. Councilmember Martinez wants you to stop texting while driving. more ›

Austinites will have to wait a bit longer for a new city website. City officials have decided not to award a $700,000 contract to a California company for the work and to seek a new round of bids, according to the Austin Business Journal. more ›

As city officials take time to review their options for the new city web site, a local grassroots effort has sprung up to offer a helping hand. OpenAustin is a "community-based effort to crowdsource the requirements and development" of the city's web site. more ›

Mayoral candidate Brewster McCracken sent out an email this morning announcing that he has decided not to pursue the June runoff election. more ›

Got Saturday plans? Feed your political beast today before 7pm and pick the next Mayor and Council Members of the city where you live, drink booze, and eat tacos. Elise Hu has a slick map of early voting polling places, and the League of Women Voters has a tidy little questionnaire for you to catch up on your research. Don't forget your ID (or voter registration card) — Happy voting Austin! more ›

• MoPac open again after fatal accident this morning.
• Items the Austin City Council approved Thursday.
• Police seek man on the run after SWAT call in East Austin.

• Gov. Perry issues disaster declaration for the state as swine flu cases increase in number (to 16).
• State lawmakers were warned 14 months ago that Texas was ill-equipped to deal with a flu outbreak.
• Possible swine flu case leads to closing of AISD's Lucy Read Pre-K (til May 11).