Content about Chris Riley
Mayor Lee Leffingwell launched his re-election campaign with an homage to his favorite movie, “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.”
The Leffingwell campaign hosted a kickoff party Saturday night. The party included free beer and food provided by Austin Barbecue Company, live music and a showing of “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” provided by the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow. The mayor was present at the event to visit with supporters.
Single-family residences in Austin will have the opportunity to implement greywater systems to increase conservation and lower costs under a new city council proposal.
Austin City Council granted preliminary approval Thursday to a measure targeted against disabled parking violators. The council plans to allow members of the public to photograph and report cars illegally parked in disabled spots using a smartphone application. UT students and Austinites in general should note this serious infringement of civil liberties. This measure will inevitably lead to gross abuses and promote vigilantism among city residents.
A West Campus neighborhood association could try and install up to 400 new parking meters in the area after City Council approved an ordinance Thursday.
The Occupy Wall Street movement, which began in early September in New York City’s Zuccotti Park as a protest against political and economic corruption, has been steadily gaining momentum and has spread throughout the nation and all the way to Europe. The movement finally reached campus with yesterday’s student walkout. Austin’s own demonstration, Occupy Austin, will begin today at City Hall at 10 a.m.
Plastic may no longer be an option. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, along with City Council members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez, introduced a resolution Monday that would eventually lead to a ban on plastic shopping bags in most Austin stores. In doing so, Austin would join a growing number of environmentally-conscious cities and countries that have chosen to banish the wasteful plastic scourge.
Part of Airport Boulevard could become more friendly for pedestrians and businesses if a new proposal for the area comes to life.
An urban planning firm is in a 24 to 28 month planning process with area residents and business owners to develop zoning changes along Airport. The firm will present the final plan to the City Council, which will consider the recommendations for rezoning.
The City Council voted Wednesday to endorse the Formula 1 racetrack. The vote will most likely bring the Grand Prix to Austin in 2012 — an event that has promised the city a lot while asking for surprisingly little. Yet the road to a race track in Austin has been long with some heavy twists and turns.
Austin City Council approved a contract Wednesday that enables the city to host the first U.S. Formula 1 race since 2007, allowing construction on the track to move forward.
Only one new face joined the Austin City Council in their inauguration Tuesday night, but new Place 3 member Kathie Tovo is expected to bring new perspectives on education and neighborhood zoning.
Despite Austin’s reputation as a top bicycling destination, the city should improve its bicycling infrastructure, said representatives from bike organizations at a forum for Austin City Council candidates Monday.
Travis County Attorney David Escamilla will lead an inquiry into whether Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and city council members violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing how they plan to vote before general council meetings.
“The complaint alleges that the Mayor and Council have coordinated a regular series of private gatherings of Council members in numbers less than a quorum to conduct private discussions, thereby avoiding the public notice and meeting requirements of the Act,” Escamilla said in a statement.
