CodeNEXT draft three – the proposed land development code overhaul – will be released on Monday, Feb. 12; Austinites should soon receive information about upcoming public hearings to share concerns on the terms and conditions of the pending code. For more info, see “CodeMESS,” Feb. 9, or any Chronicle back issue in the past year.
No regular City Council meeting this week (next is Feb. 15), but all-day budget work sessions began Feb. 6 and will continue biweekly through early April. See “Council: In the Shadow of the Dome,” Feb. 9, and “Council: Because We’re Happy!” Feb. 6.
Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr announced Wednesday that she plans to leave Austin and assume a similar position for Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Fire Rescue, where her career began. So that’s another role incoming City Manager Spencer Cronk will have to fill.
Police have identified a suspect in the Jan. 23 mugging of Florence Ponziano (of Florence’s Comfort House) on a Cap Metro bus, describing the suspect as an “emotionally disturbed person” who has had “multiple involvements” with law enforcement. She will be charged with “Injury to an Elderly Person,” with the goal of enforcing mental health assistance.
The UT Pharmacy Building was vandalized with graffiti Monday night as part of a protest of UT’s failure to discipline professor Richard Morrisett, who last year pleaded guilty to a felony charge of strangling his girlfriend off-campus. “UT harbors abusers” and “Watch your back Richard,” as well as a red hammer and sickle, were scrawled on the building before crews came to clean up.
The nomination of Texan Kathleen Hartnett White to head the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality was withdrawn by the Trump administration this week, after her testimony professing ignorance on climate change and elementary science threatened to derail Senate confirmation. Hartnett White is a fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and formerly chaired the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Community Court will hold a Warrant Amnesty Program from Feb. 9-March 4, for folks who wish to resolve active warrants. During this month, no arrests on warrant-related offenses will be made, and fees will be waived. Drop in; no appointment necessary: Municipal Court, 700 E. Seventh, Mon.-Fri., 8:30-11am and 1:30-3:45pm. Community Court, 719 E. Sixth, 8am-5pm Mon.-Fri.
A Burnet County court no-billed APD Officer Jason Jewett for responding to and shooting (while off-duty) a 55-year-old man who himself was shooting his gun at a family during a road rage incident in November.
This article appears in February 9 • 2018.