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Activist sues Austin over housing deal, claims Open Meetings Act violation

2016-02-11T15:15:02-06:00

By Andra Lim Austin American-Statesman Originally published Feb. 10, 2016 A judge should void an affordable housing deal, in which several Austin City Council members said they unknowingly waived up to $106.3 million in city fees, because the lack of public notice violated the Texas Open Meetings Act, said a lawsuit filed Wednesday by civic activist Brian Rodgers. Rodgers started asking questions last month about the deal, which was approved in December and negotiated by the offices of Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Delia Garza. The deal requires the developer of Easton Park near Southeast Austin to place an amount [...]

Activist sues Austin over housing deal, claims Open Meetings Act violation2016-02-11T15:15:02-06:00

Editorial: Investigation can determine whether mobility authority broke open meetings law

2016-02-08T18:59:08-06:00

By Editorial Board Austin American-Statesman Originally published Feb. 6, 2016 The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority again has come under fire regarding concerns about whether it is doing the public’s business in secret. At this point, there are few options in getting answers from CTRMA officials, whose statements to Travis County commissioners last week triggered questions about whether they are violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. The CTRMA is an independent governing agency with no direct accountability to the public. For those reasons, as well as the agency’s history of shielding information from the public, we support Travis County Commissioner Brigid [...]

Editorial: Investigation can determine whether mobility authority broke open meetings law2016-02-08T18:59:08-06:00

Concerns raised about accessibility of police body cam footage

2016-02-08T14:34:53-06:00

By St. John-Barned Smith Houston Chronicle Originally published Feb. 7, 2016 Months after statewide body camera legislation took effect and the Houston Police Department outlined its policies regarding the devices, local criminal justice watchdogs worry that some video from high-profile incidents may never see the light of day. At issue, they say, are provisions in the law that could stymie requests for camera footage, privacy protections, and local departmental reluctance to release information. When the Legislature passed SB 158 last year - easily in the House and with some opposition in the Senate - it was touted as a way to [...]

Concerns raised about accessibility of police body cam footage2016-02-08T14:34:53-06:00

Austin Music Census data to remain private

2016-02-04T15:28:20-06:00

By Kevin Curtin Austin Chronicle Originally published Feb. 1, 2016 A drawn-out open records dispute over results from last year’s Austin Music Census has come to a conclusion as Texas’ Attorney General ruled that Titan Music Group, who the city contracted to conduct the survey, isn’t required to turn over the raw data to parties making public information filings. Cindy Royal, a Texas State University professor, initially filed a public information request for the Census data in August. She hoped to apply it to projects in a Coding and Data Skills for Communicators course she teaches. “We look at data in [...]

Austin Music Census data to remain private2016-02-04T15:28:20-06:00

Commissioner says toll road agency appears to be violating Open Meetings Act

2016-02-03T18:18:36-06:00

By Sean Collins Walsh Austin American-Statesman Originally published Feb. 2, 2016 Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea on Tuesday called for an investigation into whether the Austin area’s toll road agency is habitually violating the Open Meetings Act. Shea, a vocal critic of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, said that Charles Heimsath, an agency board member, made statements last week that indicated the authority regularly violates the Open Meetings Act, which prohibits a quorum of any voting body’s members from deliberating outside of public view except in special circumstances. Over Shea’s objections, the Commissioners Court voted 3-2 Tuesday to reappoint Heimsath [...]

Commissioner says toll road agency appears to be violating Open Meetings Act2016-02-03T18:18:36-06:00

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