Austin City Council

Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI Awards

FOIFT2018-09-24T15:38:02-05:00

For Immediate Release Sept. 21, 2018 Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI Awards for open government reporting AUSTIN - Two Texas news organizations have won the Spirit of FOI Award for reports exposing the secrecy behind Austin’s city manager selection process and the peculiar lack of information following the resignation of the Bryan Independent School District superintendent. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, highlights journalism that upholds First Amendment principles and promotes or uses open government laws such as the Texas Public Information Act. The awards were presented Friday at [...]

Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI AwardsFOIFT2018-09-24T15:38:02-05:00

Column: Late-night Austin council meetings hurt the cause of open government

FOIFT2018-05-14T15:13:27-05:00

By Bridget Grumet Column Austin American-Statesman Originally published May 11, 2018 Click here to read Bridget Grumet's column, which starts out: We’re nearly a year into the Austin City Council’s latest push to rein in its late-night meetings. And if, like me, you were watching as the April 26 meeting ran into April 27, with a big debate on rentable scooters starting after midnight and a critical CodeNext discussion running from 2 to 3 a.m., then you know how well that’s going. Sadly, we’re so inured to late-night council meetings that we’ve accepted this is how Austin does things: Bleary-eyed council [...]

Column: Late-night Austin council meetings hurt the cause of open governmentFOIFT2018-05-14T15:13:27-05:00

Records reveal drama, disguises in Austin city manager search

FOIFT2017-12-08T15:17:00-06:00

By Philip Jankowski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Dec. 6, 2017 To dodge reporters, consultants suggested the finalists to be Austin’s next city manager don wigs, pretend to be tourists or possibly even wear Halloween masks after American-Statesman reporters managed to identify several candidates during the city’s top-secret search for its next leader. That was one of many details revealed in more than 400 pages of communications the city provided in response to a request under the Texas Public Information Act made within hours of officials making the legally murky decision to secretly change the location of a second round of interviewsconducted Nov. [...]

Records reveal drama, disguises in Austin city manager searchFOIFT2017-12-08T15:17:00-06:00

Reversing course, Austin council to reveal city manager finalists

FOIFT2017-11-10T15:19:09-06:00

By Elizabeth Findell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Nov. 9, 2017 Austin City Council members will reverse course on their secret search for a city manager and release up to five finalists’ names in the next few days, a week after the American-Statesman staked out candidate interviews and sued the city over refusing to release records on the search. Stephen Newton, a representative of search firm Russell Reynolds, told the council Thursday that he recommended making the finalists’ names public — a departure from his previous advice, and from a decision the council made in March to keep the process confidential until [...]

Reversing course, Austin council to reveal city manager finalistsFOIFT2017-11-10T15:19:09-06:00

Lake Austin group sues city over open meetings

FOIFT2017-06-13T15:58:31-05:00

By Jo Clifton Austin Monitor Originally published June 6, 2017 A group of Lake Austin homeowners on Monday sued the city of Austin, claiming that the city’s notice concerning the zoning and waiver of environmental regulations on what is known as the Champion tract, was inadequate and therefore violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. According to the lawsuit filed by the Lake Austin Collective Inc., when City Council approved new zoning for the tract on City Park Road on Nov. 10, the notice failed to mention that it would also be approving waivers of environmental regulations as well as the Hill [...]

Lake Austin group sues city over open meetingsFOIFT2017-06-13T15:58:31-05:00

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