Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD, KAROLINE PFEIL & BEN THOMPSON
Austin to halt license plate reader program The Austin Police Department’s use of dozens of automated license plate read- ers, or ALPRs, will end in June following community pushback. What happened City Council was scheduled to vote June 5 to inde nitely continue an ALPR pilot pro- gram. However, City Manager T.C. Broadnax moved to withdraw the item after council’s recent review of the city’s program audit and a June 3 discussion that drew dozens of people against the item to City Hall. APD leaders, including Chief Lisa Davis, said ALPRs have proven to be a key crime- ghting tool and that o cers are prop- erly using the system. Opponents on council dais and in the community have said the cameras represent surveillance overreach. West Lake Hills’ new city hall nears completion As construction crews approach a substantial completion deadline of the new West Lake Hills Municipal Complex on July 14, city o cials are sharing updates regarding progress made on the new building. The overview At a City Council meeting May 28, project manager Stephen Karp highlighted recent progress made at the complex, located at 4010 Bee Caves Road. Interior work at the complex has continued throughout May, with large numbers of contrac- tors onsite each day, Karp said. “We’re getting down here to the end,” Karp said. Some context Construction began on the new municipal com- plex in May 2024 as a result of the voter-approved Proposition A, which authorized $13.2 million for the new building. Later, City Council authorized an additional $9.5 million for land acquisition and cost escalations. The new complex was needed due to West Lake Hills’ current city hall, constructed in 1983, no lon- ger being up to current building code and showing
Bee Cave to help fund sculpture updates The Bee Cave sculpture park will soon undergo sculpture updates and revital- ization e orts following the passage of a resolution by Bee Cave City Council on May 13. The park is owned by the Bee Cave Arts Foundation, a nonpro t formed in 2009 with the goal of providing education and integration of art into public spaces, accord- ing to city documents. The foundation previously applied for funding from the Texas Commission on the Arts for $6,000, which the city agreed to match in an e ort to support the park from the city’s hotel occupancy tax fund. The details Funding will help the foundation add ve new sculptures, name plates, a new map and brochures to the park, said Deby Childress, Bee Cave Arts Foundation director, at the meeting. Other parts of funding will be dedicated to events, awards and other celebrations to attract artists.
Work on the West Lake Hills Municipal Complex will wrap up in July, o cials said.
COURTESY WEST LAKE HILLS
WESTHAVEN DR.
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Funding for 1,000 child care slots on the way The rst signi cant round of Travis County’s new child care funding could be available as early as fall 2025, following a tax rate increase approved by voters last November. The gist Travis County Health and Human Services sta updated commissioners May 20 about the status of the $75 million annual child care program. With the initially projected summer 2025 launch, the program has taken longer to implement than expected, according to commissioners. As sta continue negotiating vendor contracts— which can take up to a year—they’ve recommended using a portion of the rst year’s tax revenue to grow capacity within existing partner programs. Diving deeper HHS County Executive Pilar Sanchez said an signs of signi cant wood rot and decay, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. What’s next? On Aug. 11 the city’s police department will move in, and the following week city administra- tion will follow. Aug. 27 is the estimated date that City Council’s rst meeting will be held at the new complex.
Updated timeline
2025
Feb.-April: Gathering community input
May-June: Analyzing community input
Summer: Recruit for Community Advisory Council; present input ndings; implement short-term investments Fall: Begin releasing phased service solicitations December: Contracts for ongoing services begin
2026
SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
estimated $30 million could be used this year to expand programs already under county contract as well as new agreements with local school districts. Workforce Solutions CEO Tamara Atkinson said the agency could begin o ering services by October if the county delivers a contract by July.
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION
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