Thanks to Austin Animal Center and Good Fix, a program of Greater Good Charities, Travis County and Austin residents will have the chance to get their pets spayed and neutered, free of cost, today and Saturday at the Travis County Expo Center. Registration and drop-off will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis and is expected to fill up fast.

According to a press release from the county, proof of residency is required, and:

• Pets must be at least two pounds and two months old.
• Cats must be in a secure carrier.
• Only one cat per carrier.
• Alert staff if your pet is nursing.
• If your pet was vaccinated in the last year, bring proof of vaccine.
• All cats in traps will be ear tipped to indicate sterility status.

On Tuesday, the Save Our Springs Alliance is headed to the Texas Supreme Court to fight the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality over a permit to release 800,000 gallons of treated sewage into Onion Creek each day. The fight, which started in 2019, is headed to the supreme court where the Court of Appeals’ decision to allow the permit to go through could be overturned and the Travis County ruling, which rejected the permit, could be reinstated. SOS has asked supporters to join them in court at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 at the Supreme Court Building at the corner of 14th Street and Colorado Avenue.

Austinites are invited to share their opinions on the focus of local housing programs as part of a bid for $7 million in federal funding. The city’s Housing Department is applying for a Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant
offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If selected, the money would “be used to further develop, evaluate, and implement housing policy plans, improve housing strategies, remove regulatory barriers, and facilitate affordable housing production and preservation,” according to a press release from the city. This is the second year the city will apply for the grant, after not being selected in 2023. As part of the process, the city Housing Department is asking for feedback on how potential funds should be used, with public comment open now through Oct. 10 at SpeakUpAustin or through public hearings scheduled:

• Housing & Planning Committee Meeting –  2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1
• Community Development Commission Meeting – at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8
• Community Advisory Committee Meeting – 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10

The annual Zilker Tree Art Contest is lighting up again this year, and artists between the ages of 5 and 10 years old are invited to submit their artistic representations of the moontower-mounted holiday tree by Nov. 1. The top three selected artwork winners from each age category, Junior and Senior, will be publicly recognized in the tree lighting ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 1. The impressive Gallery of Previous Art Winners is available to view online. For contest details and more information from the Parks and Recreation Department, visit AustinTexas.Gov/ZilkerHolidayTree.

Austin will celebrate its 27th annual Museum Day this Sunday, Sept. 22, with free admission to over 30 museums in the greater Austin area. The museums, which are helpfully listed here and on the map below, will offer special programming and activities for guests. A detailed look at the participating museums can be found in The Austin Chronicle or at the tent on the plaza of the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Sunday.

In honor of Voter Registration Day, an event where eligible voters may drive thru or walk up to register to vote in English or Spanish will be hosted by People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources (PODER) and the Austin Neighborhoods Council (ANC). It’s planned for noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Mariposa Complex, 4926 E. Cesar Chavez Street. PODER and volunteer deputy registrars also can help registered residents look into whether they remain registered or have had their registration purged by the state. All eligible voters who have been purged will be re-registered. “Fair and free elections represent a crucial pillar of our democracy,” the partnering organizations said in a statement to the media. “As one of the world’s leading democracies, the United States should work to keep voting free, fair, and accessible. PODER is working to ensure that every eligible resident, regardless of race, has an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy.”

On Tuesday, the city will celebrate improvements to the Bull Creek District Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The improvements, which culminated with the recent completion of restroom renovations, come out of a 2017 concept plan for the park that guided its design. More information about the park improvements can be found here. The ribbon cutting will take place at 6701 Lakewood Drive at 10 a.m., and it is an outdoor event.

The city’s Art in Public Places Program is on the verge of launching five new opportunities for local artists to create public art. The open calls for applications will run from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 and are:

• Elisabet Ney Museum Grounds – Artwork budget: $100,000
• Armadillo Water Tank Mural – Artwork budget: $133,000
• Walter E. Long & John Treviño Metro Parks – Artwork budget: $100,100
• Red Bud Isle – Artwork budget: $625,000
• Substandard Streets: Johnny Morris Road – Artwork budget: $190,000; and Ross Road – Artwork budget: $330,000

In order to assist artists through the process, the city will be holding a series of sessions on the application process. More information about those, and the applications themselves, can be found here.

This Saturday, the public is invited to come share ideas for the future of Palm School with the Palm School Steering Committee at a meet and greet. The event, which will feature both food and entertainment, will begin at noon on the first floor of 700 Lavaca, with parking available at the county’s parking garage. The steering committee is made up of nine community members and five representatives from partner organizations. The committee will play a part in developing the school’s concept plan and future, as well as making a community engagement plan.

The Texas Department of Transportation is seeking input on plans to widen and divide U.S. Highway 183 from State Highway 71 to SH 130. A press release from the transportation authority explains “multiple neighborhoods, businesses and other structures are located along or close to the corridor, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is adjacent to the highway. TxDOT is proposing to widen and divide US 183 from SH 71 to SH 130 with community support to address congestion and make needed improvements.” The public meeting to discuss the plans will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Creedmoor Community Center (12513 FM 1625, Creedmoor, TX 78610), with an option to attend virtually at 5 p.m. Anyone who cannot attend the meeting but wishes to have their feedback included in the meeting summary has until Oct. 18 to do so. More information, including how to attend virtually, can be found here.