Anyone who lives, works or spends time in Austin is invited to a series of open houses hosted by Austin Transit Partnership to register their expectations for the new light rail system and to share what their mobility experiences are like. The org will use the information gathered to help design a system to enhance neighborhoods. The first user experience meeting will take place 5-8 p.m. today at Lively Middle School, 201 E. Mary St. Register here to attend. The second in-person meeting will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Montopolis Recreation and Community Center, 1200 Montopolis Drive. Register here for that one. And a virtual meeting will be open to the public 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. Register here on Zoom.

The city of Austin is now accepting applications to join its Green Workforce Accelerator. The program is intended to help organizations develop or grow green workforce programs, and selected participants will receive a $15,000 grant to support their work in the program. Selected groups will take part in a needs assessment, accelerator program and post-program data collection. More information about the program and eligibility requirements can be found here. Applications can be submitted now through Jan. 5. Awardee selection and notification will take place by early February. Interested parties can register for a Dec. 13 informational webinar on the program. Other questions can be directed to  annabel.osburn@austintexas.gov.

Run as fast as you can to catch Gingerbread History Heroes ornaments from Dec. 1-31 at historic sites all around Austin. Stop by to decorate an ornament as your favorite figure from Texas history – past examples include Elisabet Ney, Lydia Mendoza and Sam Houston. The program is free of charge for all participants. As part of the fourth annual Gingerbread History Heroes program, salt dough ornaments and a variety of decorating supplies will be distributed to participating museums and cultural centers, including:

Brush Square Museums (O. Henry Museum and Susanna Dickinson Museum)
Asian American Resource Center
Elisabet Ney Museum
French Legation State Historic Site
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
Oakwood Cemetery Chapel
Old Bakery and Emporium
Park Ranger Station at Zilker Caretaker Cottage

Central Texas’ transportation management association, Movability, is conducting a community survey on travel patterns to learn how best to enhance the transportation system in Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. The 10-minute survey will remain open through the end of this month, and participants will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $500 prepaid VISA gift card. Find the Movability survey here.

A public comment period is now open for the approximately $14 million in federal grant-funded housing programs at the city of Austin. Each year, the city receives money through four grants administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and, each year, the city creates a performance and evaluation report assessing the effectiveness of those programs. That report is now available for review by the public. The four programs this year, according to a news release from the city, are:

• $7,362,354 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), administered by the Department of Housing, Austin Public Health and the Department of Economic Development, funded child care services, senior services, mental health services, child development assistance, affordable housing, home repairs and tenant rights assistance.
• $3,601,868 in the Housing Investment Partnership HOME Program, administered by the Department of Housing, funded rental assistance for tenants, down payment assistance and financing for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs).
• $658,196 in the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), administered by Austin Public Health, funded rapid rehousing programs for homeless people, as well as the operation and maintenance of shelters.
• $2,670,278 in Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA), administered by Austin Public Health, funded housing and supportive services for low- and moderate-income people living with HIV/AIDS.

The public comment period will remain open through Dec. 5. The consolidated plan for this year is available for online review and comment at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/CAPER or in print at: Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St. (Central); Austin Central Public Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. (Central); Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, 500 E. Seventh St. (Central); St. John’s Library Branch, 7500 Blessing Ave. (Northeast); and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, 1124 S. I-35 (South). In addition to SpeakUp Austin, comments can be submitted via mail (Housing Department Attn: FY 2021-22 CAPER P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767), email (Housing@austintexas.gov) or phone (512-974-3100) by Dec. 5.

Tarrytown Neighborhood Park‘s playscape has gotten an upgrade, and the community is invited to celebrate at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 5. The new playscape involves a new tunnel tube, shade canopy and new sensory play equipment, and improvements that bring the playground into ADA compliance.

Central Health, Travis County’s hospital district, is in the process of selecting a new president and CEO to succeed Mike Geeslin as he steps down at the end of this year. As part of the process, Central Health is hosting community conversations featuring the two finalists, who were interviewed last month and were recommended by the ad hoc Succession Committee of the organization’s board of managers. The meetings are a chance for Travis County residents, advocates, local officials, partner organizations and the Central Health workforce to meet and hear directly from the two finalists. One finalist will be present from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 27, and the second will be available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 29. The meetings will be held at the Central Health administrative offices, 1111 East Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78702. The full board plans to make its final choice in mid-December.

City Council has put out a call for qualified people who can serve on Central Health’s Board of Managers.  According to a press release about the opening, the minimum time commitment for the position is about 10 to 15 hours per month, but that can vary. More information about the experience that is (and isn’t) preferred can be found here, and interested applicants can complete an application online here. If selected, applicants will be interviewed by Council’s Public Health Committee and, ultimately, one will be approved by Council as a whole. The term of service will run from January 2024 through Dec. 31, 2027.

This Sunday, Nov. 26, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Energy and the Trail of Lights Foundation will host the 57th annual Zilker Holiday Tree lighting. The holiday tradition kicks off at 6 p.m. and will feature food and live music at 2100 Barton Springs Road. Young artists who prevailed in the Zilker Holiday Tree Youth Art Contest will help light the tree. A press release from the city about the tradition notes that the tree is 155 feet tall and “is composed of 39 streamers, each holding 81 multicolored, mostly LED bulbs, totaling 3,309 lights. … The unique spiral pattern of the lights was created by City of Austin electricians. At its circumference, the tree measures 380 feet. The diameter is 120 feet. The base of the tree is made up of 19 utility poles, each 14 feet tall, arranged in a circle around the Moonlight Tower.”

Deborah Roberts, an Austin-based mixed-media artist whose work challenges notions of ideal beauty, will be hosted next month by the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for a signing of her new monograph, “Deborah Roberts: Twenty Years of Art/Work.” The expansive monograph contains new texts that dive into Roberts’ archive and offer a comprehensive view of this significant social observer’s work. It is published by Radius Books. Roberts challenges stereotypes using images from American history, Black culture, pop culture and Black history in her art, combining found and manipulated images with hand-drawn and painted details. The signing will take place 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1165 Angelina St. The event is sponsored by Art Galleries at Black Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin African American Book Festival, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Radius Books and soulciti.

The public is invited to a discussion on the proposed Austin light rail, to be held at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, at St. David’s Episcopal Church. The panel will be hosted by the Downtown Austin Alliance and feature Austin Transit Partnership leaders. They will speak on their work to design and build a light rail line to enhance mobility and downtown’s vibrancy, plus their goal of prioritizing the community’s values and needs. Attendance is free, but tickets are limited and RSVPs are encouraged. Register here.

The Trail Conservancy is hosting A Sense of Place, a public art conversation, from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Seaholm Waterfront Intake Building on West Cesar Chavez Street. The event will focus on how art in public places such as business districts, streetscapes, parks and trails can shape and impact the environment. A keynote address from Nate Cormier, landscape architect with RIOS, will begin the event, followed by a case study and facilitated discussion and ending with a panel talk about the importance of creating a sense of place in Austin’s growing landscape. Tickets and complete info are available here.