At the Dec. 11 meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission, Austin Water presented an update on the 65 active transportation improvement projects that necessitate the repositioning of water utility lines. Of those projects, 56 percent are in the planning period, 22 percent are in the design stage, 17 percent are in construction, and 5 […]
Katherine Corley
Posted inPublic Health
Central Health approves $10 million line of credit to facilitate capital purchases
On Wednesday evening, the Central Health Board of Managers unanimously approved a $10 million revolving line of credit through JP Morgan that Central Health can use for future capital purchases of information technology, furniture and equipment. Like a credit card, a revolving line of credit means that the credit is renewed as the debt is […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission clashes over potential wastewater line near Marble Creek
After a two-hour discussion on Nov. 6, the Environmental Commission recommended against a variance that would have allowed a developer to place an 860-foot portion of a large wastewater line within the inner half of the critical water quality zone encompassing Marble Creek in Southeast Austin. The variance will allow wastewater to run less than […]
Posted inEnvironment
Audubon Society recommends strategies to reduce bird deaths in Austin
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Environmental Commission, Christy Esmahan, a member of the Travis Audubon Board of Directors, reported that nearly 30 percent of North America’s bird population has vanished in the last 50 years, per a September 2019 study in the journal Science. Texas hosts the widest variety of bird species in the nation, […]
Posted inPublic Health
Initiatives at Central Health Enterprise target employee advancement and salary equity
Central Health Enterprise will introduce its Emerging Leader program this fall, designed to train employees in the leadership skills they need to apply for supervisory and managerial positions. All employees of Central Health Enterprise – which includes CommUnityCare and Sendero Health Plans – will have until Dec. 6 to apply for the first iteration of […]
Posted inPublic Health
New Dell Med initiative embeds health interventions in community programs
On Monday, UT Dell Medical School launched Factor Health, a new initiative in Austin and Houston that builds and tests programs to deliver health interventions outside clinics and hospitals, per a Dell Med press release. Social service provider Meals on Wheels Central Texas, youth development organization Youth Rise Texas and managed care payers Amerigroup Texas […]
Posted inParks
New recycling receptacles coming soon to Austin parks
Years of advocacy to implement recycling in Austin’s 300 parks is beginning to pay off. Starting this fall, 800 new recycling bins will be installed alongside 800 new trash cans in Austin’s parks over the next four years, said Meredith Gauthier, the new recycling program manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, in a presentation […]
Posted inWhispers
Over 500 pounds of trash collected from homeless encampments
Over 500 pounds of trash, in 119 bags, has been collected thanks to Austin’s Violet Bag pilot program, according to Austin Resource Recovery’s report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission on Wednesday evening. The Violet Bag trash collection program, as part of an initiative to help keep Austin clean, provides purple trash bags and trash […]
Posted inCity Council
Council expands pilot program providing employment for homeless
On Thursday City Council authorized $720,000 from the city budget to fund an additional year of the growing Workforce First program, which offers temporary work opportunities and supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness. The money will be drawn from the operating budgets of Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Public Health, Parks and Recreation, and the Watershed […]
Posted inPublic Health
Steady increase in chronic disease patients seeking help from CommUnityCare
Nearly 26 percent of CommUnityCare Health Centers’ patients in 2018 sought care for chronic diseases such as HIV, diabetes and heart disease – up from 18 percent in 2016 – said CommUnityCare CEO Jaeson Fournier at Wednesday’s Central Health Board of Managers meeting. CommUnityCare, which provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to low-income and […]
Posted inWhispers
Central Health will prioritize updates to David Powell clinic
At Wednesday’s Central Health Board of Managers meeting, Board Member Maram Museitif advocated for updates to the David Powell Health Center, a CommUnityCare clinic near the intersection of the Interstate 35 frontage road and 46th Street that specializes in the treatment of HIV-positive adults. Museitif said that the clinic appeared very outdated and recommended modernizations […]
Posted inBudget
Central Health budget passes after last-minute questions dominate vote
After a nearly five-hour meeting, Central Health’s volunteer board of managers voted to approve Central Health’s Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget on Wednesday night. During the hours leading up to the vote, multiple board members introduced significant new questions about the budget expenditures, despite having discussed the budget at four previous board meetings since the budget […]