As you may have read in the Monitor, the city auditor’s office is engaged in an audit of Austin’s Animal Services Office, as directed by a Council resolution passed in July. Community engagement is a major component of the audit, and that means it’s critical for you, citizen, to offer your input to help the audit team “get an understanding on what the community views as the biggest areas of concern regarding animal services.” The next virtual meeting will be held on WebEx on Wed., Nov. 2, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Can’t attend the meeting? Take the online survey. The survey is brief – just six questions – and is primarily focused on gathering public opinion to help the auditors identify an outside expert to collaborate on the audit. The third and final public engagement meeting is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 10, 6:30-8 p.m., at the City Hall Boards & Commissions Room, 301 W. Second St.

Community members are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Govalle Neighborhood Park to celebrate the “renovation of the playground area, basketball court upgrades, connection trails and the installation of a new multipurpose field for the community.” The project is the result of a collaboration between the parks department and the Austin Parks Foundation. Monday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m., 5200 Bolm Road.

The nonprofit MAS Cultura is throwing an inaugural festival with the goal of “amplifying Latino artists throughout the city and empowering the community to claim their history and their presence.” The three-day fiesta, which aims to put “Latinos front and center as narrators of their own stories through art and music,” will feature a musical showcase with seven acts, food vendors and tastings, seven DJs, a lowrider car show, and two art galleries. Find out more here. Nov. 18-20, KMFA Classic Radio 89.5, 41 Navasota St.

Austin Parks & Recreation Department

Artists, start your imaginations: The parks department has launched its annual Zilker Tree Art Contest. The contest is open to submissions from Austin-area artists ages 5-10. The winner gets to light the Zilker Holiday Tree. The submission deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m. (if by mail or drop-off to to 200 South Lamar, Austin, TX 78704), or 11:59 p.m. if uploaded through the website. Find the contest rules here.

Faced with ongoing overcrowding and … other issues, the city’s animal shelter has launched the traditional city solution of unveiling a dashboard. The new dashboard, which was launched this week, displays current capacity levels for cats, small dogs and medium/large dogs. “Our capacity often changes hour to hour. We needed a way to communicate to the public about our intake status,” AAC spokesperson Kelsey Cler said in a statement to the press. The shelter worked with staff from the city’s Communications and Technology Management Department to create the meters. The tool indicates whether, for each group of animals, intake is open, limited or “emergencies only.” According to Cler, limited intake means that the shelter is limiting the type of animal being taken in to the number that left the shelter the previous day. Under emergency intake status, the shelter evaluates each case, and will still take in sick or injured animals.

After a hiatus of nearly 10 years, the storied Tree of the Year Awards has returned to Austin. TreeFolks, partnering with the Parks and Recreation Department and getting support from the Still Water Foundation, has revived the beloved contest that recognizes “outstanding trees within the city limits.” All community members are invited to nominate their favorite trees in five categories: big tree, small tree, story tree, school tree and unique tree. TreeFolks Executive Director Andrew Smiley said in the announcement, “We are excited to relaunch the Tree of the Year Awards after nearly a decade, with an even greater emphasis on community engagement, equity and our shared love of Austin’s trees. This program helps connect our Austin community to the outdoors and to Austin’s historical ecology, as well as to see shining examples of proper tree care and maintenance over time.” The winning trees and their nominators will be honored at an awards ceremony on Nov. 5, 2:45 p.m., at the Dottie Jordan Park Tree & Pollinator Festival Day. Find more info – and vote! – at AustinTreeoftheYearAwards.org/Vote.

Thanks to a grant from Union Pacific Railroad, the Bullock Texas State History Museum is offering free admission to participants in the federal food stamp program, as part of the Museums for All program. Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch said in a press release, “We are so grateful to Union Pacific and the Texas State History Museum Foundation for its support in helping the Bullock become more accessible to everyone in our communities. Museums for All allows those with limited financial resources to visit the museum exhibitions with their families without economic barriers.” Starting Nov. 1, families who participate in the food stamp, or SNAP program, or the WIC program, can show their EBT card at the ticketing counter and get in free. Any accompanying family members or guests may also gain free admission.

Travis County has issued a new burn ban for the unincorporated areas of the county. As Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway explained, “Even though we received some rain Monday, it wasn’t enough to make up for months of persistent dry conditions, and Travis County remains in extreme drought. With humidity levels dropping again, our wildfire danger is expected to increase. Implementing a new burn ban before the previous one was set to expire Wednesday helps us minimize fire risks and ensure our public’s safety.” The ban is set to expire Nov. 23. Have questions about the burn ban? Call the fire marshal’s office at (512) 854-4621.

The theme of the 15th annual Travis County History Day couldn’t be more timely: “Pandemics: Response and Resilience.” Photos, videos and other materials from the Travis County Archives and the Austin History Center’s Covid-19 collections tell the story, accompanied by featured speakers Nicholas Chu, Travis County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 5, and Michael Barnes, an author and journalist. Participants may avail themselves of a free vaccine clinic offering both Covid-19 and flu vaccines. No appointment necessary. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 4:30 p.m., Hall of Government, 700 Lavaca St.

The fifth annual Roots & Wings Festival, Austin’s annual celebration combining Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day, has taken flight (or seed, depending on your metaphor of choice). Over the next two weeks, participants can partake of more than 50 free events and activities, including festivals at area parks and libraries, tree and flower planting events, tree climbing with professional arborists, trail walks, a monarch metamorphosis, and more. According to the news release, “This year’s festival holds extra significance, occurring months after Austin earned its certification as a Bee City USA Affiliate, recognizing our community’s commitment to conserving pollinators.” Emily King, the city’s urban forester, added, “We believe this year’s diverse events schedule offers opportunities for more of Austin neighbors than ever before to access and enjoy the many benefits nature provides.” Check out the full schedule of events.

Today is the first day of early voting for the Nov. 8 election. Thirty-seven early voting locations will be open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. through Nov. 4. In addition, five “mega centers” will be open until 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Nov. 4. (Voting centers will also be open on Election Day proper, of course.) Travis County voters may visit the county clerk’s website to view voting locations, wait times and a personalized ballot. Voters might also want to catch up on the Monitor’s coverage of the election and find election day tips at our 2022 Voter Resource, which includes forums, profiles and articles about the propositions on the ballot.

The Austin American-Statesman has endorsed state Rep. Celia Israel for mayor, rejecting former Mayor Kirk Watson as a man rooted in the status quo. In doing so, the Statesman joined The Austin Chronicle, which endorsed Israel on Thursday. The other candidates in the race are Jennifer Virden, Anthony Bradshaw, Phil Brual and Gary Spellman. Of those, Virden has made a visible effort to garner votes, but being a Republican gives her an uphill battle in blue Austin. The Statesman also endorsed Council incumbents Natasha Harper-Madison in District 1 and Paige Ellis in District 8. In District 3, the paper endorsed teacher and community organizer José Noé Elías for the seat being vacated by retiring Pio Renteria. In District 5, the seat currently held by Ann Kitchen, the board endorsed attorney Ryan Alter, a longtime Democratic staffer at the Texas Legislature who has worked for Watson as well as state Sen. Juan Hinojosa. The Statesman endorsed Ben Leffler to take the District 9 seat being vacated by Kathie Tovo.