Looking forward to a very long day with numerous controversial items, including parkland dedication fees, license plate readers and police oversight, Mayor Steve Adler said Tuesday that he would allocate just one minute per speaker at today’s meeting. According to the city clerk’s office, a total of 178 people have signed up to tell Council their thoughts on various agenda items. However, it won’t be an all-nighter; several Council members expressed a desire to go home by 10 p.m. So, the Thursday meeting will simply be in recess until Friday. As City Attorney Anne Morgan explained it, Council would need seven votes to pass the Austin Police Oversight Act or an election to consider that ordinance on a single reading. If there are merely six votes for either option, Council will have to take that vote on three different days. That is why Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday as well as Monday. Of course, any Council member could change his or her vote to avoid extra meetings.

You may have read about the city’s plan to sprinkle resilience hubs throughout Austin, to help the community prepare “for a range of threats including flooding, drought, extreme heat and wildfires, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations,” says a news release. Six pilot hubs will be activated later this year to form part of the citywide network of hubs offering resources to support community members “before, during and after a disaster.” Besides food, water and shelter, the hubs will offer bathrooms, cellphone charging and space to meet with others. Laura Patiño, the city’s resilience officer, explained, “As climate change brings more frequent severe weather and other disasters, there is a need for accessible community spaces, supply distribution centers, backup power and water, and safe temporary shelters. Working with Austin Independent School District, Travis County, the Community Advisory Committee, and the Community Task Force, we continue to make progress towards the creation of this vital support network.” Read more about the Resilience Hub Network here.

The Economic Development Department has launched a grant program that “promotes tourism through historic preservation and inclusive projects about Austin’s history.” The Heritage Preservation Grants are “reimbursable two-year historic preservation funding grants for capital, planning, educational, or marketing projects.” As EDD Director Sylnovia Holt-Rabb explained in a news release, “Preserving Austin’s history and heritage allows us to tell countless untold stories that encompass our city’s unique identity and allure for tourists. The Heritage Preservation Grant provides critical funding to ensure Austin’s irreplaceable historic sites can be enjoyed for generations to come.” For-profit, government and nonprofit entities may apply until Oct. 17. Review the full eligibility requirements, grant guidelines and application details online.

The city is moving forward with plans to improve Nuckols Crossing Road. The southeast road is considered substandard, which means it is less than 24 feet in width or lacks curb, gutter, drainage, bicycle or sidewalk infrastructure. The project, according to an email from the Transportation Department, “focuses on two sections: from Bluff Springs Road to Salt Springs Drive north of Ringsby Road and from the roundabout at Todd Lane/South Pleasant Valley to South Pleasant Valley Road.” To get feedback from the community on how to prioritize improvements, the city will host a meeting at Widen Elementary School, at 5605 Nuckols Crossing Road, this Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Due to a software system conversion, the Austin Municipal Court will be closed from today (Tuesday) at 3 p.m. until reopening on Monday, Sept. 19, at 7 a.m. According to a press release from the city, the current court portal will be closed until Sept. 19 as well, which means that case information and online payments will not be accessible. In addition, the Downtown Austin Community Court will suspend its services from 2 p.m. today, resuming operations on Monday, Sept. 19, at 8 a.m. Court payments, arraignments at DACC, and scheduled and walk-in magistration will not be available during that time; however, all due dates until Sept. 18 will be extended to Sept. 19 for both Downtown and Municipal Court cases.

Keep Austin Beautiful is inviting volunteers to pitch in and help clean up Lady Bird Lake. More than 100 volunteers conduct cleanups at over 10 locations along the shoreline and on the water via water crafts, and you may choose your location on the registration page. Each location has a volunteer leader who will provide instructions, safety guidelines and cleanup supplies. All ages are welcome. Saturday, Oct. 22, 9-11 a.m. Register here.

With more than $500,000 in grants in hand, Workforce Solutions Capital Area is looking to expand apprenticeship programs in the area. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, Workforce Solutions will be holding an event to let the public know about apprenticeship grant opportunities aimed at helping Travis County residents earn more through job training and certification. The opportunities have been funded through a mix of private and public grants, with enrollment for technology and health care apprenticeships currently underway. (Manufacturing apprenticeships are slated to open in January 2023.) Those wanting to learn more about the apprenticeships can attend Tuesday’s event or apply online. “We are grateful for the ongoing support from our community, which allows us to offer these apprenticeship programs and provide much-needed opportunities to grow our region’s manufacturing, technology and health care industries,” Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said in a statement to the press. “Programs like these allow for the development of a highly skilled workforce, provide residents with the tools they need to get hired for high-paying jobs, and support employers with a diverse and talented applicant pool from which to recruit.”

A virtual alphabet soup of agencies and departments will be participating in the city’s pilot emergency preparedness fair, Get Ready Central Texas, a family-friendly event designed to help residents prepare in the event of a natural disaster or emergency. Attendees “will learn about the city’s Basic Emergency Operations Plan, and other plans in place which are activated during an emergency or disaster,” as well as “how government, non-governmental organizations, neighborhoods, and individual families can work together during a disaster.” Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Juan Ortiz said, “When a disaster strikes, we are all responsible for helping each other. Individuals, organizations, and government have a part to play in the safety of our community. We want to give everyone the information and basic resources to be prepared during an emergency and feel confident that they will be able to safely make it through the event.” Tuesday, Sept. 20, 3-7 p.m., Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road.

If you’re someone who likes to stay on top of the city’s multitudinous rules and regulations, this might interest you: The Parks and Recreation Department is preparing the updated draft of proposed rules for cemeteries for community review and feedback. Numerous rules govern the operation of cemeteries, so it’s not as cut and dried as you might think. For instance, did you know that you’re not allowed to bring a firearm into a cemetery? (And why would you need to? Dead people can’t hurt you.) You may read the draft rules and leave feedback online. You may also choose to attend a virtual meeting on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., where you’ll get a chance to review the draft rules and regs and ask questions as well as contribute feedback.

Art by Billie Buck

One day each year, Austin’s museums open their doors to welcome community members and visitors alike with free admission. Austin has dozens of museums, and whether you’re interested in art, culture, nature, history, science, sculpture, photography, American presidents, music or the miltary, there’s at least one museum out there for you and probably many more. Museum Day also features special events, contests, workshops, gallery talks, tours and other cool happenings. Check out a list of participating museums to get a taste of what’s in store. Sunday, Sept. 18.

On Wednesday, the Austin city clerk validated the Austin Police Oversight Act petition, putting the issue on the ballot in May if the ordinance is not adopted by City Council first. Equity Action brought the oversight act to the public in an effort to increase civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department. (Read the full text of the ordinance here.) Because the group met the 20,000 signature threshold, Council is required either to vote the proposal into law or place it in the next election in the next 10 days. Because of the timing of the validation, the next qualifying election will be in May 2023. In a series of statements about the validation, Equity Action members urged Council to vote the ordinance into law instead of waiting for May. “The people of Austin have sent a clear message that they don’t want another police contract that enables unaccountable police brutality and misconduct,” said Chris Harris, the president of Equity Action. “While we would’ve preferred to have this go to the voters in order to avoid another four or five years of police secrecy and impunity, the Austin City Council must vote the ordinance into law themselves right now. Passing this now strengthens police oversight and transparency in this next contract, but postponing until a May ’23 election means waiting until the contract in 2026 or 2027 to improve police accountability. This should be an easy choice for this Council.”

Photo courtesy of Austin Parks & Recreation Department.

An upcoming event at Givens District Park will celebrate and honor the park’s history and dedicate its Lone Star Legacy award, bestowed by the Texas Recreation and Park Society. The Festival of Recognition and Remembrance “will commemorate the rich history of the park and kick off the construction phase of the new pool and historic bathhouse rehabilitation.” In addition to a food truck competition and water games, there will be a showing of the movie Luca beginning at 7 p.m. Chauncey Allen Patterson, programming supervisor at Givens Rec Center, said the community is “celebrating the legacy of and saying goodbye to the Givens Pool that has served this community for over 50 years. In doing so, we make way for a new, modern facility for East Austinites. This place is more than a pool, it is a part of the storied history of the east side and the home of memories made in this community that span multiple generations.” Saturday, Sept. 17, 5 p.m., Givens Recreation Center, 3811 E. 12th St.