City Council Member Mike Siegel of District 7 is scheduled to speak at the “Save Our Services Rally” planned for today as a way to protest mass layoffs and cuts in public services as directed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The family-friendly rally is open to all and is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at Republic Square (406 San Antonio St., Austin, TX 78701), with federal workers and community members joining in a national call to action by the Federal Unionist Network, an informal association of federal unionists and allies. “Federal workers send out Social Security checks to our seniors and provide health care through Medicare and Medicaid; they organize emergency assistance during disasters and ensure all of us can access vital public services. Billionaires like Elon Musk won’t feel the negative effects of these brutal cuts and layoffs, but working people will. That’s we need to organize locally – to build power, push back against the DOGE attacks and protect the American people,” Siegel said in a news release. Find more information at bit.ly/SOSaction.

Three days later, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin is hosting a town hall to “take questions from constituents and share the latest about what’s going on in DC and Texas,” his office said. For logistical details, constituents can RSVP at: bit.ly/ATXTownHall2025.

The Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers has unveiled the 2025 Texas Infrastructure Report Card, assigning the state’s infrastructure an overall grade of C. This mirrors the grade from the 2021 report and surpasses the national average of C-minus reported in 2021. The assessment encompasses 16 categories, with aviation and roads showing improvement, while there were declines in the categories of drinking water, energy, levees, solid waste, transit and wastewater. Notably, four new categories – broadband, hazardous waste, ports and rail – were evaluated for the first time. In Austin, roads and water infrastructure have received significant attention in recent years, with Austin Water initiating design and construction projects at plants, reservoirs, pump stations and lift stations to improve resiliency and expand capacity. Additionally, the “My ATX Water” program aims to modernize the system by replacing over 250,000 analog meters with digital ones connected to a wireless network, enhancing monitoring and efficiency. Looking ahead, the city’s proposed sustainability bond aims to fund projects targeting climate change mitigation and infrastructure resilience. Potential initiatives include land acquisition, water conservation efforts, mobility enhancements, emission reduction project and green infrastructure updates, all designed to address the city’s growing infrastructure demands.

Adam Haynes, who filed complaints against City Council Member Mike Siegel and AURA President Zach Faddis, has told the Austin Monitor that he will be refiling after the city’s Law Department acknowledged that notice was not sent to the correct email address (which was listed on the paperwork he submitted). Haynes alleged Siegel and Faddis committed campaign finance violations at the city’s Ethics Review Commission. The cases were heard at a Feb. 6 meeting of the commission but, due to Haynes’ absence, were dismissed without prejudice. An email from Assistant City Attorney Caroline Webster says that the preliminary hearings could be held as soon as March 26, depending on when Haynes files.

Shield Ranch and the city have agreed to the creation of a 202-acre conservation easement in southwest Travis County and northern Hays County, as part of voter-approved open space protection efforts included in the 2018 bond election. A portion of the appraised value of the easement was purchased using funds from the Water Quality Protection Lands Bond, while the Shield-Ayres-Bowen family donated the remainder of the land’s value. The land is part of the 6,600-acre Shield Ranch, which contains roughly 10 percent of the Barton Creek watershed. The easement prohibits commercial development while allowing agricultural and recreational uses, as well as limited residential development under specific restrictions. The agreement aims to protect water quality, hydrologic function and biodiversity in an area that has been under increasing development pressure. The easement will be monitored by the city of Austin, with annual site visits to ensure compliance. It is the third conservation easement on Shield Ranch, with the first established through the Nature Conservancy in Texas in 1998. The 2018 bond provided $72 million for land conservation across Barton Springs’ recharge and contributing zones. The funding has now been fully allocated, securing more than 6,800 acres of protected land.

The Housing Department recently celebrated the opening of Parker Lane Apartments, a new affordable housing community in Southeast Austin’s District 3. The development, managed by the nonprofit organization Foundation Communities, offers 135 units designed to support individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The unit mix includes 25 one-bedroom, 68 two-bedroom and 42 three-bedroom apartments. Of those, 14 units are designated for families with children facing homelessness. Ten units are reserved for households earning at or below 30 percent of the area’s median family income, 58 units are for those at or below 50 percent MFI, and 53 are for those at or below 60 percent MFI. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs contributed $15 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits toward the project, while the city provided approximately $9.7 million using funds from 2022 general obligation bonds and Project Connect’s anti-displacement initiatives. Additional financial support came from Wells Fargo, St. David’s Foundation, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. Located on property from the former Parker Lane United Methodist Church site, the project saw church leaders enter into a 99-year lease agreement with Foundation Communities to bring affordable housing and community services to the neighborhood.

The Zero Waste Advisory Commission voted unanimously to add their own recommendation against a proposed merger with the Resource Management Commission on Feb. 12. The Austin Monitor had previously reported on the RMC’s recommendation against the same merger on Feb. 3. During the meeting, commissioners amended their draft resolution to include language directly copied from the RMC’s resolution that dismissed the notion of significant overlap in purpose between the two commissions. The final resolution also emphasized the ZWAC’s role in advising Austin Resource Recovery, one of the city’s enterprise departments, which run more like businesses. The RMC routinely advises Austin Energy, the enterprise department responsible for managing the city’s power grid.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area is seeking community input on its Hire Local Plan, an initiative aimed at enhancing workforce development in the Austin metro area. The plan focuses on increasing skilled local talent, improving income for residents and expanding payrolls for local businesses. To achieve these objectives, WFSCA has outlined four key strategies: awareness and enrollment, training, placement and advancement. Community members are encouraged to review the strategies and provide feedback to ensure the plan is inclusive and collaborative.

WFSCA is also hosting the Recruiting Source International Job Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. at the Workforce Solutions Capital Area office on North Interstate 35. The event aims to connect experienced IT professionals with hybrid and remote roles in the Austin area. Interested candidates are encouraged to learn more online.

Presidents Day is Monday, Feb. 17, which means city of Austin administrative offices and other municipal facilities will be closed. Libraries will be closed Sunday and Monday, Feb. 16 and 17. However, many city services will continue as usual. You can expect typical operations and schedules for city of Austin utilities payments and Austin Resource Recovery curbside collections, plus city parks, golf courses, cemeteries and year-round pools.

The latest edition of the Texas Metropolitan Blueprint, led by UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, outlines a five-year plan addressing urban challenges in Texas, with a strong focus on Austin. The Blueprint highlights the city’s recent policy changes to boost housing affordability, including lot size reforms and the elimination of mandatory parking requirements. These align with recommendations to remove regulatory barriers and increase housing supply. The report said Austin is set to benefit from major infrastructure investments in areas such as public transit improvements. Austin is seen as central to the Blueprint’s call for responsible AI governance and policies balancing innovation with ethical concerns. The report also warns of rising energy demands tied to AI growth, urging policies to ensure efficiency and grid resilience. It was released to coincide with the convening of this year’s Texas Legislature, with authors offering data-driven guidance to sustain Austin’s innovation and economic growth while tackling affordability, infrastructure and workforce development.

The Austin Chamber of Commerce is set to host its annual Infrastructure Summit on April 8 at the Hilton Austin. This event offers business and community leaders opportunities to gain insights into the evolving sectors of transportation, transit, water, energy and more within the Austin region. The just-completed programming schedule includes the following topics:

• I-35 Express, Austin’s Convention Center & Congress Avenue
• Austin Light Rail
• Air Services
• Energy Reliability in Texas: Natural Gas
• Water Infrastructure
• Clean Energy in Solar & Wind
• Texas Electrical Grid
• Regional Transportation

Early-bird tickets are available until March 1, with event details available online.

Pease Park Conservancy has been planning and prepping to replace the netting in the park’s treehouse structure, but because of supply chain issues, the replacement will be delayed until April. The treehouse will be closed until then. In an update about the project, the conservancy noted that “Much of the expense associated with these repairs was unexpected for this year” and asked for donations for operations expenses, which can be given here.

The biannual It’s My Park Day is scheduled for March 1, and volunteer registration is now open for people who want to come together to enhance local parks, trails and greenbelts – while also taking part in fun activities beyond the volunteer work, such as ice cream trucks, Zumba classes and live music, plus special discounts and freebies at local establishments. For a complete list of projects and hours at the 88 parks citywide, check out the Austin Parks Foundation’s website at austinparks.org/impd. Last year, 3,000+ volunteers had a huge impact, removing 34,000 pounds of trash and spreading 713 cubic yards of mulch. This year, the Parks Foundation is introducing the “IMPD Park Picker” system to place volunteers at parks in a more balanced way. This community event was established in 2003 and generates the equivalent of $650,000 in volunteer labor on average each year. “The impact of It’s My Park Day extends well beyond a Saturday morning in the park,” said Austin Parks Foundation CEO Colin Wallis. “This community-led day of service is an integral part of both our city’s collective commitment to public green spaces and our organization’s dedication to supporting parks in every district.