The three most prominent land use commissions have prevailed in their attempt to continue meeting at City Hall. Facing an unwanted move to the new Permitting and Development Center in the Highland Mall redevelopment, members of the Planning Commission, Zoning and Platting Commission, and Board of Adjustment fought the move tooth and nail. After pulling all the procedural stops to halt the move, the bodies held a joint meeting in November, where they faced off against city staffers who insisted the move was necessary to relieve overcrowded meeting rooms at City Hall. A memo released on Friday, however, indicates city staff gave in to the demands. Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales said, “At this time, staff will not be pursuing moving the meeting locations for BOA, ZAP and PC,” though he did not explain the change of course. Gonzales emphasized that he still has “every confidence that the (PDC) can successfully accommodate all meetings.” City Council was supposed to decide the matter on Jan. 27. 

A new state law is intensifying the usual controversy about the March 1 Democratic and Republican primaries. Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir is planning to hold a press conference Tuesday to explain the problems voters are having trying to get ballots by mail. According to a news release, the requirements of Senate Bill 1, the new Texas voting law, have resulted in Travis County rejecting about half of the ballot applications sent to the clerk’s office. Victoria Hinojosa, executive assistant to DeBeauvoir, told the Austin Monitor that the office had rejected about 350 of 700 requests for mail-in ballots. As the news release explains, the new law “requires applicants for ballot by mail to include either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on their application for ballot by mail. This identification number is then verified against the applicant’s voter registration record.” If the applicant provides an ID number that is not in the voting records on file, “the law requires the application to be rejected.” It is not clear what voters can do to fix their applications and the clerk’s office says it has received insufficient guidance from the Texas secretary of state to help voters.

The search for Austin’s next emergency medical services chief was refined Thursday, with an announcement by Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano saying there are only two finalists remaining. The decision is between Jasper D. Brown, who is currently serving as interim chief of ATCEMS, and Robert Luckritz, who previously served as the Jersey City Medical Center EMS chief and executive director. The news came just before a livestreamed community input meeting on Thursday night. (The meeting can be viewed here or here.) Members of the community can still provide feedback on the finalists via SpeakUp Austin or by calling 311 through Jan. 17. A press release about the finalists promised that a new chief “will be named in the coming weeks.”

After four days of early voting in the special election to choose District 4 Council Member Greg Casar’s successor, the district’s voters seem unenthusiastic, despite the wide range of choices they have in the seven candidates. According to data from the Travis County Clerk’s Office, only 460 voters had cast ballots as of Thursday night. That’s about 1.33 percent of the nearly 35,000 registered voters in the district. Candidates for the seat are Isa Boonto, Melinda Schiera, Jade Lovera, Amanda Rios, Monica Guzman, José “Chito” Vela, and Ramesses II Setepenre. Early voting for the Jan. 25 election will continue through Jan. 21, although polling locations will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. For a list of polling locations, see the county clerk’s website.

In case you’ve been ignoring your calendar, you may be surprised to learn that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is already upon us, meaning city offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 17, in honor of the civil rights giant. Most Parks and Recreation facilities will also be closed Monday; however, city parks, golf courses, cemeteries, and some pools will be open. Check for details at austintexas.gov/parkclosures. Curbside trash and recycling collection services will not be affected by the holiday and the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center will be open, though by appointment only. The Travis County Expo Center Covid drive-thru testing site will remain open Monday, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Austin Public Health’s Covid-19 vaccination sites will be closed. The Covid-19 surveillance dashboard will not be updated Monday. Recycled Reads Bookstore, Austin History Center and Austin Public Library branches will be closed. The Austin Animal Center will be closed Monday, resuming normal hours the following day. If you find a stray pet, visit AAC’s website for tips on finding the animal’s owner. Last but not least, the Austin Monitor will be observing the holiday by not publishing Monday.

The city of Austin has lost its most passionate advocate for historic preservation. Steve Sadowsky, 64, who served as the city’s historic preservation officer for many years, died Wednesday after a long illness. Even during his illness, Sadowsky never quit advocating for historic preservation, not just for well-preserved West Austin homes but for the East Austin structures that reflected the city’s history. In addition to his graduate degree in historic preservation, Sadowsky was a lawyer before turning to history. He worked for the Texas Department of Transportation for eight years before joining the city and beginning his 21-year city career. Sadowsky could be seen whenever the Historic Landmark Commission or City Council were meeting, making the case for the preservation of structures he believed were important to the story of Austin. Council presented him with a Distinguished Service Award last month. As Council Member Kathie Tovo noted, he was a “tireless advocate for historic preservation.” Before this death, Preservation Austin honored him with a lifetime achievement award, saying, “During his time as Historic Preservation Officer, the Historic Preservation Office has been inundated with demolition permit requests and applications for historic landmark designation. Steve has faced these challenges by taking his well-researched stand with conviction, and has weathered many a storm to defend Austin’s historic fabric. He has personally prepared or reviewed hundreds of historic landmark applications, and through that process, shared and uncovered the history of Austin with us all.”

Travis County commissioners have appointed Rebecca Guerrero to serve as interim county clerk through the end of the year. Guerrero will fill the role starting Jan. 28, following the retirement of County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir after 35 years of service. According to a press release from the county, Guerrero has worked in the County Clerk’s Office for the past 22 years, the last six as the director of recording. A primary election to fill the role will take place March 1, and winners will compete in the general election on Nov. 8.  Democrats Dyana Limon-Mercado and Kurt Lockhart will compete in the primary. Only one Republican, Susan Haynes, is running for the county clerk seat.

Texas’ new election law, Senate Bill 1, imposes several new restrictions on voting, just in time for the March 1, 2022, primaries. The League of Women Voters of Texas, Texas Impact and Texas LULAC are hosting a webinar to help Texas voters understand how the new laws will impact them. Register in advance for the meeting and the confirmation email will contain the link to join the meeting. Tuesday, Jan. 18, noon.

As the Austin skyline changes, so does the network of streets below – at least temporarily. New development in the city is causing several associated travel lane closures. Two lanes of West Sixth between Colorado and Guadalupe streets will close until 2025 as a 60-story office and residential tower rises at 311 and 321 W. Sixth St. to replace the existing BBVA bank building. A covered walkway will allow pedestrians to pass through the area safely. Meanwhile, East Cesar Chavez Street will close Jan. 21-23 from Waller to Comal to accommodate a tower crane for the 1515 Cesar Chavez development. Traffic will be detoured to East Sixth Street. As the Transportation Department explains, “westbound traffic on East Cesar Chavez Street will reach East Sixth Street by turning north on Waller Street, and eastbound traffic will reach East Sixth Street by turning north on Comal Street.”

With the omicron variant romping and stomping across Texas, health officials are doubling down on their pleas to the unvaccinated to get fully vaccinated without further delay. Travis County, Austin Public Health and their community partners continue to host a variety of free Covid vaccine distribution events every week. It couldn’t be easier: Simply check out the handy online calendar and map to find the date, time and location of a convenient, nearby vaccine event. No appointments are required. People receiving their second dose, third dose or booster shot should bring their CDC Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card so it can be updated.

Covid-related staffing shortages, combined with difficulty filling open positions, have struck the Austin Animal Center. Starting Jan. 23, the shelter will be temporarily closed to the public on Sundays. It will remain open for adoptions and reclaiming lost pets from Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and for intake of animals Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Owners looking to reclaim a lost pet on Sundays can contact 311 and ask for assistance from an animal protection officer. The Austin Animal Center is putting out the word that it is hiring for several positions. Interested candidates may apply through the city of Austin website.

Many Austinites who live near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport aren’t too happy about AUS’ proposal to site a jet fuel storage facility in their neighborhood. In an effort to calm frayed tempers, airport leadership will be hosting a virtual community information meeting and question-and-answer session. The 2040 Master Plan process identified the need for a new airplane fuel facility, to be located on airport property adjacent to U.S. Highway 183. The project is scheduled to begin construction this year and will be owned and operated by the airlines that service AUS. The Federal Aviation Administration gave the go-ahead after approving an environmental review for the facility. Find more information about the project at SpeakUpAustin.org/AUSFuel. The meeting will be on Saturday, Jan. 29, 3-4 p.m., via Zoom.