Following the CDC’s official authorization, Austin Public Health will be offering booster shots from the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Who’s eligible? Fully vaccinated individuals who live in a long-term care facility, have an underlying medical condition, work in a high-risk setting, or are 65 and older. If you meet any of these qualifications, public health officials strongly urge you to get a booster dose to receive additional protection from Covid-19. Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes explained what’s at stake in an announcement: “Boosters are incredibly important to keeping our community protected and hospitalizations low. Just as we have been urging masking, getting vaccinated and getting tested if you are sick, we are urging the public to stay current with their boosters. If we can stay on top of our vaccinations, we provide protections for our most vulnerable and make it that much harder for Covid to spread in our community.” The CDC guidance allows those who are eligible to choose which vaccine they receive for their booster. Find a vaccination site in Travis County here.

Austin’s annual two-week celebration of nature – with a special emphasis on trees and pollinators – is a hybrid event this year, mixing in-person live events and a curated list of at-home activities in an effort to get the entire community safely involved. The 2021 Roots and Wings Festival, which kicked off yesterday and spans until Nov. 6, aims to help all Austinites attain equitable access to nature, regardless of age, background, ethnicity, religion, or any of that other stuff. The only qualification for participating is a curiosity to learn more about the natural world around you. A great way to get started is to sign the Nature Pledge and then jump into the celebrations with both feet.

New equipment will allow Austin Water to conduct in-house testing of water samples for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, or as it’s more commonly known, blue-green algae, which has plagued some of the city’s waterways and killed several dogs who came into contact with the water. Previously the testing was outsourced, with a wait of several weeks for results. With the utility’s new FlowCam, the results can be achieved within 24 hours. The purchase of the new equipment is the result of “growing concerns about harmful algal mats in Lake Travis and Lady Bird Lake,” according to the news release. As Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros explained, “We have a team focused on preparing for a cyanotoxin event, who have been implementing strategic plans for more than a year to be ready if the worst were to happen. We take this threat very seriously, and I’m proud of the vigilance and proactive measures our laboratory analysts and treatment team have put in place to detect and treat for cyanotoxins.”

The city’s Artist Access Program is now accepting applications from emerging and established performance artists for its Fiscal Year 2023 program. The program, which “provides free or low-cost use of space, available equipment and staff expertise to artists and musicians through an annual adjudicated process,” was created from a Council directive to use hotel tax funds to expand hours at city-owned cultural centers. Artists and arts organizations benefit from expanded rehearsal hours as well as the opportunity to produce public performances for free or at a reduced rental fee of $1 per ticket sold. Find more details here and an application here. The deadline to apply is Dec. 15.

José Chito Vela announced on Facebook  and Twitter Wednesday that he is preparing to run for the District 4 Council seat, should its current occupant, Greg Casar, run for the District 35 congressional seat. Vela, an immigration attorney who serves on the city’s Planning Commission, chairs the board of the Workers Defense Project, where Casar worked prior to his election in 2014. In addition, Vela serves as president of the Blanton Elementary PTA. Casar announced Tuesday that he had formed an exploratory committee to help him make his decision. The committee includes numerous public officials from Travis, Hays and Bexar counties. The race for the District 35 congressional seat will likely be a hard-fought one. On the other hand, Casar has faced little opposition in running for Council since his first election in 2014. The deadline for filing for the March 2022 primary is Dec. 13, so Casar has until then to make his candidacy official. Once he does, his Council seat will be open, but he will continue to serve until a new Council member is elected. Other candidates for the District 4 seat are likely to announce their intentions soon, but Vela seems to have a head-start at this point.

Austin Public Health wants to know what community members think about the process of getting the Covid vaccine, getting booster shots and whether vaccination opportunities have been equitably distributed in the area. As interim APH director Adrienne Sturrup explained in the announcement, “We need you, Austin-Travis County, to tell us where our vaccination processes are working, and where they are not.” And Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes emphasized the importance of continuing the vaccination program, saying, “We need our community to step up once again and get booster doses for those who are eligible. Booster doses will extend the protections afforded to our community and continue to help reduce the burden on our hospital systems by preventing severe illness and need for hospitalization.” Health officials are hosting two virtual engagement sessions to collect public feedback. The sessions – titled “Moving Forward Together Against Covid-19” – will be offered twice, one during the week and one on the weekend. To participate in the conversation, log on with Zoom or through the SpeakUp Austin! website. Monday, Oct. 25, 6:30-8 p.m. on Zoom and Saturday, Oct. 30, 10-11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

The Austin Parks Foundation’s citywide volunteer extravaganza, It’s My Park Day, is taking place on Saturday, Nov. 6 as a hybrid version of itself in order to comply with public health guidelines. The number of volunteers for each project will be capped at 25 and all participants will be required to wear face masks. As with last year, there will be virtual activities for those unable to participate in person. Foundation CEO Colin Wallis explained, “We’re grateful to bring back the event this fall in a safe way that allows for both necessary park improvements as well as communal gathering.” Some of this year’s projects include placing a Veterans Day flag at Austin Memorial Cemetery, breaking ground at North Oaks Garden, the Pillars Project at Rosewood Park and Craft Day & Public Art visioning at Georgian Acres. Register now for specific projects. Here’s a full list of park projects.

Council Member Greg Casar was clearly not surprised when long-time Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett announced Tuesday that he would be running for the newly drawn Texas congressional District 37. Doggett currently represents District 35, but 37 is entirely within Austin. After Doggett’s announcement, Casar was ready Wednesday morning to announce that he had put together an exploratory committee to run for the District 35 seat. The committee includes more than 100 elected officials, community advocates, labor leaders and civil rights activists from across the district, which stretches from East Austin through Hays County and into San Antonio. Mayor Steve Adler and five of his colleagues on the Council joined District Attorney José Garza, former state Rep. Wendy Davis and a variety of San Antonio notables in expressing their support for Casar. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and San Antonio Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer are also interested in the seat. If Casar goes ahead with the race, as seems likely, he will be giving up his Council seat for the opportunity to run in the March Democratic primary. So we can look forward to a Council race along with the other races in March.

In Austin zoning cases, neighbors and developers don’t often agree on the particulars of proposed developments. But in the case of a Vertical-Mixed Use (-V) zoning request for 5800, 5900, 5920, 6000 Springdale Road, the interested parties found common ground. This, plus the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation on Oct. 12, means the rezoning is likely to pass at City Council – despite a valid petition from one adjacent property owner. Approximately 23 condominium units are planned for the properties. Negotiations between developer’s representative Alice Glasco, the Knights of Columbus, a neighboring property owner, and Nadia Barbot, representative for the Pecan Springs/Springdale Hills Neighborhood Association, led to several terms for the development: privacy fences along the western edge of the properties, certain green building features, a neighborhood-preferred business such as a grocery store or coffee shop, a reserved place on the building’s HOA for the neighborhood association, and a $45,000 donation from the developer to a nonprofit of the neighborhood’s choosing. If the development takes advantage of VMU zoning’s density bonus, it would have to make 10 percent of units affordable to those making 80 percent median family income or less. The City Council hearing date has not yet been set. 

In partnership with Dell Technologies, Austin ISD is opening a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning center at Northeast Early College High School. A ribbon-cutting celebration for the center’s grand opening this morning will feature leaders from AISD and Dell as well as McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who will talk about the role STEM plays in racing. According to the news release, the center has been designed “to simulate a cybersecurity industry workplace. The new center includes a working data center, state-of-the-art computer labs, virtual reality and esports areas with flexible furniture.” 11:15 a.m, Wednesday, Oct. 20, Northeast Early College High School, 7104 Berkman Dr.

Local public health departments and their partners continue to host a variety of no-appointment-necessary Covid vaccine clinics for those who need first or second shots or boosters. The clinics are conveniently located around the county at schools, libraries, grocery stores, and community centers. Remember to bring your Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card, so it can be updated. Kids between the ages of 12-17 can get the Pfizer vaccine – the vaccine authorized for that age group – with a parent or guardian present. To find the vaccine distribution event closest to you, check the county’s online calendar and map.