Plans to demolish No-Comply Skate Shop are on hold to allow Austin Community College time to work with the shop’s owners to find a “win-win solution,” according to a press release from the college. ACC will be asking for a postponement at the Historic Landmark Commission on Monday, Aug. 23. “We are working with the owners right now, and the momentum is very positive,” says Neil Vickers, an ACC executive vice president. “The owners have asked us to give them more time to find new, quality space. We’re confident that’s something we can give them. Together, we’re working to identify long-term solutions that are a win for everyone. By postponing the application process with the city, we all have more time to come to a shared, thoughtful resolution.” At the last meeting of the landmark commission, the proposed demolition of the shop was met with public outcry that appeared to resonate with commissioners. ACC purchased the building in 2009 with the intention of tearing it down to build a parking garage as part of its campus master plan. In a Thursday news release, the college stressed that the timeline for those plans is flexible, saying, “ACC remains focused on taking steps to provide more time and support needed to help the owners find a new storefront for No-Comply, including the possibility of relocating to another ACC property in the area.”

At long last, the Downtown Austin Community Court will be opening at its new temporary location at One Texas Center. The court will be closed this upcoming week, Aug. 23-27, and will begin operations at the new location on Monday, Aug. 30. It is expected that the court will operate at the new location for two years, giving the city time to identify and prepare a permanent home. (That home is scheduled to be identified this fall.) So far, the city has not been able to find a permanent location for the court; it has been operating out of a space at 719 E. Sixth St. and the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library during the pandemic, but those options no longer exist. A plan to relocate the court to the east side was shot down by City Council at the end of last year.

Central Health invites all community members to attend a public conversation about its 2022 budget. The proposed budget “includes significant investments in health care delivery, like expanded specialty care, health care for the homeless, behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, and more.” These services for low-income, uninsured people are funded by Travis County tax dollars. The event will be held on Facebook Live on Thursday, Aug. 26, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. RSVP on Eventbrite.

With the Labor Day holiday around the corner, the Austin Police Department is preparing to conduct a nightly DWI Enforcement Initiative from Friday, Aug. 20, to Monday, Sept. 6. The purpose of the initiative is to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by drunk drivers. During holidays, there is a higher incidence of impaired drivers on the roads, increasing the potential for alcohol- and drug-related crashes. APD’s visible enforcement efforts are also intended to serve as a warning to intoxicated motorists to find a safer way home such as a ride service, a lift from a friend or public transportation.

The Downtown Austin Alliance has launched a new survey designed to find out what the community thinks about downtown Austin and what direction people want the area to go. The alliance plans to use the information collected in the survey to “welcome people back downtown and promote downtown small businesses and activities once the threat of Covid-19 is mitigated.” It takes about five minutes to complete the survey and at the end, participants are invited to enter a drawing to win a gift card valued from $5-$50. Take the survey.

With Austin and Travis County in stage 5 – the most severe stage – of the Covid-19 risk-based guidelines, health officials are urging unvaccinated people to get the vaccine without further delay. Austin Public Health, Travis County and their community partners are providing multiple opportunities this week for people to do just that. If you need the vaccine, visit the Travis County Covid-19 page and click on the button that says “Get Vaccinated.” The calendar displays dozens of vaccine events around the county and is frequently being updated with new events, dates and times. Below the calendar, the “Find a Covid-19 Vaccine Near You” button takes you to the vaccine locations map. No appointments are necessary. Please note that kids aged 12-17 must have a parent or guardian present and that the Pfizer vaccine is the only one authorized for that age group.

Residents who live or work near East Braker Lane may have received notice from the Austin Transportation Department about a proposal to extend East Braker from where it currently ends at Dawes Place about three-quarters of a mile to Samsung Boulevard. The new roadway would reduce congestion on East Parmer Lane and “connect to a future Travis County project extending East Braker Lane further east to Harris Branch Parkway, as well as planned Safe Routes to School improvements to Taebaek Drive.” An environmental study is currently being conducted and a public hearing on the project will be held later this year.

Pease Park Conservancy’s Squirrel Fest, originally scheduled for Sept. 10, has been postponed until April 9 due to concerns about Covid. Billed as “a day of movies, music and fun,” Squirrel Fest is a celebration of the reopening of Kingsbury Commons, and as organizers say in their announcement, celebrating “in-person with you in the spring will feel sweeter than ever, when we can gather together knowing that we can be safe and healthy celebrating side by side.” The conservancy is also conducting a naming contest for the Pease Park squirrel, with the winner expected to be announced in September. Submit your name ideas here through Aug. 31.

With kids headed back to school this week, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” campaign to remind motorists to be more mindful of children walking and biking to and from school. According to TxDOT, “The most common causes of crashes in school zones are failure to control speed, driver inattention, failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign and failure to yield the right of way at a private driveway.” All of that adds up to TxDOT’s reminder to “slow down, stay alert and follow all traffic laws” in order to keep kids safe, not to mention avoiding those nasty fines and tickets. And what comes with school children? School buses, of course, which make frequent stops and need to be watched carefully for children darting out into the street after they’ve disembarked. Keep an eye out for the flashing red lights and pull over until the bus has moved on. TxDOT says 11 people were seriously injured in school zone crashes last year, “along with 1,214 crashes involving school buses across the state.” So it pays to be alert.

Love to walk and want to get more involved in local transportation policy? Apply to join the Pedestrian Advisory Council, which the city describes as “an independent advocacy group providing advice to the city of Austin on planning, policy, design, funding, education and enforcement efforts regarding the creation, maintenance and operation of pedestrian facilities.” The city’s announcement explains that, “Appointment to the PAC is based on an individual’s demonstrated knowledge of issues relating to pedestrianism and expressed interest in becoming a member. In selecting people for membership, the PAC seeks to achieve a balance among various types of pedestrian interests (urban transportation, disability, children, elderly, public health, recreation, etc.).” In normal times, the group meets monthly at City Hall, though during the pandemic the meetings have been conducted via WebEx. Sept. 19 is the last day to apply. Applicants will be invited to attend the PAC’s October meeting to introduce themselves to current members, who will vote to select the new members.

Austin and Travis County have amended recently released masking orders to include public colleges. The rules are now extended so that they apply to anyone over the age of 2 on city or county property or public school grounds. The rules do not apply to UT Austin. Similar masking orders have been issued for Central Texas schools, and KUT has a comprehensive list. Though all of the orders stand in defiance of an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott, for now the orders have been upheld by the court. Full county and city orders, which went into effect immediately, are available to read online.

Just in time for the first day of school, Austin ISD is offering Covid tests to families and school district employees who live and work in the ZIP codes that have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus. Covid-19 rapid tests are available for free at any of the four drive-thru events being held today, Aug. 16, from 7-11 a.m. at the following locations:

• Blazier ES; Southeast (8601 Vertex Blvd., Austin, 78744)
• Cunningham ES; Southwest (2200 Berkeley Ave., Austin, 78745)
• Allison ES; Southeast/Central (515 Vargas Road, Austin, 78741)
• Wooldridge ES; North Central (1412 Norseman Terrace, Austin, 78758)