Mayor Steve Adler said Thursday that City Council will be scheduled to discuss Planning Commission appointments at its next work session, which is Feb. 16. Because Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the city over having too many real estate-related appointees on the commission, Council needs to discuss those appointments, rather than making unilateral decisions. Council approved Council Member Leslie Pool’s reappointment of Todd Shaw on Thursday, with Adler explaining it was fine to go ahead with that reappointment, especially since Shaw is not employed in the real estate industry. Council Member Mackenzie Kelly also removed her predecessor’s appointment to the commission, Greg Anderson. Anderson, who was serving in his third term and works for Habitat for Humanity, was philosophical about his removal. He told the Austin Monitor he was not surprised and that he does not live in District 6. Anderson is a strong supporter of denser development who has vowed not to cut his hair until the city has a new Land Development Code.

Feb. 5 marked one year since Austin Public Health started monitoring returning travelers “for a mysterious respiratory illness, now known as Covid-19.” Today the city health department has expanded from monitoring Covid in the community to a program of “robust case investigation, testing, vaccination, and social services operations,” according to a news release. APH Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard said, “Our staff has been incredible in responding to Covid-19 over the past year and our work is not done. While vaccine has started flowing into the community, we cannot let up our guard just yet. We see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we need to get out of the surge we continue to face.” APH has compiled the following statistics that tell the tale of the department’s battle to contain the pandemic in Austin and Travis County:

• 412,470 APH staff hours spent on Covid-19
• 39,650 people vaccinated by APH
• 153,571 tests administered by APH
• 422 written warnings issued to restaurants/bars by APH Environmental Health Officers
• 240 child care providers given health and safety supplies
• 45 press conferences and media availabilities held
• 1,038,302 emails sent through community distribution lists
• 1,910 translated documents and graphics

A new Development Services Department pilot project aims “to help keep complex projects on track,” according to a news release from the department. Site plans with Master Comment Reports that receive two or more conflicting review comments are eligible for participation. DSD explains: “Your Master Comment Report should include a link inviting eligible customers to participate in the pilot. If your report includes comments that conflict with one another, selecting this option will trigger a review by the staff providing the comments. You will receive follow-up notification after reviewers determine an alternative that allows your project to move forward in a compliant manner.” DSD hopes the project will “help customers save time and money by finding appropriate solutions quickly and efficiently.”

A ballot initiative that seeks to reinstate the city’s ban on camping in public places will likely go before voters on May 1. On Thursday the city clerk verified the validity of the petition submitted by the nonprofit group Save Austin Now, which turned in 27,000 signatures last month. The petition needed 20,000 valid signatures to make it onto the ballot. The push for reinstatement of the camping ban and prohibition of sitting and lying down in most public places is Save Austin Now’s attempt to alter the city’s management of a growing homeless population. The ordinance changes approved by City Council in mid-2019 were seen as a way to decriminalize homelessness, launching a still-hot-button debate over the presence of homeless encampments in various parts of the city. Save Austin Now attempted to put the issue before voters last year but the clerk’s office found that petition lacked enough valid signatures. The next administrative step for the effort will give Council the option – by Feb. 12 – to adopt the proposed action without an election or call for the election. The issue is expected to be discussed at a special Council meeting on Feb. 9.

Austin Young Democrats will host a celebratory roast of outgoing president Jen Ramos today, ahead of an election on Feb. 11 that will decide the group’s next leadership. Ramos served two terms as president of the young Dems, and was the first Latina to hold that position in the organization. The roast is being held via a private online meeting and will be overseen by local political consultant Ed Espinoza and drag performer Senator Colleen DeForrest. The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the group’s Promise Fund, with the goal of gathering $7,000 that will be used for grants to youth organizers who have faced financial hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In a prepared statement, Ramos said, “I am humbled by the growth and opportunities provided to me by the Austin Young Democrats after six years of growth and friendship. It only feels right to pay it forward.  We must invest in the leaders of today and tomorrow to build on an America as good as its Promise. I hope that The Promise Fund will create an opportunity for equity and support in the political space, long past my years in leadership with the organization.”

Movability’s annual Mayor’s Mobility Breakfast and Award Ceremony, which will be held virtually this year, will feature a Q&A with Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Capital Metro CEO Randy Clarke and Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, Huston-Tillotson University president and Austin Transit Partnership board member. The event “will also recognize leading employers who support multi-modal and alternative transportation options in an engaging, informative and entertaining video,” according to an Austin Transportation Department newsletter. The panel is open to all community members interested in learning “how Austin uses mobility options, what the future holds and how mobility touches every aspect of our lives, from affordability to equity.” Wednesday, Feb. 10, 8:45 a.m. Register here to attend.

The Hancock Conservancy has scheduled two virtual town hall events to publicize and answer questions from the community about its goal of “transforming Hancock Golf Course into a green space and public park.” The first town hall, Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m., will be an information and Q&A session for local neighbors. The second town hall, Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m., will feature PARD Assistant Director Anthony Segura. Both events will be streamed live on the conservancy’s Facebook page. Read the Monitor’s coverage here, here and here to get up to speed on the issue.

Austin Public Health announced Wednesday that the UK variant of Covid-19 – B.1.1.7. – has been detected in Travis County. In a press release about the confirmed case, Austin Public Health notes, “Covid-19 variants have been likely in Austin-Travis County for weeks, after a Harris County man with no history of travel was discovered to have a variant. APH lab testing will detect the coronavirus, but at this time, extended lab testing is required to determine the variant strains under the coronavirus umbrella at this time.” Because not all labs are able to test for the variants, APH’s Covid-19 dashboards will not distinguish cases by variant at this time. In a statement to the press, Dr. Mark Escott took a measured tone, saying, “It is common for viruses to mutate, especially when the original virus is in the community longer. Based on everything we have heard from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while the variants are potentially more contagious than the original virus, they are not more deadly. … From our understanding, currently approved vaccines are effective against the variants, and while this may be a reason to reemphasize the importance of prevention measures, it is not cause for alarm.”

Reilly Elementary School is celebrating its readiness for the rainy season with five new rain gardens and 12 cisterns placed around the campus that will collect thousands of gallons of rainfall each year from roofs and parking lots. The project was completed by the Watershed Protection Department and will be used as a demo site to educate the community about the city’s Rain Catcher Pilot Program. As the news release explains, “Catching and slowly releasing stormwater will reduce the erosion and flooding problems on the property and improve the water quality and flow in the nearby Waller Creek. The rain gardens accommodate a variety of landscape conditions, and the different designs showcase that rain gardens can serve as turf lawns for recreation, habitats for wildlife or traditional gardens.” The project took first place in the National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies 2020 Green Infrastructure Awards. Watch the virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony here.

The beginning of February has brought cooler temps and rainfall to the region, leading the Austin Parks and Recreation Department to lift the burn restrictions that have been in effect in all Austin parks, greenbelts and preserves. Grills, fire rings and propane stoves may be used in designated picnic areas. As always, smoking is prohibited in all city parks.

No doubt you’ve heard about the ongoing city process called Reimagining Public Safety. Since there are so many questions – and some confusion – about the process, the city has launched a blog to keep track of the multipronged initiative and what people – community members, city leaders, experts – are saying and thinking about it. The city announcement explains, “You will find a variety of posts that will help you better understand everything the city is doing to create a public safety capability that works for everyone, as well as information on how you can provide input and make your voice heard.” For starters, one blog post tackles the question, “Does reimagining public safety mean defunding the police?” (No.) See a list of all blog posts.

Austin’s 9 Joint Inclusion Commissions are preparing the Fiscal Year 2022 budget recommendations with the goal of informing city leaders about the programs and services needed in order for the community to flourish. Several boards and commissions are collaborating this year to host three town hall meetings:

• Public Safety: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Health and Environment: Thursday, Feb. 11, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Economic Opportunity, Culture, and Affordability: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 6:30-8 p.m.

To register for a section, complete a short questionnaire. Zoom links will be sent to you after registration. If you can’t attend a section but still want to give feedback, complete the city’s Age-Friendly Austin Community Survey. Feedback from the survey will be shared with the The Joint Inclusion Commissions: African American Resource Advisory Commission, Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission, Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Commission on Seniors, Commission for Women, Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission, Human Rights Commission, LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Advisory Commission, and the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. For more information, visit austintexas.gov/budget. Feedback can also be emailed to  budgetqa@austintexas.gov

This whisper has been expanded to include the 9 Joint Inclusion Commissions, not just the Commission on Seniors.