A new livestream video podcast puts the spotlight on the African American experience in Austin. The Pivot, hosted by T.J. Owens, who manages the Economic Development Department’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility, will offer a “virtual conversation space” as well as highlight “the ways that local businesses, the creative community and Austin culture can be collaborative.” Each episode also features a musical performance. Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, acting director of the EDD, said in a news release, “We are excited to add this new dimension in our efforts to continue to tell the story of the African American experience in Austin. These are critical times for communicating and storytelling. Adding this opportunity to tune in virtually continues our efforts to share vital information with residents and receive community feedback about city programs and services.” Owens adds, “With the African American Cultural and Heritage Facility inoperable for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, our team sought a way to still serve the community who needs it the most. The Pivot ensures we stay connected to our East Austin neighbors and provides useful information to the community as the pandemic continues.” Catch The Pivot the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m., starting in February, on Facebook.

Austin’s Point in Time count of people experiencing homelessness will not take place this year due to concerns about Covid-19. The PIT count is a federally required count necessary for obtaining federal funds to fight homelessness. This year, ECHO, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, asked for and received an exemption from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development “due to safety concerns around the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.” Instead of sending volunteers out on Jan. 28 to count the number of unsheltered people living on the streets, ECHO plans to use data from the Homeless Management Information System to estimate and measure the number of unsheltered individuals in the community. Read more about the change at AustinECHO.org.

The Development Services Department has proposed several amendments to the section of the Environmental Criteria Manual that deals with trees and the preservation of natural areas. The proposed amendments, according to the DSD, “clarify existing rules, strike content that does not further code implementation, and update department and procedural terms.” While all that may sound rather dry and dull, we say if it’s good for the trees, it’s good for everyone. As always, feedback is welcome and encouraged. You may review the proposed updates on SpeakUp Austin and provide input and suggestions or ask questions.

Passengers wait to board a bus from a ZICLA platform in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo: Charlotte DOT)

Capital Metro is teaming up with Austin Transportation to test a new “curb extension device” intended to enhance bus riders’ experience at one of the city’s busiest bus stops on Guadalupe Street. The green-and-white striped platform, made of recycled rubber by the Spanish company ZICLA, “will enable Capital Metro buses to meet the sidewalk and curb without pulling out of a travel lane, as well as provide separation from the roadway for people walking, biking and boarding transit at the intersection,” according to the news release from ATD. The platform will be installed this month and the pilot program will run for six months as the agencies decide whether to make the change permanent.

Former Austin Public Health director and “Health Talk” host Shannon Jones will be serving as Austin’s interim assistant city manager. A news release about the appointment explains that Jones’ purview will include homelessness, some elements of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and steering the city’s work on health and environment and culture and lifelong learning in a number of city departments, including Animal Services, Austin Public Health, Austin Public Library, Austin Resource Recovery and the Parks and Recreation Department. Jones said in the statement, “They say that nobody really leaves the city of Austin. Having already spent a significant portion of my career serving the community here I am excited to return once again and contribute to the great work city employees are doing, particularly around minimizing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Jones will be filling in for former Assistant City Manager Chris Shorter, who is relocating to Baltimore to serve as the city administrator. Recruitment to permanently fill the assistant city manager slot will begin this week.

The public health officials at Austin Public Health are hosting a town hall to answer every question you may have about the Covid vaccines. Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority; Stephanie Hayden, director of APH; Dr. Charles Bell, vice chair of Central Health Board of Managers; and Dr. Jason Reichenberg, president of Ascension Medical Group Texas, will all be on hand “to discuss Covid-19 vaccine safety, efficacy and distribution.” The town hall is this Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m, followed by a town hall in Spanish the following day, Thursday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. Watch live on ATXN or Facebook.com/AustinPublicHealth.

The [RE]verse Pitch Competition is alive and well and inviting businesses and entrepreneurs to enter the contest in which former castoffs become raw materials for new products or services. Find out what’s new this year at reversepitch.org. Register here for the opening pitch event – a virtual presentation – on Feb. 2, from 6-7:30 p.m., in which you “will hear from businesses and institutions consistently generating or collecting byproduct, surplus or otherwise underutilized materials streams in Austin, Texas, that could be put to higher and better use in new social enterprises.”

The city of Austin announced the hiring of a new homelessness strategy officer just before the end of 2020. Dianna Grey began her new job coordinating the city’s continued efforts to end homelessness on Jan. 4. A memo from City Manager Spencer Cronk announced the hiring and explained Grey had come from working at her own consulting firm, which has contracted with the city on the issue of permanent supportive housing. Prior to that, the LBJ School graduate was the director of the Texas Office of Corporation for Supportive Housing, “where she coordinated public policy efforts, provided technical assistance, and advised on capacity building programming and project financing across the state, with a specialized focus on Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, and Houston.” Lori Pampilo Harris, who was the city’s first homelessness strategy officer, served in the position for one month before stepping down in October 2019.

Austin Public Health is slated to receive 12,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine this week from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The vaccines, according to a news release from the city, will be administered to those who fall into phases 1A and 1B, according to state criteria, which includes health care workers, long-term care facility residents, those 65 or older, and residents with underlying health conditions. A registration system to distribute the vaccine will focus on vulnerable and underserved populations. “Individuals who meet the state’s current criteria for vaccination may be able to receive the vaccine under this first allocation or through future allocations. The system will have the ability to contact individuals to encourage them to schedule an appointment if and when APH is allocated additional vaccine. A phone line will also be available for those without internet access.” APH is one of more than 350 groups tasked with distributing the vaccine in the area. The health authority urges those who are able to obtain the vaccine through other means (such as a pharmacy or health care provider) to do so, in order to save the limited allocation doled out by the state for those who might not otherwise be able to get it. For more information, both Texas DSHS and the city of Austin have established information web pages.

With the start of the new year, Austin Resource Recovery has made a few modifications to its services and facilities. The Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center has been temporarily closed and drop-offs are no longer accepted at this time due to concerns about Covid-19. Residents may schedule contactless pickups of household hazardous waste for safe disposal. The large brush and bulk pickups, which were temporarily suspended last year, are now operating on their regular twice-annual schedule. Residential street-sweeping services have been reinstated, but are operating behind schedule. And after a four-year phased-in approach that began in 2017, the curbside composting program is expanding to all curbside customers in February. At some point in the future, ARR will distribute free kitchen collectors and compostable bags, but in the meantime customers are encouraged “to use reusable containers, coffee cans or paper bags for collecting food scraps.” Find more details about all service changes here.

The city’s Shop the Block program was launched last summer to give an assist to dining, drinking and shopping establishments that suffered serious financial setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The popular pilot program, which ran from June 15-Dec. 15, has now been extended until June 2021, according to an announcement from the city, “to help small businesses continue operations during Covid-19 restrictions.” Eligible businesses may apply for “quick, affordable permits” that will allow them “to expand operations outdoors onto private parking lots, public sidewalks, public parking spaces, or roads and alleyways in front of their establishments” for six months. Find directions and more information at AustinTexas.gov/ShoptheBlock.

The holidays have finally arrived and the Austin Monitor is taking some time off to relax, eat some Christmas goodies and spend some socially distanced time with friends and family. We will be back soon with reports on our interviews with local leaders. We wish you the best for this season and for 2021.