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- Austin’s airport is getting a new concourse and 20 more gates but not until the 2030s
- New federal cash paves way for East Austin’s ‘wishbone’ bridge over Lady Bird Lake
- Democrats vs. Republicans: First election coming for Travis Central Appraisal District board
- New rules in the works for electric vehicle charging stations
- Budget deficit looms over city this year and beyond
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Whispers
League of Women Voters Austin Area hosts spring festival
The League of Women Voters Austin Area will hold the 2024 Friends & Family Spring Festival on Saturday, April 27. The festival is a free outdoor event for the entire Austin community that aims to get youth excited about voting. There will be live music, treats from Kona Ice, a democracy-themed treasure hunt with prizes, instant and personalized poems from Typewriter Rodeo, games, giveaways, popcorn, face painting, a bouncy house and other activities. It’s set for 2-4 p.m. at the Alamo Baker Community Gardens, at 3908 Avenue B. Registering at lwvaustin.org/festival2024 is recommended but not required.
Monday, April 15, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
Qadri pitches changes to UNO
City Council will consider a resolution to modify the University Neighborhood Overlay this Thursday. The resolution, which comes from District 9 Council Member Zo Qadri, is the result of a yearlong outreach process, according to a press release from Qadri’s office. “The student-centered improvements in the newest proposal, focusing on affordability and livability, include furthering requirements for windows in bedrooms, an expansion of UNO into adjacent areas, an expansion of the Inner West Campus subdistrict, amending height limits in line with Planning Commission recommendations and the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) overlay, an exploration of commercial options to promote healthy and accessible grocery options, and additional programmatic updates and mobility improvements,” it continues. The resolution, which can be read in its entirety here, is co-sponsored by Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, José Velásquez and Ryan Alter.
Friday, April 12, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
End of a dashboard
In a sign of the times, the city is retiring its Covid-19 dashboard. The dashboard, which had a devoted daily audience during the height of the pandemic, had “millions of views during its run” and was once a primary tool in making emergency operation, policy and personal decisions. Health care providers are no longer required by the state to report cases of Covid to Austin Public Health on an individual basis. However, APH will continue to respond to any outbreaks and continue outreach that includes vaccines for those who qualify. In addition, the health authority will continue to track the disease through wastewater surveillance, death records and outbreaks within at-risk communities. That data contributes to the still-running Texas Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report. The public should still employ safe practices, including keeping vaccines up to date and employing social distancing when ill. “This is the end of an era for Austin Public Health and the community we serve. We launched the dashboard at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been invaluable to our work for the last four years,” Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said in a statement to the press. “The dashboard highlighted ZIP codes and populations that called for additional outreach, it showed us the effectiveness of our immunization and prevention campaigns and it served as a stark reminder of those who were lost and the importance of our continued efforts to fight this virus.”
Friday, April 12, 2024 by Jo Clifton
Austin sales tax collections increase
Sales tax allocations for Austin, as well as other cities in Texas, have grown over the past year, according to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. For Austin, February sales tax collections were up 7.55 percent over last year’s collections. Hegar reported that the city would receive more than $27.8 million, up from $25.9 million last year. Overall this year, Austin’s sales tax collections are 1.61 percent higher than a year ago, but that may not be enough. The city’s chief financial officer, Ed Van Eenoo, told City Council in February that the city may not receive 4 percent more than last year as projected by this year’s budget. So sales tax collections must continue to grow in order to meet budget expectations. Round Rock will be receiving 10 percent more in sales tax revenue this quarter than a year ago. This quarter, Round Rock will receive $8,879,280.38, as compared to $8,049,727.30 a year ago.
New grants for creatives open now
A new round of $5,000 Nexus Grants is open to local artists and art programs. The city’s Economic Development Department announced the newest round of funding for artists, which can be used to cover expenses for area-based applicants who have a one-year (or more) history of arts programming in the area. More information and application details are available online, and more information about the grants is available through a number of outreach events and workshops, detailed here. Applications are open now and will remain open through 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 14.
Fair Housing Conference to take place next week
On April 16 and 17, the city will host a Fair Housing Conference that is free and open to the public. Anyone is welcome to join a host of experts in the field to share ideas and learn more about fair housing issues. The conference will feature panel discussions, housing resources and a tour of the Colony Park Sustainable Community. The 1968 Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, made discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status illegal. This is the second year for the city’s conference, which is put on as a cooperative effort between the city’s Office of Civil Rights, Housing Department and Economic Development Department. It will take place at Norris Conference Center and registration to attend can be done online here. “The 2024 Fair Housing Conference hosted by the City of Austin will span two full days, offering insightful discussions on legal updates, current fair housing issues, and strategies for fostering inclusive communities of opportunity,” Tamela Saldana, interim director of the Office of Civil Rights, said in a statement to the press. “It’s an invaluable opportunity to reflect on our progress in advancing fair housing principles.”
A spring tour by Save Austin’s Cemeteries is set for April 20
Save Austin’s Cemeteries is an organization dedicated to preserving city-owned historic cemeteries through documentation, preservation and education and promoting them as local and state cultural resources. Its Spring Tour is a chance to learn about the cemeteries with drop-in history tours. Join in from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Oakwood Cemetery, 1601 Navasota St. The event is free and open to the public and has ample free parking. The Oakwood Cemetery was established in 1839 and is a City of Austin Historic Landmark, a Historic Texas Cemetery and on the National Register of Historic Places. The Spring Tour coincides with a new digital exhibit by the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel, “To Fight Fires,” which details the history of the Austin Fire Department from the early 1800s to the present day. An Austin Fire Department truck will be on-site from 10 to 11 a.m.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 by Elizabeth Pagano
LCRA ups its peaker power
On Tuesday, the Lower Colorado River Authority announced plans to add a second generating unit to the new peaker plant being built in Central Texas. The addition will double its energy production at the new natural-gas plant in Caldwell County and serve as a source of additional power when demand threatens to outstrip the power supply. The new plant will be named Timmerman Power Plant after LCRA Board Chair Tim Timmerman, who has been an advocate for the plant during his tenure. Timmerman has served on the board since 2008 and as chair since 2011. Each of the peaker plant units can supply up to 190 megawatts to the grid, which translates to more than 100,000 homes during peak demand. Construction for the second unit will begin this spring, and it is expected to be in service in 2026. The first unit, which is currently under construction, should be complete by next year. “To keep the Texas economy moving, we need more affordable, reliable power, and that’s why plants like these here in Central Texas are so incredibly important,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at a ceremonial groundbreaking at the plant site. “When grid demand is at its peak, these plants will quickly provide power for the grid even as we set new demand records for power every single summer.”
Meet Earl J. Pomerleau Pocket Park
Austin’s Earl J. Pomerleau Pocket Park will be officially welcomed into the world today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its completion. Austin Parks Foundation, Austin Parks and Recreation Department and Windsor Park Neighborhood Association have teamed up to officially open the Earl J. Pomerleau Pocket Park with a free, open-to-the-public celebration at 1906 Patton Lane at 4 p.m. today. The 2-acre park project began in 2018 and has been open to the public since July. This March, with the help of a donor, its pavilion was completed. The project is the result of a joint effort between the host organizations and funded through ACL Board Designated Funds, an Urban Forestry Grant and city parkland dedication fees. The new park includes a playground, picnic areas and a loop trail in addition to the pavilion.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 by Beth Bond
We Are Blood spotlights its canteen volunteers
With National Volunteer Week coming up on April 21-27, Central Texas’ blood bank, We Are Blood, is spotlighting the 100-plus volunteers who staff its canteens daily, helping make blood donors’ experience better by giving them drinks and snacks to stay well-hydrated and boost glucose levels after blood loss. We Are Blood is the sole provider of blood to more than 50 hospitals. In 2023, canteen host volunteers provided 5,760 hours of service at three of WrB’s donation centers: North Lamar, Cedar Park and South Austin. We Are Blood is always seeking new volunteers. Click here for information on how to get involved.
Joint meeting to consider more development code changes Thursday
This Thursday at 9 a.m., City Council and the Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting to consider changes to the Land Development Code. The changes, which are detailed here, are part of an update aimed at creating more housing by revising compatibility standards and reducing minimum lot size for single-unit developments, among other things. Thursday’s meeting will feature an overview of the changes as well as a public hearing, with additional public hearings at the April 23 Planning Commission meeting and the May 16 meeting of City Council. In addition, the city will hold two open houses. The first will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 17 at Austin Central Library. The second meeting will be virtual, from 10 a.m. until noon. Speaker registration for Thursday’s joint meeting can be found here.
City career expo this Thursday
This Thursday, April 11, the city will host its annual Career Expo at the Palmer Events Center. The event is designed to provide opportunities for anyone seeking a job, and to offer a chance to network with employers and other work resources. According to a press release about the event, “The Career Expo will include several City departments, private employers, state agencies, higher education and technical schools, temporary staffing agencies, and many smaller businesses with skilled, customer service and labor job openings. There is no cost for job seekers to attend, and a professional photographer will be onsite taking headshots of attendees at no charge.” For reference, last year’s expo had about 100 employers present, with more than 4,000 jobs available. Registration is online at AustinTexas.gov/CareerExpo.