Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, who has served on the Commissioners Court since 2002, was honored during a meeting of the Commissioners Court and recognized for his advocacy for veterans issues, his true bipartisanship and his steadfastness in service. Commissioner Brigid Shea called him a “model Republican,” a sentiment echoed by Commissioner Jeff Travillion and in public comment from Zenobia Joseph. Travillion emphasized his willingness to work with the other side, “putting constituents over party.” U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett said, “He may have wanted to pave places that I didn’t want to pave, and he certainly voted for people that I didn’t vote for, but he has exercised throughout his tenure an integrity and a commitment that is impressive and that has contributed greatly to the benefit of our community, always putting his constituents first.” In early 2020, Daugherty was the only Republican of the 51 Travis County elected officials.

Just in time for New Year’s Eve, the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office has lifted its ban on the sale or use of restricted fireworks outside the city limits of any city or town in Travis County. The class of firework included in the order are “skyrockets with sticks” and “missiles with fins,” if that means anything to you. The lifting of the prohibition comes with a slew of cautions, reproduced in full below:

Before you use fireworks, please remember:

• Fireworks cause almost 20,000 fires a year
• Hospital emergency rooms see more than 9,000 injuries a year caused by fireworks
• Most fireworks injuries are caused by legal fireworks
• Sparklers burn hotter than a welder’s torch – they are not for little kids
• More than one-third of all fireworks-related injuries are kids less than 15 years old

Photo: city of Austin

Christmas trees are not trash. Live, natural trees – not plastic, artificial ones – may be mulched and recycled, ensuring that the tree returns to the soil in another form. Travis County has been providing free tree recycling for years, allowing county residents to give their holiday trees (and Hanukkah bushes) another life. Drop-off is available from Saturday, Dec. 26, to Sunday, Jan. 10., 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Find a map of Travis County tree drop-off locations here.

Follow these simple guideline for recycling trees:

• Remove all ornaments, decorations, lights, and tree stands
• Remove all nails, staples and metal
• Trees sprayed with flocking or artificial snow are not accepted
• Do not place the tree in a “tree bag” or any plastic bag
• Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half

If you live in the city of Austin you may simply leave your tree at the curb on your usual yard trimmings collection day. All other Austin residents may drop their trees off at Zilker Park. As for Christmas lights that no longer work, they can be recycled, too: Bring old lights (and discarded Styrofoam and cardboard) to the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center at 2514 Business Center Dr. Visit the city’s Tree Recycling web page for more info. And if you want some of that sweet-smelling tree mulch for your garden, it will be available, for free, starting Jan. 14 at 9 a.m., on a first-come, first-served basis. Wear your face mask and bring your own tools and storage containers for loading and transporting the mulch.

Could there be a better tradition than starting the new year with a hike? Last year, 5,242 people decided to usher in 2020 by hiking, biking or riding a total of 9,564 miles in one of 89 Texas State Parks. This year, even more people may decide to take a First Day Hike, bike or paddle. Rodney Franklin, the director of Texas State Parks, said, “Personally, I am looking forward to saying goodbye to 2020, having some black-eyed peas and starting out the new year with a First Day Hike. Spending time outdoors is a great way to connect with friends and family in a healthy way.  While we must still recreate responsibly, I hope that everyone will join us in ushering in 2021 with a First Day Hike at your favorite state park.” Check out a list of self-guided First Day Hikes on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website. Parks are operating at a limited capacity, so reserving a day pass in advance is highly recommended. Reserve day passes online through the TPWD reservation website or by calling (512) 389-8900.

Though it was widely (and weirdly) reported last week that Council Member Greg Casar was the heir apparent to the largely ceremonial title of mayor pro tem, it looks as though that may not be happening after all. According to rumblings at City Hall and a post on the City Council Message Board, Casar’s once-certain victory may be threatened by a push to elect a female mayor pro tem “from a West Austin district,” which is rumored to be Council Member Alison Alter. In a Monday night post on the message board, Casar addressed the potential change in direction. “Let me be clear, if the interest amongst my colleagues is to ensure greater female representation, you have my support. But we cannot cave into right-wing pressure from the wealthiest parts of town, simply because our Council has voted to affirm Black Lives Matter, advance labor victories, and to protect the civil rights of our homeless population. We must make it clear that we are not willing to back down if we truly believe what we are doing is right for Austinites … I say all this, because I’ve received phone calls indicating that I should back out so that we can choose a mayor pro tem from a West Austin district. I believe we are sending the wrong message in this critical time if we choose to select our mayor pro tem from one of the whiter and wealthier districts, rather than from the Eastern Crescent.” Casar goes on to say he would be happy to support a mayor pro tem from Austin’s Eastern Crescent. Council will elect the new mayor pro tem at its Jan. 6 meeting.

Along with an announcement that the state might take over police operations in Austin, there was more normal news from the Capitol yesterday. Namely, the Texas Capitol will reopen on Jan. 4 after being closed since March due to the pandemic. The office of Gov. Greg Abbott explained that, “In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, health and safety protocols have been put in place to allow for the Capitol’s reopening while maintaining a safe environment for all visitors, lawmakers and staff.” As for what this means for the upcoming legislative session: “Preparations to safely conduct business in the Texas House and Senate are ongoing, and each chamber will vote upon their respective rules and protocols at the start of the legislative session.”

The Austin Transit Partnership is the independent organization created to oversee the implementation of the Project Connect transit plan. The board of directors overseeing ATP is composed of one Austin City Council member, one Capital Metro board member and three community experts in the areas of finance, engineering and construction, and planning and sustainability. The nominating committee reviewed over 36 applications for the community expert positions and ultimately approved the following candidates: Tony Elkins, community expert in finance; Veronica Castro de Barrera, community expert in engineering and construction; and Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, community expert in planning and sustainability. Find more information about each position at AustinTransitPartnership.org. You may also review candidate bios and background information in the joint meeting backup.

This year the city’s Community Tree Preservation Division released its Community Tree Priority Map, an interactive tool available for everyone from arborists to developers to community members. The map has a variety of uses, according to the news release, which notes that “tree canopy data helps uncover disparities in historically under-canopied areas. This enables people to decide where activities like planting, tree care and community outreach could occur around Austin.” The red areas on the map indicate higher-priority areas where more tree-planting and tree stewardship is needed. Check out the map to see if your neighborhood needs more trees.

Deena Estrada, who previously served as chief of staff for Council Member Paige Ellis, has joined the staff of Travis County Judge Andy Brown. Estrada told the Austin Monitor, “I’m serving as (Brown’s) deputy chief of staff for policy – handling policy and coordinating the agenda. It’s been a very fun transition.” Amy Everhart, who has worked for Mayor Steve Adler, former Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Hahn Public Communications, and the Austin Board of Realtors, will be taking over as chief of staff in Ellis’ office today. Everhart also recently worked for Council Member Jimmy Flannigan in his reelection campaign.

Austin Independent School District leadership will begin a review of staffing plans for six campuses today. The schools – Cunningham and Padron elementary schools, Burnet and Covington middle schools, Bowie High and Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders – are to be part of a pilot program that will accommodate alternate work arrangements. According to a Saturday press release about the program, “Teachers, in collaboration with their principal, at the pilot campuses proposed plans to serve students while internally covering the roles of staff who may want alternate work arrangements. … Once approved, the pilot will run for three weeks to collect data before reviewing options to scale the program. All plans are fluid and will be altered to meet student or campus needs as in-person attendance increases.” According to the release, AISD schools have established conditions in which all staff will return to campus. Those conditions include vaccines being available to educators, Austin-Travis County being in Stage 3 risk-based guidelines, and “An increase in on-campus student attendance that requires additional in-person teachers to maintain safe classroom environments.”

The state comptroller’s office is encouraging Texas food banks to check the agency’s outstanding unclaimed property website, ClaimItTexas.org, to claim funds that may be owed to them. According to a news release from the comptroller’s office, “An initial check of some notable Texas food pantries shows that they’re owed thousands of dollars in unclaimed property.” The San Antonio Food Bank recently claimed more than $19,000 in unclaimed property – enough to provide its clients nearly 140,000 meals. “It’s a bit of a Christmas miracle to get a gift of unclaimed property via the state comptroller’s office,” San Antonio Food Bank President Eric S. Cooper said. The release explains that outstanding unclaimed property reserved for food banks “includes items such as utility deposits, uncashed checks, refunds from vendors and more. Businesses generally turn property over to the unclaimed property program after it has been considered dormant for one to five years.” A list of potential unclaimed property for food banks is available via the hunger-relief organization Feeding Texas, which partners with 21 food banks across the state.

Lake Buchanan is the latest Central Texas waterway to become infested with the invasive zebra mussel. Scientists working with the Lower Colorado River Authority found zebra mussel larvae in samples taken from three sites around the lake in October, and recent sampling efforts have confirmed the existence of an “established, reproducing population” of the mollusk. Monica McGarrity, a senior scientist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said in a news release, “At this time, the results indicate that the population in the lake appears to be small. However, as we have seen in other Texas lakes, the population is likely to increase rapidly over the next few years.” Researchers warn that nearby Inks Lake, which is downstream from Lake Buchanan, “is likely to become infested in the near future.” Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries regional director, said that zebra mussels are now found in 31 Texas lakes, but their spread can be controlled if boaters obey protocol. “Before traveling from lake to lake, clean, drain and dry your boat and gear,” he said. “Remove plants, mud and debris, drain all the water from the boat and gear, and then open up compartments once you get home and allow everything to dry completely.” This map shows lakes in Texas where zebra mussels have been found.