A program that stationed two public safety officers at Red River and Seventh streets has ended, according to a Sept. 28 memo that Austin Police Chief Brian Manley sent to City Council members. Manley explains that the officers were stationed around-the-clock “with the intent of restoring a sense of security and safety for residents, employees, tourists, music goers and other individuals in the area.” However, during the period the program was in place, from October 2019-April 2020, APD did not see a higher level of crime in that area as compared to other parts of downtown. The memo concludes, “Officers are most effective in providing a sense of security and well-being when they are able to freely move about their assigned area, interacting with downtown residents, visitors and business owners. Stationing officers at a particular intersection would limit that effectiveness. Therefore, APD recommends this request be closed, with the understanding that downtown officers will continue to pay special attention to the Red River and 7th Street area.”

Those interested in the state’s varied and complex mobility issues will meet many like minds at the 2020 Texas Mobility Summit, a two-day virtual conference that takes place today and tomorrow. The event is hosted by the Texas Innovation Alliance, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, “to provide a forum for transportation leaders to discuss the state of mobility and the role transportation will play in reinvigorating the Texas economy.” Panelists and speakers will tackle the state’s most pressing mobility challenges with the goal of finding shared solutions. Find a full schedule of events, a list of speakers and registration information here.

All that cool wet stuff that was recently falling from the sky has done its job and moistened the fuel – aka the brushy vegetation that feeds wildfires – in city parks and greenbelts. In response, Austin’s parks department has lifted the burn restrictions that were in place. You are now free to grill burgers or toast s’mores over a fire ring – in designated picnic areas only, of course.

With in-person classes set to resume next week, Austin Independent School District has a new learning plan and a new dashboard. The Open for Learning plan covers the phased-in approach, transportation and things like on- and off-campus activities. The dashboard, which will track positive coronavirus cases and exposures in the district, will be updated weekly. AISD will resume in-person learning on Monday, Oct. 5. The move has been met with concern from teachers and district families, who would like to delay the reopening. Education Austin has asked for schools to remain shuttered until there is a 14-day decline in new cases, a positivity rate of less than 5 percent and a transmission rate of less than 1 percent.

Austin Texas Musicians and the newly formed Amplified Sound Coalition are planning a second Come and Save It rally today, Sept. 28, at 11 a.m. at City Hall. The rally will solidify support for the city’s SAVES resolution and ask the city for a dedicated Music Venue Preservation Fund to save struggling venues and to establish a qualified grant administrator to distribute city grants to venues and the community. On Thursday, City Council will take up the proposed SAVES (Save Austin’s Vital Economic Sectors) resolution as Item 52 on its agenda. As written, that resolution would allocate $15 million to Covid-19 emergency relief for child care, music and arts venues, restaurants and bars.

Central Austin Democrats announced Sunday that it was endorsing David Chincanchan for the District 2 City Council seat and newcomer Jennifer Mushtaler for the District 6 seat currently held by Council Member Jimmy Flannigan. Mushtaler, an OB/GYN, emphasizes the fact that she is a doctor on her website. The group also endorsed incumbents Alison Alter (District 10), Leslie Pool (District 7) and Greg Casar (District 4). Flannigan, who has won a number of other endorsements, could certainly argue that the opinions of people who live outside his district should not be relevant to voters in his far northwest District 6. Opponents of Chincanchan could also argue that the opinions of central-city Democrats should have little sway in District 2, which is in Southeast Austin.

Austin Public Health is pulling out all the stops to remind the community that it’s critical to get the flu vaccine this year – not just to protect yourself, but to protect your loved ones and the entire community. With Covid-19 still circulating throughout the U.S. population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone older than 6 months old get a flu shot. Dr. Mark Escott, Austin-Travis County interim health authority, said, “The flu and Covid-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses. While both viruses may cause similar symptoms, fortunately, the flu has a vaccine available to prevent infection.” Visit VaccineFinder.org to find a nearby location to get your flu shot. Learn more about the flu in Austin here.

Amid the Sturm und Drang that is now everyday life, it’s understandable if one has lost sight of the fact that Austin’s first City Council redistricting is fast approaching. Following the 2012 charter amendment that created the current single-member district system, an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission drew the first (and current) Council districts. Now it’s time to redraw those boundaries for the 2022 election. As a first step, the city auditor will randomly select three people to serve on the Applicant Review Panel, which oversees the formation of the ICRC. The random drawing will take place next Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m., and will be livestreamed on Facebook and ATXN. Find a list of the qualified applicants and more information about the process here.

More than a dozen environmental advocacy groups have voiced their support for Proposition A and Project Connect, citing reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as top reasons to support the mass transit plan. “We’re literally at a crossroads in so many different ways in our nation and our community, and this is one big thing we can do that we can work together and feel better about,” said Tom Smith of Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance, during a Zoom web panel hosted by Bay Scoggin of Texas Public Interest Research Group. Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza also joined the discussion, with warnings of climate catastrophe already underway and disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. “Melting ice caps, hurricanes, droughts … all these things are happening right now … and doing nothing will only make things worse,” Garza said. “Fighting climate change is a matter of racial justice; it is a matter of true equity. And voting for Prop A and Project Connect is one of the most consequential things you can do to fight climate change.” In a post Thursday, Catherine Fraser of Environment Texas, a project of Environment America, wrote that the added local transit options could “avert 109 million vehicle miles of travel annually, reducing smog-forming pollution by 30 tons and global warming pollution by 43 tons every year.” David Foster of Clean Water Action also noted the historic $300 million investment in anti-displacement included in Prop A, which he said was a major reason the organization decided to endorse the plan. “It’s the right thing to do for traffic congestion, it’s the right thing to do for affordability and equity, and not least, it’s the right thing to do for the environment,” Foster said.

In welcome though slightly unseasonable news, public pools will be opening for fall, beginning Saturday, Sept. 26. A press release from the city explains, after “careful consideration of the local characteristics of the virus and related community priorities,” that it has “been determined that these re-openings may proceed safely during Stage 3: Covid-19: Risk-Based Guidelines.” As risk stages decrease, more parks facilities could open. And if virus activity increases, amenities and facilities could close again. A city FAQ explains the new, modified pool operations, and the initial opening schedules are below.

We humans may be dealing with a global pandemic amid uncertain political times, but monarch butterflies still migrate and trees still grow upward toward the sunlight. In other words, nature marches onward despite humankind’s upheavals. Those who want to celebrate this wondrous fact in person might feel somewhat thwarted this year, but Austin’s Roots & Wings Festival, a combined celebration of Monarch Appreciation Day and Arbor Day, will still take place, just in a somewhat different format than years past. Festival organizers have brainstormed many creative ways to celebrate pollinators, trees and other living beings “through live virtual programming and hands-on activities you can do from your home, yard or nearby nature.” The festival will take place Oct. 24 to Nov. 7. Check the city’s Nature in the City page for updates on the festival, as well as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Public health officials across the land are desperately trying to publicize the unhappy fact that the highly contagious influenza virus and the highly contagious virus that causes Covid-19 will be spreading at the same time as the seasons change and cooler temps arrive. Both flu and Covid spread through the air via droplets that are expelled when we talk, sing, cough or sneeze. The symptoms of both viruses are also similar. Fortunately, there is something we can do to lessen the risk of getting sick – get a flu shot. Dr. Alan Schalscha, chief medical officer for CommUnityCare Health Centers, said in a news release, “Getting a flu vaccine has never been more important. A severe flu season in the midst of a deadly coronavirus pandemic could overwhelm our health care system. Flu vaccines and face masks are two proven defenses that all of us need to embrace, especially as people start gathering indoors during the fall and winter and during the holiday season.” CommUnityCare will be preparing about 30,000 vaccines in the coming weeks for its patients – a number based on last season’s total vaccinations. Central Health President & CEO Mike Geeslin added, “We’ve come so far slowing the spread of Covid-19, now is not the time to let down our guard. All of us need to get a flu vaccine and (continue to) practice healthy habits meaning always wearing a mask in public, washing our hands often, and avoiding crowded indoor gatherings. Protecting yourself, your family and our entire community could give hospitals the space they may need to treat patients with coronavirus when we experience another surge.”