The Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of things on hold, but some things cannot wait, and one of them is the Austin Fire Department’s 2021 hiring process. AFD is kicking off its recruiting efforts this month with a series of livestreamed webcasts called Join AFD Live. Narrated by firefighter Reggie Campbell, a 17-year veteran of the department, the inaugural video advises aspiring firefighters to log on to the recruiting website, JoinAFD.com, and fill out a candidate interest card. Then follow AFD on social media to get an up-close look at the country’s 14th-largest fire department. Campbell also recommends that serious candidates “clean up” their social media platforms, because as part of the recruiting process, AFD will examine all Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds looking for anything that suggests one is not an upstanding citizen. There should be “Nothing negative, and nothing you don’t want to be associated with,” Campbell says. To learn more about the process and what it takes to join AFD, read the department’s hiring FAQ.

As if 2020 had not handed us enough to deal with, a pool of mosquitoes in the ZIP code 78756 has tested positive for West Nile virus. (Last year, 119 positive pools were found in Texas, though none in Travis County.) According to Austin Public Health, symptoms of West Nile infection “may include fever, headache and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes. Those over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe illness, which may include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, and paralysis.” The health authority stresses that the best way to prevent the virus is to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area by draining sources of water where they can breed and by avoiding bites. The city has a site dedicated to West Nile that has more information about the virus as well as an Arbovirus Surveillance Map that details where infected mosquitoes have been found.

Austin Public Health will hold a Facebook Live conversation this Saturday to address Covid-19 in the Black community, which has been disproportionately affected by the virus. Organizers are asking African American attendees to complete a survey before the event to help the city identify ways to ease the impacts of Covid-19 on the community and address long-term challenges with public health. According to a press release from the city, “APH Director Stephanie Hayden will moderate the event. Conversation leaders will include Priscilla Hale, executive director of allgo; Jacqueline Smith Francis, health educator for the SAFE Alliance; Daryl Horton, pastor for Mt. Zion Baptist Church and chair of the African American Resource Advisory Commission; and Dr. Jeffree James, internal medicine physician at Austin Medical Clinic.” The discussion will take place on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. Find more information on Facebook.

The topic of returning to school in the fall is fraught with questions and concerns for parents, students and school employees alike. In the hopes of alleviating some of the anxiety, AISD is hosting two online information sessions designed to offer attendees “a stronger sense of what the return to school will look and feel like. Participants will get a look into ‘a day in the life’ of at-home learning and on-campus face-to-face learning.” The first session, “At-Home Distance Teaching & Learning,” will take place on Wednesday, July 22, from 9-10:30 a.m. The second session, “On-Campus Face-to-Face Teaching & Learning and Safety Protocols,” is on Thursday, July 23, from noon-1:30 p.m. Both sessions will be streamed on AISD.TV, cable channel 22 and Facebook Live with Spanish interpretation. Those who have more questions can also find answers at Let’s Talk. And don’t forget the Family Support line, 512-414-9187, available Mon.-Thu. from 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

A coalition of 80 Austin businesses and organizations has signaled its support for a $750 million Safe Mobility Bond in November that would fund a network of sidewalks, bikeways, trails and safer streets in the city. According to a letter sent by the Austin Outside coalition, the bond is “Austin’s chance to achieve its progressive mobility goals and transform our city into one where everyone is safe on our streets and is free to choose how they move around. Walking, bicycling, and using a mobility device such as a wheelchair should be enjoyable, convenient, safe ways for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to get where they need to go, whether commuting to work, taking a safe route to school, running errands, visiting a friend, or enjoying nature.” The coalition has also endorsed a public petition asking City Council to put the bond on the November ballot. The letter can be read in its entirety below.

Download (PDF, 102KB)

Pooja Sethi, who is challenging Council Member Alison Alter for her District 10 seat in November, reported raising more than $43,000 in contributions and spending less than $9,000 from Jan. 1 through June 30. Alter reported raising $83,588 for her reelection campaign. Sethi has loaned her campaign $5,000 and still had more than $55,000 in the bank, according to her report. Sri Rao Bodappu, CEO of E Solvit, gave Sethi $400, one of her larger contributions. Attorney and urban planner Jeb Boyt, who ran for Council unsuccessfully against Leslie Pool, contributed $100.

When all the votes were counted in the Senate District 14 race early Wednesday morning, former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt had 49.66 percent of the vote, or 59,267 votes, compared to 33.84 percent, or 40,384 votes, for state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez. It looked very much like a runoff. But it’s possible there may not be a need for that extra election, according to Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir. She said Wednesday that her office had just received 2,000 ballots in the mail that are eligible to be counted, “so I don’t think this race is over yet.” In addition, there are some number of provisional ballots. Ballots from military and overseas voters also have until Monday to arrive at the clerk’s office and be counted. The same is true for any other mail ballot that is postmarked on or before July 13. Kristin Miles, Bastrop County elections administrator, told the Austin Monitor her office had received an additional 63 mail ballots on Wednesday. There were also 11 provisional ballots from voters who were allowed to vote but could not produce an ID on election day. She said 10 of those voters had already provided proof of identification and their ballots will be counted. Both Travis and Bastrop counties will be canvassing their votes on July 23. After that, if no candidate has 50 percent of the vote, the governor will set a date for the runoff, which DeBeauvoir said she expects to be during the third week of September. DeBeauvoir also praised Travis County voters for being good citizens at the polls. “They all wore masks, they took care of one another, they followed social distancing protocols. They were just jewels,” she said.

The next event in Austin Parks Foundation’s monthly Parks Summit series will be held this evening at 6 p.m. and is titled “Parks Are Essential: Budgeting to Reflect Austin’s Values.” The organization asks, “How do budgets truly impact public assets like parks and the people who enjoy and rely on them? Learn how you can use your voice to make sure parks get the funding they deserve and that Austin creates a budget that reflects our city’s values.” The event features Andrew Hairston, the School-to-Prison Pipeline project director from Texas Appleseed, and two staffers from the parks department. RSVP here and get a reminder.

It’s a dangerous world out there, as we well know. Aside from outbreaks of infectious disease, one must be prepared for natural disasters like wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and drought – and that’s just for starters. Fortunately, Austin has a Hazard Mitigation Plan that enables the city “to minimize or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards by identifying and implementing cost-effective mitigation actions.” The city is currently in the process of updating its hazard plan and would like feedback from community members. “Public input will help the project team to identify and analyze potential hazards affecting residents and recommend possible actions to reduce their impact,” says the city, which has scheduled four public webinars, to be held on the following dates:

• July 21, 5:30- 6:30 p.m. – register here
• July 23, 3-4 p.m. – register here
• July 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m. – register here
• July 31, 10-11 a.m. – register here

The good news is that more people are spending time in nature during the pandemic. The bad news is that a lot of them are hiking the Hill of Life trail and all those people and cars have caused congestion, overcrowding and illegal parking in the Woods of Westlake neighborhood. Thus, “To enhance safety and accessibility for both residents of the neighborhood and visitors to the trailhead,” the Transportation Department is implementing a new parking pilot program, which “will use a combination of Pay to Park on-street parking, expanded No Parking areas, and the creation of Digital Resident Parking Zones. Pay to Park parking for visitors to the trailhead will be available along Scottish Woods Trail. Pricing will depend on the length of the parking sessions.” Because of “the fluid nature of the pandemic,” the department is not yet sure of the timeline for the pilot, but look for street signs going up in the neighborhood this month. Find more information about the pilot program and residential permits here.

On Tuesday, Austin Public Health ordered all Austin-Travis County schools to delay reopening in response to the accelerating rate of Covid-19 cases. The city distilled the orders, which went into effect Tuesday:

• School systems shall not re-open schools for on-campus, face-to-face instruction until after September 7, 2020;
• Virtual instruction shall be permitted as per a school system’s own plan;
• Extracurricular sports and activities shall not take place until school systems re-open for on-campus instruction;
• At least two weeks prior to re-opening for on-campus instruction and on-campus activities, the school or district shall develop a plan to be submitted to the Austin/Travis County Health Authority for re-opening on-campus activities and instruction and make the plan available for parents and general public.

Austin ISD announced Tuesday that they would “suspend in-person education and deliver virtual instruction for the first three weeks of the 2020–21 school year,” which begins Aug. 18.

This is exactly what we need right now: Austin Public Health has launched a map of all Covid-19 testing locations throughout the city and the surrounding area. The map depicts both stationary and mobile facilities and includes information on hours of operation, how the test is performed, which lab the company uses for processing the tests, whether or not appointments are necessary, what the cost is, and whether insurance is accepted. Austin Public Health sites are included along with options for people who have health insurance or a primary care provider. According to APH’s news release, “APH encourages people who have insurance to utilize other testing sites so we can be the safety net for those without insurance or a primary care provider.” Providers may add their information to the map here. Find the Covid-19 Test Locations Map here.