The city’s Transportation and Economic Development departments are throwing a party for the community to celebrate the recently completed bike lanes on Manor Road. The new bike lanes, from Clyde Littlefield Drive to Dean Keeton Street, provide a protected east-west route to and from Central Austin and into the UT campus as well as an upgraded crosswalk and sidewalk. The project was funded through the bikeways program of the 2016 Mobility Bond. The celebration includes free bicycle safety checks and lemonade, and discounted food and beverages and special offers from restaurants and businesses along Manor Road. Community members are encouraged to ride their bikes to the event and meet at the “M” Manor Bike Rack to hear special guest speakers. Friday, Sept. 13, 4-6 p.m., at the triangle between East Dean Keeton Street and Manor Road.

Among the 300 homes planned for the next expansion of the Community First! Village for those previously experiencing homelessness will be six units made by Austin-based, 3D-printed home builders Icon Technology. The tech startup also “printed” a new 500-square-foot welcome center for the Northeast Austin village that uses tiny homes to provide residences for the formerly homeless, who also work there and help maintain the grounds. The new homes were funded in part by Cielo Property Group, which has invested in Icon and pledged $1 million to help provide housing to the city’s homeless population. Like traditional construction homes built in Austin, the Icon homes will need to receive a building permit from the city. The city’s first permit for a 3D-printed home was issued at last year’s South by Southwest, as part of a high-profile public bow for the company.

Today, Central Health will be holding the first of two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2020 proposed property tax rate. As required by the state tax code, Central Health must hold two public hearings before the board of managers, and then the Travis County Commissioners Court approves the budget and tax rate. According to a press release, “Central Health’s FY2020 proposed budget of over $290 million is largely funded by Travis County property taxes, and will increase funding for health care delivery by 12.4% over this year.” You can get a look at the details of Central Health’s FY 2020 budget and tax rate here. If you would like to speak at the hearing, please arrive by 5:30 p.m. to sign in. Speakers will have three minutes to address the board of managers. The first hearing is today, Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m., at Central Health, 1111 E. Cesar Chavez St. The second public hearing will be on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Though passage of the city budget generally means higher costs for most Austinites (about $115 annually this time around), the Austin Water Utility would like to remind residents that they are not part of those increased costs. City Council voted to maintain a reduced water rate, introduced in 2018, which was a 4.8 percent rate reduction. A press release from the utility explains, “When the majority of water utilities across the country are increasing rates by 5 percent year-over-year, Austin Water is defying national trends – finding efficiencies and savings which have been contributing factors in Austin Water’s multi-year plan to stabilize water rates and make water service more affordable.” The press release also notes the utility has found savings by phasing out desktop computers, replacing wastewater treatment plant equipment and through financial decisions like low-interest loans and using debt defeasance to reduce overall debt.

This week, City Council will pass a budget that will top $4 billion. In order to do so, Council members have scheduled three meetings. They could pass the budget today, at the first of those scheduled meetings. If that doesn’t happen, they have the option of continuing their discussion on Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, the Austin Monitor will keep its readers posted. Those wanting to study up in advance can read up on Council members’ (many) proposed amendments, a number of which have been posted on the City Council Message Board in advance. In addition, this 15-page memo and our previous coverage are both good refreshers on where things currently stand.

After nine years as an assistant county attorney, Laurie Eiserloh will announce today that she is running for county attorney in the March Democratic primary. Eiserloh, who has served for nine years in the county attorney’s office and leads the labor and employment team, was an assistant city attorney for eight years before moving over to the county. Prior to that, she worked as a litigator for Bickerstaff, Heath, Smiley, Pollan, Kever & McDaniel and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. She is also the former executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, where she served from 1990-93. Former Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Cecelia Burke is serving as her campaign treasurer. Eiserloh will likely face Judge Mike Denton, who just announced he would be retiring from the bench this month, as well as Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza, who would like to run for the job but can’t make an official announcement until December if she wants to keep her current position. Attorney Dominic Selvera has also thrown his hat in the ring. County Court-at-Law Judge Elisabeth Earle, who had been considering entering the race, said last month she would not run but would continue in her current position. All the candidates are vying to succeed David Escamilla, who has announced his intention to retire at the end of his term. Eiserloh will make her announcement at the NeWorlDeli, 4101 Guadalupe, today at 2 p.m.

The city’s Music and Entertainment Division is planning a pilot study of acoustics and sound issues related to nightlife, with a target for launching next spring. The study is expected to include two locations in the city regularly impacted by low-frequency bass sounds generated from live and recorded music in venues and nightclubs, with the intent to recommend measurement and enforcement standards that will ease complaints from residents affected by loud noise. The study will include an acoustic engineer consultant and sound monitoring devices and equipment from JBN Sound Solutions that is intended to reduce sound impacts from venues. The music division is also developing a new procedure for city staff to respond to noise complaints using an affidavit process through Austin Municipal Court, rather than relying on police officers to enforce the city’s noise ordinances. Using a new full-time hire, the division will have one point person in charge of managing all processes for outdoor amplified sound enforcement.

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Givens District Park Master Plan has been named a runner-up for the International Association for Public Participation’s Core Values Award for Respect for Diversity, Inclusion and Culture. That may seem like a mouthful, but what it means, basically, is that parks department staff has been justly recognized for its sensitive community engagement process and effort to reach as many people in the community as possible while creating the master plan for Givens District Park. John Nixon, PARD’s communications and engagement manager, said in a press release, “We are deeply honored by IAP2’s acknowledgement and accept this award on behalf of the residents who helped make the Givens District Park Master Plan possible. The community earned this award by championing this project and making their vision a reality.” According to the release, “The IAP2 Core Values Awards recognize achievements in the field of public engagement, ensuring that people affected by a decision are given the opportunity to provide input and know how their input was used.” Take a look at the Givens Park plan here.

From left to right: Gregory Montes, Austin Parks and Recreation park development coordinator; Gwen Howard of the IAP2 board; Tina Geiselbrecht of Texas A&M Transportation Institute; and Justin Schneider, Austin Parks and Recreation community engagement specialist, receive the award at the IAP2 North American Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At last week’s meeting on the 2020 budget, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo told Council that staff was projecting an additional $20,962,980 next year as a result of the 2 percent increase in the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax. Council approved that increase at its Aug. 8 meeting in anticipation of demolishing and rebuilding the current convention center. Van Eenoo explained that more than $14.6 million of the new funds would be transferred to the Convention Center Capital Fund, while the rest of the money would be split between the Historic Preservation Fund and the Cultural Arts Fund. That means each of those funds will receive $3,144,447 in addition to their previous funding. In staff’s original proposal, they projected spending $12.8 million in support of cultural arts and $11.9 million in support of historic preservation. Although there was a lot of discussion about the hotel tax before Council approved it, there was no comment from the dais last week. The local hotel tax is now at 17 percent, the maximum allowed under state law. Austinites will get a chance to vote on a referendum in November to decide whether future expansions of the convention center should require voter approval. Council is scheduled to take up budget approval on Tuesday.

A series of artistic, historical and cultural events held at Oakwood Cemetery Chapel will honor the life and memory of Jacob Fontaine, a formerly enslaved man who was freed at the age of 57 and went on to found six Baptist churches and launch Austin’s first black newspaper. The exhibit, titled “To Believe,” is a collaboration with area interfaith groups and East Austin community leaders and uses music, video, photography, digital story maps, panel talks and performance to document Fontaine’s influence in Austin and different approaches to faith. The exhibit also aligns with an exhibition at the George Washington Carver Museum called “The African American Presence in 19th Century Texas,” which opens in October. “To Believe” opens Sept. 21, 2-5 p.m., with a reception featuring Austin musician W.C. Clark. The full list of events can be found here.

The Austin Parks Foundation is looking for a few good music-loving volunteers to pitch in with the Austin City Limits Festival greening program. Volunteers help sort waste on the festival grounds and divert recyclables from the landfill. In return, they get a cool ACL T-shirt and a one-day pass to the festival. These volunteer positions are in high demand. Start the process by visiting APF’s volunteer management site and following the instructions to sign up online.

In an effort to discourage Austinites from driving while intoxicated and to raise public awareness of the hazards of drunk driving, the Austin Police Department, with assistance from Austin Transportation, conducted its Labor Day No Refusal initiative over Labor Day weekend, Thursday to Monday, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. During this time period, officers made 57 DWI-related arrests. Of that number, 18 provided a breath sample, 12 provided a blood sample, and on-the-spot blood search warrants were obtained for 27 suspects who refused to provide a breath or blood specimen. Eight of the 57 individuals were charged with a class A misdemeanor DWI for having a prior conviction; two individuals were charged with a felony DWI for having children in the vehicle; one person was charged with boating while intoxicated; one was charged with felony DWI for having two or more prior convictions; and one person was charged with intoxicated assault.