The Edwards Aquifer provides water both to Barton Springs and to groundwater wells throughout Travis and Hays counties. Protecting the aquifer means protecting the ecosystem above and around it, and prescribed burning is one tool proven to have numerous benefits. Austin Water’s Wildland Conservation Division will be conducting prescribed burns this summer on sections of the 28,000 acres in Hays County designated as water quality protection lands. Among its other benefits, prescribed burning helps to minimize the danger of uncontrolled wildfire, promotes the growth of native grasses and supports biodiversity in the area. Luke Ball with the Wildland Conservation Division says, “Conducting prescribed burns is one of the strategies used to manage these lands and protect groundwater in Central Texas. Prescribed burns improve the resiliency of our land when they are used as a planned seasonal management tool.” To conduct the burns, Austin Water partners with highly trained staff from municipal fire departments and land management agencies. If you’d like to receive notifications when the burns are scheduled, sign up here.

Douglas Manchester, owner of the Fairmont Hotel, may not be interested in buying the Palm School property after all. Manchester told the Austin American-Statesman Wednesday that a news release announcing his interest in developing the county-owned property was sent without his permission. The attorney who sent the press release, state Rep. Sheryl Cole, told the Statesman she had been fired as a result. The news release stated that Manchester would seek to develop the property surrounding the historic school building but would donate $5 million to preserve the building as a cultural center. The proposal quickly drew rebukes from some of the advocates for preserving Palm School, who said the entire property, not just the building, should remain a public space. Manchester told the Statesman the news release left the impression that “our conversations were much further along than they were.” He added that he was only interested in a deal that would be able to attract public support and that he would not be moving forward with any “unsolicited” offers to the county.

Apparently following the lead of Austin businesses that objected to the city’s required sick leave ordinance, a group of San Antonio businesses have filed suit challenging their city’s attempt to require employers to provide sick leave. Austin’s ordinance was never implemented because of a lawsuit, and the same may be true of San Antonio’s ordinance. Last November, the 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled that Austin’s ordinance violates the state constitution because it is in conflict with the Texas minimum wage law. The city of Austin has asked the Texas Supreme Court to overturn that ruling and restore the ordinance.  Meanwhile, San Antonio’s ordinance is set to take effect Aug. 1. However, business groups, including the Associated Builders & Contractors of South Texas and the San Antonio Restaurant Association, have filed a lawsuit to prevent that from happening. The San Antonio Express-News reported Wednesday that the head of CPS Energy, San Antonio’s city-owned utility, announced that she is stepping down as chair of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce because of the lawsuit. Paula Gold-Williams said she had decided to leave the chamber because “it is not helpful for me to be in the middle of a serious and formalized legal conflict between CPS Energy’s parent organization and its customers.”

Senators Kirk Watson, Charles Schwertner, Judith Zaffirini, Dawn Buckingham and Donna Campbell each represent a portion of Travis County, with Watson representing the lion’s share. Bearing in mind that members of the Legislature are not allowed to collect donations while the Legislature is in session and for a couple of weeks after that, here are some highlights from the July 15 campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. Although Watson raised only about $6,900 during the short window prior to June 30, he reported cash on hand of nearly $1,302,000 and he’s not up for reelection next year. On the other hand, Zaffirini, whose hometown is Laredo, reported raising $72,760 and her cash on hand was more than $1,276,000. She is up for reelection in 2020. Schwertner, who is from Georgetown, reported collecting no political contributions, but still retains more than $1,269,000 in the bank. Campbell, who represents parts of far South Austin as well as Hays and Kendall counties and parts of Bexar County, reported contributions of just $3,250 but still has more than $631,000 in the bank. Buckingham, on the other hand, raised more than $405,000 during that short window in late June and reported that she has $1,349,589 in the bank. However, the campaign owes her more than $1,023,000. Buckingham, who is an ophthalmologist plastic surgeon, had a list of wealthy contributors and political action committees, including APAC, Inc./Oldcastle Materials, Inc. Texas PAC, which contributed $10,000 to her campaign. She also received $5,000 from the Beer Alliance of Texas PAC, the Eye-PAC of the Texas Ophthalmological Association and $15,000 from Alan Harper of the L&M Service Group. She is up for reelection in 2020.

Last week we told you that Central Health would be holding a community conversation on its 2020 health care budget, scheduled for Monday, July 29. Well, get your calendars out, because that meeting has been postponed until August. As soon as we hear the new date from Central Health, we’ll let you know.

Next week, the Downtown Austin Alliance will be hosting a forum to discuss recent changes to city homelessness ordinances. Dubbed the Downtown Safety Forum, panelists will discuss changes to the camping and sit/lie ordinances that went into effect on July 1 and hear from “city officials about homelessness planning, including recommendations for shelters in each council district that are due in August,” according to a press release about the event. Panelists, including Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley, Interim Homeless Strategy Officer Veronica Briseño and DAA Vice President of Investor Relations Bill Brice, will discuss these issues and answer questions from the audience on July 23 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth St. Though the event is free and open to the public, guests must RSVP online to attend.

We know you never tire of hearing about Austin’s mobility issues. But big problems need big solutions. Now the city of Austin and Ford Mobility have launched The City:One Challenge, a collaboration of municipal, community and corporate partners whose goal is to crowdsource some really smart ideas that will help to transform Austin’s transportation headaches. This Thursday’s working group – the first in a series of community meetings – has an ambitious goal: to “identify new mobility solutions that create immediate impact for residents and support broader planning efforts in cities,” according to the news release. Bring your best stories about transportation. The event is free and dinner will be provided. Thursday, July 18, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road. Please RSVP on Eventbrite or Facebook.

Few things are more annoying than the drip-drip-drip of a slow faucet leak or the fitful hiss of a running toilet in the middle of the night. These leaks may seem minor, but the steady waste of water can really add up on your water bill. A partnership between Austin Water and the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development department will provide $350,000 in funding to extend the GO Repair! program to help low-income customers fix chronic leaks, among other home repairs. Each eligible home can get up to $15,000 a year in repairs including electrical, plumbing, exterior siding, drywall, flooring and roof repairs. The added funding will enable GO Repair! to reach more residents every year. Home repairs must fall within the scope of the program. See the program guidelines at austintexas.gov/department/go-repair.

Travis County tax dollars help to cover the costs of health care for one in seven low-income residents. Since we’re all in this together, Central Health decided to invite all county residents to participate in the conversation about how best to use those health care funds. Join Central Health on Tuesday, July 16, at 7 p.m. for a Twitter chat about the 2020 health care budget. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #CHealthChats.

Douglas Manchester, the owner of the Fairmont Hotel, announced Monday that he’s interested in purchasing the property surrounding Palm School, a historic building that currently houses the Travis County Health and Human Services Department but is being eyed by city leaders as a future museum dedicated to the history and culture of Mexican Americans in Austin. City Council, led by Council Member Kathie Tovo, has urged the county to allow the city to preserve and use the building for the museum, but members of the Travis County Commissioners Court, while committed to its preservation, are reluctant to relinquish control of the property for less than market value, which at least one appraisal set at $53 million. Manchester also wants to preserve the building and said in his statement that he will donate $5 million to that end; however, he also wants to redevelop the rest of the property surrounding the building, which sits next door to the Fairmont. The proposal was quickly denounced by activists involved in the push to preserve the property, who maintain the entire parcel needs to stay publicly owned. Commissioner Margaret Gómez told the Austin American-Statesman that while she had met with Manchester, she would prefer the property remain in the public domain.

The Hays County Commissioners Court votes today on a proclamation aimed at bringing more film industry business to the county and to launch a campaign dubbed “50 Locations in 50 Days.” According to a press release about the push, the “San Marcos Cinema Club, in conjunction with other municipal, county and university groups, aims to register 50 Hays County properties in 50 days on the Texas Film Commission’s website as potential locations for television/film production … Starting July 16, the coalition will sign up willing locations in San Marcos and across Hays County as potential sites for the TV/film industry. A Cinema Club rep will be available to assist property owners with their application – explaining the financial perks, taking photographs of the property and answering any lingering questions – with a goal of registering 50 properties in 50 days.” Hays County property owners are encouraged to register their locations, and can find help doing so by calling (512) 557-5837 or emailing 50loc50days@gmail.com. “By enticing the TV/film industry to Hays County, we not only get to show off the unique assets and geography that our corner of Texas has to offer, but we can also potentially boost our local economy significantly, with particular benefit for our arts and cultural organizations,” said San Marcos City Council Member Lisa Prewitt.

The Travis County Commissioners Court was delighted to hear that a proposed affordable housing project has become even bigger after the developer decided to add another story to the project. AMTEX, the developer, now wants to build 304 income-restricted units at 7430 Bluff Springs Road, which sits just outside city limits in Southeast Austin. Previously, the plan had been to build 228 units. The new plan will also include some units priced for very low-income people at 30 percent of the area median income. “My goodness, thank you so much,” said County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, addressing Darin Hansen, a representative of AMTEX. Hansen explained that the developer decided to add a fourth floor to the complex after assessing the surrounding area and deciding that a building that tall was in line with the character of nearby properties. The court unanimously approved a resolution of no objection, which will allow the developer, which is working in partnership with the Travis County Housing Finance Corporation, to apply to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for federal 4 percent low-income housing tax credits to finance the project.