At the end of Wednesday’s special called meeting, Council approved appointments to several commissions, including the Planning Commission. Mayor Steve Adler said, “Volunteer service to this commission is critical and we’re fortunate to have a group of individuals who are willing to volunteer their time. The city charter recognizes that Planning Commission members who are directly or indirectly connected to real estate or land development should only comprise one third of the full commission. And we believe that with this slate of appointees we have a commission that fulfills the charter’s language and intent.” Community activist Fred Lewis had questioned whether the previous commission was in compliance with that charter provision and Attorney General Ken Paxton sued eight commissioners alleging a charter violation. Adler said that in light of that provision, as well as Council’s desire for a broad range of experience on the commission, applicants were required to complete a form describing their background and experience. He said that information is available to the public. The new members of the commission include Claire Hempel, appointed by Council Member Paige Ellis, and Carmen Llanes-Pulido, appointed by Council Member Kathie Tovo. The new commissioners will join the group July 1. The reappointments include Fayez Kazi (Garza), Patricia Seeger (Alter), Greg Anderson (Flannigan), Conor Kenny (Casar), Patrick Howard (Harper-Madison), and three from Adler: Awais Azhar, Yvette Flores and James Shieh. James Schissler, an engineer, and Karen McGraw, an architect, will no longer be on the commission. However, Ellis appointed Schissler to the Downtown Commission.

City Council voted Wednesday to create an oversight committee to review issues related to the Austin Water Utility. According to the ordinance, such issues range from the utility’s mission and strategic plans to its major purchases and financial status. Council Member Jimmy Flannigan likely had the state’s tax cap bill in mind when he spoke against the ordinance on the grounds that the estimated nearly $100,000 annual cost should be spent elsewhere. However, Mayor Steve Adler said this is a similar situation to Austin Energy, which has an oversight committee that meets nearly every month. With the water utility being a billion-dollar company, Adler said it’s worth it to have that separate oversight. Though he noted, “I don’t know how often it needs to meet.” The ordinance passed 9-1 with Flannigan opposed and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison off the dais.

Impact Hub Austin has selected a dozen ventures to join the 2019 Austin Impact Accelerator and tackle issues of affordability and workforce development in the city. The 12 new members of the team are Austin Justice Coalition, Digital Docent, Diva-licious Brands LLC, Equidad ATX, Haven Connect, Integral Care, Magnazine, My Brother’s Keeper Scholars, Prowess Project, Red Salmon Arts, Survive2Thrive Foundation and The Other Ones Foundation. Said Ashley Phillips, managing director of Impact Hub Austin in a press release, “The Austin Impact Accelerator has always supported solutions that can have the biggest impact regardless of the sector. The Cohort Mixer on July 1 will introduce the community to 12 initiatives working to diversely address the fundamental shifts happening in our community. Not everyone is thriving in Austin and the Accelerator participants are ensuring that that does not remain the case.” The 12 will be introduced at community mixer on Monday, July 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Impact Hub Lamar, 5540 N. Lamar Blvd. Get your tickets here.

Starting in October 2020, travelers 18 years and older who use their driver’s licenses as ID when flying will need to have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license in order to board a plane. A valid passport is also an acceptable form of identification. In Texas, REAL ID-compliant identification cards have a gold star in the upper right corner. Visit the TSA website for more information about the REAL ID program.

The Parks and Recreation Department invites the community to attend the second open house for the planning of John Treviño Jr. Metropolitan Park at Morrison Ranch. At this meeting, the master planning team will share comments that have been gathered so far as well as the planning values that will guide the planning process. Attendees will have the opportunity to offer more comments and feedback on the values. Those who cannot attend or want to share their input ahead of the meeting are invited to take the online community survey, which closes June 28. The meeting is Thursday, July 11, from 7-8:30 p.m., at the Turner-Roberts Recreation Center, 7201 Colony Loop Drive.

Austin Transportation has decided on an option for the two segments of the Shoal Creek Boulevard bicycle facilities project between 38th Street and U.S. Highway 183. The lower segment from 38th Street to Foster Lane will feature a two-way protected bikeway and removed parking on the west side of the boulevard, and the upper will contain a one-way protected bike lane on both sides of the street. The lower segment option also includes new protected intersection design and an underpass at RM 2222. The estimated $3 million-$4 million project will feature a total of 12 new pedestrian crossings in the lower segment. Funding for the project will come primarily from the bikeways portion of the 2016 Mobility Bond. In a survey, 974 respondents preferred the two-way bike lane option while the second most popular option, with 653 votes, was to build nothing at all. A joint statement by Council members Alison Alter and Leslie Pool stated that although 70 percent of survey participants who live along the street did not want the project to be approved, it’s important to balance those concerns with the wishes of the entire community. Construction is expected to begin later this summer.

Looking for a new job? Austin ISD is hosting a job fair in the hopes of filling positions in the district’s transportation, food service and maintenance departments. Bus driver, vehicle mechanic, pest control technician and food production specialist are just a few of the openings available. AISD offers competitive salaries and benefits. Applicants who apply online will be eligible for an on-site interview. Tuesday, June 18, 8:30 a.m.-noon, AISD Central Warehouse/Food Service building, 3701 Woodbury Road.

You don’t have to go to City Hall anymore; let City Hall come to you with Pop-Up ATX: City Services on the Go. The new initiative is designed to reach out to Austinites and inform them about the city programs and services that can make their lives better and healthier. The next pop-up event is Saturday, June 29, and will feature staff from Austin Transportation’s Smart Trips Program, the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan team, the Austin Public Library Bookmobile, Austin 311, Austin Animal Center, Austin Energy, Austin Water and other departments. 10 a.m. to noon, YMCA East Communities, 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd. Find more details on the Pop-Up ATX events page.

The city’s Longhorn Dam project team has posted materials from its recent open house online in the hopes that community members will review them and take the online survey, which is open until July 10. During the meeting, Austin Transportation and Public Works offered five different alternatives for a new walk-and-bike bridge over Lady Bird Lake as well as interim improvements to the existing bridge. A final recommendation for a bridge design is due in the fall. To get up to speed on the Longhorn Dam project, past, present and future, visit austintexas.gov/longhornbridge.

Barton Springs Pool’s legendary “Howl at the Moon” event began as a modest community affair where a few hundred people would splash around while joyfully communing with nature. But as Austin’s population has expanded, so has attendance at the event, also called Full Moon Swim. To keep the lunar-loving festivities family friendly, Parks and Recreation implemented some rules a couple of years ago, and those rules continue today. For the next event – which is today, Monday – attendance is limited to 750 people after 8:30 p.m. and all must pay the standard entry fee of $5. Law enforcement personnel may be on hand to deal with any rowdy howlers. Basically, the city wants people to know that, as the press release put it, “The Austin Parks and Recreation Department understands the importance of preserving the integrity of this community tradition and is working to balance the nostalgia of the past with the current public safety concerns associated with the event’s evolution.” Translation: Enjoy yourself, but behave.

Increasingly, airports are becoming places where travelers – and locals – have the opportunity to view works of fine art, from paintings to sculpture to kinetic installations. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has been keeping pace with this trend, expanding its gallery space to showcase local artists in its Changing Exhibits program. Right now, there are three exhibits from local visual artists on display until the end of June: Brian Joseph, NJ Weaver and Rubina Anjum. When these exhibits come down, they will be replaced by new art from Central Texas artists. If you’re coming or going through the airport, make some time to see the art across from gates 10 and 12.

Gear up, Council watchers! Since next week’s Council meeting will be the final one before the traditional July break, we will be treated to the usual Tuesday work session, plus a special called meeting on Wednesday afternoon, the regularly scheduled Thursday Council meeting, and possibly an additional meeting on Friday. Mayor Steve Adler posted a notice on the City Council Message Board to let everyone know what to expect next week. On Wednesday afternoon, Council will take up all the consent items as well as non-consent items not specifically set on Thursday. On Thursday, Council will take up zoning and public hearings, as well as the six purchasing items specifically postponed from the June 6 meeting, and the proposal to start charging property taxes to homeowners living along Lake Austin. Those property owners have not been charged with taxes paid by everyone else in the city because of a 1986 ordinance exempting them. At the time, those properties got little in the way of city services. But that has changed, and the city says it needs the money. On Thursday, Council will also consider an item directing the city manager “to provide options regarding use of city property taxes to fund initiatives regarding homelessness,” and similar initiatives. Also Thursday, Council will consider the controversial Butler Pitch & Putt golf course contract. If they don’t get done on Thursday, there is, according to the mayor’s memo, the possibility that they will return Friday to finish the agenda. Stay tuned to find out plans for the agenda addendum.