Travelers passing through the Austin airport can now enjoy some fresh air and sunlight even after going through the security checkpoint. A new outdoor patio has just opened and is available to ticketed passengers who want to escape the relentless air conditioning and boarding announcements. With a view of the 9,000-foot east runway, the nonsmoking patio has covered seating and is a prime spot for watching flights arrive and depart. The patio, which is on the mezzanine level between gates 1 and 2, can be accessed via two staircases or an elevator and is open 24 hours.

We know what you’re thinking: Where can I go on a Saturday to eat tacos, drink coffee and test out some scooters? Since this is Austin, we have the answer: The 2019 Scooter Summit, sponsored by District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo, with the help of the Austin Transportation Department. The event is a chance to learn a bit about scooter safety – bring your own helmet. Tacos and coffee are complimentary; scooters may not be. (This event is not for kids: You have to be over 18 to ride a scooter.) Saturday, June 22, 10 a.m.-noon, Electric Drive, 111 Sandra Muraida Way.

City Council approved a resolution at Thursday’s meeting setting its geographical targets for the 60,000 income-restricted units (households earning 80 percent of median family area income and below) written into the 2017 Strategic Housing Blueprint. The plan sets a goal of adding at least 135,000 new residential units to the city by 2027, with a quarter of the affordable units built within a quarter-mile of high-frequency transit. Thursday’s geographic goals lay out the location of those income-restricted units both by corridor and by Council district. City staffers predict that only 17,654 of the 60,000 units will be built along the 17 major corridors identified in the resolution. The corridors set to receive the most units are William Cannon Drive and Slaughter Lane, with Guadalupe Street and South Lamar Boulevard getting far fewer than any of the other 15 corridors. By Council district, West Austin’s districts 6 and 10 combined will get just under 30 percent of the total affordable units with districts 1 and 8 not far behind. At the other end of the spectrum, District 9, whose representative Council Member Kathie Tovo has long held is already burdened with density, shall see only 3,635 of those units while District 4, also relatively small and central, will hold only 3,105 new affordable units.

Sen. Kirk Watson was among the honorees recognized last Thursday at the inaugural Health Leadership Awards presented by Dell Medical School at the University of Texas. Watson received the Public Service Health Leader award for his work in supporting the redesign of brain health initiatives at Austin State Hospital. His 10 Goals in 10 Years plan to improve health care in the Austin area was key in building support for the creation of the school. In addition to honoring local secondary students and teachers, the awards recognized Dana Saltalamachia, a health practitioner for Integral Care, for her work in increasing HIV and AIDS treatment for the area’s homeless population. Rhonda Mudhenk, chief operations officer for Lone Star Circle of Care, received the Transformational Health Leader award for promoting collaboration in improving care across the community. Susan Dawson, executive director of the E3 Alliance educational nonprofit, received the Community Volunteer Health Leader award for helping uninsured breast cancer patients receive access to treatment.

Austin is no stranger to the top spots of national lists of major cities in recent years, but a new analysis of overheated housing markets across the country puts the Austin/Round Rock area as fourth most likely to experience a housing crisis. The report from 24/7 Wall St. found that local home prices are 62 percent higher now compared to pre-recession peaks nearly 12 years ago. In raw numbers, the report found the current median home price is $302,000, compared to $186,250 in the third quarter of 2007. Those price increases are fueled in no small part by a 32.8 percent population growth, with concerns that the local median household income of $73,800 isn’t keeping pace with housing costs. As a state, Colorado looks most prone for a crisis. Greeley, Colorado, took the survey’s top spot, followed by the Denver/Aurora/Lakewood area in second place and Fort Collins coming in third.

Service members, veterans, family members and those who work with veterans are invited to attend one of two town halls to discuss the Veteran Community Needs Assessment. The town halls are hosted by the city’s Human Resources Department, which hopes to gather community input that will aid in creation of the city’s future Veteran Resource Center. The first town hall is Tuesday, June 11, 5:30-7 p.m. at Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road. The second town hall is Wednesday, June 12, 6-8 p.m. at the Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Drive.

Included in the 15 action steps in this week’s plan for the city to address sound compatibility issues was the news that there could soon be an update to 2014’s Austin Music Census, which showed the creative community is under increasing economic pressure due to affordability issues. The Economic Development Department is preparing a request for proposals for what’s being called a “music and entertainment industry assessment” that will gather data about a broader array of creative industry workers. Goals for the study include assessing the current state of Austin’s music industry, while learning more about job opportunities and experience requirements for musicians in other creative industries in Austin. The 2014 census helped to shape a number of policies contained in the Music and Creative Ecosystem Omnibus and other efforts to improve the economic stability of local artists and musicians.

City Manager Spencer Cronk has announced that Veronica Briseño, who currently holds the post of interim homeless strategy officer, will assume the role of director of the Economic Development Department in late June. Briseño will remain working as interim HSO through July, when a new homeless strategy officer is expected to be hired. Over the past two decades, Briseño has held leadership roles in the Small and Minority Business Resources Department, the office of former Council Member Raul Alvarez and the city manager’s office. In the press release, Briseño said, “I look forward to working with the talented Economic Development staff and implementing goals that will focus on the importance of business recruitment, small business development, arts, music, and international relations – all of the factors that make Austin the most livable city we love.”

Council approved a $600,000, no-interest loan Thursday to Workforce Solutions Capital Area to help cover some of its short-term expansion costs. The organization has apparently been forced to cut some of its client services this fiscal year due to the financial constraints of making the move into the city’s largest career center, which will soon host over 200 staff members. The new 70,000-square-foot East Austin center is meant to be a flagship hub facilitating the work of the Master Community Workforce Plan to secure 10,000 middle-skill jobs for economically disadvantaged people by 2021. The new campus will feature three times as much conference room space for community conversations and more private rooms for individual consultations between clients and staff. Workforce Solutions is aiming to make its jump into the center in July.

Residents of Austin’s District 7 will get a chance to meet their representatives at an open-house-style town hall. District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo will share details of the 2019-20 city budget, and Austin Fire Department Chief Joel Baker and Austin Police Department reps will be on hand to discuss public safety concerns. Staffers from the watershed, parks, libraries and transportation departments as well as Capital Metro will make presentations and answer questions. The town hall is Tuesday, June 11, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Drive.

With three years having gone by since City Council adopted the South Central Waterfront Plan as an amendment to the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, the owners and developers of the 18.9-acre Austin American-Statesman site are ready to get shovels in the ground on their piece of the 118-acre plan. Located at the southeast corner of the intersection of South Congress Avenue and Town Lake, the site already has an existing planned unit development mixed-use proposal. Talking to the Parks and Recreation Board on May 28, Richard Suttle, the attorney representing the site’s owners and developers, said his clients plan to file a PUD amendment in the coming weeks to allow them to begin work on the property as soon as possible. Suttle said the community can expect the existing industrial site to be transformed into a vibrant park that will cover more than a third of the entire property with trails along the river. Suttle said when the amendment is filed, he welcomes people to contact him and participate in the ensuing public engagement process over the next several months. The South Central Waterfront Plan involves a total of 32 privately owned properties along Lady Bird Lake’s southern shore.

District 8 Council Member Paige Ellis has scheduled a town hall meeting for 6:30-8 p.m. on June 12 at Travis County Community Hall at Oak Hill, at 8656 W. Highway 71. The event will include a review of Ellis’ first months in office and an update from the Austin Neighborhood Partner Program, which was created to let residents propose small and medium-sized projects to improve quality of life in the district. Attendees will also get an update from the city’s budget office on the impact of the state’s recently approved revenue caps for cities, along with information from Austin Energy on the utility’s weatherization program. Ellis will provide complimentary scoops of Amy’s Ice Cream in celebration of the pending start of summer.