The Aquatic Division of Austin Parks and Rec is looking for a few good lifeguards for the summer. It’s not all sun and games, however: Without an uptick in applicants, some of Austin’s pools may not open on time this summer. To tempt more candidates, the lifeguard certification registration fee of $40 will be waived for Hiring Day, and as if that isn’t enough, free pizza and snacks will be provided. Applicants 16 and under must have a parent present while 17-year-olds will need a parent’s signature. All those interested in a summer job as a lifeguard, cashier, swim instructor or swim coach should attend Hiring Day on Tuesday, May 14, 4-8 p.m. at the Aquatics Administration & Training Center, 2818 San Gabriel Street. For more information, visit LifeguardAustin.com.

This Friday, May 17, is Bike to Work Day and it’s shaping up to be quite a party in a city that loves to show off its bike-friendliness. Over 40 local businesses will be doing double duty as fueling stations offering free coffee and snacks from 7-9 a.m., and a few will even have live music. If you prefer company while you pedal, join one of Ghisallo Cycling Initiative’s three guided bike trains that will leave their scheduled stops at 7:30 a.m. Want to try a new route to work? Check out the Austin Bike Map. B2WD participants can flaunt their healthy glow at the afterparty at Cheer Up Charlies from 5-8 p.m. See a map of fueling stations, bike train stops and other details here. B2WD is sponsored by the city of Austin and hosted by Bike Austin.

Austin’s Office of Innovation has partnered with Impact Hub’s accelerator program to provide up to $90,000 in funding to socially focused startups. The program is currently accepting applications for its next cohort of accelerator members, with up to six participants targeting housing affordability or workforce development eligible to receive one of six grants for $15,000 each from the city. Impact Hub member groups receive mentoring, workshops on a variety of business topics, coworking space and guidance on how to build and scale the startup into a viable company or nonprofit organization. Those with questions about how to participate can consult the innovation office’s FAQ page about the effort.

The city has named one current staffer and two outside candidates as the three finalists all hoping to become the new director of the Economic Development Department. Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales announced the finalists Friday, along with a meet-and-greet session on May 16 at 2 p.m. in the City Council chambers. Veronica Briseño, currently the city’s interim homeless strategy officer, is one of the finalists. She previously served as director of the Small and Minority Business Resources Department and holds a master’s degree in public administration from UT Austin. The other two finalists are Al Latimer, who recently served as director of the Tallahassee/Leon County (Florida) Office of Economic Vitality; and Larry Westerlund, who is currently the economic development director in Fresno, Calif.

City budget director Ed Van Eenoo will give a presentation on the city’s ongoing budgeting process at a town hall meeting set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the South Austin Senior Activity Center on Manchaca Road. The session will include discussion on the expected caps on property tax increases, which impact revenue for cities, that will result from legislation expected to pass at the state Capitol this month. District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen and other city officials and staff will be in attendance to hear from residents about their priorities in an expected tight budget year. Those who want to give feedback but are unable to attend the session are encouraged to complete the city’s online survey for the 2020 budget.

Vision Zero’s goal is to reduce the number of people who die or are seriously injured in traffic crashes to zero. To help achieve this objective, commissioners Kathleen Hausenfluck and Preston Tyree formed a working group at the May 6 meeting of the Public Safety Commission. “On a per capita basis (the number of deaths) is actually coming down pretty well,” said Tyree. However, he pointed out that as the population of Austin grows, so will the number of people involved in traffic accidents. He pointed to 2015 when there was a significant jump in traffic fatalities: from 63 to 102 deaths. That year was also the first time 50 percent of fatalities occurred outside of vehicles. Tyree explained that “a big part of the crash rate can be associated with distracted driving.” He also noted that distracted walking contributes to some of the accidents. While he said one way to lower the number of serious and fatal incidences is increased enforcement, first and foremost, Austin needs to engineer its streets to be safer and more shareable. The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan promotes a transportation network design that is mindful of Vision Zero goals. Commissioner Daniela Nuñez said that from personal experience in her district, improved street conditions for pedestrians and cyclists are crucial. “Get those transportation improvements for pedestrians, because it’s long overdue,” she said.

Supporters of the longstanding owners of the Butler Park Pitch & Putt golf course will gather Friday in an event intended to spur attention and action from City Council. The “community supporter day” is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. at 201 Lee Barton Drive, and was organized because of the city’s decision not to consider the current ownership’s bid to continue operating the course, which is located on city park property. The bid was excluded from consideration because owner Lee Kinser neglected to sign one page of the bid form, meaning the bids from two other groups were the only ones considered. There is some belief that Council could opt to reopen the bid when it comes up for approval in approximately the next 30 days. During that time, lobbying restrictions prevent Kinser or her representatives from having any direct contact with city officials, and City Council members have declined to comment on the open contract. Kinser’s existing contract expires in August.

The Austin school district is dressing up and getting ready for its 2019 AISD Latino Academic Achievement Awards ceremony, which recognizes Latino students from every middle and high school in the district for excelling in academia, fine arts, sports, ESL and dual language programs. Several community leaders will also be honored for their outstanding contributions to AISD students and schools. In addition, the district will give special awards to a parent volunteer and will present a lifetime achievement award to the late Gustavo “Gus” Garcia, a former Austin mayor and past AISD board president. The event is free and open to the public and takes place on Saturday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m. at the Austin Independent School District’s Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.

After four years on the Environmental Commission, Hank Smith has shifted focus and now sits on Zoning and Platting. An Austin resident for over 50 years, Smith lives in District 8 down south and has been an environmental engineer for 30 years. With plenty of experience in development and a good handle on the commission process, Smith seemed pleased to be participating in a more development-focused body. With little introduction, he sat down and got right to business at the May 7 meeting, asking the kind of environmentally spirited questions that aren’t always heard on the dais.

The public is invited to attend a telecast to learn about the future transportation projects Travis County has in the pipeline. The Travis County Transportation Blueprint, a 25-year road map of projects aimed at improving mobility in the region, is the result of two years of technical analysis and community input. Besides highway improvement projects, the blueprint includes bike lanes, walking trails, pedestrian infrastructure, safety measures, and more. Which projects are most important to you? You’ll have a chance to offer your opinion by phone, text or Twitter at the televised town hall, “Blueprint Live!” on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m., online at Travis County TV, Time Warner Cable channel 17, Grande Communications channel 17 or AT&T UVerse channel 99. The county has also created a detailed survey for all community members to weigh in on the mobility projects in the blueprint.

Wednesday’s severe wet weather caused a postponement of the community forum that had been scheduled at Givens Park, with the intent to let Parks and Recreation Department officials and other city leaders discuss the Art in Public Places program that normally governs murals and other art installations on city property. The event will now take place at 6 p.m. Monday. It was organized as a response to friction with community members over a memorial mural recently created in the park to honor the victim of a robbery and shooting there in April. That mural was created spontaneously and outside of the city’s standard public art process, causing some concern it would need to be removed. PARD staff and other city leaders have decided to leave the mural in place at least for the near future, with Monday’s event expected to deal with how long it will remain in place, and how it may be added to in the future.

A new art exhibit at the Texas Capitol features 45 unique artworks created by residents of state hospitals and state-supported living centers. “Fresh Perspectives: The Art of Empowerment” showcases the talents of people living with mental health issues and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mike Maples, a deputy executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said, “Art is used as treatment to help pave the path to recovery and independence. Some use art as a form of recreation, or as a vocation. Regardless of why they created the art, our artists have found a way to express hope, beauty, fun and struggle.” The weeklong exhibit can be viewed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, May 13, to Friday, May 17, at the Ground Floor Rotunda at the Texas Capitol at 1100 Congress Ave.