Austin’s Single-Use Bag Ordinance is no more, but city staff members press on. In a Friday memo, Austin Resource Recovery Interim Director Sam Angoori detailed the myriad ways that the city would continue to “honor the intent” of the ordinance. To that end, city staffers will: promote businesses that have (voluntarily) prohibited single-use plastics on city media; distribute a public survey on the topic; distribute reusable bags; launch an educational campaign; and offer a zero-waste business rebate. In addition, the city recently joined the “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment,” an initiative that strives to “eliminate plastic pollution at its source.”

Here’s some good – if temporarily good – news: Zilker Park’s Great Lawn is once again open to the public today. The lawn has been closed longer than usual, after the Austin City Limits Festival and rain (and rain and more rain) delayed park maintenance. The maintenance is still ongoing, but the lawn and the volleyball courts will be open for just over a week. On Nov. 15, the volleyball court area will close again for the Trail of Lights.

Today begins the two-day celebration of Día de los Muertos at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. On Friday evening, altars on the grounds of the center will be illuminated, as the community is invited to remember loved ones, decorate sugar skulls, see musical performances and see work from local artisans. On Saturday, the celebration continues, with a focus on families and youth. There will be presentations on the history of Día de los Muertos as well as face painting, piñatas, music, and sugar skull decorating. The celebration runs Friday from 5 until 9 p.m. and Saturday from 1 until 4 p.m. More information is online here.

Voter turnout remained extremely strong yesterday. As of Thursday, 42.05 percent of registered voters in Travis County had cast 333,190 ballots in early voting for the November 6 general election. Yesterday, it was the Randalls at Brodie and Slaughter that saw the most voters – 1,729, making it the most popular location overall so far, with 18,821 ballots cast at the supermarket. Today is the last day of early voting, and election day is November 6. The Travis County Clerk’s Office has info on polling locations, wait times and other useful information online here.

On Thursday City Council voted to grant Planned Parenthood another 20 years on the city-owned parcel at 1823 E. Seventh St. The city will charge $1 a year in rent. The item was passed on the consent agenda, but not before Nicole Hudgens of Texas Values, a socially conservative advocacy group, voiced her objections. Hudgens said that the deal was “not fair to East Austin” due to the revenue the city was forgoing by providing the property for free. She noted that Austin LifeCare, a conservative crisis pregnancy center that seeks to discourage women from having abortions, had offered to pay the fair market value for the land. That group provides many of the same services as Planned Parenthood, she explained, “but without killing unborn children.” After she concluded her remarks Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, who had left the dais during her remarks, explained his brief absence: “I will continue to refuse to sit on this dais and hear testimony from organizations that would seek to remove my personal civil rights,” he said, referencing the organization’s opposition to LGBT rights. Afterward, Council Member Ellen Troxclair, the lone conservative left on the dais, thanked Hudgens for speaking to a crowd that she knew would not be receptive. “It’s brave and it’s hard,” said Troxclair. Flannigan responded: “There is a difference between disagreeing with the Council and seeking to eliminate people’s civil rights. We should not and cannot in this moment in this nation equivocate those two things,” he said. This was not about somebody who disagreed with him about land use or taxation, but a group that “sees some of us on this dais as less than human.” Troxclair issued one final defense, saying that she didn’t hear Hudgens say anything about “those things” that Flannigan was referencing. “She was talking about abortion, about the killing of unborn children. I think that’s a very legitimate debate that we have in this city, in this state, in this country.” The item passed 10-1, with only Troxclair in dissent.

The Parks and Recreation Department is putting out a call to artists looking for space for rehearsals, performances, workshops or creation of “smaller works of art.” Using Hotel Occupancy Tax funds, the city’s cultural centers will now be open until 11:00 p.m. every day, and the city’s new Artist Access Program is up and running. According to a press release about the new program, “Applications are ranked by an impartial panel made up of professional, Austin-based artists using an established criteria. Rehearsal time is free, and performance space is rented at a reduced rate of $1 per ticket sold. … Applicants are also asked to provide a free educational program enhancement for the public. For more information on qualifications and to apply today, please visit austintexas.gov/artistaccess.”

The second and third readings for the Camelback Planned Unit Development is on today’s Council agenda and seems likely to gain final approval. Council approved the PUD on first reading in a vote of 10-0 on Oct. 18, with Council Member Leslie Pool absent. Entrepreneur Jonathan Coon’s ambitious project on Lake Austin has gained support from neighbors and numerous other groups, but two neighborhoods across the lake from the proposed PUD are still unhappy. The Bunny Run and Aqua Verde neighborhoods are particularly concerned about the proposed dock and mechanized access from the dock up to the residence. Council Member Alison Alter, whose district includes the property, has been working with Coon and opponents to reach a resolution. Alter told her colleagues during Tuesday’s work session that mediation between the two sides apparently failed. She asked that Council allow people who wanted to speak to do so at 7 p.m., noting that there were people who wanted to talk to Council that would not be able to appear earlier in the day. Mayor Steve Adler said anyone who was there earlier in the day would be allowed to speak, but Council would listen to speakers at 7 p.m. also and that Council would not vote until everyone had spoken. Alter posted her proposed amendments on the City Council Message Board.

Next week is Austin Municipal Court Week, apparently. And, to celebrate, the courts are hosting a variety of events, starting with court tours and a judge Q&A session on Nov. 5, at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Nov. 6 will feature a driving simulator from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and bicycle safety from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. On Nov 7, Austinites 15 years and older will be able to try driving with “Fatal Vision Goggles” that simulate impaired driving. Nov. 8 events are all for those 15 and older, with a driving simulator from 2 to 8 p.m., something called “impact teen driver” from 5 to 9 p.m. and a class called “What do you consider lethal?” at 6 p.m. (Registration for that class is required.) Finally, on Friday, the court will host a safety seat demonstration from 10 a.m. until noon and “Captain America’s Mock Trial” which will take place at noon, and is for elementary-aged children. Registration for the trial is also required. More information about the whole to-do is available on the city’s website.

Robert Goode is the new deputy executive director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Goode was most recently an Austin assistant city manager, overseeing the “Infrastructure Services Group” which encompasses Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Water Utility, the Corridor Program Office, and the Public Works and Transportation departments. In a statement to the press, City Manager Spencer Cronk weighed in on the change, saying, “I am pleased Robert will continue focusing on our region’s mobility challenges in this new role and am thankful for his years of service to the Austin community.” He added, “I look forward to an ongoing partnership with the Mobility Authority and continued opportunities to work with Mr. Goode.”

Today is Halloween. In the Austin tradition (and in the interest of good sense), Sixth Street will be closed by 6:00 p.m. from Brazos to the Interstate 35 Frontage Road, with cross streets closed between Fifth and Seventh streets. In addition, downtown I-35 exit and entrance ramps may be closed, depending on traffic. In a press release about the festivities, the Austin Police Department took the opportunity to remind everyone that:

• No illegal weapons of any type will be allowed. Anyone with illegal items will be subject to arrest and the property is subject to seizure.
• Open containers of alcohol are prohibited on Sixth Street.
• Glass containers are prohibited on Sixth Street.

Another reminder: Halloween is a no-refusal weekend. Have fun, everyone!

In February, City Council passed a resolution opposing construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. That resolution asked the city manager to investigate the impact of such a wall on Austin, look at what other cities had done in terms of financial policies to oppose the wall and “develop a policy requiring every entity that seeks to do business with the City of Austin to disclose itself, any parent company and subsidiaries, any bids submitted or contract awarded, related to the design, construction, or financing of the proposed border wall, with consideration to legally permissible options and all relevant operational impact to City departments.” Now, on the way to making policies official, the city is looking for feedback and has scheduled two public input sessions. Those sessions will take place at 721 Barton Springs Road on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 9:30 a.m. and Monday, Nov. 26, at 2:30 p.m. Interested Austinites can also fill out an online survey on the subject, which is located here.

Residents living in the city’s renovated Seaholm District at the former power plant are very calmly escalating their fight against loud “rail squeal” noises caused by Union Pacific Railroad trains that run and take a slight curve on tracks adjacent to the development. The website CalmInAustin.org is a continuation of sorts of a Change.org petition drive that pushed for the city to intervene and try to provide some solution for the noise – estimated to approach 100 decibels – caused by the friction of trains moving along a curvature in the tracks. The site is acting as a resource center of sorts for the residents and businesses affected by the noise levels, with a new petition drive and a call to eliminate the rail squeal in the Seaholm District. In April, City Council passed a resolution calling for the city manager to work with the railroad to explore additional steps to mitigate the train noise, with an expectation of a report back to Council by Aug. 1.