It’s time for fall, which means it’s also time for a flu shot! Austin Public Health has scheduled a seasonal flu vaccine clinic, with free shots for uninsured residents of Travis County who are 6 months of age or older. All Medicare recipients can get a flu shot as well. The clinic will take place Oct. 6 at Travis High School, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is needed, but Medicare recipients are asked to bring their card. There will also be available flu shots at Shots for Tots/Big Shots clinics for children who are uninsured or Medicaid recipients, and for uninsured adults. At these clinics, the flu vaccine costs $25 for adults, $10 for children. They are free for children with Medicaid. While these fee schedules will be recommended, no one will be denied services if they are unable to pay. Appointments are needed at the Shots for Tots/Big Shots clinics and can be made by calling (512) 972-5520. Flu season hits peak strength in January, but it’s best to prepare early with a flu shot and practice good prevention techniques such as washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face with your hands, and covering your mouth when you cough. The health department has more vaccine information at www.austintexas.gov/immunizations.

On Monday, Oct. 8, the Montopolis steel truss bridge will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority plans to rehabilitate the historic structure into a pedestrian and bicycle crossing that will link up with other area trails and parks. The bridge will remain open to pedestrian and bike traffic as the authority does the construction work, aside from sporadic interruptions for lead paint abatement. The improvements to the bridge, which was constructed in 1938 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, are part of the 183 South project. Starting next week, vehicles driving from Cesar Chavez Street will shift onto a new bridge and access U.S. Highway 183 southbound above the Colorado River, marking a milestone in the construction of the 183 South Expressway at the Colorado River. Drivers will no longer be able to access westbound Montopolis Drive directly from the Montopolis Bridge, but must detour via U.S. 183 southbound to the Vargas Road/Montopolis Drive detour to access Montopolis Drive. “As Central Texans, we’re proud of the Montopolis Bridge and what it represents for our region,” said Mike Heiligenstein, executive director for the mobility authority, in a news release. “We know this structure once served as the only connection between the Montopolis neighborhood and our capital city’s downtown core. Preserving its character and historical significance has been our priority from the outset. We are excited that this component of the project will improve safety, mobility and accessibility for Austin residents, travelers, and visitors to the region.”

Today, City Council will formally recognize the importance of access to affordable abortion care. The name of the resolution – Rosie’s Resolution – will also call for a repeal of bans on insurance coverage for abortion. It is named for Rosie Jiménez, a 27-year-old Chicana who was the first woman known to die of complications related to an unsafe abortion after the Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976. The provision barred the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions except when the life of the woman would be endangered by carrying the pregnancy to term. Council members will hold a press event before the Council meeting, with Council members Leslie Pool, Ora Houston and Delia Garza and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo joining reproductive rights advocates to speak on the necessity of reproductive rights for women.

The city is in the process of creating a master plan for the improvement of Givens District Park. As part of the process, the Parks and Recreation Department has been holding meetings for members of the community to share what they’d like to see improved and added. The department has scheduled the third meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. At this session, the project team will share its preliminary visual concepts that have been developed with the input from the community in mind. A brief presentation will start at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Givens District Park Recreation Center, 3811 E. 12th St.

The Parks and Recreation Department is moving ahead with its plans to redo the Barton Springs Bathhouse to be a modern, first-class facility, while maintaining the historical charm of the original structure. The next community input meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 30, 3-6:30 p.m. in the Tree Court area in front of that Barton Springs Bathhouse, at 2201 Barton Springs Road.

Some Council members, notably Council members Pio Renteria and Delia Garza, are absolutely positive that the name of the road that runs from South Lamar to Manchaca should be changed to honor a captain in the army that fought in the Texas Revolution at the battle of San Jacinto. His name was José Antonio Menchaca. Judge Bob Perkins has been arguing for at least 20 years that the road was misnamed Manchaca and the error should be corrected. However, Council Member Ann Kitchen, and her colleague Leslie Pool, are not so sure. Kitchen said during Tuesday’s work session that she had been contacted by a Manchaca business owner who had contacted other business owners to see whether they knew about the proposed name change that is scheduled to happen this Thursday after a public hearing. It turns out they didn’t, and he contacted Kitchen’s office about his concerns. City staff said that they had reached out to property owners along the road to let them know about the proposed change and seek their opinions. However, less than 4 percent of them responded. Kitchen wondered if city staff could have done more – or if it still could. Pool argued that she had a letter from a constituent who believes the name is a Choctaw Indian name for a source of drinking water called “Manchac Springs.” The letter writer, Robert Amoroso, owner of Manchaca Village Veterinary Care, argues at length that the word should remain the same and that there is no known association between the springs and Captain Menchaca.

Austin adopted its Universal Recycling Ordinance in an effort to move forward in the city’s goal to be zero-waste by 2040. A 2015 Diversion Study showed that more than 85 percent of Austin’s trash and recycling comes from commercial businesses, and over 37 percent of material sent to landfills is actually organic material that can be donated or composted. On Monday, the food diversion rules of the ordinance went into effect, which require all food-centered commercial businesses to make it easy for employees to divert organics. While donating extra, unused food is the preferred method, diversion can also be accomplished through many other means, such as giving local animal farms or ranches food scraps or composting on-site or through a third party. Businesses are also encouraged to develop a different, customized solution. However they decide to comply, all businesses are required to annually submit their diversion plan online at www.austintexas.gov/bizorganics. In addition, all businesses must educate their employees on compliance with the ordinance by providing regular training and posting informational signage. Austin Resource Recovery is holding two sessions for managers, business owners and janitorial service providers to learn more about the ordinance. The first one is Monday, Oct. 22, 2-3 p.m. at County Line on the Lake, 5204 FM 2222, and the second is Tuesday, Oct. 30, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd. RSVP for the free events here.

Elaine Hart, who served as interim city manager between the departure of Marc Ott in 2016 and the arrival of Spencer Cronk in February, on Monday assumed another title – deputy city manager. She told the Austin Monitor that she would also retain the job of chief financial officer until the city hires a new one. She plans to finish her work with the city and retire in January 2020, after more than 30 years on the job. Hart was senior vice president for finance and corporate services at Austin Energy for 10 years before becoming the city’s chief financial officer in 2012. In her new role, Hart will take over the duties of former Assistant City Manager Mark Washington, who quit his Austin job to become city manager in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The city is currently searching for assistant city managers to take over each of the departments. Hart said as the new ACMs are hired she will give up those departments. The city has hired a search firm, Ralph Andersen & Associates, to assist in finding an assistant city manager for health and the environment/culture and lifelong learning, according to their posting.

Brie Franco, the city of Austin’s intergovernmental relations officer, came to the Oct. 1 meeting of the Public Safety Commission to give an overview of what the city should expect in terms of bills that will be on the floor during this upcoming legislative session. The No. 1 thing she noted is that there is going to be a lot of activity with bills regarding city policies. “They are very much interested in having statewide legislation on city topics,” Franco explained. Over the last 11 legislative sessions, the number of bills related to city-level concerns has increased from 1,100 in 1997 to 2,500 in 2017. Of the 2,500 that appeared in 2017, 294 passed. Some of those bills pertained to city budgets, property taxes, and the overturn of the city’s ride-hailing ordinance. This year Franco predicts “a lot of talk of how cities are funded” including discussions on lowering the rollback rate to 2.5 percent. Currently, Texas cities are restricted to increasing revenue by only 8 percent per year without voter approval. Commissioner Ed Scruggs wondered, “Is there anything the city wants from the Legislature that the Legislature will give the city or is (the legislation) primarily defense?” Franco noted that the state Legislature is not set up to pass proactive legislation. “Normally the system isn’t designed for the state to do things for cities,” she explained. With public safety as the No. 1 expense at a municipal level, Franco encouraged the commissioners to pay attention to the bills and votes at the state level as well as get involved with their representatives. “Don’t underestimate your own value in being a lobbyist for the city,” she said.

Tomorrow, Oct. 3, we will be hosting the District 3 candidate forum at Tamale House East starting at 7 p.m. If you would like to submit audience questions, be sure to join us for the pre-forum happy hour at Tamale House from 6 to 7 p.m.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of our “ballot boxing” candidate forums coming up in the next few weeks (at least the ones with more than one person running).

The next event in the Imagine Austin Speaker Series, which aims to promote education and provoke dialogue about the city’s comprehensive plan, is coming up soon. Dr. Elizabeth Mueller, associate professor of Community and Regional Planning, and Heather Way, clinical professor at the School of Law at the University of Texas at Austin, will be sharing their report, Uprooted: Residential Displacement in Austin’s Gentrifying Neighborhoods and What Can Be Done About It, the result of a yearlong study that looks at where gentrification is taking place in the city, what strategies in Austin and other cities have been productive in combating displacement, and ideas for how Austin can move forward. The talk will take place at the Mexican American Cultural Center on Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Those who are interested can view the report and its maps online beforehand at sites.utexas.edu/gentrificationproject.

The Parks and Recreation Department is currently developing a master plan for the future of Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park in East Austin. Community input is an important part of the process to ensure that Austin’s largest park remains accessible to and enjoyable for all. It is full of facilities, such as hiking and biking trails, boat ramps, and volleyball courts, and enhancement ideas include camping areas, better trails, event venues and more. The third, family-friendly community meeting is on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 6- 8 p.m., at Decker Middle School.