In an effort to make the budget process open and inclusive, the city is hosting a number of engagement opportunities for the public. The budget office has made a teaser video, which we have embedded below, and there is also an online survey, which you can take here to share your budget priorities with city staff. The first citywide in-person meeting, moderated by Mayor Steve Adler and City Manager Spencer Cronk, is scheduled for May 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Central Library. In addition, each district’s City Council member is having their own talk throughout May and June, with the city manager also in attendance. Visit austintexas.gov/budget for the dates and locations of these meetings, as well as the planned public hearings and commission meetings.

Commissioner Annie Schmitt, who sits on the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Citizens Advisory Committee, told the Water and Wastewater Commission at its May 9 meeting that the black-capped vireo – one of Central Texas’ most famed birds that has maintained an endangered designation since 1987 – has been retired from the list of endangered species. However, another bird with which it shares its habitat is still on the list. “The golden-cheeked warbler is still very much under contention,” said Schmitt. A few of the commissioners feared that delisting the black-capped vireo would open the door to additional development on lands that were previously protected as sanctuaries for the species. Schmitt explained that although their fears were valid because being listed does provide some additional protection to the properties a species inhabits, she didn’t think that delisting will “change the practice of what is protected” in this case. She also noted that there are many other, albeit less visible, species, like the Bone Cave harvestman arachnid, who inhabit this area and are extended protections that would keep the black-capped vireo’s habitat safe.

Eight years ago, after much discussion and strong opinions from the public, Water Treatment Plant 4 was finally installed on Lake Travis. However, its name never changed and remained a reminder of the contentious circumstances that surrounded its construction. On Aug. 3 of last year, City Council decided that the time had come to bestow a new appellation upon the facility and recommended renaming Water Treatment Plant 4 to the Berl L. Handcox Sr. Water Treatment Plant. Since then, the Public Works Department received six additional name recommendations from the public, which the Water and Wastewater Commission was also required to consider. At its May 9 meeting, the Water and Wastewater Commission voted unanimously and without hesitation to recommend the name Council suggested. The Environmental Commission will weigh in next at its meeting on May 16.

The city manager’s office would like to know your thoughts on Interim Police Chief Brian Manley, specifically whether you think he should be made the permanent chief of the Austin Police Department. Share your opinion by taking the quick survey, or email comments to OurNextChief@austintexas.gov. Manley is also making public appearances this month: The second public forum will be Thursday, May 17, 7-8:30 p.m. at the KLRU Studio, 2504-B Whitis Ave., on the University of Texas campus.

Today marked official implementation of the Austin Age-Friendly Action Plan. Community leaders recognized this occasion at the beginning of Thursday’s City Council meeting, where they presented Council members with a certificate from AARP and the World Health Organization. Austin’s action plan is the first one in Texas to receive approval from the WHO. The plan was developed by AARP in conjunction with city’s Commission on Seniors, AustinUP and other nonprofits in coordination with Council. As the pre-senior population in Austin is the fastest-growing in the United States, the city will shortly be home to more older adults than children, and this action plan is a step toward making sure the city keeps all ages in mind when planning improvements and prioritizing services. Visit www.agefriendlyaustin.com for more details and updates on implementation of the plan.

City Council unanimously, with Council Member Ellen Troxclair absent, approved a resolution Thursday that encourages the Austin Independent School District to coordinate with historic preservation advocates in the implementation of the large-scale reconstruction program that it is undertaking with the bond funds approved by voters last fall. The resolution directs city staff to identify upcoming school projects “that may require demolition permits, and to develop recommendations regarding which properties have historical significance and should be reviewed by the Historic Landmark Commission, and which properties shall be reviewed administratively.” Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo said that the resolution “deals with what we all want to prevent, which is an administrative approval of the (demolition) of a historic facility.”

In March, City Council launched a community discussion about bringing Major League Soccer to Austin, and the possibility of locating a stadium near the Domain, at McKalla Place. As a part of that process, the city is now compiling responses to an online survey, located on the speakupaustin.org site.

In response to the lawsuit against the paid sick leave ordinance that was filed against the city in April, the Texas Civil Rights Project yesterday filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the Workers Defense Project, electrician Joe Hernandez and restaurant L’Oca d’Oro, who will now join the case as defendants. The Texas Public Policy Foundation filed the lawsuit challenging the city’s paid sick leave ordinance, which was approved by City Council in February, on behalf of several business groups. Less than a week later, Attorney General Ken Paxton joined. The policy, which is scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 1, passed by a Council vote of 9-2, with Council members Ellen Troxclair and Ora Houston dissenting. “I think it’s hugely irresponsible for us to be voting on such a major decision that’s going to impact our budget before we have any idea of the fiscal implications,” said Troxclair before the vote. “I’m really disappointed that this process has moved so quickly.” In a press release, José P. Garza, executive director of the Workers Defense Project, explained why the group filed the Petition in Intervention: “Today in Austin, working families are fighting back. Right now, there are almost a quarter of a million people working in Austin who don’t have paid sick days. At Workers Defense, we believe that every person who works in Austin should have the opportunity to earn paid sick days. And people should be able to use those days to care for themselves or a loved one. There are businesses in Austin that already provide paid sick days because it’s good for their workers, it’s good for their business, and for overall health.”

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This whisper has been corrected to clarify the nature of the lawsuit. 

The Trail Foundation is doing 15 projects this year in honor of its 15th anniversary. One of them is providing a much-needed revamp to the old bathroom facilities at Festival Beach, which were identified as needing replacement in the Holly Shores Master Plan. The new bathrooms will be designed by Jobe Corral Architects, a woman-owned firm from Austin. The Trail Foundation and the architects are inviting interested members in the community to come to the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Meeting at the Austin Public Library Terrazas Branch on May 16 at 6 p.m., where there will be a small presentation and opportunity to provide feedback. An online survey will be released as well for those who cannot attend the meeting. “The Trail Foundation hopes to break ground at the beginning of next year, barring any delays in the permitting process,” the foundation’s executive director, Heidi Anderson, said in the press release.

Interested in serving on the city’s Animal Advisory Commission? The Travis County Commissioners Court is currently looking for representatives on the commission, and has issued a call for qualified applicants. Travis County has two seats on the 13-member board, and one is currently vacant. According to a press release about the search for animal advisory representation, a qualified applicant would have: “Interest in the effective implementation of services and supports for the care of domestic animals and wildlife in Travis County, including its unincorporated areas; familiar(ity) with animal welfare issues faced in municipalities and villages outside the City of Austin, but within Travis County; demonstrated experience in community engagement and collaborative problem solving; past successful service on a public or private sector board or commission is a plus; experience navigating diverse opinions and interests toward big picture solutions; and experience in budgeting, marketing, grant development, community engagement, public relations, and/or social services.” More information on how to apply is available online at www.traviscountytx.gov or can be obtained by calling 512-854-4774. The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 25.

Eddie Wilson, owner of Threadgill’s restaurant and co-founder of the Armadillo World Headquarters, says he thought he would never go to Nashville. But he’s had to change his mind because the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will be honoring the Armadillo with what the museum describes as a first of its kind, major exhibition emphasizing the musical connections between Austin and Nashville. The exhibit, called “Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s,” is slated to open on May 25 and run through Feb. 14, 2021. According to a letter Wilson received telling him about the hall of fame/museum’s plans for the exhibition, “We highlight the music, personalities, and venues that are essential to the country music story. One of those venues is the Armadillo World Headquarters, the Austin concert hall that was ground zero for Austin’s cultural renaissance.” For those who don’t recall, Wilson and his friends, including co-owner Mike Tolleson, refurbished an old National Guard Armory building at the corner of Barton Springs Road and South First Street, turning it into a venue that welcomed cowboys, hippies and everybody else who wanted to listen to the music of “outlaw” artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and many more. Wilson opened up his storehouse of memorabilia from the Armadillo and loaned numerous items to the Nashville museum. According to a news release from the museum, “artifact cases line the walls and vibrate with energy, as touchstone artifacts sit side-by-side, for the first time.” Other items on display include “Nelson’s signature sneakers, Clark’s Randall knife, (Jessi) Colter’s dresses, Susanna Clark’s album cover paintings, Shel Silverstein’s worn and battered songwriting guitar,” and so on. For a look at the history, check out Joe Nick Patoski’s description of the scene.

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board on Monday night approved its latest Transportation Improvement Program. The vast majority of the $435 million collection of projects across the organization’s six-county jurisdiction will begin construction before 2021. Staff had whittled the list down from a larger tranche of requests totaling up to $1.5 billion. Included in the final TIP was $500,000 for the travel demand management programs proposed by the city of Austin, the Capital Area Council of Governments and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The CAMPO board also considered whether to commit another $500,000 to future TDM programs, which seek to encourage alternatives to single-occupant vehicles. Sparks flew during that discussion when Williamson County Commissioner Cynthia Long tried to maneuver against the notion. At times speaking over CAMPO Chair Will Conley’s attempts to interrupt her, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt pointed out that the combined $1 million for TDM programs represented a small fraction of the roads-heavy TIP. “It’s very frustrating to me, this persistent positioning that it’s not worth trying to get people to move to a mode other than single-occupant vehicles,” Eckhardt declared. “It is in our long-range plan to look at different modes because we will not be able to address our transportation needs in this area if we persist in single-occupant vehicles. It says it in our long-range plan approved by this body, and yet this body is reluctant to invest in anything that would move us to something other than single-occupant vehicles.” In the end, the board unanimously voted to support the TDM funding commitment.