The city is planning to make changes to its Residential Permit Parking program and looking to Austin residents to do it. According to a newsletter from the Transportation and Public Works Department, “The goal of the new rules is to balance the needs of residents, businesses and visitors by reducing congestion, improving curb access, and promoting alternatives such as public transit, biking and pedestrian-friendly options,” with an emphasis on accessibility, fairness and efficiency. In order to gather feedback from the public on what that might look like, the department has launched a survey, which is open through April 28. In May, city staff is planning to post a draft of the new rules for public review, with an aim to adopt them by this July.

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax is working to shape the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026, and Austinites are encouraged to weigh in on their priorities. Through early May, the city’s Budget Priority Survey will be available in multiple languages. This survey follows a series of five community budget conversations that Broadnax hosted across the city from February through April to help residents learn about the budget development process and voice their funding priorities. “The community made it clear that funding should focus on affordable housing, mobility, and community programs,” Broadnax said. “This valuable feedback will play a critical role as I continue to shape the proposed budget. To access the survey and find out about upcoming budget engagement opportunities, visit austintexas.gov/budget.

A building code amendment that will allow single-stair development up to five stories will be at Council this week and, like the resolution that asked for it, appears to have strong City Council support. Council Member Chito Vela, who sponsored the original resolution, posted to the City Council Message Board about the upcoming vote and told his colleagues about his plan to offer an amendment that would allow building up to five stories. “Allowing single stair buildings could bring missing middle type housing back into central Austin, especially along our transit corridors and ETOD areas. Single stair residential buildings are one of the most common types of housing in the world. Seattle and New York City have allowed single stair buildings for decades. Recently, other jurisdictions have begun to allow them as we all grapple with housing affordability. With four units per floor, these are smaller buildings that allow more family sized units. Windows on both external sides of the apartments allow for better light and ventilation,” he wrote. “The amendment allows single stair buildings up to 5 stories tall. Limitations on building size – such as a 4 unit per floor maximum – will make these buildings much smaller than your typical apartment complex. The amendment also includes additional safety features designed to protect the staircase from fire, including additional sprinkler requirements and a separate enclosure between the apartment and the stairway.” The post received written, supportive replies from Council members Jose Velasquez, Ryan Alter, Zo Qadri and Krista Lane, who upped the ante by proposing a change that would allow up to six stories of development supported by a single staircase. That idea got a reply from Council Member Paige Ellis, who said she would like more information on “feasibility and safety considerations” before she would support it, and Alter, who clarified he was in support of the five-story amendment.

The plaintiffs in Rethink35, et. al v. TxDOT filed a motion for summary judgment last week. The move could result in a resolution for the case, which claims that the planned expansion of I-35 did not include a required evaluation of the impact the road’s soot pollution would have on air quality. “The community’s health is at stake,” said Rethink35 Board Member Miriam Schoenfield in a statement to the press. “With this motion, we’re asking the court to hold TxDOT accountable for its responsibilities to properly study how the I-35 expansion will exacerbate air pollution and health inequities in our region.” The coalition that filed the suit is now waiting for a response from TxDOT.

The Planning Commission voted by consent agenda to “initiate Code amendments to City Code § 25-2-652 – Density Bonus 90 (DB90) Combining District Regulations to add an option for a fee-in-lieu for non-residential space above zoning base district height or zoning base district FAR to be directed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.” FAR stands for “floor area ratio,” or the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the area of its zoning lot. No further details were provided on the agenda or in the backup for the meeting. The DB90 district type, introduced in 2024, has been at the center of several controversial upzonings, as previously reported on by the Austin Monitor.

The 48th annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championship is approaching. The contest, which is free and open to the public, will take place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Brush Square Park. The event, which is known worldwide, consists of the Punniest of Show and Punslingers contests and will feature live music by Kathleen Turner Overdrive, a silent auction, merch, plus food and drink from local food trucks. More information can be found on Facebook or at punoff.com.

A free spay/neuter clinic for dogs and cats is underway through April 7 at the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center, 4115 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, Texas, 78704 – also providing free vaccinations, flea/tick prevention and microchips to pets who undergo surgery. Registration and drop-off will begin on-site at 7:30 a.m. and will continue until 10 a.m., or until each day’s schedule is full. Typically, spay/neuter procedures cost anywhere from $75 to several hundred dollars, depending on the animal’s breed and size. The Austin Animal Center is partnering with Greater Good Charities to help reduce the number of stray and homeless animals.

This weekend, the Landmarks Bike Tour returns to UT Austin. Landmarks has partnered with the school’s Orange Bike Project for the tour and is offering $10 rentals for those who need a bike. According to Landmarks, the docent-led tour of their collection will include stops at “Mark di Suvero’s Clock Knot, Nancy Rubins’ Monochrome for Austin and Sol LeWitt’s Circle with Towers, among others.” The tour is free and open to the public. It kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 6, though those who need to rent a bike should arrive at 10:15.

Austin Water’s 2024 Water Quality Report, released Wednesday, shows that Austin’s drinking water meets or exceeds state and federal standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency. The water has little to no detectable traces of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the city’s public water system is free of lead pipes, thanks to a “decades-long effort to inventory and eliminate any lead infrastructure discovered in the system,” according to a news release. The report also documents Austin Water’s practice of hourly water sampling and testing at multiple points in the system, preventive maintenance of crucial infrastructure and other initiatives. “We all can be proud of living in a city that banned lead pipes long before it was required and in an area with strong environmental protections in place to protect the source of our drinking water from PFAS,” said Shay Ralls Roalson, director of Austin Water.

This weekend promises to be a traffic tangle for those not aware of two events taking place this weekend. Both Zilker Park’s ABC Kite Festival on Saturday and the Statesman Cap10K on Sunday will shut down multiple roads, and city officials are urging drivers to plan accordingly. On Saturday, the 97th annual ABC Kite Fest will close Barton Springs Road between MoPac and Azie Morton Road as well as parts of Stratford Drive, Nature Center Drive, Bee Caves Road and Rollingwood Drive, and all of Lou Neff Road. In addition, neighborhood “no parking” restrictions will be enforced. A map of the closures can be found here. On Sunday, the 48th annual Statesman Cap10K will close roads along its course between Congress Ave and MoPac, South of West 15th Street. Here’s the course.

Community not Commodity is sounding the alarm on HB 3919, called the small lot impervious cover bill, which would “would allow 70 percent impervious cover on residential lots of 4,000 square feet or less.” The bill is set for a hearing on Wednesday at 8am in the House Land & Resource Management Committee. Since Austin passed the HOME initiative, the minimum lot size was reduced to 1800 square feet. Under this bill, lots of less than 4,000 square feet could have 70 percent impervious cover. The current limit is 45 percent. The group says, “Allowing a large increase in impervious cover combined with inadequate drainage infrastructure will put communities at higher risk of flood inundation.” Austin Rep. Gina Hinojosa is a member of the committee. The Senate has already passed a similar bill, SB15.

City Council and the Planning Commission will host a joint meeting at 2 p.m. today to hear public comment on a proposal to allow larger homes on lots where there is already existing housing. According to the posting, if adopted the proposal would “increase the maximum square footage limits of two new housing units when the property owner preserves the existing housing unit.” Although the proposal allows for larger units, it does not allow for increased impervious cover. After a staff presentation, Council will allow two minutes for each speaker. The Planning Commission is expected to take action on April 8 and Council will consider the proposal on April 24, according to Mayor Kirk Watson’s posting on the City Council Message Board.