It’s unclear whether this is a move to make the department more or less empathetic to traffic problems, but the Austin Transportation Department is moving from its current location at One Texas Center (just across the South First Street Bridge from City Hall) to 3701 Lake Austin Blvd. (which is in the LCRA building). The Office of the Director, Right of Way Management, Administration and Finance, Strategic Planning, Active Transportation, and Traffic Engineering will be moving to the new location. The Special Events division will remain at One Texas Center, and all other divisions and crews will remain in their current locations. As a result, walk-in permitting and traffic control plan review will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb. 27.

Friends and supporters of newly retired Mayor Lee Leffingwell will have an opportunity to help him recoup $90,000 he loaned his 2009 and 2012 campaigns. Leffingwell borrowed the money from his retirement fund but could not raise any money after winning the mayor’s race in 2012, under city campaign finance regulations. Attorney Jim Cousar, an expert on Austin campaign finance regulations, said,” Your reward for winning is you can’t pay your campaign debt for two or four years.” Attorney Tim Taylor and public affairs consultant Trey Salinas are throwing a party for Leffingwell at the Headliners Club at 5:30 p.m. on February 23. Taylor, who said Monday that he was collecting checks and making a list of sponsors for the event, said invitations would be going out soon. ” He was a great mayor,” Taylor said. “Lee sacrificed a lot to be Mayor and I don’t think his retirement fund should be part of that sacrifice,” he added. Taylor was among those hosting a party for Mayor pro tem Betty Dunkerley when she retired from the Council in 2008. Dunkerley also used her retirement money to finance her first campaign for elective office in 2002. Taylor said fundraisers would abide by the city’s campaign finance regulations by limiting donations to $350 per person or $700 per couple.

A group of downstream Lower Brazos River interests announced in a Monday press release that they formed the Lower Brazos River Coalition in mid-January. “Prolonged drought and rapid population growth in the Brazos River Basin have prompted grass-roots parties to form a coalition aimed at ensuring that lower basin interests are protected as competition for river water intensifies,” the release states. The coalition, it also says, includes “concerned individuals, organizations, municipalities, ranchers and farmers, environmentalists and conservationists, and businesses and industries, who are jointly responding to upstream efforts to limit water flowing downstream.” The Brazos River is the longest river in Texas and stretches from the Llano Estacado region, through Waco, and down to the Gulf of Mexico. The Brazos River Authority, created by the Texas Legislature in 1929, governs the Brazos River Basin.

Today, members of the Save Our Community Coalition and the Texas State Employees Union will join UT employees to lobby for public higher education at the Texas State Legislature. According to a press release on the topic, the group will address a range of issues, including “re-regulation of tuition, stopping privatization and downsizing of staff, and ensure that hardworking university employees receive a long-overdue pay raise.” It continues: “If the (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s) proposal passes, there would be an increase of 11.8 percent, or $516 million. At the same time, the cash infusion would translate into a $5,300 grant for each eligible student. An investment into higher education is a long-term investment for all Texans, by keeping higher education affordable and being able to attract and retain qualified staff to make our state more competitive and our economy stronger. We believe that money must be spent to maintain the culture of excellence and the quality of life for both students and staff at all Texas colleges and universities.”

This Valentine’s Day, Tree Folks and the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department are asking Austinites to show their love of nature. In a gathering called “Loving Austin Creeks to Life,” volunteers will plant 1,000 seedlings along the Northeast Austin’s Buttermilk Creek. According to a notice about the event, “This is the latest step in the creek’s restoration, where River Watch teens started working in 2009. The creek is a valued part of the neighborhood, enjoyed by the many people who walk the trail along its banks each day. But like many urban streams, it has been stressed by pollution, trash, and a lack of shade, which hurts the creek’s ecology…The restoration work has involved planting native tree saplings and grass plugs, collecting and dispersing native grass and forb seeds, and installing 14 seed islands.” The planting will take place on Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. until noon at Buttermilk Park. More information can be found here.

On Friday, after our story about Bill Aleshire’s criminal complaint against City Council Member Don Zimmerman ran, Aleshire sent an email to attorney Stephen Casey clearing up one point. The law prohibiting a candidate from paying his or her spouse for campaign work is not new, as Zimmerman suspected might be the case. “Based on my quick look at the statutory history, the best I can see, that prohibition has been in the election code since at least January 1, 1992,” wrote Aleshire.

This Wednesday, the Fifth Annual Central Texas Water Efficiency Network Symposium will take a “Deep Dive Into Water Conservation.” According to the press statement released by the Austin Water Utility, the all-day symposium will include discussions about “the importance of drought-tolerant landscaping and landscape development code; promoting water conservation by connecting water and energy consumption; case study on designing an effective water conservation program; and using social media and customized apps to engage customers as water conservation allies.” More information about how to register for the seminar and the agenda can be found on the Texas Water Foundation website.

City Hall regulars have, no doubt, noticed the change in art there already. The opening reception, however, won’t take place until Feb. 27, when the new exhibit kicks off for real and the people’s choice winner from 2014 is revealed. Curious art lovers can attend the reception at 6:30 p.m. and are encouraged to RSVP here.

Those who miss the craziness of last year’s City Council election might want to swing by Tres Amigos on Sunday, Feb. 15, when Dr. Laura Pressley will continue her 2014 fight to win an election she lost in December. Pressley is hosting a “meet and greet” to discuss her recently filed election lawsuit, answer questions and, apparently, fundraise. From her invitation, which links to the “donate” page of her campaign website: “Our election lawsuit is related to the fact that the numbers don’t add up and we are asking for help from the district court to resolve these unfortunate discrepancies.” Pressley lost the runoff election for Council by 1,290 votes, which was confirmed by a Pressley-requested recount. Pressley’s complaints filed with the Secretary of State have been rejected. On Jan. 29, she filed a lawsuit contesting the election. Details on the meet and greet can be found here.

Congratulations to District 2 City Council Member Delia Garza and her husband, Ramiro Martinez Jr. Garza confirmed Thursday that she is indeed pregnant. Garza, still looking very svelte, said the baby is due in mid-May. Garza said she still has plenty of energy, which she will need in the coming months. She is hosting a town hall meeting at Perez Elementary School, 7500 S. Pleasant Valley Road, from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Mayor Steve Adler will join the Austin Environmental Democrats at their meeting today to discuss environmental priorities for the next year and beyond, and take questions from AED members. The meeting will take place at El Mercado South from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is now accepting applications from those wishing to serve on the Austin Travis County Sustainable Food Policy Board. A letter from Eckhardt’s office states, “The Board was created to advise both the City Council and the Commissioners Court in areas concerning the availability of safe, nutritious, local and sustainably grown food and to aid in the coordination of local government activities with those of nonprofit and community organizations and local businesses. Persons with expertise and/or interests in these areas are encouraged to apply.” If interested, contact Loretta Farb by the end of the business day on Feb. 13, 2015, by email (loretta.farb@traviscountytx.gov), fax (512-854-9535) or regular mail (700 Lavaca St., Suite 2.300, Austin, TX 78701). Include a letter stating goals of service and a commitment to attend 80 percent or more of the monthly meetings along with a resume and a non-conflict of interest affidavit. Information on the board can be found here.