Early voting for the Dec. 11 Council runoff election posted 3,146 ballots Monday, just 0.57 percent of registered voters. That brings early voting totals to 30,207, or 5.47 percent of registered voters. Top vote-getting sites continue to be the Randalls at Braker and Research, the Randalls at William Cannon and MoPac and the Ben Hur Shrine Temple. Low turnout sites include the County Tax Office in Pflugerville and the Parque Zaragosa Recreation Center. A mobile voter van will be stationed at Austin City Hall and the Travis County Courthouse for the rest of the week. Early voting continues through Friday. For more information, go to the Travis County Elections page.

The City of Austin will mark its 175th birthday Dec. 27, but Mayor Lee Leffingwell has already begun celebrating with two events planned for today. The first event is a reception at 12:30 p.m.  at City Hall, where Leffingwell and Austin History Center Manager Mike Miller will say a few words about the history of Austin and cut the city’s birthday cake. The Austin History Center is also hosting a reception at 6:30 p.m. to open its new exhibit “Austin 175: From Cabins to Skyscrapers.” The mayor will join Dr. Jeff Kerr, author of the recent book “The Embattled Birth of Austin,” to share some stories from Austin’s past and thoughts about its future. The History Center is at 810 Guadalupe Street.

Passenger growth continued at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in October, as passenger traffic increased 11 percent compared to October 2013.  The airport has seen increased passenger traffic for 57 out of the last 58 months. In October, most of the major airlines serving ABIA saw an increase in boardings. Southwest, the largest carrier, saw a 4 percent increase; American saw a 9 percent increase and United had a 15 percent jump. Passenger activity for the first 10 months of 2014 was also up 7 percent over January-October 2013. Cargo operations were flat for October, with international air cargo up 259 percent.

The Imagine Austin Speakers Series will continue Wednesday, with series taking a look at “integrating nature into the city.” Panelists Ming. E. Kuo, Patrick Murphy and Laine Cidlowski will discuss why integrating nature into a city is important, why green infrastructure is important and the history and current challenges of Austin’s environmental policy, among other things. The event takes place at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center, 2405 Robert Dedman Drive, from 7 to 9 p.m.

With just a little more than a week left until the Dec. 16 runoff election, almost five percent of those registered to vote in Travis County have done so. To be specific, 27,061 people have voted in this election so far, which is 4.9 percent of the voters registered in the county. In terms of total voting numbers, the Randalls at Research Boulevard and Braker Lane and the Randalls South Mopac and William Cannon Drive continue to lead the pack, having seen 3,489 and 2,818 respectively. For more information, go to the Travis County Elections page.

Austin bicycle advocacy group Bike Austin has issued their endorsements for the December 16 runoff. According to their website the group based their picks on “each remaining candidate’s commitment to livable, safe streets for walking and bicycling in Austin. These candidates support a network of protected bicycle lanes, a bigger, better bike share system and safer streets for pedestrians.” Give that criteria, Bike Austin endorses Mike Martinez (Mayor), DeWayne Lofton (District 1), Sabino “Pio” Renteria (District 3), Greg Casar (District 4), Jimmy Flannigan (District 6), Jeb Boyt and Leslie Pool (District 7), Ed Scruggs (District 8) and Mandy Dealey (District 10).

Starting this week, Austin dog owners will be able to find their dogs using facial recognition software. On Thursday, the Austin Animal Center and other animal shelters in the area will announce their partnership with Finding Rover — an app that assists owners in finding their dogs. Both owners and those who find lost dogs can use the app to return lost animals to their homes. In a news release from the city, Chief Animal Services Officer Abigail Smith said her department was thrilled that the app had selected Austin as its launch city, and that the technology would help reduce the number of animals entering the city’s shelter.

After more than 60 years of operating the Town Lake Animal Center, the city is finally moving all the way out. Austin’s Animal Services Department has been using the facility as an overflow animal adoption center since it moved to the new location at 7201 Levander Loop. But a recent state inspection that found the shelter did not meet minimum standards was the final straw, and, according to a city news release, “continued use of the facility is no longer an option for overflow kennels.” At their last meeting, City Council members voted to renew the Austin Pets Alive! lease on TLAC while the Lamar Beach Master Plan is developed. In order to find homes for the 58 dogs currently at the shelter, the Austin Animal Center is offering all adoptions for $25. Those who adopt dogs over 40 pounds will receive a free crate if they adopt through this Sunday, and the adoption special runs through Jan. 4. Adoption fees are waived for pets 7 years of age and older. The Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

This week, the Burnt Orange Report issued its endorsements for the runoff election. The publication has endorsed Mike Martinez (mayor), DeWayne Lofton (District 1), Sabino “Pio” Renteria (District 3), Greg Casar (District 4), Jimmy Flannigan (District 6), Jeb Boyt (District 7), Ed Scruggs (District 8) and Mandy Dealey (District 10). It also endorsed candidates in the AISD and ACC Trustee runoff races, advocating for Ted Gordon (AISD District 1) Paul Saldaña (AISD District 6), Hillary Procknow (AISD District 9) and Jade Change Sheppard (ACC Trustee). Early voting is already underway for the Dec. 16 election.

Travis County Commissioners have reappointed Melvin Wrenn and Richard Moya to the board of the Housing Authority of Travis County. Both men are longtime members of the board, and their terms will expire at the end of 2016. The Housing Authority exists to provide affordable, safe and clean housing for low-income families in Travis County. The authority currently operates and maintains 105 HUD public housing units and authorizes the issuance of 568 housing choice vouchers. More information is available on the Housing Authority of Travis County website.

Early voting for the Dec. 16 runoff election picked up slightly Wednesday, with just under 1 percent of registered voters casting ballots. In all, 5,366 votes were cast, bringing the total for the first three days to 9.749 — just 2.64 percent of registered Travis County voters. The heaviest turnout continues to be in the West Austin voting stations, with the Randalls at Braker Lane and Research Boulevard leading the pack with 539 votes Wednesday, followed by the Ben Hur Shrine Temple with 409. Early voting runs daily through Dec. 12. More information is available at the Travis County Elections website.

After 27 years at the city, Government Relations Officer John Hrncir will retire in January 2015. A memo from City Manager Marc Ott praised his work, calling him “an extraordinary asset and a valued employee.” Hrncir has been the city’s government relations officer since 1992. In his letter, Ott noted Hrncir’s success with city-related bills at the Texas Legislature as well as his work securing federal funding, most recently $11 million from the Army Corps of Engineers for the Onion Creek project. Ott also mentioned the crucial role Hrncir played in establishing Central Health in 2004. With the legislative session just starting, Hrncir’s insights into the often hard-to-understand state body will be sorely missed.