Local media isn’t the only group with questions about the recent appointment of a new head of police oversight. The appointment of Gail McCant, which was made without a promised national search, is the subject of a City Council Message Board post that asks interim City Manager Jesús Garza why the process unfolded as it did. Council members Zo Qadri, Chito Vela, Jose Velasquez, Vanessa Fuentes, Ryan Alter, Alison Alter and Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis had all asked for an explanation on the message board as of Wednesday evening. “Our offices have had the opportunity to work with Gail McCant during the preparation and passage of the recently passed (Austin Police Oversight Act) implementation ordinance, and we look forward to having her as the next director of the Office of Police Oversight. We found her professional, transparent, and accessible every time we reached out to her,” wrote Council members Qadri, Vela, Velasquez, Fuentes and Ryan Alter. “However, we were surprised there would be no national search for her role, as had been previously stated. Given the significance of this role and the high-profile nature of the office, why was the decision made to forgo a search and instead appoint the OPO director from within the City of Austin? We hope the City Manager can further explain his thinking on this decision, not only for our own understanding but for the understanding of the public who we all serve.” Though Garza is currently on vacation, he announced the appointment via memo on Sept. 29.

A mural commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Onion Creek flood that devastated Onion Creek neighborhoods will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Oct. 28 at Onion Creek Metropolitan Park, 8652 Nuckols Crossing Road. Mayor Kirk Watson, City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes and Travis County Constable George Morales will speak at the ceremony, taking place at the site of the mural near the intersection of Vine Hill and Onion Creek drives in the park. Onion Creek flood survivors participated in a series of focus groups with artist Alonso Estrada to collaborate on the mural, which is inspired by an ancient Native American myth of a wild white horse that inhabited Onion Creek. The mural tells the story of the community members who survived as they struggled to save their neighbors from floodwaters. Following a second flood in 2015, the city offered buyouts to relocate residents and return the flood-prone area to nature. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department invested $4 million to establish Onion Creek Metropolitan Park, completed in 2019. Austin-based artist Alonso Estrada was chosen in an open call to complete the mural. It was produced by PARD’s Dougherty Arts Center staff in partnership with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the Watershed Protection Department, the Office of Resiliency and community service organization GAVA (Go Austin Vamos Austin).

The city’s Food Justice Mini Grants program has awarded $3,000 grants to 25 organizations that focus on positive change in Austin’s food system. “To create lasting change, we must empower those working toward food justice,” said Zach Baumer, the city of Austin’s interim chief sustainability officer, in a statement to the press. “Through these grants, we are hoping to foster a stronger, more equitable food landscape across our community.” The grant program, which was launched in 2020, “funds projects and programs that help build transformational change around how food moves from the fields to our forks,” according to a press release about the awards. That press release also listed the recipients in full as:

• ATX Free Fridge
• Austin Mutual Aid
• Carol’s Kindness
• Casa Anormalidad
• Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition
• Community Coalition for Neighborhood Stability (CCNS), in partnership with Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA)
• Dove Springs Proud
• El Buen Samaritano
• Farmshare Austin
• Govalle Elementary School
• Keep Austin Fed
• Latinas en el Hogar Empoderadas, in partnership with Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA)
• Mariposa Family Learning Center
• More Than Welcome
• Multicultural Refugee Coalition
• Neighborhood Molino
• North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC)
• Our Shared Kitchen, Inc.
• Out Youth, in partnership with SWEET
• Partners for Education, Agriculture and Sustainability (PEAS)
• Sunday Lunchbox
• Teen Mom Tender Start
• Trinity Center
• UT Outpost
• WorkingGroup512

Tuesday’s normal work session, at which City Council members hear presentations from staff and ask questions about items on Thursday’s Council agenda, was canceled. Surely this is not the first time, but the Austin Monitor staff does not remember when that has happened before. When asked for an explanation, city spokesperson Shelley Parks said via email, “The reason the council work session was cancelled is due to the fact that there wasn’t a presentation scheduled, no Q&A’s, and no pulled items.” Two Council staff members said the same thing. Thursday’s meeting should be short, with only 41 items on the agenda.

Austin’s quality of life commissions are getting a very early start on their budget recommendations, and they are looking for community input to flesh them out. Commissions like the African American Resource Advisory Commission, Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission, Commission on Aging, Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Commission for Women, Early Childhood Council, Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission, Human Rights Commission, LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission and Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities will host “investing in community” budget listening sessions to determine the community’s needs, as determined by the community. The meetings, which are free and open to the public and hosted by the Joint Inclusion Committee, will take place over Zoom, with each being about 1.5 hours each. Meetings will take place on Oct. 18, Oct. 24 and Nov. 4. More information and registration to attend can be found here.

Want to work at the city of Austin? Or in Austin? Next Tuesday, Oct. 10, the Human Resources Department will host a Community Job Fair designed to let job seekers meet representatives from city departments and local employers who, according to a press release from the city, are “committed to hiring and assisting individuals from all backgrounds, including justice-involved, individuals who are 50+, veterans, and people with disabilities.” The job fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center. It is free and open to the public, with registration online available here.

This year’s voters guide from the League of Women Voters of Texas is now available. At lwvtexas.org and VOTE411.org, you’ll find nonpartisan explanations of 14 proposed amendments, along with arguments for and against each, on local, regional and statewide issues; parks; internet; teacher pensions; property taxes and other matters. LWV Texas provides the 2023 Constitutional Amendment Election Voters Guide in various formats – and languages – to reach as many voters as possible. A printable PDF of the guide is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese online at lwvtexas.org, where you’ll also find explainer videos. VOTE411.org has the guide in English and Spanish, plus information on local races and ballot measures. Printed copies of the LWV Texas Voters Guide have been distributed across the state to public and college libraries, voting advocates and food banks.

This October, Austin Animal Center and Adopt a Pet are teaming up to waive all pet adoption fees. The month will kick off with an event from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Austin Animal Center designed to give would-be pet owners a chance to meet animals up for adoption and get free swag. Animals will be available for adoption on a first-come, first-served basis. For those not able to attend the Oct. 7 event, the shelter is also open for adoption walk-ins. “Guiding adopters from finding their best match to becoming pet parents is what Adopt a Pet is all about – so hosting an in-person event with Austin Animal Center is the perfect way to bring our mission to life,” said Jeannine Taaffe, CEO of Adopt a Pet. “We’re very excited to help these lovable animals and ensure their pet parents feel confident and ready to welcome them to their forever homes.”

The restoration of the grandstands at East Austin’s Downs Field, a recorded Texas historical landmark, was recognized with a Preservation Texas Honor Award at the Central Texas Regional Preservation Summit ceremony. The field, at 2816 E. 12th St., has been the home of sports for Black athletes in Austin for nearly 100 years, and efforts have been underway for a decade to restore and promote the historically significant field. The site was first used in the 1920s by Samuel Huston College baseball and the Austin Black Senators, the first Negro Baseball League team in Austin. Baseball greats associated with the field include Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, Smokey Joe Williams and Buck O’Neil. Later, the site hosted the original L.C. Anderson’s Yellowjackets football team, which won the state championship in 1942. In 1954, Downs Field was established at the site and named in honor of Rev. Karl Downs, who was president of Samuel Huston College. Today, Downs Field is the home field of the Huston-Tillotson Rams. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department replaced the corrugated metal roof and made structural upgrades to the steel supports and wood framing while replicating the original architectural characteristics. The Downs Field Grandstand restoration project was funded by the Historic Preservation Fund in partnership with the Heritage Tourism Division of the Economic Development Department. The fund, made possible through the Hotel Occupancy Tax, helps preserve and restore Austin’s historic treasures.

A sendup of Texas politics has been selected for the 2023 Mayor’s Book Club. It’s called “Mr. Texas,” the new novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning Austin author Lawrence Wright. Get a preview at an author talk at Austin Central Library at 7 p.m. Nov. 27, introduced by Mayor Kirk Watson and moderated by The 19th CEO Emily Ramshaw. “As you read this novel, I hope you’ll consider how Austin connects voices across all of Texas, from all walks of life, which Wright captures with deadpan wit,” Watson said. “And through the laughter, Wright asks us to imagine a Texas that isn’t hampered by partisan politics.”

In some places, fall is ushered in with warm beverages and cozy nights in. Austin is marking the change in seasons by closing its “extreme heat resources” for the year, after the hottest summer on record. According to a news release from the city, the National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning for 38 days this year and the city saw less than 1.5 inches of rain June though August. With cooler (if not cool) temperatures in the forecast, the city is halting its operations related to heat, including its cooling centers at libraries and park facilities and a recent misting canopy pilot that was operating at Republic Square Park for 26 days. “We appreciate all the work that went into keeping our community informed and safe. We are thankful to all our library and parks staff who helped provide Cooling Center services to our community,” said Ken Snipes, director for the Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in a statement to the press. “Our emergency responders did an amazing job putting out fires, treating those who experienced heat-related illnesses and responding to those who needed medical attention. As we move into our next season, I ask everyone in our community to use our preparedness resources to learn how to become more resilient before for the next extreme heat event.”

As part of a $300 million plan to prevent displacement along Project Connect corridors, the city’s Housing Department and the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (which is made up of City Council members) have awarded $16.5 million to 12 community organizations. “This is an important milestone for Project Connect. Our desire is to create positive outcomes for our community as transit access expands in Austin,” Rosie Truelove, director for the Housing Department, said in a statement to the press. “These investments will get us closer to accomplishing that goal by providing resources to mitigate potential displacement pressures. Together with our Community Initiated Solutions partners, we’ll continue to ensure residents are supported in our communities.” Award recipients were broken down into three categories. Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Life Anew Restorative Justice Inc. and Interfaith Action of Central Texas were given money for their work in economic mobility. In terms of homeownership expansion, the city has awarded money to Austin Cooperative Business Foundation Asociación de Residentes, Business & Community Lenders and Del Valle Community Coalition. And for work on tenant stabilization, Austin Tenants Council, Austin Voices for Education and Youth, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, El Buen Samaritano, Meals on Wheels Central Texas, and Workers Defense Project’s Building and Strengthening Tenant Action have received funds. The public is invited to learn more about the programs and eligibility from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 14 at Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center. More information about that event and Community Initiated Solutions can also be found here.