Last week the Central Health Board of Managers voted unanimously to allow about $90.5 million in certificates of obligation to be used toward establishing a new medical complex that will serve low-income patients. According to a press release from Central Health, the funds will be used to purchase and renovate buildings in Northeast Austin and the facility will serve those experiencing homelessness. The location of the complex has not yet been made public. However, the complex is expected to have clinical space and a short-term detox center as well as 50 respite care beds that will give those experiencing homelessness a space to recover from medical care.

“We know from our data analysis and being in the community there are serious gaps in healthcare services for Travis County’s low-income residents. Central Health is in the process of addressing those gaps by adding new services for more people in more locations,” President & CEO Mike Geeslin said in a statement to the press. “This new Northeast Austin location will be an important asset for us as we work toward our goals, but more importantly for the residents who so desperately need the services it will provide.”

At the same meeting, which was held on March 29, the board voted to authorize about $9 million toward the Rosewood-Zaragosa specialty care clinic that will open later this year.

This week, the Travis County Commissioners Court will be asked to approve the funding. If they do so on April 4, “the annual debt service amounts will increase the average homestead property tax bill by approximately $12.84,” according to the press release.

This week, the San Antonio Spurs and the Austin Parks Foundation will celebrate a newly renovated basketball court at Dove Springs District Park. The April 4 ribbon-cutting ceremony will also mark a $500,000 donation by Spurs Give and the Austin Parks Foundation to launch Play ATX, a multi-year program to renovate parks and basketball courts throughout the city. In a press statement, Austin Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly McNeeley thanked the Spurs and community partners for making the project a reality. “Through creative collaboration and teamwork with Austin Parks Foundation and the Spurs, the newly refurbished basketball court is a wonderful addition to Dove Springs District Park,” she said. Upgrades to the Dove Springs court include resurfacing and restriping, new goals, and new benches and lights. “Our Parks and Recreation Department is severely underfunded and partnerships like this help amplify our work and allow us to make much-needed improvements to our city’s parks,” said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation. “Outdoor activities, such as playing basketball, are so important, not only to foster a sense of community but for the tremendous physical and mental health benefits.” Play ATX is an expansion of the Spurs’ Play SA program, which it launched in 2020. In its third year, the program has completed 11 renovations including revamped basketball courts, playgrounds and a skate park.

This story has been updated to clarify the donation.

The Austin Parks Foundation has released its 2023 schedule of free, outdoor summer movies. After a weather delay, Movies in the Park relaunches April 13 with a 7 p.m. screening of “Back to the Future” at Dick Nichols District Park. The schedule in its entirety is:

• “Back to the Future” @ Dick Nichols District Park: Thu., April 13, 7 p.m.
• “The Lego Batman Movie” @ Dove Springs District Park: Thu., April 27, 7 p.m.
• “Free Guy” @ Gus Garcia District Park: Thu., May 25, 7:30 p.m.
• “The Sandlot” @ Govalle District Park: Thu., June 29, 7 p.m.
• “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” @ TBA: Fri., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
• “Hocus Pocus” @ Mueller Lake Park: Thu., Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
• “Moana” @ Mabel Davis District Park: Fri., Nov. 10, 7 p.m.

Guests to the screenings are encouraged to bring (non-glass, non-Styrofoam) picnics, blankets, chairs and on-leash dogs. This year, APF is also hosting a series of “Playdates in the Park” with Creative Action that include story times, arts and crafts, music and more. Information about the playdates can be found here. And the playdates include:

• Garrison District Park: Wed., April 12, 10 a.m.
• Alderbrook Pocket Park: Sat., April 29, 10 a.m.
• Armadillo Neighborhood Park: Wed., May 10, 10 a.m.
• Patterson Neighborhood Park: Sat., May 27, 10 a.m.

“We’ve seen the sense of community that park-centered events like our In the Park series fosters among our neighbors and attendees,” said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation, in a statement to the press. “Giving Austinites access to free programming allows for more opportunities to get the community to enjoy our parks and green spaces and provides a safe, fun atmosphere for family and friends to gather.”

Travis County leaders, led by Travis County Judge Andy Brown, will host a taco-rich town hall at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature community questions, conversation and free tacos at the Webberville Road location of Veracruz All Natural. Those interested in attending can RSVP for more details and submit questions  for county commissioners about Travis County services, issues, or anything else that is weighing on one’s county-focused mind.

Editor’s Note: Andy Brown is on the board of the Capital of Texas Media Foundation, which is the parent nonprofit of the Austin Monitor.

While “Spring Festival Season” is often just a code word for South by Southwest in Austin, city transportation officials are reminding residents that the festivities will continue this week. And that could mean traffic headaches without proper planning. This week features a convergence of events that all come with their own street closings: Texas Relays, the Country Music Television Awards, ABC Kite Fest at Zilker, the Urban Cultural Fest and the Longhorn Run – all of which impact portions of downtown for portions of this week. It’s a lot, as illustrated by this quick rundown detailed by the Austin Transportation Department:

• The 2023 Country Music Television Awards will feature events throughout the week with county music tapings and performances, leading to the CMT Awards show live from the Moody Center at 8 p.m. on April 2. Portions of Congress Avenue and the surrounding area will be closed from March 27 through April 3.
• The 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays will be held at the Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium at the University of Texas from March 29 through April 1. Extra congestion is expected on campus and Littlefield Street will be closed at Red River Street to most westbound traffic.
• The 95th annual ABC Kite Fest will take place Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Zilker Park. Expect traffic impacts around the park as portions of Barton Springs Road will be closed.
• Austin’s Urban Cultural Fest will take place from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, at Vic Mathias/Auditorium Shores. Park access is open only for ticketed attendees and there will be no event parking in the neighborhoods surrounding the park.
• The Longhorn Run 5K and 10K race at the University of Texas will take place at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. Parts of Speedway, East 27th Street, Wichita Street and Whitis Avenue will be closed during the race. You can find the course route here.

City Council approved Austin Public Library’s strategic plan Thursday, paving the way for expansion in the future. The plan, which can be read in its entirety here, recommends construction and expansion of existing branches. In terms of expansion, the plan recommends that more than half of the existing branches be expanded to at least 30,000 square feet. In addition, the plan recommends four “net new” large library branches in each quadrant of the city. “Five and a half years ago, Austin opened a new world-class Central Library in downtown, and that building remains the crown jewel of the city,” said Library Director Roosevelt Weeks in a statement to the press. “However, our neighborhoods deserve world-class library facilities too. The plan adopted by the City Council today lays out a vision for growing and updating our entire library system to meet the needs of the rapidly changing, dynamic city we serve.” In addition to the library expansion, the 118-page plan also lays out five new strategic goals. They are:

1.  Provide community-centric programs and services
2. Design and develop spaces for community connections
3. Foster stakeholder relationships
4. Expand library access
5. Engage staff

University of Texas football star Bijan Robinson taught a swim lesson at Bartholomew Pool in East Austin last week as part of a partnership between the Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatic Division and Tankproof, a nonprofit that offers swim lessons to underserved communities. “By teaching children how to be safe and confident in the water, and by raising awareness about the importance of swim lessons, this partnership seeks to help save lives,” the city said in a press release. Robinson “teaches kids to swim so that they learn the skills to survive and thrive in the water.” Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years old. Robinson himself survived a nonfatal drowning when he was 5 years old. According to the press release, “Nine children have drowned in Texas already this year, but these accidents can be prevented if everyone watches children near water and learns to swim.” Register for city of Austin swim lessons and swim teams starting Monday, April 3, at 8 a.m.

Austin Pathways, which is a subsidiary of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, announced Monday that it has received a $250,980 grant to promote affordable broadband access for low-income households. The grant comes from the  Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program as part of nearly $5 million distributed nationally for the Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program that offers participants $30 monthly discounts on broadband, among other things. “This is an exciting opportunity for voucher and supportive housing program participants,” said Michael Gerber, president and CEO of HACA, in a statement to the press. “Today, affordable high-speed internet is key to accessing education, healthcare, job training, and maintaining relationships with friends and loved ones. Still, too many individuals lack broadband access due to high costs, a lack of technical know-how, or simply unaware that programs like the ACP are there to help.” According to the FCC, about 104,000 households would be eligible for discounted internet but, according to a press release from the housing authority, only about 18 percent of that population is currently enrolled.

Project Connect has been in the news recently, fueled by the hiring of a new leader, budget woes and a leak of maps showing plans have been pared down from original promises. Next week, Austinites will get the chance to sound off on new draft maps, which come with the following warning from the Austin Transit Partnership: “Facing rising costs and supply chain issues affecting communities on a global basis, the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) is developing a light rail plan to deliver the transit expansion to the community while being mindful of budgetary restrictions.” Feedback on the maps (which have yet to be revealed) kicks off on Tuesday, March 21, with an open house at Austin Central Library from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

While the slightly premature bluebonnets blooming across the city may be a welcome sight, the presence of blue-green algae at Red Bud Isle is not. The algae, which was confirmed in a tweet from the Watershed Protection Department, can be toxic to people and fatal to pets. Both groups should avoid getting in water where the algae is present, refrain from touching or ingesting it, and rinse off after being in water where algae is present. More information about cyanobacteria, including city efforts to mitigate it, can be found on the city’s website. Sampling for the presence of toxins will resume in the summer.

The 2023 Mobility Annual Plan (MAP) is ready for the eyes of Austinites, and the city is looking for feedback. The plan, implemented with the help of mobility bonds, is a citywide guide to mobility improvements. Each year, as part of the process to improve mobility infrastructure, the public is invited to weigh in. This year’s process is underway and will continue through March 26. The draft plan, as well as an interactive map of projects and feedback forms in English and Spanish, can all be found online.

The fight over traffic bollards on Barton Skyway has a new combatant, as another Change.org petition has entered the fray over the “sticks” that demarcate bicycle lanes. The second petition, which is titled “MORE bicycle/pedestrian protections on Barton Skywy 78704” had 2,060 signatures as of Monday night. In contrast to the first petition, which asked for removal of the bollards, the new petition asserts: “The Austin Transportation Department (ATD) has nominally improved safety for cyclists & pedestrians …. These additions have created a safer avenue for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate while not needing to worry as much about being run over and possibly killed.” However, like the original petition, the opposition still expresses dissatisfaction with the steps that have been taken, noting “this is not enough, and that more measures are needed to keep cyclists & pedestrians safe from drivers. … Please accept this request to employ even safer ways to allow cyclists and pedestrians to navigate these streets again with more traffic calming measures to protect against the 4000-5000lb vehicles that can easily crush human bodies. Our city is a vibrant and beautiful city, and our residents deserve to be able to appreciate it without worry of being run over by a truck or SUV.” The original petition, which demands removal of “Stick-a-geddon” had 630 signatures as of Monday night.