The Travis County Commissioners Court has put out a call for applications to the Central Health Board of Managers. Serving on the board, according to that call, means representing the interests of the county as well as a mission to “supply exceptional vision, business and administrative skills, and commitment.” More specifically, the county is looking for someone who has one or more of these qualities:

• Senior management-level experience in a governmental or nongovernmental entity
• Experience serving on boards of directors, advisory boards, community leadership panels or strategic planning committees of high-functioning organizations that provide services to and operate in pursuit of a high-impact mission in the community
• Demonstrated leadership experience requiring strategic planning, execution and maintenance of successful business operations as determined by organizational mission and values
• Understanding of budget development, risk models, insurance or other complex financial information
• Knowledge of the issues and components related to the “safety net” health system
• Understanding of public health care delivery systems as well as finance and funding mechanisms utilized for a publicly operated health care system
• Reflective of the diversity of the communities served by Central Health and engaged in understanding patients’ lived experiences and health disparities of marginalized populations
• Interest in serving the community, especially people with low income who need health care in Travis County
• Recognition of Central Health’s fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers
• Commitment to the mission, vision and values of both Central Health and the Travis County Commissioners Court

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. More information and an application packet can be found online or by calling 512-854-4774.

Starting this week, the Austin Police Department will be holding a round of community input sessions to help guide its priorities, polices and actions for the next five years. The sessions will help shape APD’s Strategic Plan that, according to a press release from the department, “will communicate our overall direction, forming a logical framework that connects our goals, strategies, and measures, which can be applied to everyday work.” The upcoming sessions are the second round of community input and will be held in an open-house setting and will focus on developing the workforce, enhancing organizational capacity, fostering leadership excellence, engaging the community and protecting Austin. The meetings will be held:

• 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Carver Library, 1161 Angelina St.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at upRising Church, 8601 S. First St.
• 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 200 W. Anderson Ln.

The events are free and open to the public. Though registration is not required, it is encouraged.

The city is offering a variety of resources and support to help promote this year’s Digital Inclusion Week, which runs Oct. 2-7 and has “Building Connected Communities” as its theme. So far, 15 events are scheduled throughout the week, kicking off with the Digital Inclusion Stakeholder Summit at 8 a.m. Oct. 2 at the Moody Center. Additional activities planned include an Austin Film Society movie screening of “You’re On! 50 Years of Public Access TV,” and a Connect to Tech workshop at Goodwill Central Texas Community Center. The week wraps up with a Tech for All Fest! celebration at Eastside Early College High School. Full schedules and more are available online.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a second public hearing this fall to allow the public to share thoughts on the 5,000-seat amphitheater proposed to be built west of Austin in Dripping Springs. The commission held an initial hearing last November for the water quality permit and application for municipal wastewater treatment, which developer Blizexas, LLC filed. TCEQ was still evaluating the applications but received a letter from state Sen. Donna Campbell requesting another public meeting to let residents near the Fitzhugh Road site share their concerns. The Stop Fitzhugh Concert Venue group has argued the concert venue will negatively impact water quality in the area and create public safety hazards because of excess traffic on surrounding two-lane country roads. The commission is working to finalize a date and location for the new meeting.

Spurs Give, Austin Parks Foundation and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovation and reopening of a basketball court at James A. Garrison District Park this Sunday, Sept. 17. According to a press release about the event, San Antonio Spurs player and former Texas Longhorn Sir’Jabari Rice and Austin Spurs head coach Will Voigt will conduct a basketball clinic with 50 youth athletes from nearby schools to help celebrate the new space. “Austin Parks Foundation, alongside Austin Parks and Recreation, is grateful to continue this partnership with Spurs Give in amplifying the importance of community in our city’s parks,” said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation, in a statement to the press. “We’ve already seen the positive impact that these court improvements have made in Dove Springs District Park and we are excited to see that impact extend to Garrison District Park.” The project is the second to come out of the Play ATX program, which was launched in April 2023 with $500,000 from Spurs Give and APF. The program expands on one started in San Antonio, and will help parks in need of renovation. As part of Sunday’s ceremony, Central Texas Food Bank will launch tits new “Mobile FARMacy” that will provide fresh food to up to 50 families, nutrition information and help applying for food assistance.

As plans for a health center in Southeast Austin move forward, project officials are looking for feedback from the community on how the center will take shape. Using $16 million from the 2018 bond election, Austin Public Health and Austin Public Works are managing the construction of the Dove Springs Public Health Facility, which will consist of a neighborhood center, food pantry, health services and child care when complete. The meeting, which will take place on Sept. 21 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at the George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center, will discuss construction status, potential child care operators and artwork proposals for the space. Currently, the project is in its design phase.

Transportation industry leaders from the public and private sector are invited to the 2023 Movability Summit, which will feature representatives from the seven Central Texas agencies that constitute the region’s Construction Partnership Program. The Sept. 28 event will focus on the more than $20 billion in construction projects scheduled to begin soon. Those projects include the reconstruction of Interstate 35 through downtown, construction of light rail reaching three directions beyond downtown, expanded bus rapid transit service, and improvements to busy city and county roadway corridors. In addition to networking, the summit will feature a panel discussion about the region’s mobility and transportation challenges and solutions. Ticket purchasing and additional information are available online.

Preservation Austin has organized its inaugural Legacy Business Month, beginning Oct. 1, in an effort to highlight iconic businesses that define local culture. Using a free “passport” loyalty system, those interested in participating will be encouraged to visit 13 local businesses that have been open for at least 20 years: BookPeople, Broken Spoke, Carousel Lounge, Cisco’s, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Driskill Hotel, Green & White Grocery, the Herb Bar, Paramount Theatre, Peter Pan Mini Golf, Playland Skate Center, Quality Seafood Market, and Waterloo Records & Video. Passports will be available beginning Oct. 1 at BookPeople and the Zilker Brewing Co. taproom. A kickoff party will take place Oct. 5 at the Zilker taproom, while a wrap party to recognize the most stamps collected will take place Oct. 30 at Historic Victory Grill. More information is available at preservationaustin.org.

The city has opened the public comment period related to upcoming negotiations for an economic incentives package for Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors N.V. According to an announcement from the city, NXP is considering expansions to its two facilities in Austin with a projected capital investment of $290.8 million and the creation of 53 jobs over five years. The incentive package would utilize the city’s Chapter 380 Economic Development award and would allow the company to receive a property tax reimbursement of up to 65 percent if the company meets agreed-upon thresholds for job creation and capital investment. A public hearing regarding the incentive proposal is scheduled for Thursday’s City Council meeting. Last year, the company sought incentives from a now-discontinued state program that would have reduced its taxes paid to Austin ISD. At the time it detailed plans to create 350 jobs paying more than $60,000, with the possibility of building a third fabrication facility in the area.

Local muralists and other visual artists have until Sept. 15 to submit an application to create a new two-story mural at the historic Old Bakery & Artisan Emporium at Congress Avenue and 10th Street. The community recommended the mural installations as a way to recognize the history of the property and the bakery. Plans call for a new mural to be created every three years, assuming funding is available. The budget for the first mural, which will be on a stucco an limestone wall, is $30,000. The selected muralist will develop three design concepts, which will go through public review and input before selection and installation. The application portal and full project details are available online.

Update: The city announced Monday that the celebration and removal of Flo will be delayed while other options are explored. Stay tuned for more details. 

In light of news that the beloved Barton Springs pecan tree known as “Flo” will be removed following a diagnosis of Kretzschmaria deusta, the city will be holding a “Celebration of Life” ceremony. The event, which will feature a water blessing and opportunity to say farewell to the tree, will take place at the pool on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.. The Parks and Recreation Department is also collecting remembrances and photos of Flo at treestories@austintexas.gov. Because there is no effective treatment for brittle cinder fungus and it can cause the tree to collapse, all four city arborists recommended its removal due to safety concerns and the lack of treatment options. Removal of the tree is currently scheduled for Sept. 14.

Photo by city of Austin. An iconic pecan tree at Barton Springs Pool has been diagnosed with a wood decay fungus.

The renovation of Brush Square is nearly complete, and everyone is invited to celebrate it. On Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 pm, the Parks and Recreation Department will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring a performance by Big Wy’s Brass Band. The celebration coincides with Austin Museum Day, so there will also be activities at the Susanna Dickinson Museum and word games at O. Henry Museum replete with Texas-themed prizes. The renovation to the square includes new walkways, an event lawn, raised decking, new lighting and landscaping. In addition, the O. Henry Museum has been restored. Both projects were funded by the Historic Preservation Fund, through Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars.