Anyone can still weigh in on the how they’d like the Interstate 35 expansion to take shape. Specifically, the city is asking Austinites how they envision the caps and stitches that will span the highway. The platforms will bridge the road and could include amenities like parks, buildings and art exhibits. Even though they won’t be constructed for a decade or so, the planning is taking place now. To that end, a survey about what amenities will be included is open to the public until Friday, Aug. 2. To learn more about the overall project, residents can catch up via the OF35 Virtual Open House.

Go Austin/Vamos Austin, which has secured a city contract to create a retail food cooperative in East Austin, is conducting a membership drive to help move forward with the location in Del Valle. Members who pledge $50 during the drive through July 15 will be able to vote to elect the executive board, run for the executive board, receive special member discounts and take part in product development and skills-building classes, with the option to sell products at the co-op. The group is seeking 300 new members by the end of the drive and is also conducting a $100,000 capital campaign.

Austin’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management will host an emergency preparedness pop-up event from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Spicewood Springs Branch Library on Spicewood Springs Road. The first 25 households to attend will receive an emergency supply kit and can stock up on free supplies including lanterns, glow sticks, personal cooling supplies, weather radios and battery-powered chargers. City staff will also provide tips and best tactics to stay prepared in the case of an emergency situation. HSEM typically hosts the events on the third Wednesday of each month, but Wednesday’s observance of Juneteenth caused the rescheduling of this month’s session.

The Progress Pride Flag will fly over the Travis County Administration Building for the fourth year on Tuesday, June 25, with a flag-raising ceremony open to the public 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. County Judge Andy Brown will raise the flag, which features rainbow stripes and a chevron of white, pink, light blue, brown and black to symbolize transgender rights, people of color and those living with or lost to HIV/AIDS. The ceremony, at 700 Lavaca St., will include remarks from Brown, the Travis County Commissioners Court and Travis County LGBTQIA+ leaders. To attend, RSVP here.

Bringing the east side community together for 66 years, the Pan Am Hillside Summer Concert Series is planned for 6-9 p.m. every Tuesday in July at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center, 2100 E. Third St. Put on in partnership with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the free concert series has been a much-loved tradition in East Austin over decades, showcasing the music and culture of Austin’s Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano and Latino/a/e/x communities. Musical performers include Willie “The Kid” Cantu & the Starlight Band, George Mercado, Janie Balderas, the Tiarras, and Ruben Ramos & the Mexican Revolution. Food trucks on-site will sell refreshments, a community resource fair will have giveaways and there will be free children’s activities. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and coolers, and find the complete lineup of musical performers at AustinTexas.gov/HillsideConcerts and check @ESBMACC for updates.

The Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo, which will take place in Austin in December, is seeking submissions for potential panel discussions. The three-day event at JW Marriott Austin is expected to draw more than 1,200 decision-makers and local leaders from across the country, with a focus on addressing ways to make communities safer, smarter and more sustainable. Prospective panels should target digital transformation, urban operations, mobility, infrastructure, community engagement and innovation. The 2023 program guide is available to demonstrate past panels that were selected. Panel submissions are due by July 26.

Two public input sessions are scheduled for this Wednesday, June 12, on accessibility at county buildings and parks. Travis County is asking to hear about the preferences and priorities of county residents with disabilities, employees who work with the disability community and local advocacy organizations. The feedback will shape how Travis County prioritizes needed changes identified in its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan, which addresses access issues and solutions, as well as who will be responsible for removing barriers to access, a timeline for barrier removal and a cost reference for planning purposes. Both sessions on Wednesday will be held at the Travis County Administration Building at 700 Lavaca St. Austin, TX 78701:

• 2:30 p.m. (Registration link to join virtually for those who can’t attend in-person: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IwpaM0EwRUuiDQOoyBNsrA)
• 6 p.m. (Registration link to join virtually for those who can’t attend in-person: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xquQdvjAS_uqcizHD1R4Ww)

Both sessions will provide an overview of the ADA requirements for existing facilities and parks, discuss factors other counties and cities have considered in setting priorities and share examples of inaccessible items being addressed in the transition plan. To see a digital copy of the county’s site-specific ADA Transition Plan, email pio@traviscountytx.gov.

Motorists and pedestrians should prepare for road closures in portions of East Austin this Saturday, June 15, to accommodate the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m., which means roads will be closed from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. along the route that runs along East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard beginning at Leona Street, turns right on Chicon Street, left on Rosewood Avenue and left again on Chestnut Avenue, finishing at Rosewood Neighborhood Park. Staging needs mean MLK Boulevard will be closed from the Interstate 35 frontage road to Comal Street, as well as Comal Street between East 20th Street and East 14th Street, also 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Only local traffic will be allowed within one block of streets that cross the parade route. Rosewood Avenue will undergo closure from Chestnut Avenue to Walnut Avenue between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. Additional street closures near the festival site may be implemented by the Austin Police Department as required. A complete map of closures and the parade route is available online.

Six more pools and the temporary bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool open today. Civitan, Kennemer, Metz, Parque Zaragoza, Stacy Wading and West Austin pools open today, joining a whole bunch of other pools and splash pads across the city that were already in operation as a way to beat our already-in-progress heat. A list of pools and their operating status can be found here. The Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse at Barton Springs is closed for renovations until spring 2025.

The city’s Green Workforce Accelerator will host a showcase on June 13 at the Central Library to introduce the community to organizations that deploy, train and place residents in green jobs. The free event is sponsored by the city’s Innovation Office, the Office of Sustainability, the Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Resource Recovery and Blue Sky Partners. The accelerator was created to help local organizations create or expand programs that result in the creation and placement of green jobs. Participants in the latest cohort received $15,000 grants plus technical assistance to assess their best plans for growth while participating in the program. Industries highlighted in the 2024 cohort included energy efficiency and alternative energy, water management and conservation, waste management and resource recovery, transportation, plus lands, parks and urban agriculture. Those interested in attending the showcase can register online.