Whispers

Workforce Solutions Capital Area is seeking community input on its Hire Local Plan, an initiative aimed at enhancing workforce development in the Austin metro area. The plan focuses on increasing skilled local talent, improving income for residents and expanding payrolls for local businesses. To achieve these objectives, WFSCA has outlined four key strategies: awareness and […]

Presidents Day is Monday, Feb. 17, which means city of Austin administrative offices and other municipal facilities will be closed. Libraries will be closed Sunday and Monday, Feb. 16 and 17. However, many city services will continue as usual. You can expect typical operations and schedules for city of Austin utilities payments and Austin Resource Recovery […]

The latest edition of the Texas Metropolitan Blueprint, led by UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, outlines a five-year plan addressing urban challenges in Texas, with a strong focus on Austin. The Blueprint highlights the city’s recent policy changes to boost housing affordability, including lot size reforms and the elimination of mandatory parking requirements. […]

The Austin Chamber of Commerce is set to host its annual Infrastructure Summit on April 8 at the Hilton Austin. This event offers business and community leaders opportunities to gain insights into the evolving sectors of transportation, transit, water, energy and more within the Austin region. The just-completed programming schedule includes the following topics: • […]

Pease Park Conservancy has been planning and prepping to replace the netting in the park’s treehouse structure, but because of supply chain issues, the replacement will be delayed until April. The treehouse will be closed until then. In an update about the project, the conservancy noted that “Much of the expense associated with these repairs […]

The biannual It’s My Park Day is scheduled for March 1, and volunteer registration is now open for people who want to come together to enhance local parks, trails and greenbelts – while also taking part in fun activities beyond the volunteer work, such as ice cream trucks, Zumba classes and live music, plus special discounts […]

Austin has become a leader in affordable housing construction in Texas, with 2,717 fully affordable housing units currently under construction – the most of any metro in the state and among the highest in the country, according to a new report from real estate technology company Yardi Matrix. The city is also expected to deliver […]

In celebration of Black History Month, the Black History Bike Ride group will be hosting a day of cycling and film on Saturday, Feb. 22. The guided bike ride will kick off at 1 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum. The premiere of Momentum, a short documentary about Black History Bike Ride and free […]

Even though it’s too chilly for most to consider swim weather, the Aquatic Division of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department is busy. It is now hiring hundreds of lifeguards (ages 15 and older) starting at $21.63 per hour. Training is ongoing, with March 16-22 holding a number of opportunities during spring break. The city points […]

The city has chosen the Greater Austin YMCA to run an early education center at the Dove Springs Public Health Facility, which opened in November. The new 10,000-square-foot facility, funded by a 2018 bond proposal, will provide affordable child care for working families in Southeast Austin. The YMCA Tomorrow Academy will serve children from six […]

The Housing and Independent Living Task Force Austin has launched a local housing market analysis to assess the needs of adults with autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities in Austin. The effort, supported by a new special project fund at the Austin Community Foundation, seeks to identify housing barriers and explore solutions across public, private, […]

Red River Cultural District’s focus this year on telling its story and highlighting the connections between music, heritage, culture and commerce will kick off March 1 with its first District Dialogues event. The quarterly event series is designed to spark conversation, showcase creatives and bring the community together. The first edition takes place at Swan […]