A public survey about the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative (CAUDI) will be open until this Sunday, Nov. 24, so anyone with opinions on the plan is advised to head on over to the Virtual Open House to register them now. The initiative, which is expected to use $22 million in 2020 mobility bond dollars for its initial phase, includes a series of changes to Congress between Cesar Chavez and 11th streets that aim to make the street a “more human-centered, multimodal, complete street with a clear and attractive identity.” The project is expected to run about $130 million total, with funding for its entirety not yet established. Right now, the city is looking to move forward with the funded first phase that proposes a protected bikeway and transforming the area into a pedestrian plaza. The survey, and more information on the plans, can be found here.

Civic heads will have to make a tough choice between City Council and the Travis County Commissioners Court this week, as the county’s normal Tuesday meeting will take place on Thursday this week. The shifted meeting will start at 1:30 p.m., and the agenda can be found here. In addition, Commissioners Court will not meet next week because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Each month, the city hosts an Emergency Preparedness Pop-Up event in a different district, and this month’s is planned for 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Carver Branch Library, 1161 Angelina St., Austin, TX 78702. It’s a chance for folks to learn how to prepare for emergency situations like harsh winter weather, extreme heat, flooding or wildfires. Representatives from Austin’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management and others involved in emergency response will provide tips, information and supplies. The first 25 attendees will receive an emergency supply kit, with a limit of one per household. “Kits include items that can value over $100 including a backpack, lanterns, glow sticks, battery powered chargers, NOAA weather radios, Neighborhood Preparedness Guides, and items for kids and pets,” a news release from city states. For more information including a full event schedule, visit ReadyCentralTexas.org.

At a free event that is open to the public, new Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis will share her “100-day plan” on addressing Austin’s safety issues. Attendees can participate in a Q&A session following her presentation. The discussion – to be held from 7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at St. David’s Episcopal Church at 301 E. Eighth St., Austin, TX 78701 – will be hosted by the Downtown Austin Alliance. A complimentary breakfast will be provided. Because space is limited, RSVPs are encouraged. Registration is open via Eventbrite.

Former District 7 City Council candidates Adam Powell and Todd Shaw announced Thursday that they were endorsing Mike Siegel in the runoff election to fill the seat currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool. Powell received 11.2 percent of the vote and Shaw got 8.7 percent.

Gary Bledsoe, who will face Siegel in the Dec. 14 runoff, gained the endorsement of the third-place contender in the November election, Pierre Nguyễn, who got nearly 15 percent of the vote. Mykle Tomlinson, Bledsoe’s campaign manager, told the Austin Monitor that Bledsoe had also won endorsements from the majority of area constables as well as state Reps. Gina Hinojosa, John Bucy and Lulu Flores.

The Roz, a 100-unit affordable, permanent supportive housing community in District 3 supported by the city’s Housing Department, has reached its financing goal and can continue with construction to reach a spring 2026 opening. The 1.6-acre project near Mabel Davis District Park will serve people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Roz is a collaboration between SGI Ventures, Saigebrook Development, O-SDA Industries, New Hope Housing and the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC). The $24 million project will include fully furnished studio apartments, with utilities covered and rental assistance through 100 dedicated vouchers. Residents will have access to amenities like a library, cyber lounge, multipurpose room and spaces for supportive services. Volunteers of America will manage the property, and Family Endeavors will provide support services. Funding sources include $16.3 million from low-income housing tax credits and $5.5 million from the city’s rental housing development assistance program.

Austin residents are invited to a special “Climate ‘Train’ing” event on Nov. 16, hosted by Transit Forward, Environment Texas, the city of Austin’s Office of Sustainability and other partners. The event begins at 11:15 a.m. at Downtown Station and includes a train ride, educational presentations and a community discussion on climate change and its effects on the Austin area. Originally scheduled for September, the event aims to engage Austinites in climate action and sustainable transit solutions. Dev Niyogi, a professor at the University of Texas’ Jackson School of Geosciences, will deliver a presentation on the impacts of climate change in Central Texas and strategies for mitigation, emphasizing public transit’s role. Attendees will board the train at 11:34 a.m. and travel to Crestview Station, where a moderated discussion will follow at Black Star Co-op, concluding at 1 p.m. Capital Metro is offering 30 free train passes for participants, though attendees are responsible for their own fares and lunch. Registration is encouraged, and additional details are available by emailing bill@transitforward.org.

The city of Austin is set to hold its first A.I. Summit on Nov. 20, promising to offer “dynamic panel discussions with AI experts and opportunities to connect with colleagues across City Departments,” according to the Eventbrite info. The summit will be open to city employees. The event comes on the heels of a call during City Council’s meeting that was generated by artificial intelligence. That call, which can be seen here, prompted Mayor Kirk Watson to post on the City Council Message Board on Sunday, writing, “Immediately after the Council meeting this past Thursday, City Clerk Myrna Rios and I talked about the AI generated call we received as part of Public Communications. We discussed the need to immediately get to the bottom of how this happened, what we can do to prevent it in the future and how we create security. Of course, our priority is protecting the ability of our public to communicate with us and to prevent misuse and abuse of the system. I’ve also included the City Manager and Deputy City Manager in this discussion. … I wanted you to know that action has started and also invite you to share any thoughts you have. As I know each of you do, I appreciate the Clerk taking initiative and moving swiftly.” As of Wednesday, no other Council member had replied to the post. City Council passed a resolution in February that asked for the creation of guidelines around the city’s use of AI and established basic guidelines for the technology in June.

The latest Central Texas Housing Report from Unlock MLS showed a 9.3 percent increase in active real estate listings across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area in October, bringing the total to 11,599 homes. The months of inventory – which measures the current supply of homes in the region offered for sale relative to the number of homes being purchased – has grown to 5.1 months, up from 4.6 months in October 2023. Key figures for the city of Austin include 716 homes sold, a slight 0.8 percent year-over-year decrease, and a median price of $565,000, down 0.5 percent. New listings in the city rose by 1.7 percent to 1,170, while pending sales jumped 22 percent to 764. In Travis County, active listings increased 9.4 percent to 5,702, while the median price held steady at $510,000. Williamson County saw a 7.1 percent uptick in new listings and a 2.3 percent drop in the median price to $420,000. Hays County saw a 20.8 percent increase in new listings, but home sales dropped 7.8 percent, with a median price of $359,000, down 5.5 percent. Across the region, the average close-to-list price ratio was 92.7 percent, reflecting modest price adjustments in a more balanced market. The total dollar volume of homes sold reached $1.27 billion, marking a 1 percent decline compared to October 2023.

If you’re a property owner in Travis County who claims a homestead exemption on your property to reduce your tax bill, keep an eye on your mailbox for a notice requesting that you verify your eligibility to receive those benefits. State law requires such an eligibility check twice per decade, so the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) is contacting folks who began claiming exemptions between 1970 and 2009 – starting with a phased approach over the next five years. To verify eligibility, property owners will fill out a verification form and provide a copy of their Texas driver’s license or ID with an address that matches their property. “Verifying your eligibility is easy and can be completed online in just a few minutes,” said Chief Appraiser Leana Mann. “Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible and avoid any disruption in a property owner’s benefits. If a verification letter gets lost in the mail or a property owner misses a deadline, contact our office and we’ll be happy to help.” Deadlines will vary, depending on the exemptions on the property. If you think your exemptions have been removed in error, contact the TCAD homestead exemption helpline at 512-873-1560. Find more information on the verification process at traviscad.org/verify.

Former Mayor Steve Adler and Miguel Arellano, TxDOT’s deputy district engineer for the Austin area, will be among the locally focused speakers presenting during the Smart Cities Connect fall conference that will take place Dec. 3-5 at the JW Marriott Austin hotel downtown. The conference will feature more than 150 panelists and experts involved in breakout sessions, keynotes and innovation challenges, with much of the programming focused on four key topics: digital transformation, urban operations, urban infrastructure and community engagement. Registration is available online.