The city of Austin is set to salute New Year’s Eve with a free celebration at Auditorium Shores featuring Third Eye Blind, local bands, food and fireworks. This year, the event will be part of the “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” broadcast on CNN. “Austin’s New Year is back and bigger than ever, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate at Auditorium Shores,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement to the press. “This City is no stranger to hosting world class events, so it’s no surprise CNN is returning to count down to the new year in the Live Music Capital of the World.” More information about the schedule, parking, food and road closures can be found here.

Throughout the month of January, the Lower Colorado River Authority is accepting applications for community grants of up to $50,000. Twice per year, its Community Development Partnership Program gives to nonprofits like volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, local governments, schools, libraries, civic groups and museums. (The grants are not given to individuals, for-profit entities, professional associations, social service projects or limited-use facilities.) “Applicants requesting more than $5,000 in grant funding must supply matching funds of at least 20% of the total project cost. The projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and improve the value of a capital asset through building, renovating or purchasing equipment,” a news release from the LCRA says. Apply online at lcra.org/cdpp by midnight Jan. 31.

Traffic at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) was down 6.14 percent in October when compared to the previous year. The airport reports 1,915,146 passengers flew this October. However, total air cargo was up 14.72 percent (by weight). From January through October, total passenger traffic was down 1.17 percent, with AUS seeing 18,166,875 passengers in total during that time period.

Construction on the new bicycle and pedestrian bridge before the Longhorn Dam will alter traffic patterns on Pleasant Valley Road starting today. According to a missive from the Transportation and Public Works Department, the traffic configuration will change by:

• Shifting both traffic lanes to the east side of South Pleasant Valley Road to one-way in both directions.
• Rerouting pedestrians and bikers using the Ann & Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail onto the east side of South Pleasant Valley Road.
• Canterbury Street will continue to serve as a detour for pedestrians and bikers using the Ann & Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail with one-way traffic heading west.

Supports for the bridge are expected to be completed by the end of the year, with construction on the Pleasant Valley underpass continuing through May of 2025. The project timeline remains on track, with an anticipated completion in the summer of 2026.

In an effort to address parking challenges for students, parking on Stephen F. Austin Drive will be reserved for Austin High School students between Cesar Chavez Street and Veterans Drive from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. The road, which is actually a private street owned by AISD, will still be open to the public on weekends, school holidays and outside of the noted hours. The rule changes go into effect Monday, Jan. 6, and will be enforced by AISD police. A note from the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department warns, “There may be future changes to parking hours and/or days so the public should continue to check signs in the area regularly for allowable hours of public parking.”

Mexic-Arte Museum has an open call for artists for its group exhibition called Mix ‘n’ Mash. This year’s theme is Ecos del Pasado/Echos of the Past, and artists are invited to submit pieces reflecting on nostalgia. A diverse range of perspectives, techniques and creative expressions is welcome, and chosen pieces will be on display Jan. 31-March 16 at the museum, 419 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701. “Every artist is free to create a work of art in any style (including figurative, conceptual, abstract, surreal, popular, etc.) and media (painting, printmaking, photography, and more) that depicts the theme,” according to a news release from the museum, and completed submissions must be delivered by Jan. 22. Artists ages 18 and up may pick up one Gessobord during museum hours to create their work, and a credit card will be kept on file so that if a Gessobord is not returned, $25 will be charged. Artists can fill out the registration form attached to the back of each board and the online form – both types of forms must be completed to be compensated.

Starting today, the Austin Police Department will increase traffic and DWI enforcement. The holiday push will run through Jan. 1, 2025, and includes the No Refusal Initiative, which is in effect from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. through the year. “This initiative is an effort to enforce DWI laws, keep the public safe by encouraging drivers to make responsible decisions, and apply for blood search warrants on suspects who refuse to provide a breath or blood specimen, as required by law. This initiative will also focus on highways and high-speed roadways,” notes a press release from APD. “The Austin Police Department, along with the City of Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, continues to focus on preventing lives from being lost on Austin’s streets, highways, and waterways. We are dedicated to making the roadways and waterways of Austin safe for residents and visitors through education and enforcement.”

Central Health, which provides health care for low-income residents of Travis County, has named its first chief transformation officer. Kim Heinonen joined its executive team in mid-November after 20 years as an executive consultant at Simpler Consulting, an IBM company. “In that role, he led large-scale business transformations across a broad range of industries and companies, including 10 years working with Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare provider in California,” a news release from Central Health reads. The hospital district has plans to invest nearly $800 million by 2030 to build a comprehensive health care safety net for the county. It’s doubled its number of employees over the past three years and has launched more than a dozen specialty and supportive care lines of service and opened five different new clinical sites, plus new programs for Austin’s unhoused population, county jail inmates and response to Travis County’s overdose crisis. Heinonen will help guide this rapid transformation. “This role is a key step in our journey to improve the health outcomes of our community,” said Dr. Patrick Lee, president and CEO of Central Health. “By collaborating closely with our leaders and teams, Kim will help us align our talent, culture, and leadership and identify opportunities to make our work more effective, all while keeping people and patients at the forefront of our mission.”

Wednesday’s meeting of the City Council Audit & Finance Committee was the final one for the chair, Council Member Alison Alter, and her vice chair, Council Member Leslie Pool. Alter started the meeting by announcing that they would not be considering dissolving the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. If a commission fails to meet for six months, then the question of dissolution automatically appears on the committee’s agenda. However, a representative of the city clerk’s office said the committee had met recently. Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Hall said seven of 12 committee members must attend for a quorum but that is difficult because of vacancies. The committee met in September, October and November but missed a number of meetings earlier this year. There is supposed to be a member appointed by Travis County, Hall said. The county did send a nominee a couple of months ago but that person indicated that he or she has been a registered lobbyist with the city and so cannot serve, Hall said. Alter said they did not need to take any action. She thanked those in attendance. “It’s always important for us to hear that our commissions are mattering. I will point out Council Member (Natasha) Harper-Madison has an item on Thursday’s agenda about education of commission members,” she said, adding that Council Member Ryan Alter has another related item looking at all the city’s commissions and judging their relevance. In addition, the committee decided not to recommend that the College Student Commission be dissolved.

In order to undergo renovations, the Elisabet Ney Museum will close Dec. 30, with an anticipated reopening in the summer of 2026. According to a press release from the city, the project “includes restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows, upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems, and repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes. Exterior work includes replacing the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek and installation of accessible pathways, to better connect the museum’s grounds. The site work also includes approximately 20,000 square feet of Waller Creek bank stabilization.” Funding for the project “is provided through 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum.”

Timed to celebrate a new sisterhood with Limerick, Ireland, City Hall has welcomed a new wayfinding landmark that marks its proximity to its many sibling cities around the world. The sign, which was erected in front of City Hall, was fabricated and installed by the Transportation and Public Works Department in recognition of the Economic Development Department’s Sister Cities Program that is designed to foster relationships worldwide and promote Austin’s culture. Currently, Austin has 13 Sister Cities, two Friendship Cities and five Emeritus Sister Cities.

As of today, the burn ban for the unincorporated areas of Travis County have been lifted, the county’s Chief Fire Marshal Gary Howell announced Tuesday. Outdoor burning is now allowed, and residents should contact their local fire department before beginning and follow the state regulations summarized here. You can call the Fire Marshal’s Office at 512-854-4621 to find out which fire department to notify. Naturally, the department advises always being careful and aware of fire danger when conducting outdoor burning, including having water nearby in case of a fire – and, of course, calling 911 immediately if a fire gets out of control. “Fire risks have decreased for now, thanks to recent rain, so the burn ban can expire as scheduled,” Howell said. “While outdoor burning will be allowed in the unincorporated areas beginning Wednesday, December 11, I urge the public to be extremely cautious. Travis County will monitor the conditions closely as we head toward the holidays and let the public know if the burn ban will be needed again.”