Austin has a new-old office. The Office of Climate Action and Resilience is the official new name of the Office of Sustainability and “better reflects … helping Austin prepare for and respond to the challenges of climate change while ensuring a more just and sustainable future for all,” according to a press release from the city. Despite the name change, the duties of the office will stay the same. According to the press release from the office, “We remain committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving food access, and building community resilience. And most importantly, our team is the same group of passionate, dedicated professionals you’ve worked with or seen out in the community over the years.”

Central Health is hosting the first of several community conversations 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 5, as a chance for members of the community to share with the Central Health Board of Managers and senior leadership their thoughts on improving health care in Travis County. The gathering, which will begin with an update on the Central Health Healthcare Equity Plan, will cover topics like new clinics and patient-centered care; bridge services, respite care and upcoming programs; better care through new approaches; and open discussion with board members. It will be held at the Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, TX 78752. More community conversations will be held in April and May. Food and parking will be provided, and attendees are asked to RSVP here.

All are invited to Art in the Park, hosted by Art Spark Texas and McBeth Recreation Center. The family-friendly event is billed as an “inclusive arts festival that celebrates creativity, connection, and diversity,” and it is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at the Fiesta Gardens Pavilion, 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St., offering live performances and “a variety of hands-on art activities designed for participants of all ages and abilities, encouraging attendees to explore their imagination and create unique works of art,” a news release explains. Local organizations, artists and performers (musicians, dancers and other entertainers) are invited to host booths offering “make-and-take” crafts, interactive art activities, art demos or performances. “It is so heartening to see the community come together to celebrate the joy of creativity and the power of inclusion through the arts,” said Celia Hughes, executive director at Art Spark Texas. “Art in the Park is a reminder that art has the unique ability to connect us all, regardless of age or ability.” For information on how to host a booth or perform at Art in the Park, email info@artsparktexas.org.

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) is urging state lawmakers to caution against policies that could jeopardize long-term water security. In a newly released report, called “Water for Residents: Ensuring housing solutions do not worsen the water crisis in the Edwards and Trinity aquifer region,” the organization highlights how urban sprawl, regulatory rollbacks and development over sensitive recharge zones threaten both water availability and affordability. The report notes that Texas simultaneously faces a shortage of affordable housing and increasing water scarcity, exacerbated by drought, population growth and land use changes. GEAA warns against reducing environmental protections in an effort to boost housing supply, arguing that such measures could lead to higher long-term costs from flooding, insurance hikes and infrastructure strain. The group proposes legislative solutions that support higher-density housing in urban cores, stronger building codes, flood risk mitigation efforts and restrictions on development over key aquifer recharge areas, including portions of Travis County.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, for the new-and-improved playscape at Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park at 6705 Crystalbrook Drive. The playscape for ages 5 to 12 has been replaced, as well as the swings, and additions include a new arch swing with a saucer-style swing set, ADA benches and an interpretive marker. The project was funded by municipal bonds for essential public projects as well as Austin Parks Foundation and Spurs Give. To determine the priorities for improvements, the Parks and Recreation Department surveyed community members over time. Davis-White Northeast Neighborhood Park was renamed in 2007 after Captain Willie Ray Davis and Captain Louie White, who broke racial barriers by becoming the first African Americans appointed to leadership positions in the City of Austin Fire and Police Departments, respectively. For more information, visit AustinTexas.gov/DavisWhite-Playscape.

The Downtown Austin Alliance is still accepting nominations for the 2025 Future of Downtown Awards, honoring individuals and groups that have significantly contributed to the vibrancy and community of downtown Austin. The nomination form is available online and will close at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9. Award winners will be recognized at the Downtown Austin Alliance’s Future of Downtown event on May 27 at ACL Live, and will also be celebrated in a video feature. The awards feature two categories: the Meredith Powell Award for Community Culture, and the Downtown Vision Award. The event will feature key insights from the annual State of Downtown report and introduce the new CEO and president, Davon Barbour, as the keynote speaker. Tickets for the event are available online.

United Way for Greater Austin has named Ingrid K. Taylor as its new chief executive officer, with a March 1 start date. Taylor brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including positions at Ascension Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Comptroller’s Office and the United States Senate. She also served as an elected trustee for Austin Independent School District for four years. Taylor succeeds David C. Smith, who has led the organization for the past nine years, expanding early childhood education programs and advocating for the successful Affordable Childcare Now ballot initiative in Travis County. A longtime Austin resident, Taylor holds degrees from UT-Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. United Way for Greater Austin serves Travis and Williamson counties, working to break the cycle of poverty through early childhood education, social services and advocacy. Taylor will be introduced at the organization’s annual “A Night United” event on March 1.

The city is seeking public feedback on the Austin Core Transportation Plan, a strategy aimed at enhancing transportation and mobility in and around downtown Austin that is currently under review by various city boards and commissions. The ACT Plan builds on previous initiatives and anticipates significant upcoming projects, such as I-35 Capital Express Central and Project Connect, to create a transportation framework for the downtown core. The public is encouraged to participate by providing feedback on the SpeakUp Austin website or by attending upcoming public meetings. The schedule for these presentations is as follows:

• Small Area Planning Joint Committee: Feb. 5
• Design Commission: Feb. 24
• Planning Commission (Briefing): Feb. 25
• Joint Sustainability Committee: Feb. 26
• Urban Transportation Commission: March 4
• Planning Commission (Recommendation): March 11
• Council Mobility Committee: March 20

The ACT Plan is anticipated to be presented to City Council for adoption in spring 2025.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport saw 21,762,904 passengers in 2024, marking a slight decrease from the previous year, which saw more than 22 million arriving and departing passengers. According to a press release from the city, it was the second-busiest year on record. In addition to the number of travelers, “AUS concessions delighted passengers with over 1.1 million tacos sold, 169,377 pounds of Salt Lick BBQ brisket, and 71,576 beers poured at The Beerdrop. Local flavors and merchandise continued to shine, with 9,794 Tyler’s T-shirts and 7,607 ‘Keep Austin Weird’ shirts sold.” And, bearing the mantle of the Live Music Capital airport, the arts and music program hosted 1,351 live performances and 19 art exhibits.

Organizations in Austin and Travis County will receive nearly $14 million in federal funding to support housing and services for individuals experiencing homelessness, marking the largest award to date from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care program. The funding represents a $2 million increase from last year and will support 16 projects across eight local organizations. Recipients of the grants include Caritas of Austin, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, the Housing Authority of Travis County, Integral Care, LifeWorks, the SAFE Alliance and Sunrise Community Church. The funding will support three new permanent supportive housing projects for youth and young adults, survivors of domestic violence and people with serious mental illness. These projects build on ongoing housing developments such as Espero Rutland, Pecan Gardens, Seabrook Square II and Cairn Point Cameron, which either opened or broke ground in 2024. Last week, City Council adopted a new system model outlined in ECHO’s 2024 State of the Homelessness Response System report. The model identifies the need for 4,175 new permanent supportive housing units, 550 additional shelter beds and 2,355 rapid rehousing units to address homelessness over the next decade.

Tesla has announced plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin this June. The paid service will utilize a fleet of driverless Tesla vehicles equipped with the company’s unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Initially, the fleet will comprise existing Tesla models, with the specialized Cybercab expected to enter production in 2026. The move will put Tesla in competition with other autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo, which has been testing in Austin and plans to launch a service in collaboration with Uber later this year. State laws limiting regulations on autonomous vehicles have forced Austin officials to push the companies to cooperate in finding solutions for incidents where the driverless vehicles are unable to navigate emergency response scenes or other unusual conditions. Tesla has been in discussions with Austin officials to establish safety standards for its autonomous vehicles.

The Watershed Protection Department will host a virtual public meeting on Feb. 14 on its proposed ordinance to expand erosion protections along the Colorado River south of the Longhorn Dam after the approval process for the ordinance was delayed last month. The Monitor previously reported on the details of the ordinance, which would expand a 100-foot erosion hazard zone on either side of the river to 200 feet and require developers to evaluate whether any new construction in the area would fall within the new EHZ. Readers can find more information and register for the virtual meeting at this link on the Watershed Protection Department website.