Stalwart environmentalist Mary Ann Neely, who has served on the boards of a variety of environmental organizations and worked for environmental causes for more than a quarter of a century, will be receiving a lifetime achievement award from TreeFolks. In addition to advocating for the environment with TreeFolks, Neely was a member of the city’s Environmental Commission from 2007 to 2020 and was state director of Clean Water Action. She has served on the boards of the Save Barton Creek Association and Barton Springs Conservancy. In addition, she spearheaded the Zilker Gateway Median Project to beautify the entrances to the park and was vice president of the Barton Hills Garden Club. She is still active with a variety of Democratic organizations, including Austin Environmental Democrats. Several years ago, she retired from the Lower Colorado River Authority, where she worked in community relations. She also spent some time with Austin Energy and was campaign manager for Roger Duncan during his successful 1981 and 1983 campaigns for City Council. Neely will be honored at TreeFolks’ Root Ball Gala, at Pecan Springs Ranch, from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 17. Find ticket info and more details here.

Photo courtesy of Avride.

The sidewalks of Austin may soon be buzzing with (more) cute little delivery robots, busily doing what robots do best: delivering pizza. In a partnership between Uber and robot-maker Avride, the robot fleet will be coming to the city later this month. When you place your order with Uber Eats, you’ll be given the option of having a robot make the delivery. The fully autonomous bots have six wheels, are weather-proof and promise not to collect private data; while they can “see” vehicles and traffic lights, their cameras are programmed to blur human faces and license plates. Up to six pizzas and three 1.5-liter bottles of your favorite beverage can fit in their hatch, which locks to deter any possibility of theft or other funny business. In other words, don’t mess with the bots.

Capital Metro is seeking participants for an online survey to help the agency craft its Transit Plan 2035, which is intended to identify the area’s transit needs through the next decade. The survey is open until Oct. 18, and there is a community open house scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Online survey participants are eligible to win a $100 HEB gift card. The public participation process is scheduled to run through next spring, followed by final recommendations. Adoption by relevant local bodies is expected by fall 2025.

The city is encouraging local schools to participate in Wednesday’s National Walk and Roll to School Day, which invites students, teachers and staff to use pedestrian-friendly options to start the school day. Organizers tout the health benefits of walking as well as its role in reducing traffic and air pollution from vehicle exhaust fumes. The city’s Safe Routes to School Program will provide the standard crossing guards and other resources to help participants navigate safely to their neighborhood school. As of Monday, 36 schools in Austin had registered to participate in the effort.

On Thursday, the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District officially declared Stage III Critical Drought. Restrictions based on the declaration will take effect Nov. 1. The district reports that the Lovelady monitor well, one of two drought stage determinants for the district, had reached a 10-day average of 462.6 feet above mean sea level. The threshold for Stage III is 462.7 ft-msl. The district notes that the average water level elevation for the Lovelady monitor well since measurements began in 1949 is 492.8 ft-msl. The well is 5 miles from downtown Austin on South First Street. For more information about the Lovelady monitor well, visit the BSEACD website.

With a new 25 percent discount on premiums available to most Austin residents, the city is encouraging homeowners, renters and small businesses to purchase flood insurance. The discount comes via the city’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. Previously, residents were eligible for a 20 percent discount, but that savings has increased due to an improvement in Austin’s score on FEMA’s Community Rating System. According to a press release from the city, the improvement is credited to:

• The large area of Austin’s floodplain preserved as greenspace through parks, trails and other protected uses
• Austin’s extensive water quality regulations and programs
• Austin’s stringent stormwater management requirements
• Buyouts of properties at risk of flooding
• Higher regulatory standards for development activity in the floodplain

A press release from the city notes that, despite Austin’s new score, some Austin residents will continue to see increases in their premiums and subsidized policies are not eligible for the discount.

Austin is ready for its first-ever poet laureate, and applications are now open through Nov. 30. The selected poet will serve a two-year term starting April 2025. Applicants for the position must be published, at least 21 years old and must have worked or lived in the city for at least three years, with plans to continue living here throughout their poet laureate term. They will receive an annual salary of $25,000, plus $10,000 for program expenses associated with establishing and leading poetry- and literacy-related programming at Austin Public Library. More information about the program, application process and selection criteria can be found here.

Now through Oct. 31, organizations based in the Hill Country can apply for financial assistance for efforts related to keeping the night skies dark – keeping starry views visible by preventing light pollution. This is the first such funding opportunity for night sky protection in the region. The Hill Country Alliance Night Sky Preservation Fund will give up to $5,000 in reimbursement funds to “locally led work to improve outdoor lighting, decrease wasted energy costs and to reduce light pollution and its negative effects,” a recent press release says, and is being funded by the Coypu Foundation. Among those eligible for funding are regional nonprofit organizations, sole proprietorships, local governmental entities and small businesses, specifically those serving Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, Medina, Real, San Saba, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde or Williamson counties. The types of eligible projects include International Dark Sky Place applications, lighting retrofit projects, education and outreach resources, and groups interested in pursuing recognition through HCA’s Night Sky Friendly Businesses or Neighborhood programs. A virtual information session is scheduled for 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8. For details on the application process, contributing to the fund or how to register for the information session, visit hillcountryalliance.org/nightskyfund.

Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will host its last emergency preparedness training of the year on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill Austin Public Library. The session, which will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the community, with a required RSVP available here. According to a press release from the city about the training, “Participants will receive expert guidance on the four steps of emergency preparedness: creating a plan, building an emergency kit, knowing your neighbors, and staying informed. The course is designed to equip attendees with knowledge and strategies to prepare their households and communities for a range of potential hazards. As part of HSEM’s all-hazards approach, this installment will focus on flood safety. Flooding is a major hazard in Central Texas, and this course will help community members head into flood season with the knowledge to stay safe. The course will also cover fire prevention basics for the home, and a CPR demonstration.” Participants that complete the course will receive an emergency preparedness starter kit, in addition to the new knowledge.

As part of an effort to raise awareness about transportation challenges, a Week Without Driving is now underway. The week, which runs from Sept. 30 until Oct. 6, asks Austinites to experience what getting around the city is like for those without access to cars due to age, disability or cost. The city’s Transportation Department explains, “The challenge is to make all your trips – not just your work commute – without driving yourself. The point is education and awareness – seeing our transportation landscape from a different perspective. And if you encounter a situation where you are forced to drive, don’t consider it a failure, but rather a chance to reflect on how someone without that option would have coped, and what choices they might have made. The goal is to remind everyone that mobility is a human right and we must improve transportation options for all, regardless of circumstances.” To participate, visit weekwithoutdriving.org.

Confused about how the new police contract will deal with the information maintained in the “G-file”? You are not alone. To bring some clarity to the issue, Council Member Chito Vela has asked for a memo by Oct. 2 that explains whether the new contract makes both old and new G-file information available to the public. “Specifically, I would like a detailed explanation of the process by which City employees will release information pertaining to allegations of misconduct occurring prior to the effective date of this agreement, as well as the process for releasing information pertaining to allegations of misconduct occurring after the effective date. The memo should also state how the processes comply with current law, including the APOA, TLGC, and relevant judicial rulings, as well as the terms of the agreement,” Vela wrote. “If this contract complies with the Austin Police Oversight Act, including publication of ALL G-file information both past and present, then we are only inches away from the finish line.” His request was publicly seconded by Council members José Velásquez, Zo Qadri, Ryan Alter and Vanessa Fuentes, who has also requested a work session discussion about the budgetary implications of the $218 million contract. Since the announcement and subsequent publication of the tentative deal, organizations and people concerned about police transparency have been critical of how the G-file would be handled under the new contract and whether it includes a clause that would grandfather existing G-file records that unlawfully conceal police misconduct. Council is expected to vote on the police contract on Oct. 10.

The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s annual Point in Time Count will take place on the night of Jan. 25, 2025, and the effort to find at least 1,200 volunteers is already underway. Volunteers count the area’s homeless population and distribute care kits as part of an effort to better understand the community. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on the volunteer interest list now, with more details and updates to come. Points of contact for groups are encouraged to sign up early. The count surveys those who are experiencing homelessness to get an accurate count of the population as part of a requirement to receive federal Continuum of Care dollars. Insights from the 2023 count, which was conducted by more than 700 volunteers, can be found here.