On Wednesday, the Austin city clerk validated the Austin Police Oversight Act petition, putting the issue on the ballot in May if the ordinance is not adopted by City Council first. Equity Action brought the oversight act to the public in an effort to increase civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department. (Read the full text of the ordinance here.) Because the group met the 20,000 signature threshold, Council is required either to vote the proposal into law or place it in the next election in the next 10 days. Because of the timing of the validation, the next qualifying election will be in May 2023. In a series of statements about the validation, Equity Action members urged Council to vote the ordinance into law instead of waiting for May. “The people of Austin have sent a clear message that they don’t want another police contract that enables unaccountable police brutality and misconduct,” said Chris Harris, the president of Equity Action. “While we would’ve preferred to have this go to the voters in order to avoid another four or five years of police secrecy and impunity, the Austin City Council must vote the ordinance into law themselves right now. Passing this now strengthens police oversight and transparency in this next contract, but postponing until a May ’23 election means waiting until the contract in 2026 or 2027 to improve police accountability. This should be an easy choice for this Council.”

Photo courtesy of Austin Parks & Recreation Department.

An upcoming event at Givens District Park will celebrate and honor the park’s history and dedicate its Lone Star Legacy award, bestowed by the Texas Recreation and Park Society. The Festival of Recognition and Remembrance “will commemorate the rich history of the park and kick off the construction phase of the new pool and historic bathhouse rehabilitation.” In addition to a food truck competition and water games, there will be a showing of the movie Luca beginning at 7 p.m. Chauncey Allen Patterson, programming supervisor at Givens Rec Center, said the community is “celebrating the legacy of and saying goodbye to the Givens Pool that has served this community for over 50 years. In doing so, we make way for a new, modern facility for East Austinites. This place is more than a pool, it is a part of the storied history of the east side and the home of memories made in this community that span multiple generations.” Saturday, Sept. 17, 5 p.m., Givens Recreation Center, 3811 E. 12th St.

The Trail Foundation invites the community to a ribbon-cutting celebration for the newest segment of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Holly Shores, which is just west of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant at Festival Beach, “creates a continuous loop along the shores of Lady Bird Lake, with an overlook area and connection to the Eastlink Trail at Pedernales Street,” says a TTF press release. Speakers at the event include parks department Director Kimberly McNeeley, District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria and Trail Foundation CEO Heidi Anderson, among others. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m., 61 Pedernales St. (Parking available at Metz Neighborhood Park.)

Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department and the board of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center are inviting the public to a plática focused on the future 64 Rainey Street pocket park. The lot was dedicated as parkland in 2014. This year, City Council passed a resolution asking the project be refined though a community process. That will take place at the community meeting on Sept. 29 at the MACC Auditorium, 6-8:30 p.m. The city will also be distributing information and soliciting feedback at the MACC during the Viva México celebration on Sept. 17 and Austin Museum Day on Sept. 18.

A six-week street repair project managed by Public Works’ Street and Bridge Operations team started yesterday on Montopolis Drive between East Oltorf Street and Grove Boulevard. Motorists can expect alternating lane closures while crews keep Montopolis Drive accessible in both directions. The work will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and detour signage for pedestrians has been posted. If you’re traveling through the area, watch your speed and stay alert for workers and pedestrians.

Yes, it’s that time of year again – for flu shots! This fall, Austin Public Health recommends that families get up to date with their vaccines, including the seasonal flu shot, and of course, the Covid-19 vaccine. As Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes says, “Now is not the time to let our guard down. Everyone, especially children and seniors, need flu protection. This time last year we were fighting the Covid-19 delta variant, and we protected our most vulnerable from Covid-19 and flu with a combination of masking and vaccine. Let’s do it again.” It’s perfectly safe and even recommended to get your flu shot at the same time as your Covid booster. Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup adds that, “As a community, we realize now, more than ever, how health impacts our quality of life – our ability to work, play, and spend time with loved ones. Getting your flu shots is an easy way to keep your family safe and on track.”

The Austin Public Library is working on a new strategic and facilities plan that will help direct the library’s future. As a way to solicit input and ideas from the community and help create the best library service possible, APL asks community members to fill out a short survey that takes only a few minutes. It will also give you an opportunity to think about all of the ways the community benefits from having a public library. Complete the survey.

Austin Water’s Center for Environmental Research invites community members to attend a series of lunchtime lectures focusing on the life and legacy of the German explorer, polymath, abolitionist and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. Among Humboldt’s many discoveries and contributions is the idea of the interconnectedness of all living things, which he called the “unity of nature.” The first lectures examined “our Western ideas of nature and the study of nature which laid the foundations for Humboldt’s ideas.” The lectures are free and open to the public. Masks are required. Tuesday, Sept. 6, 12:30-2 p.m., UT Austin, Norman Hackerman Building, 100 E. 24th St., room 1.720. View the full lecture schedule and recording archives here.

City administrative offices and other municipal facilities – as well as a lot of other places – will be closed Monday, Sept. 2, for the Labor Day holiday. City Council offices, cultural centers, museums, rec centers, senior centers, libraries, the animal shelter and utility payment centers will all be closed Monday. Trash pickup, recycling, composting and yard trimmings collection all remain on their regular schedules. City parks, playgrounds, tennis centers, and golf courses will be open Monday, and Barton Springs Pool, Big Stacy and Deep Eddy pools will be operating on their normal weekday hours. The Monitor is also taking the day off, and will return on Tuesday. Have a safe holiday!

An ongoing effort to make changes to the plan guiding development on parts of East 11th and 12th streets could be closer to passing today with an amendment from Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison. When last they voted on the plan, Council remained divided on the portion of the plan that could allow more bars in the area. Council then opted to postpone the changes until all Council members could be in attendance; since there is a valid petition against the changes, they can only be approved with nine or more affirmative votes from Council members. As promised, Harper-Madison has an amendment that would limit the number of conditional use permits issued for cocktail lounges. Originally brought forward by Harper-Madison in June, it reads, “A conditional use permit for cocktail lounge use may not be located on a lot that is within 200 feet of a lot on which another cocktail lounge use is located unless the cocktail lounge is a conforming use.”

It’s official, and it’s bad: Travis County’s Lake Walter E. Long is “infested” with “an established, reproducing population” of zebra mussels, according to a release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Biologists with the city’s Watershed Protection Department found two adult mussels in the lake in early August, “indicating the presence of an established population.” TPWD’s Brian Van Zee said the invasive, non-native mollusks “have now spread to 34 Texas lakes, with 30 now fully infested, but there are far more lakes in Texas that still haven’t been invaded and are at risk.” Zebra mussels fasten themselves to the sides of boats, which is how they are easily spread to other waterways. Van Zee urged boaters to clean, drain and dry their boats and gear before leaving a lake – critical steps he says “can make a big difference in protecting our Texas lakes.” Any boat that has been stored at Lake Walter E. Long is likely infested with mussels and now “poses an extremely high risk for moving these invasive species to a new lake.” Owners of such boats should call TPWD at 512-389-4848 for guidance on decontamination.

Plan ahead, get there early and expect the unexpected. That’s the guidance from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is anticipating the upcoming Labor Day weekend to be a boom-time for air travel. Starting today through Monday, Sept. 5, passengers should check their flight status online ahead of time, “as impacts to flight schedules can occur due to changes in airline operations.” Those who don’t have TSA PreCheck or Clear are advised to arrive “at least two and a half hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours before departure for international flights, regardless of the day of week or time of day their flight is scheduled,” says a news release from AUS. While things have improved at the airport since earlier this summer when security screening lines stretched out the door, “unplanned staffing shortages and other unforeseen operational challenges can occur.” Budget some additional time and then add some more time on top of that and you should be fine.