City business will slow this week while Austin administrative offices and other municipal facilities close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29, in observance of Thanksgiving. For full details, click here. For questions about city services or information, call 3-1-1. You can also submit service requests from the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app.

Austin Resource Recovery
Trash, recycling and composting collections for Thursday and Friday will slide forward one day. Thursday collections will be picked up on Friday, and Friday collections will be picked up on Saturday.

Austin Public Health
Environmental Health Services at the Rutherford Lane Campus, Office of Vital Records, all WIC and Shots for Tots clinics, and Neighbor Centers will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Parks and Recreation Facilities
Austin Parks and Recreation offices, museums and cultural centers, recreation centers and senior centers will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, and remain closed Thursday and Friday. Zilker Botanical Gardens and Austin Nature & Science Center will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed through Thursday. Austin Nature & Science Center will remain closed on Friday. Zilker Botanical Gardens will reopen on Friday. Tennis Centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day only. On Thanksgiving Day, final Golf ATX course reservations will be issued at 12 p.m. Visit AustinTexas.gov/Department/Golf-ATX for complete facility information. All Aquatic Facilities will be closed on Thanksgiving Day except Barton Springs Pool, which will operate unguarded.

Austin Municipal Court
All Austin Municipal Court locations will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Austin Public Library
All Austin Public Library locations will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Austin Animal Center
The Austin Animal Center will be closed Thursday and Friday. Normal hours resume on Saturday, Nov. 30.

City of Austin Utilities
The City of Austin Utilities Customer Care Call Center will be closed Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 1. Additionally, all City of Austin Utility Customer Service Centers will be closed on Thursday and Friday. Customers can make utility payments at coautilities.com or by calling 1-833-375-4919 for a Quick Payment. To report a power outage, text OUT to 287846, visit outagemap.austinenergy.com or call 512-322-9100.

Austin Water
Administration offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, but the 24-Hour Customer Service Contact Center at (512) 972-1000 will be available.

The uniquely spiraled 3,309 lights on the Zilker Holiday Tree will start glowing for the season at the 2024 Tree Lighting Ceremony, planned for Sunday, Dec. 1, at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, on the south side of the park. At 5:15 p.m., music by the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble will welcome folks, and the ceremony starts at 6 p.m. Expect local entertainment, food and live music, plus ASL interpretation services on stage for the duration of the ceremony. Parking is free and first-come, first-served. Carpooling to the event or taking Cap Metro is suggested.

The Red River Cultural District (RRCD) and Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) are seeking proposals from qualified consultants for their Cultural Currents campaign, designed to showcase RRCD’s history and its role as a hub for music and artistic traditions. The project will focus on the contributions of early Black Texans, German immigrants and generations of artists who shaped the district. Local experts and those passionate about preserving Austin’s cultural heritage are encouraged to submit proposals and contribute to this important effort to honor the city’s musical and artistic history. “RRCD is so excited to dive into the rich and diverse stories that define our Cultural District,” Nicole Klepadlo, interim executive director of the RRCD, said. “By honoring the contributions of early Black entrepreneurs, German immigrants, and generations of artists, this project celebrates the vibrant cultures that make Austin a global destination for music, community, and creativity.” The application deadline is 5 p.m. Dec. 30. Details on the application process and project scope are available online.

Austin Public Health is seeking volunteers to join the core coordinating committee for the next Community Health Improvement Plan, which is formulated in partnership with Travis County. The most recent CHIP was completed in 2018 and provided a three-year road map to address health challenges and improve well-being across the community. Its four priority areas were enhancing access to affordable health care, preventing chronic diseases, improving sexual health with a focus on reducing teen pregnancies, and strengthening mental health services. Those interested in joining the working group can email atc.communityhealthplan@austintexas.gov by Nov. 30.

Austin Energy is set to open applications soon for its Solar Standard Offer program, aiming to boost solar array installations on commercial properties. Applications open on Dec. 9, with projects potentially operational by February or fall 2025. Property owners or solar developers will receive payments of 11.2 cents per kilowatt hour for arrays under one megawatt and 8.4 cents per kilowatt hour for larger projects. The program is designed to encourage solar installations on tenant-filled properties, where owners previously lacked financial incentives. Property owners can either lease rooftop space to solar developers or receive direct payments for solar energy produced. Each project must generate at least 50 kilowatts, connect to Austin Energy’s grid, and comply with contractor guidelines. The energy produced will contribute to Austin’s community solar portfolio, helping the city align with state energy policies and reduce dependency on ERCOT’s energy market. With an initial cap of 20 megawatts, the program is expected to expand if successful, leveraging underutilized spaces like parking lots and large rooftops.

After a year in place, the Board of Adjustment Applicant Assistance Program, or BAAP, has been deemed a success, serving one applicant in its first year. The program, which provides fee waivers for those that need financial assistance, was created in June 2023 by City Council and launched as a yearlong pilot in October. A memo from Development Services Director José G. Roig explains, “The BAAP has proven successful in its initial phase and was utilized by one applicant. Before the establishment of the BAAP, there was no formal mechanism in place to assist residents with these fees, which can pose a significant obstacle for those seeking necessary zoning adjustments. Maintaining the BAAP plays a role in fostering an equitable environment for Austin residents. The Department will continue to seek reimbursement for expended funds through the General Fund as part of the annual reconciliation process.”

It’s been a few months since City Council approved changes to the Land Development Code known as the HOME amendments, and now a task force focused on improving the process of using those amendments is looking for feedback from the public. The first phase of HOME was approved in December 2023 with the aim of making development of housing easier in single-family neighborhoods. To check in on whether this is actually happening, the HOME task force is seeking firsthand information on the experience of going through the development process. Residents can weigh in in person at a Dec. 14 session that will be held at the Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. (registration here) or online here. Any questions can be directed to dsdcommunications@austintexas.gov.

This whisper has been changed to reflect the correct date that HOME was approved.

For the fifth year, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department hosts its annual Gingerbread History Heroes Program, from Dec. 2 through Dec. 31. Get creative with free salt dough “gingerbread cookie” ornaments and decorating supplies at the following museums, cultural centers and historic sites across Austin:

• Brush Square Museums (O. Henry Museum and Susanna Dickinson Museum), 409 E 5th St.
• Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road
• Elisabet Ney Museum, 304 E 44th St.
• French Legation State Historic Site, 802 San Marcos St.
• George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina St.
• Old Bakery and Emporium, 1006 Congress Ave.
• Park Ranger Station at Zilker Caretaker’s Cottage, 2105 Andrew Zilker Road

“Austinites are invited to decorate an ornament as their favorite figure from Texas history such as Joan Means Khabele, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Selena, Matt Gaines, Elisabet Ney, Barbara Jordan, Doug Sahm, Gus Garcia, Walter Burton, Ann Richards, Lydia Mendoza and Sam Houston,” a statement from the city suggests.

Ella Kim has been named the 2024 Austin Youth Poet Laureate. Kim, who is a 17-year-old senior at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, “has been editor and graphic designer for The Bell, the school’s newspaper, and involved in theater, acting in numerous plays and musicals. She recently won First Prize in Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts Ten-Minute Play contest. … Her poetry, which sometimes explores her Korean heritage, was lauded by the judges for its ‘command of language and exploration of the poetic line,'” according to the Library Foundation. During her term, she will serve as a representative for youth voices and will have her poetry published in a chapbook and the National Youth Poet Laureate anthology. The program, which is an initiative between the Library Foundation and the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, is supported by Austin Public Library and open to writers ages 13 to 18 years old. This year’s finalists were: Saaya Accapadi, 16, Anderson High School; Aly Clark, 16, Classical Conversations Cedar Park; Astrid Gothard, 17, Liberal Arts and Science Academy; Michelle Li, 16, Westwood High School; and Beatrix Lozach, 16, McCallum High School.

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.