The city’s Safe Routes to Schools program, which provides neighborhood crossing guards for schools across Austin, has more than 50 vacancies: double the usual amount. The program is actively working to recruit more guards to help kids walk and bike to school safely. The part-time position pays $15/hour and training is provided. Learn more about the duties of a school crossing guard here and find out how to apply here.

In some bad news for those hoping to cool off with their dogs, over the weekend the city confirmed that algae at Barking Springs has tested positive for a potent neurotoxin called dihydroanatoxin. The city tested the area after a dog died July 10 after swimming in the area. A report from the Watershed Protection Department notes that the water itself did not test positive for the toxin and that areas of the park with rapidly flowing water are less likely to have harmful algae blooms. However, the algae thrives in pockets of stagnant water. The report notes that the incident “underscores the fact that harmful algae can be present in any natural waterway in Central Texas,” going on to warn, “Do not get in the water or allow your pets to swim or drink the water if it is warm or stagnant or if you see scum, film or mats of algae. It is always a good idea for both people and pets to rinse off after going for a swim.” The city advises dog owners to protect their pets “by keeping them away from areas that are known to have harmful algae blooms. Earlier this summer, the city of Austin also detected toxins in algae samples at all monitoring locations on Lady Bird Lake, including Red Bud Isle, Auditorium Shores and Edward Rendon Sr. Metro Park, and at Emma Long Metropolitan Park on Lake Austin.” Any sudden, unexplained illness in a human or a pet following swimming should be reported to the Texas Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or by filling out a form at AustinTexas.gov/algae.

If you haven’t heard the welcome news, Walnut Creek Pool at 12138 N. Lamar Blvd. has reopened. On the heels of the lifeguard shortage that has plagued the Parks and Recreation Department’s aquatics division, the popular pool has opened for recreational swimming from noon-7 p.m. daily (except for its regular weekly Thursday closure). While the parks department now has 578 trained lifeguards, it continues to recruit guards to staff the city’s summer swimming pools. The job pays $16-$19 an hour depending on experience and certifications. Bonuses, paid sick leave, a free bus pass and flexible scheduling are some of the perks that come with being an Austin lifeguard. Find out more at LifeguardAustin.com.

Former state Sen. Kirk Watson, who is currently running for mayor, announced his housing platform Thursday in a seven-point plan that has some very specific ideas for the future. Echoing past sentiments, Watson has vowed to “scrub Austin’s development review process” and “use every tool in the toolbox to expand housing options” in pursuit of fixing Austin’s housing emergency. Watson’s plan also calls for some solutions that are much more novel. Notably, one point would let each City Council district establish its own code reforms, in a wager that adopting 10 land use codes will be easier to accomplish than the failed, yearslong attempt to adopt a single land use code. “I propose that the best way to make progress is to stop trying to  force every Austin district to adopt the same type of code reforms, and instead allow each Council member to bring forward a set of district-specific reforms,” writes Watson on his campaign website. The candidate also proposes throwing out a vision plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park (referred to as “Lake Walter E. Long”) and, instead, building a mixed-use, transit-oriented development on the land, in the style of the city’s Mueller development. We will, of course, dive into the details of the plan in the months to come. On Twitter, Watson invited all Austinites to do so as well, encouraging everyone to reach out to the campaign with “reaction, perspective or proposals.”

The seven components of Watson’s campaign are laid out below, and more information can be found here.

1. Scrub Austin’s development review process
2. Temporarily cut targeted development fees in half
3. Let Council districts adopt their own code reforms
4. Reward neighborhoods that adopt pro-housing reforms
5. Launch a Central Texas housing partnership
6. Create a master-planned community at Lake Walter E. Long
7. Use every tool in the toolbox to expand housing options

Next weekend, the city and UT Austin will join forces once again to accept donations from students who have unwanted furniture, clothing, (unopened) food, and other household items discarded during the moving process. The annual MoveOutATX event will have six donation stations throughout West Campus that will operate from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. from July 28 until July 31. This year, the initiative will also include a Free Furniture Market. According to a press release from the city, “Participating reuse organizations will transfer donated furniture to the ‘market’ located at UT Austin Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex. All Austinites may take what they would like and keep these items out of the landfill. Items will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must be able to load and transport items themselves and will be required to sign a liability waiver. The market will be open to the public on the same days, from 2:30-7 p.m.” Those wanting to volunteer their time or participate in the event can find out more and sign up at  MoveOutATX.org.

This week brought the depressing news that monarch butterflies are now an endangered species, with estimates that their population has declined between 22 percent and 72 percent over the past decade (depending on how it is measured). Those looking for a way to help are encouraged to add native, butterfly-friendly plants to their landscapes and native milkweed, which is crucial to the monarch life cycle. The butterflies lay their eggs on Texas milkweeds during their spring migration north. More information about milkweed cultivation in Central Texas can be found at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Project Milkweed.

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes will host a District 2 meeting to discuss the upcoming adoption of the city budget tonight. The meeting, which is aimed at garnering feedback on budget priorities from constituents, will take place 6-7:30 p.m. at the Southeast Branch of the Austin Public Library. Spanish interpretation, food and drink will all be available to attendees, who can register here to RSVP.

In a letter to City Council from President Linda Jackson, Preservation Austin is urging Council to allocate $300,000 in order to fund the next phase of the city’s Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan. The letter notes that the city has not had a new historic preservation plan in 40 years, and the “need for a strong, community-oriented vision for preservation in Austin has never been greater.” Underlining that point, Preservation Austin points to its own research that shows residential demolitions rose 130 percent between 2010 and the end of 2021, from 271 to 622 annual demolitions. “(W)e support the Plan’s new approach to preservation, one that reflects twenty-first century values while honoring diverse histories of our past, that encourages investment in historic resources both for their inherent value and because doing so aligns with broader goals of building a more affordable, equitable, and sustainable city,” writes Jackson. The city’s budget process is currently underway, with public meetings to be held on July 27 and Aug. 2, in addition to district-specific meetings in districts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10 before a budget adoption by City Council that is scheduled for Aug. 17. More information about the city’s budget process and how to weigh in can be found on the city’s website.

How dry is it? A July 20 update from the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District reports that the Texas Hill Country has seen six inches less than the average yearly rainfall, with conditions expected to worsen. According to the update, water levels in the Edwards Aquifer began to decline mid-March, and the Trinity quickly followed, with declining levels starting in early April. Looking ahead, La Niña means we can expect continued high heat and low rainfall totals, and the district says that if drought conditions worsen, aquifers could drop below historic lows.

Monthly deviation from average and monthly total rainfall in BSEACD territory

Currently, the region is in Stage 2 Alarm Drought, and the district is encouraging continued conservation, with the understanding that they could enter Stage 3 Critical Drought if conditions continue to worsen. The district has also launched a drought information page that will be frequently updated.

During the recent July 4 holiday “season,” the Austin Police Department arrested 141 people for driving while intoxicated. The DWI Enforcement Initiative took place from June 24 until July 11 during an extended “no refusal period” that allowed police to apply blood search warrants to suspects that refuse to submit to blood or breath tests when asked. The initiative, which is invoked periodically throughout the year, is intended to enforce DWI laws.

Delivering on a promise to do more outreach on the topic, City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly will be holding a virtual community meeting today about the potential return of license plate readers. The city’s License Plate Reader Program was cut in 2020 as part of the process to “reimagine public safety.” Austin police say that the readers are invaluable to their operations and they would like to see them back. However, criminal justice reform leaders and privacy advocates have concerns about the way they are used and the data they collect. Those wishing to join the meeting, which will take place at 5:00 p.m., can access it at this link, using the password “COAapd” and the event number 2485 475 9492. Kelly and representatives from the Austin Police Department will be in attendance.

Kimberly Hawkins entered the City Council District 8 race with the filing of a campaign treasurer appointment on July 11. She was not required to file a campaign finance report last week because she joined the race after the filing deadline and she has chosen a modified reporting option by promising not to collect or spend more than $940. Hawkins told the Austin Monitor that the incumbent, Paige Ellis, has not been responsive to her constituents. She added that she and her friends are tired of watching “Austin being overrun with real estate development” and complained about the high cost of living in the city. Suzanne “Zena” Mitchell, who goes by Zena, is a recent addition to the District 9 list of candidates. She said her campaign “is about people over profits,” and that her major concern is that Austin is not affordable anymore. She lives in the Mueller neighborhood. Like Hawkins, Mitchell signed the pledge to collect and spend no more than $940 on her campaign.