The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is working hard to solve its lifeguard shortage in an effort to staff all of the city’s swimming pools. The current number of lifeguards trained and ready to work stands at 551 – enough to open new pools for the July 4 weekend. Martin Pool at 1626 Nash Hernandez Sr. Road and Dottie Jordan Pool at 2803 Loyola Lane both reopen Sunday, July 3. Ramsey Pool at 4201 Burnet Road and Mabel Davis Pool at 3427 Parker Lane will open July 10. And Deep Eddy Pool is bumping its normal monthly closure from Tuesday, July 5, to Tuesday, July 12, in order to accommodate the holiday crowds. Deep Eddy will be open on July 5 from 8 a.m. to noon for lap swim and noon to 8 p.m. for recreational swimming. The city continues to hire lifeguards at $16-$19/hour depending on experience and certifications. Need a summer job? Bonuses, paid sick leave, a free bus pass and flexible scheduling are all part of the package.

Nearly a quarter of residential water meters in Austin have been replaced with new My ATX Water digital meters, according to a news release from Austin Water. More than 50,000 of the new smart meters have been installed to date, and by 2025, the utility aims to have all customers served by Austin Water using the new meters. “The new digital infrastructure will provide a better understanding of how the entire water distribution system is performing at any given moment to enhance resilience to impacts from extreme weather,” says the utility. Robert Goode, interim director, adds that the new meters also help identify leaks and provide information “about areas with outages so that we can respond quickly to get things back online again.” Check the map to see if your address is on the list to receive a meter upgrade, and learn more about the digital meters here.

With the Fourth of July holiday less than a week away, Airbnb has announced that its provisional ban on parties, launched two years ago, has become permanent policy. According to a news release, Airbnb has seen a “direct correlation between our implementation of the policy in August 2020 and a 44 percent year-over-year global drop in the rate of party reports. We’ve seen even more success in Texas, where there’s been a 46 percent year-over-year drop in party reports.” The short-term rental platform has also introduced “strict anti-party measures” for the Independence Day weekend, declaring that “guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one-night reservations in entire home listings.” Airbnb successfully road-tested this policy over the last Fourth of July and the most recent Memorial Day holiday. Read more about the codified party ban policy here.

The city is going to be lowering speed limits on dozens of major streets inside Austin’s urban core. As the Transportation Department explains, existing speed limits on many city streets were decided long before the city’s population exploded and Austin became the major metropolis it is today. Engineering studies have concluded that making adjustments will “better align speed limits with the city as it exists today.” The department also points out, “Speed is the number one contributing factor to fatal crashes in Austin, and combined with other strategies, reducing speed limits is one way the city is working to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on city streets to zero.” Check out this map of the speed limit changes – and prepare to take your foot off the gas.

The Development Services Department wants all builders to know that new carbon monoxide detector rules are just around the corner. Starting this Friday, July 1, “carbon monoxide detectors will be required for all new Mechanical Change-Out permits, except for projects involving only electric-powered equipment.” These new requirements “apply to installation, alteration or repair of all fuel-fired mechanical systems.” City inspectors will be checking for CO detectors for all projects that were permitted on or after July 1, and, “Because this is a critical life and safety issue, there are no exemptions or alternatives to compliance with this requirement.” Any questions? Contact the building inspectors.

Though officially on break until the end of July, Austin City Council is seeking to hold a special called meeting to address the recent action by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. After word of the ruling was leaked earlier this year, Council members began drafting a response in the form of the GRACE Act, which prevents city funds from being used to collect information about or report abortions and directs the city to de-prioritize abortion investigations. Council Member Chito Vela posted to the City Council Message Board on Friday, writing, “As a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, the Texas trigger ban will take effect 30 days from today, on July 24. This draconian law will apply sentences of up to 99 years in prison for anyone convicted of performing or assisting in any abortion, with no exception for rape or incest. … Today is a painful day for our country, and I grieve the violations of bodily autonomy which the Texas state government will soon impose on Austin residents. I welcome any of my colleagues who wish to co-sponsor the GRACE Act, and I hope our city can be a source of grace to those who will be targeted for making what should be a private medical decision.” He explained that he and Council Member Vanessa Fuentes have asked to convene a special meeting to pass the act “as soon as possible.”

The Texas Supreme Court last week rejected an effort by 13 Austin voters to force the city to hold an election in districts where voters chose their Council members just two years ago, or in the case of District 4 Council Member Chito Vela, in January. Attorney Bill Aleshire told the Austin Monitor that the high court had turned down the plaintiffs’ request for the court to step in. At issue is the fact that after redistricting some voters were moved into precincts not scheduled to select a Council member this November. Because they voted in their old district four years ago but won’t be able to vote for a Council member until 2024, Aleshire argued that his clients have been deprived of their constitutional right to vote. Travis County District Judge Lora Livingston ruled in favor of the city when the matter came before her in May. Both the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court have now rejected the plaintiffs’ argument. That means District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool, Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter in District 10 and Vela will retain their seats until 2024. The scheduling of district elections as set forth in the city charter staggers district terms to eliminate the possibility of all Council members being newly elected at the same time. Aleshire said Sunday he had filed a motion for re-hearing, the final procedural step he can take in the case.

At last count, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed at least 173 cases of monkeypox in the United States. Monkeypox, also known as orthopoxvirus, is an extremely rare viral disease that is closely related to smallpox. Humanity has eradicated smallpox thanks to … wait for it … an extremely effective vaccination program! But this monkeypox outbreak seems to have been triggered by air travel from Africa. According to a news release from Austin Public Health, five of the confirmed cases of monkeypox are in Texas. Now another presumed case of the virus has popped up in Travis County, as the results of an ongoing investigation may soon confirm. “APH epidemiologists are conducting contact tracing and reaching out to people who had direct close contact with the resident while infectious. The resident came in close contact with someone who had traveled from out of state who is also under investigation for monkeypox infection.” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, added that, “While the threat of monkeypox remains low, we recommend that all Travis County residents be aware and seek medical care if you believe you have symptoms of the virus. While our local health care providers are working with epidemiologists to monitor the virus, the community should continue the hygiene practices we know work such as handwashing and minimizing skin-to-skin contact, especially with those showing rashes or sores.” Read the CDC’s web page on monkeypox to learn about the symptoms of the virus and the measures you can take to prevent infection.

City Manager Spencer Cronk welcomed a new addition to his family this week. Nina Roman was born on June 20, weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and was immediately welcomed by sister Lauren and Cronk’s partner, Brendan. City Attorney Anne Morgan has been appointed acting city manager during Cronk’s paternity leave and will remain in the position until his return, which is expected to be Aug. 26.

A proposal to allow the Austin Police Department to use license plate readers once again has been put on hold until later this summer. Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who sponsored the resolution, offered to postpone the item until July 28 and to make it part of the city’s upcoming budget process. “My commitment is, and will forever be, to those that risk their lives each day to keep our city safe. But I also want the community to be able to fully understand how this tool is going to be utilized,” she said. Chris Harris, the policy director at Austin Justice Coalition, also supported the delay, saying that the return of the devices “should be subject to a broader community conversation.” Harris added, “We understand that automated license plate readers enable – particularly if used improperly – a vast amount of surveillance. They enable increased criminalization, depending on how hot lists and other things are set up. They can be a tool that has some benefits, but also has extreme risks.”

Amid increasingly hot, dry conditions, the sale of fireworks will be limited for the upcoming July 4 holiday. The Texas Pyrotechnics Association has voluntarily agreed to halt the sale of fireworks that go up in the air or explode in Travis and Williamson counties. Both counties currently have burn bans in effect due to the drought, but have not yet banned fireworks. “I appreciate the Texas Pyrotechnics Association recognizing the elevated fire risk due to drought conditions and applaud their voluntary agreement to not sell stick rockets and missiles with fins or rudders in Travis County,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in a statement to the press. “I urge the public to be extra cautious while celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. With drought conditions only worsening, we must do everything we can to protect our community. Our fire marshal and his deputies will continue monitoring conditions and patrolling our county, ready to enforce any and all applicable laws.” Fireworks officially go on sale today, though not all fireworks are legal within city limits.

Editor’s Note: Andy Brown is on the board of the Capital of Texas Media Foundation, the parent nonprofit of the Austin Monitor.

You may already be seeing Public Works crews in your area, working on seasonal street maintenance in neighborhoods around the city. The annual sealcoat treatment is intended to improve “hundreds of lane miles of neighborhood streets in every Council district around Austin,” according to the news release, in an effort to “help preserve Austin’s streets and extend their life span.” Residents will be notified in advance with door hangers that ask vehicles to be temporarily parked off the street. Sealcoat has to be applied in warm, dry weather, so the work is usually done throughout the summer and into the early fall. Check out the map to see which streets are scheduled for preventive maintenance next.