Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who has represented the Austin area for nearly 30 years, will talk about environmental issues and update the Austin Sierra Club on issues before Congress at the group’s meeting Wednesday night. The group will meet at El Mercado South, 1302 South First St,, beginning with food and drinks at 6 p.m. The program will start at 7 p.m.

Travis County’s Strategic Housing Finance Corporation has announced David Dinoff as the new deputy director, as well as naming Alexandra Radtke as director of real estate. Dinoff previously served as director of real estate for Capital A Housing in Austin and also worked as director of community development for BCL of Texas nonprofit loan fund. Radtke also serves as housing development manager for Austin Housing Finance Corporation to structure partnerships around affordable housing projects. SHFC is a nonprofit that partners with developers to increase access to affordable housing, with over 6,000 affordable units created since 2004 when the organization was formed.

More than 34,000 acres of land on over 1,000 parcels in Central Texas have been annexed out of the extraterritorial jurisdictions of area cities, according to an analysis by the Austin Business Journal. The annexations are the result of state Senate Bill 2038, which lets property owners on the boundaries of cities free themselves from local regulations that may inhibit their development prospects. The 2,100-acre Tesla factory in East Austin is one of the most high-profile examples of annexations made possible by the law, freeing the company from the city’s air quality and water use laws. Cities can formally approve the annexations or let them cycle through the 45-day waiting period before the land is automatically removed, though there are legal challenges to the law. In July, the city released a memo concerning properties in South Austin that were seeking to annex out of the ETJ. City staffers are also working to determine what consequences the state law will have on local water quality efforts.

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.