Due to “delays with sourcing parts for mechanical repairs to the well pump,” Deep Eddy Pool was not able to reopen over the weekend, as was previously announced. The pool closed last Tuesday to allow workers to complete repairs to the well pump. With the ETA for the parts unknown, no new reopening date has been announced. Barton Springs, Bartholomew, Big Stacy, and Springwoods pools are open in the interim.

Jennifer Virden, the only official candidate for Austin mayor so far, has loaned her campaign $300,000, as she reported in an official filing with the Office of the City Clerk earlier this week. She also has a total of $46,670.88 in contributions. But you would never guess that from the press release her campaign put out declaring that she had “raised” over $346,000 so far in her campaign. According to her campaign finance report, Virden loaned her campaign $300,000 on Dec. 20, 2021. Regular contributors are limited in what they can contribute, generally to $400 per person. Lobbyists are prohibited from giving City Council campaigns more than $25. James and Betty Skaggs, who regularly support Republican candidates, particularly those who want to build more roads, donated $400 each. Lobbyist Pete Winstead, on the other hand, contributed $25. Virden is not shy about proclaiming herself to be against much of what the current City Council has done. On her website, the real estate broker says she is opposed to the “transformational change” of society that current city leaders support. On the other hand, Virden supports “fully staffing our police department, compassionately triaging our homeless population, enforcing the ban on public camping, and enacting real property tax relief.” Austin has already granted homeowners a 20 percent homestead exemption, the maximum allowed by state law. Other possible candidates for mayor include Council Member Kathie Tovo, former Mayor Kirk Watson and state Rep. Celia Israel. Mayor Steve Adler has not announced his plans, but does not seem inclined to seek reelection and would need to collect signatures to do so. The election will be on Nov. 8, 2022.

Keep Austin Beautiful is inviting you to love where you live – and providing the supplies to help you do it. Every second Saturday of the month, Keep Austin Beautiful encourages Austinites to beautify their neighborhoods through whatever action they choose, such as picking up litter in a park or mowing their yard. On Saturday, Jan. 8, the group is offering free cleanup kits (sized for groups of 1-5 or 5-10 volunteers) that include litter grabbers, gloves, trash and recycling bags, and safety guidelines. Sign up here for contactless pickup of supplies near the intersection of Holly and I-35 (until they run out).

Want to help transform a degraded creek bank into a lush riparian zone teeming with diversity and life? Of course you do. The nonprofit TreeFolks is seeking volunteers to help plant saplings at Longhorn Shores. In the process, you may learn a bit about the “art and science of creekside restoration and community.” The program is a collaboration with the city’s Community Tree Preservation Division, Watershed Protection Department and Keep Austin Beautiful. Saturday, Jan. 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Longhorn Shores, 60 S. Pleasant Valley Road. Sign up here.

Austin Water has been recognized for its innovative debt management strategies, which have saved its customers almost $700 million over the past six years. According to a press release from the city, the Government Finance Officers Association, an industry group, praised the utility for its creative methods of “increasing affordability for customers, while improving and maintaining critical infrastructure for extreme weather and a growing population.” Joseph Gonzales, the utility’s assistant director of financial services, said in the release, “Striking a careful balance between investments in infrastructure while ensuring rates remain affordable is a common challenge for public utilities. Adding pressures such as the ongoing pandemic, spiraling costs of living, and effects of climate change, and the complexity of this challenge soars. Austin Water has been able to navigate these issues, making major investments to Austin’s water and wastewater system while not raising rates and even providing rate reductions to help customers during difficult times. We are deeply honored to be recognized for our work in this area.” Read more about the Award for Excellence in Government Finance here.

City Council met briefly Tuesday to adopt the schedule for early voting and election day voting in the District 4 race to take over the seat currently held by Council Member Greg Casar. Casar must vacate the Council seat because he is running for Congress. Seven candidates are on the ballot. Early voting will run from Jan. 10-21, and election day is Jan. 25. Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir is conducting the election – probably her last one as clerk since she announced her plan to retire at the end of this month.

There are three early voting locations: Chinatown Center at 10901 N. Lamar Blvd.; the city of Austin Permitting and Development office at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive; and the Gus Garcia Recreation Center, 1201 E. Rundberg Lane. Those sites will also serve as election day polling places. District 4 voters will also be able to cast election day ballots at Sawyer Hall at 1302 E. 51st St., the Virginia Brown Recreation Center at 7500 Blessing Ave., Juan P. Navarro High School at 1201 Payton Gin Road, and YMCA North Austin at 1000 W. Rundberg Lane.

City Clerk Myrna Rios told Council that she and her staff are still counting signatures on a petition that could force the city to hold another election. The petition, from a group seeking to decriminalize possession of marijuana and prevent police from arresting anyone on class A or B possession charges (except under certain circumstances), would also prevent police from executing no-knock search warrants. Currently, officers are instructed not to make an arrest for possession of marijuana unless the investigation involves a “high-priority, felony level narcotics case or the investigation of a violent felony,” according to APD general orders. The general orders prevent officers from executing no-knock warrants except by prior authorization from a judge and a supervisor. If the petition is validated, Council will have the option to adopt the proposed ordinance or call an election.

The surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the omicron variant has pushed Austin-Travis County back to Stage 4 of the risk-based guidelines, and health officials are urging unvaccinated Austinites to get vaccinated without further delay. To make it easier, Travis County, Austin Public Health and their community partners continue to host a variety of free Covid vaccine distribution events every week. Simply check out the handy online calendar and map to find the date, time and location of the vaccine event nearest your home or workplace. No appointments are required. Getting vaccinated takes less time than it does to get a mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks – and it’s a whole lot better for your health. People receiving their second dose, third dose or booster shot should bring their CDC Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card so it can be updated.

The city’s Ethics Review Commission and the League of Women Voters Austin Area will be hosting a virtual District 4 candidate forum on Jan. 6. Though there was some debate over where to hold the forum last month, the omicron variant appears to have settled the question by forcing the forum online. The candidates running for District 4, in ballot order, are Amanda Rios, Isa Boonto, Ramesses II Setepenre, Melinda Schiera, Jade Lovera, Monica Guzmán, and José “Chito” Vela. Questions for the candidates may be emailed to forum@lwvaustin.org or phoned in to 512-893-1960 in English by noon on Jan. 6. The forum will be broadcast live on ATXN.TV, Channel 6, A&T U-Verse channel 99, or KAZI FM 88.7. Residents may also listen in by phone by dialing 1-855-756-7520, ext. 78384# for English, 78385# for Spanish or 78390# for Vietnamese.

The Housing Investment Review Committee – formerly known as the Housing Bond Review Committee – is looking for qualified members to review affordable housing projects, among other things. Interested candidates are invited to complete an application by Feb. 1, with preference given to those who have been part of a development team or have experience with development finance, academic-based housing research, legal counsel, or who have had personal experience with housing instability, according to a city press release. City staff members will review applications and make appointment recommendations to HIRC by March, with terms expected to begin March 30.

Austin Transportation has put out a warning about fraudulent QR codes found on parking pay stations. According to a press release from the department, the sham QR codes link to a site that has no connection to the city and “may have been created with malicious intent.” Detectives from APD’s financial crimes unit are investigating the stickers and ask anyone who has paid for city parking through a QR code to file a police report and notify their card issuer. Anyone who witnesses an unbadged person messing with a pay station is encouraged to call 911. In the meantime, APD wants motorists to remember that Austin Transportation collects payment for parking through cash or card at pay stations or via the Park ATX app, not through a website.

Given the ongoing spread of Covid, the city’s Development Services Department is going back online, returning to remote operations until Feb. 1. An email from the department explains that existing in-person appointments will be converted to virtual “where possible” and all new appointments will be conducted virtually through the end of this month. Meetings with Austin Public Health will still be available in person as will inspections, though customers can opt to conduct those virtually as well. Payments will be collected via phone by contacting 512-974-7045.

Progressive Jose “Chito” Vela is probably the best known of the seven candidates running in the Jan. 25 special election to fill the District 4 Council seat that Greg Casar is vacating. So it came as no surprise to learn that his campaign had raised the most among those vying for the spot. Candidates were required to turn in their 30-day campaign finance reports on Dec. 27, giving the public a chance to see how they’re doing in fundraising. Vela reported raising more than $41,000, including a $400 contribution from Mayor Steve Adler. The Austin Firefighters PAC also filed its monthly report, indicating that the group is endorsing Vela. Conservative Amanda Rios, who has support from the leaders of Save Austin Now, reported raising a little more than $11,000, including a $150 in-kind contribution from Matt Mackowiak – chair of the Travis County Republican Party – for work on her website. Monica Guzmán raised just over $5,000 and received contributions from Ann Denkler, Jim Duncan and David King. Denkler and King are members of the Zoning and Platting Commission while Duncan is a land use expert and former chair of ZAP. Candidate Jade Lovera reported raising $1,765. One of her contributors was Betsy Greenberg, another member of ZAP. Melinda Schiera reported raising $358.73 and spending $451.90. Isa Boonto-Zarifis reported zero dollars in contributions and $600 in expenditures. She spent $500 on the filing fee, and according to her report, gave $100 to her former campaign manager, Katherine Wilcox, “as a gift.” Ramesses II Setepenre did not file the required report.