As part of an effort to raise awareness about transportation challenges, a Week Without Driving is now underway. The week, which runs from Sept. 30 until Oct. 6, asks Austinites to experience what getting around the city is like for those without access to cars due to age, disability or cost. The city’s Transportation Department explains, “The challenge is to make all your trips – not just your work commute – without driving yourself. The point is education and awareness – seeing our transportation landscape from a different perspective. And if you encounter a situation where you are forced to drive, don’t consider it a failure, but rather a chance to reflect on how someone without that option would have coped, and what choices they might have made. The goal is to remind everyone that mobility is a human right and we must improve transportation options for all, regardless of circumstances.” To participate, visit weekwithoutdriving.org.

Confused about how the new police contract will deal with the information maintained in the “G-file”? You are not alone. To bring some clarity to the issue, Council Member Chito Vela has asked for a memo by Oct. 2 that explains whether the new contract makes both old and new G-file information available to the public. “Specifically, I would like a detailed explanation of the process by which City employees will release information pertaining to allegations of misconduct occurring prior to the effective date of this agreement, as well as the process for releasing information pertaining to allegations of misconduct occurring after the effective date. The memo should also state how the processes comply with current law, including the APOA, TLGC, and relevant judicial rulings, as well as the terms of the agreement,” Vela wrote. “If this contract complies with the Austin Police Oversight Act, including publication of ALL G-file information both past and present, then we are only inches away from the finish line.” His request was publicly seconded by Council members José Velásquez, Zo Qadri, Ryan Alter and Vanessa Fuentes, who has also requested a work session discussion about the budgetary implications of the $218 million contract. Since the announcement and subsequent publication of the tentative deal, organizations and people concerned about police transparency have been critical of how the G-file would be handled under the new contract and whether it includes a clause that would grandfather existing G-file records that unlawfully conceal police misconduct. Council is expected to vote on the police contract on Oct. 10.

The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s annual Point in Time Count will take place on the night of Jan. 25, 2025, and the effort to find at least 1,200 volunteers is already underway. Volunteers count the area’s homeless population and distribute care kits as part of an effort to better understand the community. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on the volunteer interest list now, with more details and updates to come. Points of contact for groups are encouraged to sign up early. The count surveys those who are experiencing homelessness to get an accurate count of the population as part of a requirement to receive federal Continuum of Care dollars. Insights from the 2023 count, which was conducted by more than 700 volunteers, can be found here.

Art From the Streets’ 32nd annual art show will take place at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar on Oct. 12 and 13 this year. The show and sale is composed of art from unhoused artists, with 95 percent of each purchase going directly back to the artist. “For 31 years, Art From the Streets has been a beacon of creativity and hope for Austin’s unhoused and at-risk community,” Kelley Worden, executive director of Art From the Streets, said in a statement to the press. “Our Annual Show and Sale is more than just an art exhibition – it’s a powerful demonstration of how artistic expression can transform lives. By providing a platform for these talented individuals to showcase and sell their work, we’re not just supporting artists; we’re fostering dignity, self-determination, and meaningful connections within our community.” Those unable to attend the show can donate, volunteer or purchase items for the organization’s art studio from the Art From the Streets Amazon wish list.

The tentative agreement struck between the city and the Austin Police Association has been made available to the public. The contract, which will have to be approved by Council and ratified by the police union to become official, can be read in its entirety here. Perhaps in response to groups like Equity Action, which have criticized the lack of transparency during negotiations and the delayed release of the contract, a press release from the city explains: “Until an agreement was finalized between the City and APA and ready to be considered by the City Council, this document was not publicly available, pursuant to 142.062 of the Texas Local Government Code.” Council is scheduled to consider the contract on Oct. 10. Thursday evening, City Manager T.C. Broadnax issued a statement to the press, saying, “In response to questions I have received regarding the Tentative Agreement reached by the City and the Austin Police Association, I want to clarify issues specifically related to the ‘G-file,’ … The City of Austin no longer maintains G-files. Prop A and the current court ruling confirm and further provide assurance that there are no G-files. Additionally, specific to the Tentative Agreement between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association, there are no G-files during the entire time frame of the contract – five years. Further, based on the recent court decision as it relates to G-files, the City is – and will – release any information requested through a public information request in the same way all other such requests are processed. These measures comply with Prop A.”

Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council said farewell Thursday to Roosevelt Weeks, who has served as the city’s director of libraries for the past seven years. He thanked Council for passing ordinances that cut down on barriers “so people can have access at all levels of our system.” Watson wished him “best of luck in retirement,” but Weeks’ retirement won’t last long. He will become library director of the Fort Bend County library system on Oct. 7, according to a news release from that county. Weeks was named Texas Librarian of the Year by the Texas Library Association in 2023 and received the “I Love My Librarian” national award from the American Library Association in 2016.

People have been receiving scam phone calls in which the caller claims to be with the Travis County attorney’s office and demands money to remove a warrant or criminal charge they claim has been filed against the person they’re calling. The Travis County Attorney’s Office is warning the public that this is a scam. Its office does not communicate to the public in this way. The scammer offers to send a QR code for payment or directs people to go to an “official government pay station,” which is an ATM-like machine near a gas station. If you get a suspicious phone call like this, contact the Travis County Attorney’s Office at (512) 854-9415 to verify the validity of that call before giving anyone money.

Thanks to Austin Animal Center and Good Fix, a program of Greater Good Charities, Travis County and Austin residents will have the chance to get their pets spayed and neutered, free of cost, today and Saturday at the Travis County Expo Center. Registration and drop-off will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis and is expected to fill up fast.

According to a press release from the county, proof of residency is required, and:

• Pets must be at least two pounds and two months old.
• Cats must be in a secure carrier.
• Only one cat per carrier.
• Alert staff if your pet is nursing.
• If your pet was vaccinated in the last year, bring proof of vaccine.
• All cats in traps will be ear tipped to indicate sterility status.

As reported by Ken Martin of The Austin Bulldog, a dozen candidates for City Council failed to file two different kinds of personal financial statements that are required by state law and the city code. After learning that his opponent had failed to file either the Statement of Financial Information or the Personal Financial Statement, both of which are required of all candidates, District 10 candidate Mark Duchen filed an ethics complaint against Ashika Anguly concerning her failure to file the latter. Anguly told The Austin Bulldog that the personal financial statement had been filed but did not address the Statement of Financial Information. The Austin Monitor asked Anguly’s campaign manager for further information on what she filed. The campaign manager, Laura Hernandez, said by text that Anguly had filed both forms on Wednesday.

Likewise, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly filed an ethics complaint against her only opponent, Krista Laine. The deadline for filing the Personal Financial Statement was Sept. 9 and, according to the Bulldog, Laine had not filed it by Sept. 24. In a press release, Kelly said attorney Bill Aleshire, a well-known government watchdog, would be representing her before the Ethics Commission. Since the commission met last night, they will not meet again until Oct. 23. Laine said via email last night that she had belatedly “submitted all the necessary forms.”

Along with almost $100,000 mostly from community donations, Rethink35 will use a $25,000 grant from Impact Fund to bolster its lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation over the expansion of Interstate 35, filed with 15 other co-plaintiffs in January. The trial is expected to begin within six months, and Rethink35 has positioned itself as giving Austin residents a voice in shaping the future of the highway and its surrounding area. Their lawsuit alleges that TxDOT violated federal environmental regulations by failing to conduct a proper study of expansion alternatives and by conducting inadequate studies on expansion’s impacts on air and water quality. The volunteer-backed nonprofit plans to hire expert witnesses “to testify on the project’s harmful impacts and strengthen our case as it heads to trial within the next six months,” according to a statement to the press. “This Impact Fund grant will enable us to bring in top-tier experts who can clearly demonstrate the environmental, health, and social damage that TxDOT’s plan would inflict on our communities,” Rethink35 Board Member Sasha Sivolob said. “Their testimony will play a crucial role in helping us make the strongest possible case in court.”

On Tuesday, the Save Our Springs Alliance is headed to the Texas Supreme Court to fight the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality over a permit to release 800,000 gallons of treated sewage into Onion Creek each day. The fight, which started in 2019, is headed to the supreme court where the Court of Appeals’ decision to allow the permit to go through could be overturned and the Travis County ruling, which rejected the permit, could be reinstated. SOS has asked supporters to join them in court at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 at the Supreme Court Building at the corner of 14th Street and Colorado Avenue.

Starting Oct. 1, the city will require all multifamily communities to provide residents with commercial composting collection. The requirement applies to communities with five or more dwelling units: apartments, condos, non-state dorms and assisted living facilities. The properties, which are home to more than half of the city, will need to provide 1 gallon of composting capacity per unit, with weekly collection. According to the city’s Universal Recycling Ordinance, the composting programs must accept food scraps, food soiled paper and certified compostable products. According to a press release about the new rules, Austin Resource Recovery has notified properties about the changes and continues to offer a rebate to help implement it. According to a press release from the city, “Multifamily properties need to actively work this year toward complying with the new requirements. If needed, properties can request a waiver when they submit their required recycling plan between Oct. 1 and Feb. 1. Waivers are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be approved for properties that show a good faith effort to comply.” More information about the new requirements can be found here.