In honor of Voter Registration Day, an event where eligible voters may drive thru or walk up to register to vote in English or Spanish will be hosted by People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources (PODER) and the Austin Neighborhoods Council (ANC). It’s planned for noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Mariposa Complex, 4926 E. Cesar Chavez Street. PODER and volunteer deputy registrars also can help registered residents look into whether they remain registered or have had their registration purged by the state. All eligible voters who have been purged will be re-registered. “Fair and free elections represent a crucial pillar of our democracy,” the partnering organizations said in a statement to the media. “As one of the world’s leading democracies, the United States should work to keep voting free, fair, and accessible. PODER is working to ensure that every eligible resident, regardless of race, has an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy.”

After accepting the news that APD’s secret personnel file is illegally secret, City Manager T.C. Broadnax is getting ready for an onslaught of public information requests. A Sept. 12 memo outlines the city’s efforts in responding to such requests and lays out a strategy for dealing with the public’s thirst for perfectly legal knowledge. Broadnax explains that they will be increasing staff and upgrading data technology in an effort to respond efficiently. “As we work through the existing requests that seek records of APD officers, we are taking the opportunity to set up processes to systematically maintain and update the data to make it easily accessible for future requests. The requests for information on all officers will take longer than normal to complete. We will explore ways to expedite release, including releasing the information in phases,” he wrote. “The requests for records of individual officers will follow the normal review process. The specific timing for release will depend on the size of the requested file and any needed redactions based on the type of request. All requestors will receive an estimated time for release.”

Austin City Auditor Corrie Stokes, City Clerk Myrna Rios and Municipal Court Clerk Mary Jane Grubb will each get a 4 percent raise, the same as other non-sworn city employees will receive effective at the beginning of October. City Council on Thursday approved Stokes’ new salary of a little more than $208,000; Rios will be paid more than $191,000 and Grubb will receive more than $196,000. All three were evaluated in February but their raises had to wait until the city approved the entire budget in August.

On Tuesday, the city will celebrate improvements to the Bull Creek District Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The improvements, which culminated with the recent completion of restroom renovations, come out of a 2017 concept plan for the park that guided its design. More information about the park improvements can be found here. The ribbon cutting will take place at 6701 Lakewood Drive at 10 a.m., and it is an outdoor event.

A downtown resource that has offered shade, food and water to those experiencing homelessness has now added showers to the mix. Urban Alchemy’s Oasis, which is located between the 8th Street Shelter and ARCH downtown, now offers free showers, available 12 hours each day to anyone who needs them. The showers have already been used by 250 guests since they opened.

The city’s Art in Public Places Program is on the verge of launching five new opportunities for local artists to create public art. The open calls for applications will run from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 and are:

• Elisabet Ney Museum Grounds – Artwork budget: $100,000
• Armadillo Water Tank Mural – Artwork budget: $133,000
• Walter E. Long & John Treviño Metro Parks – Artwork budget: $100,100
• Red Bud Isle – Artwork budget: $625,000
• Substandard Streets: Johnny Morris Road – Artwork budget: $190,000; and Ross Road – Artwork budget: $330,000

In order to assist artists through the process, the city will be holding a series of sessions on the application process. More information about those, and the applications themselves, can be found here.

This Saturday, the public is invited to come share ideas for the future of Palm School with the Palm School Steering Committee at a meet and greet. The event, which will feature both food and entertainment, will begin at noon on the first floor of 700 Lavaca, with parking available at the county’s parking garage. The steering committee is made up of nine community members and five representatives from partner organizations. The committee will play a part in developing the school’s concept plan and future, as well as making a community engagement plan.

The Texas Department of Transportation is seeking input on plans to widen and divide U.S. Highway 183 from State Highway 71 to SH 130. A press release from the transportation authority explains “multiple neighborhoods, businesses and other structures are located along or close to the corridor, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is adjacent to the highway. TxDOT is proposing to widen and divide US 183 from SH 71 to SH 130 with community support to address congestion and make needed improvements.” The public meeting to discuss the plans will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Creedmoor Community Center (12513 FM 1625, Creedmoor, TX 78610), with an option to attend virtually at 5 p.m. Anyone who cannot attend the meeting but wishes to have their feedback included in the meeting summary has until Oct. 18 to do so. More information, including how to attend virtually, can be found here.

Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that Austin would receive $10.5 million to go toward pedestrian safety improvements. The money, which comes via Safe Streets and Roads for All grant funding, will enable the city to install almost 50 crossings through the city and develop its Living Streets Program. According to a press release from the city, “The grant will fund the implementation of proven safety countermeasures at a systemic, citywide scale to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes, especially those involving pedestrians. Crossing treatments will include a combination of rectangular rapid flashing beacons, pedestrian crossing islands, curb extensions and pedestrian hybrid beacons, as well as one critically needed grade-separated crossing of I-35.” The city will add $2.5 million in funding toward the project, dubbed “Safer Transportation Routes using Inclusive, Demonstrative and Equitable Solutions,” or STRIDES. In 2022, the city recieved $22.9 million in funding through the federal grant. “Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department has a proven track record of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes through low-cost, effective safety projects,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement to the press. “This funding will help us expand that work, making Austin streets safer for everyone who uses them, whether they’re driving, walking, cycling or rolling.”

HousingWorks Austin has named Awais Azhar as its new executive director. Azhar will replace Nora Linares-Moeller, who is retiring after serving seven years in the role, but will remain on in an advisory position for the organization. In addition to his service on the Planning Commission for the past four terms, Azhar has been the deputy director of HousingWorks and worked in support of  affordable housing bond programs, anti-displacement and various pro-housing initiatives at the city. “For a decade now I have engaged with HousingWorks Austin in various capacities. I remain as dedicated as ever to the organization’s mission of advancing housing affordability in all Central Texas communities,” Azhar said. “As I take on this new role, I am committed to advancing the vision for a diverse and inclusive Austin that welcomes new residents with abundant and equitable housing opportunities, while protecting existing communities and vulnerable residents from displacement and segregation.”

An update on the Austin Police Department’s reinstated Automated License Plate Reader program confirmed that all 40 cameras are installed and functioning. After a hiatus, the readers controversially returned after much public debate, and the new program went live at the end of March as a one-year pilot program. In July, then-Chief Joseph Chacon clarified that data from the cameras would be purged after seven days, unless downloaded for an investigation or as part of a missing or endangered persons situation. According to the Aug. 30 update, all officers using the reader system must undergo training on an annual basis.