The Labor Day holiday comes with public safety concerns, so the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will limit vehicle capacity at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park during the weekend so that emergency and staff vehicles can come and go as needed. Parking will be limited to specified areas within Commons Ford starting Friday, Aug. 30, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2. No additional vehicles will be allowed to enter once capacity is reached. Parking outside the park’s gated entrance will not be allowed, and vehicles parked outside the gate along Commons Ford Road will be subject to towing. A press release from PARD reminds park visitors to “be considerate of each other and local residents, carpool when possible, and practice Leave No Trace principles. Plan ahead and prepare. Dispose of waste properly. Leave what you find. Respect wildlife. Taking care of Austin’s parks requires everyone’s help to preserve our natural spaces and public places.” The parking and operational changes were successfully tested during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Austin ISD has been picked as the only Texas school district to receive a federal grant to fund solar panels at 14 campuses in historically underserved communities. Those rooftop panels produce 2 megawatts of energy, the equivalent of powering 230 homes in Austin, and the district anticipates an additional 5 megawatts with money from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools Grant program. The following schools will receive rooftop solar: Allison Elementary School, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Eastside Early College High School, Govalle Elementary School, Houston Elementary School, LBJ Early College High School, Norman-Sims Elementary School, Rosedale School, Sanchez Elementary School, T.A. Brown Elementary School and Widen Elementary School. The following schools will receive both rooftop solar and building automation controls: Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Mendez Middle School and Rodriguez Elementary. Overton Elementary School will receive building automation controls.

Following an equipment failure that left about 6,400 Austin Energy customers without power last Thursday night, the energy utility has made a permanent fix to its substation. In a press release about the fix, Austin Energy officials thank the public for their conservation efforts, which they say “were instrumental in keeping the power flowing, allowing crews to focus on returning the substation to normal operation.” The failure, according to Austin Energy, was not a result of last week’s extremely high temperatures or extremely high energy demand, but due to a part within the transformer failing. That part has now been permanently fixed.

This Tuesday’s work session, which would have been subject to a new court ruling on speaker rules, has been canceled. In a post on the City Council Message Board, Mayor Kirk Watson explained, “The City Manager and his team have let my office know that there are no scheduled briefings for our upcoming Council Work Session scheduled for Tuesday, August 27th. With no briefings to come before Council, I suggest we cancel the Work Session.” He noted that if Council members had any questions about items on the agenda, they could pull it for discussion or a briefing on Thursday, when Council will convene for its regular meeting.

In an effort to help and inform would-be recipients of $3 million in Heritage Preservation Grants, the city is holding workshops and office hours over the next month. The grants can go toward projects that are connected to preserving Austin’s diverse history. According to a press release from the city, “Eligible projects must engage new audiences, inform history, promote diverse narratives, and attract tourism to historically designated sites. Applicants – including for-profit organizations, government entities, and non-profits – can submit one proposal per funding cycle, focusing on either capital, planning, educational, or marketing projects. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, evaluated by a panel on criteria such as preservation impact, tourism potential, accessibility, and project feasibility.” More information about the grants is available at the city’s website or the workshops and open houses that will be taking place in August and September. Applications for the grants will be open from Sept. 10 through 7 p.m. Oct. 8.

Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle granted a temporary restraining order against the city of Austin on Thursday. The order prevents the city from moving forward with November’s charter election, which has 13 proposed amendments to the city’s governing document. The judge found that the city did not provide adequate notice for the charter election item at its Aug. 14 meeting, in line with the Texas Open Meetings Act violations that Save Our Springs Alliance alleged in its suit, filed on Monday. “The purpose of the Open Meetings Act is openness and transparency and the conduct that is described frustrates this purpose and makes it so that plaintiffs would suffer irreparable harm,” Lyttle said in issuing the order. A full evidentiary hearing for a temporary injunction has been set for 9 a.m. Thursday.

Applications to join the Imagine Austin Working Group are open, but they close Friday, Aug. 30. The group will be a resource for the city’s planning team as they work to revise Imagine Austin, which is the city’s comprehensive plan that guides how the city grows and is developed. The working group will be made up of 35 to 45 community members that reflect the diversity of the city. Members will meet 10 to 12 times over eight months (or so) and could be eligible for a $25/hour stipend. Applications can be found here, and applicants will be notified on their selection status by the end of September.

A burn ban is now in effect for the unincorporated areas of the county. Travis County commissioners voted to issue the ban at their Tuesday meeting, on Aug. 20, when it immediately went into effect. The ban will remain in effect for 14 days unless further action is taken. The ban does not apply to prescribed burns, outdoor welding, cutting or grinding. Travis County Fire Marshal Gary Howell urges residents to be careful when grilling outdoors, and it is recommended that grillers and barbecuers have water nearby, in case of a fire. “This week, we’re experiencing dangerous levels of heat and decreasing humidity, which is a troubling combination for wildfire risk,” Howell said in a statement to the press. “High temperatures in the 100s and low humidity create conditions favorable for fires to start. I urge everyone in Travis County to abide by the burn ban, so we can all work together to minimize the risk of fires and ensure our public’s safety.”

An online information session on the Mueller Affordable Homes Program, created for families earning less than the area’s median income who might not otherwise be able to afford a home or rent an apartment in Central Austin, is set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. The session on affordable housing options will cover eligibility criteria, income thresholds (specifically the 80 percent, 100 percent and 120 percent MFI limit) and the application process. Registration for the virtual meeting can be found here.

Lorraine “Grandma” Camacho Activity Center has reported a large number of bikes were stolen early Sunday morning. According to an Instagram post from the community center near Festival Beach, the bikes were used in youth cycling education programs “from early childhood Learn to Ride, through teen and young adult competitive mountain biking” and the theft will impact the future of those programs. The city is asking for Holly residents to check their cameras for a trailer full of bikes leaving the area between 4:10 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18. Any information on the burglary can be reported to 311 or to the center, which will convey the information to the Austin Police Department.

The Waze app will now offer more information to Austin drivers by using an existing data set that tracks the status of city traffic lights. The city’s Transportation and Public Works Department explained the integration in its newsletter, saying, “Now, whenever a traffic signal is flashing, that data set integrates with Waze maps so drivers using Waze navigation can see when a traffic signal is flashing and prepare. Drivers should always treat a flashing traffic signal as an all-way stop.” For those who don’t use Waze, or would like to see the data for themselves, information about traffic signals is available through the city’s open data portal and in map form on the city’s website.

As of Sunday, Aug. 18, both Montopolis and Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District pools are closed for the season. Montopolis Pool will be closed for extensive renovations, which are expected to be completed in spring 2026. When done, the new pool facilities will offer changing rooms, zero-depth entry, shaded areas, picnic spots and a waterslide. Anyone who wishes to receive updates on the project can sign up here. Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Pool will also be closed for renovations and also is expected to reopen in spring 2026. The project will include a toddler pool, shade structures and trees, new changing rooms and restrooms and revamped lap lanes. Anyone who wants to stay up to date on the project can sign up for emails here.