U.S. Rep. Greg Casar delivered a $1 million check for water infrastructure to Travis County on Thursday. The money will be used to bring water service to fire hydrants and clean drinking water to eastern Travis County in the FM 812 area. “All Travis County families deserve to have safe, reliable drinking water in their homes,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in a statement to the press. “Thanks to Congressman Greg Casar, we’re one step closer with this $1 million award to ensure no one has to drive to a water standpipe to fill up their water tanks and haul it home to their families for access. This grant will help fund the design and construction process for the FM 812 neighborhood.” The money comes through Community Project Funding, applied for through Casar’s office. It was approved by the federal government in March of this year.

Austin Public Health has given an update on the new Dove Springs Public Health Center, which is expected to be completed this fall. As of this month, the building’s exterior has been complete, including the installation of solar panels, and the power has been turned on, allowing for interior work to move forward. A call for community artwork to be displayed at the clinic was sent out earlier this year, with a deadline of July 10. When complete, the bond-funded facility will feature a neighborhood center, food pantry, child care, and Women, Infants and Children and immunization programs.

With the help of the Financial Services Department, a community survey is being launched to help the city’s Animal Services Office decide on its future priorities. Austin Animal Center has consistently been at or above its live outcome goal rate but with extra measures to maintain it over the past few years, including restricting intake of animals due to declining adoptions. Last year, reviews of ASO by the Office of the City Auditor and the National Center for Animal Shelter Evaluations turned up “misaligned departmental goals as well as issues with stakeholder engagement and alignment,” according to a city statement to the press, and the city auditor recommended the chief Animal Services officer to work with stakeholders on a strategic plan. From July 17 to Aug. 14, the community survey and additional information about the planning process are available at publicinput.com/asoplan2024. In the assessment phase of the strategic planning process, the community survey will be accompanied by external partner and stakeholder interviews and a listening session; staff and volunteer listening sessions; reviewing previous audits, documents, surveys and reports; and identifying best practices from similar animal services organizations.

Registration is now open for 2024 sessions of the Austin CityWorks Academy, a program that gives Austinites a comprehensive understanding of city government operations through interactive weekly classes with a focus on civic engagement. City staff from various departments will lead the informative sessions – including Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Animal Services, Transportation and Public Works, and Austin 311. With the exception of city employees, the program is open to all residents within Austin city limits. Classes take place at various locations throughout the city from 6 to 8 p.m. most Mondays from the last week of September through December. The deadline to apply is July 31. Accessibility accommodations like accessible parking and language access resources are provided. To apply or learn more, visit www.austintexas.gov/cityworks or email Lucero Arechiga at lucero.arechiga@austintexas.gov.

A City Council discussion on a proposal to sell Austin Energy’s district cooling system has been put on ice. Austin Energy General Manager Bob Kahn notified City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Council that the utility was asking to withdraw an item on Thursday’s agenda relating to a contract with J.P. Morgan “to assist in evaluating a potential sale” of the system that provides chilled water to help air conditioners efficiently cool large downtown buildings. The proposal had alarmed environmentalists, including Paul Robbins, a member of the Resource Management Commission. Robbins proposed a resolution in opposition to the agenda item, which the commission approved on Tuesday night, according to mayoral candidate Doug Greco, who has spoken in support of the resolution. Still, it was probably a reaction from the union representing city employees that caused the utility to think again. “Why sell a profitable, efficient, and environmentally friendly system just to line the pockets of J.P. Morgan?” AFSCME Local 1624 President Pedro Villalobos said. “Privatizing the service and its assets is a short-sighted, misguided decision that fails our community and ignores the public’s best interests. Let’s invest in our local infrastructure, not Wall Street.” According to a spokesperson for Austin Energy, the utility is currently losing about $5.2 million on the system. He said the utility withdrew the proposal in order to allow for more conversation about it.

Through the city’s Accessible Parking Enforcement Program, volunteers can issue citations and warnings for illegally parked vehicles in designated accessible parking spaces. In partnership with the Police Department, the Transportation and Public Works Department provides training so that residents can raise awareness about accessible parking and help ensure it’s available for people who need it most. To become a deputized volunteer, applicants must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Pass an initial background check
• Possess a photo ID
• Complete training
• Abide by the program’s policies
• Volunteer at least 12 hours a year

The next available training sessions have been shifted to Sunday and Monday and will be held on July 21 and 22. To learn more and apply, click here.

Austin’s Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo was named one of the top financial minds in the city recently, earning one of eight spots in Austin Business Journal’s annual awards recognizing the best CFOs in the Austin business scene. Van Eenoo was selected in the nonprofit category and highlighted for helping to bring a balanced draft budget of roughly $5.6 billion to City Council last week. ABJ also noted his role in negotiating a stalled land swap deal with Oracle Corp. that netted the city 50 acres of future parkland, as well as for helping to reorganize the city’s Real Estate Services and Capital Delivery divisions. Other notable CFOs recognized include David Mehok of the Q2 financial technology company, which has the naming rights for the Austin FC soccer stadium, and Matt Vonderahe of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which was recently purchased by Sony Pictures.

In an effort to improve access to resources, the Austin Area HIV Planning Council will hold a town hall this Wednesday to get feedback from the community. Organizers are looking to learn more about the challenges and needs of people living with HIV and raise awareness about and develop strategies to improve access to HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, treatment, support and care. “This town hall is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face and share your experiences and needs with city staff to help improve access to care,” Laura G. La Fuente, Austin Public Health’s health equity and community engagement assistant director, said in a statement to the press. “We encourage anyone who has been impacted by HIV/AIDS to attend the town hall and have their voice heard.” The meeting can be attended virtually or in-person at the city’s Permitting and Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17. Anyone interested in attending can register here.

Transit Forward, the advocacy group in favor of regional mass transit in Austin, has scheduled a quarterly update on Project Connect, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the UA 286 Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall on Airport Boulevard. The lunch gathering will include discussion on the design, construction and operational plans for the area’s larger mass transit system. Panelists scheduled to speak and take questions include Mayor Kirk Watson, Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion, Austin Transit Partnership Board Chair Veronica Castro de Barrera, Capital Metro President and CEO Dottie Watkins and ATP Executive Director Greg Canally. Transit Forward has also scheduled a “Choo Choo and Brews” event on July 20 to encourage use of the Capital Metro Rail train that serves Q2 Stadium. The promotion will stop at three local breweries along the train line ahead of the Austin FC match against Charlotte, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Previous Choo Choo and Brews events have started earlier in the day and incorporated downtown destinations, but the next one to be shortened because of the summer heat.

The new underpass being constructed under South Pleasant Valley Road will be enlivened with a mosaic by Texas artist Reginald Adams, and residents are invited to give their input on the project at a community engagement workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, at the Rudy Mendez Recreation Center at 2407 Canterbury St. The workshop, hosted by the city’s Capital Delivery Services and Art in Public Places, will introduce Adams and his team, along with their objectives for the artwork at Longhorn Dam. They will gather ideas from the community through interactive activities like brainstorming sessions, sketching and storytelling. Surveys will collect any further suggestions or input from attendees, and those who do not attend can fill it out here. The event is the first of many community engagement activities that Adams will lead while working with AIPP on the Longhorn Dam project from now until the estimated completion in 2026. Two other artworks by Adams are publicly viewable in Austin – “Reflections” at the African American Culture and Heritage Facility and “Field of Dreams” located at Downs Field. RSVP is encouraged but not required.

Preservation Austin has officially supported the movement to designate the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work building as a Texas State Antiquities Landmark. The former home of University Junior High, which is significant for its role in desegregation, could be demolished to make way for new practice facilities for the UT football program. In April, the Texas Antiquities Advisory Board recommended that the Texas Historical Commission grant State Antiquities Landmark status to the building, a move that delayed the demolition until THC can hear the case for the designation later this month. Receiving the landmark status would provide some legal protections under state law and require UT to consult with THC regarding any changes to the building, but it does not protect it absolutely from demolition.

The Austin rental market continues to shift as more housing units are being completed and residents look for the best deal possible. The real estate technology firm RentCafe’s latest Rental Competitiveness Index found that Austin has increased its housing stock by 1.1 percent over the past year, compared to a 2 percent increase the prior year. With a very small uptick in the number of apartment dwellers opting to renew their leases – coming in at 55.5 percent versus 55.2 percent the year prior – the city’s competitiveness score increased to 66.2 for the start of the 2024 rental season. In 2023, that score was 64.9. In Texas, the rental markets in Dallas and Fort Worth were graded as more competitive than Austin, while San Antonio and Houston were more favorable for renters. Other findings of the report: Six renters compete for each available rental unit in Austin, while the average dwelling staying on the market for 43 days compared to a 40-day opening in 2023.