Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the opening of the new Downtown Station yesterday – six months early and $3 million under budget. The total budget for the project was $37 million, and the station was slated to open in early 2021. Capital Metro Chief Customer Officer Dottie Watkins noted that added tracks to the station will allow the transportation authority to provide more frequent and reliable service to customers. President and CEO Randy Clarke also spoke at the opening, thanking city and Capital Metro staff for their help in completing the project. “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your partnership,” said Clarke, who also thanked nearby businesses and residents for their patience. “Improvements do take a little bit of headache, but they ultimately end up in a beautiful community amenity,” he said. Mayor Steve Adler, who also spoke at the opening, said, “This our future in Austin. Projects like this new downtown station are a testament to Capital Metro’s commitment to serving Austin, everyone’s hard work, and – most significantly – an investment in Austin’s future.” Adler also proclaimed the station would “act as a central hub for the entire Central Texas region.” Those who are so inclined may watch the livestreamed grand opening of the station online.

The city of Austin wants to know what you think about recycling, composting, waste reduction, and the city’s zero-waste goal – which is to keep 90 percent of discarded materials out of the landfill by 2040. Fill out a short survey to share your thoughts on these matters. Your input will help shape Austin Resource Recovery’s Comprehensive Plan, which is the “city’s road map to zero waste.” The survey is open until Nov. 15.

The city of Austin is an old hand at teaching residents the joys of backyard chickens, but the offering on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. will be Austin Resource Recovery’s first live virtual chicken-keeping class. The free class, which is part of ARR’s Home Rebate Program, teaches you everything you need to know to keep your chickens happy and healthy. Not only do chickens provide you with fresh eggs, but the food scraps you’ll feed your hungry hens equals less food waste going to the landfill. They also eat pests like larva, slugs and aphids, and their droppings can become rich compost for your garden. If you pay the Clean Community Fee on your utility bill, you may qualify for a $75 rebate on a new chicken coop or home composting system. Register for the class on Eventbrite.

David Foster, Texas director for Clean Water Action, keeps up with news from the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. For the Precinct 4 seat on the board, his organization has endorsed candidate Christy Williams, who is running against incumbent Bob Larsen. But Foster and his wife were surprised – and concerned – when they received their mail ballots from Travis County, which included that race. Foster lives in Precinct 5, which is represented on the board by Craig Smith. Smith and several of his neighbors also received mail ballots with that race on them. On Friday, Foster told the Austin Monitor that when he and his wife called the Travis County Clerk’s Office to ask what they should do, a volunteer told them they would be receiving new, corrected mail ballots. Two other voters who live in Smith’s district went to the early voting location at the South Austin Recreation Center and both of them got electronic ballots that showed the race between Williams and Larsen. Precinct 2 Director Blayne Stansberry, who serves as president of the BSEACD board, said Friday she was surprised to hear that the error had not been corrected before early voting started. She said she had been assured that the problem had been corrected as of Wednesday. She called the Monitor Friday evening to say a technician had been dispatched to the South Austin Recreation Center to fix the problem. However, she said Travis County and the district are aware of the problem and that they will simply not count votes cast by voters who live outside the boundaries of Precinct 4.

Travis County residents have proven they are eager to vote, with 27.36 percent of registered voters in the county casting ballots this week. To break that down, 198,110 people cast ballots in person this week and 35,696 voted by mail (210 limited ballots were also cast). Putting those numbers into perspective, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant recapped Sunday’s turnout on Facebook, writing, “15,078 votes were cast today including 699 mail ballots which is slightly lower than an average for Sunday voting with limited hours. With just 6 of 18 (early voting) days under our belts, we are on track to surpass the record 51% of registered voters who voted early in 2016 and tomorrow we will exceed the total number of early votes cast in 2012.” Early voting will continue through Oct. 30, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Voting mega-centers will be open until 9 p.m. from Oct. 28-30. Election Day is Nov. 3. Voting locations and wait times can be found on the Travis County Clerk’s site.

Concerned that frontline workers are not getting the support and information they need to protect themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic, Austin Public Health has launched a “high-risk worker hotline to promote the safety and well-being of the vulnerable workers in our community.” The hotline is operated by Austin Voices for Education and Youth and offers information and referral services for “legal case management, assistance applying for unemployment and one-time financial assistance.” Stephanie Hayden, director of APH, said the hotline is “an important step to assisting our vulnerable community members in a way that is helpful to them. We worked with many partners and agencies to figure out the best way to set up this service in a manner that is most useful and convenient for those who need it.” The hotline can be reached at 512-493-4288, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Workers are considered high-risk if they are one of the following:

The Travis County Commissioners Court is asking qualified individuals to apply for openings on the Central Health Board of Managers. What’s needed are people “who will represent the interests of the county as a whole, as well as supply exceptional vision, business and administrative skills, and commitment.” One appointment becomes available on Jan. 1, 2021 and runs through Dec. 31, 2024. Health care experience is not necessary but “understanding of the current health care system and a commitment to improving the patient experience is preferred.” The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. Find more information about qualifications and eligibility, as well as an application packet, here.

Travis County residents continued to vote in heavy numbers Thursday. The total for the first three days of early voting now stands at 140,588 in Travis County, or more than 16 percent of those registered to vote. On Thursday, 39,227 Travis County voters cast ballots in person. That number compares to 35,873 on Tuesday and 38,119 on Wednesday. Overall turnout Thursday, including mail ballots received, was 40,446. That number is slightly lower than the total for Wednesday, which was 41,675. With Tuesday’s arrival of 22,577 mail ballots, that first day still holds the record with 58,467 total votes cast in Travis County. Nearly 1,500 voters cast ballots Thursday at the Austin Central Library, the Ben Hur Shrine Center and the Pflugerville ISD Rock Gym. Voters also continued to flock to East Austin polling places, including the Carver Branch Library, where 1,128 voters cast their ballots, and the Dan Ruiz Branch Library, which recorded 1,014 votes cast. The South Austin Recreation Center also recorded more than 1,200 ballots cast. So far, Travis County has received more than 21,000 votes than were cast in the first three days of early voting in 2016.

Austin ISD students will now receive free school meals until the last day of school on June 3, thanks to an extension from the Texas Department of Agriculture’s school meal program. Anneliese Tanner, executive director of Food Service and Warehouse Operations at AISD, said in a news release, “The challenges families are facing because of the pandemic reach far beyond the economic impact. More now than ever, parents and caregivers are tasked with countless roles and responsibilities. By offering free meals for all students, we are not only expanding healthy food access, but we are providing a convenience for families that helps bring better food to all students in Austin.” Students learning on campus will get free breakfast and lunch in the classroom or in the cafeteria, where social distancing guidelines are in place. Students who are at home doing remote learning will receive seven days of free meals that can be picked up each Thursday at curbside locations throughout the city. Find more information about the school district’s school meal program, including meal pickup sites and times, here.

Thirty cities across the U.S. will participate in a program to help “local governments confront budget pressures while supporting their commitment to equity in the wake of Covid-19” – and Austin has been selected to be one of those cities. The City Budgeting for Equity and Recovery program, a project of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities, “is designed to help cities develop and implement plans to drive financial recovery in a way that safeguards low-income residents and communities of color.” Founder Michael R. Bloomberg said in a news release announcing the program, “Cities across the country are facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis. Revenues are down, demand for services is up, there is uncertainty about what support cities will receive from the federal government, and there are urgent needs around racial equity. Through this new initiative, we will offer municipal leaders tools to help them navigate the crisis, setting a path more cities can follow as they develop their own recovery plans.” Austin’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo said, “We look forward to teaming up with Bloomberg Philanthropies and the 29 other participating cities in using the latest data, trusted expertise and peer input to build on our progress and make sure our recovery works for everyone.”

Do you have any ideas that could help the city reach its zero-waste goal? Of course you do! Austin’s zero-waste goal, which was adopted in 2011, “includes keeping 90 percent of unwanted items out of local landfills by 2040.” That doesn’t sound so hard. Share your ideas, thoughts, opinions and brainstorms via this online survey launched by Austin Resource Recovery. The survey, which will be open from Oct. 15-Nov. 15, takes about 10 minutes to complete and your feedback will help ARR develop a comprehensive plan toward reaching zero-waste. As ARR Director Ken Snipes says, “Taking care of the environment is everyone’s responsibility; for us, it starts with keeping these valuable, reusable materials out of the landfill. The public’s input will help inform our new comprehensive plan and identify opportunities, initiatives and programs for a waste-free Austin.”

The Zoning and Platting Commission has approved a previously delayed rezoning request for a nonprofit that wants to build a South Austin community center. The Training Kitchen wants to redevelop 1.5 acres at 1901 Matthews Lane into an alternative learning community to host adult education classes, food preparation and community events. Numerous residents made public comments touting the nonprofit’s work, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Another resident had concerns about the development’s effect on drainage and runoff, but Stansberry Engineering Company’s Blayne Stansberry, representing the applicant, said any flooding impacts would be reviewed in the site development stage. Commissioners expressed concerns about sidewalk access to the site, as well as the community commercial zoning requested by the applicant. “It does seem like an intensive (zone) but it seems like a really good use of the property and hopefully we can come up with something creative to help them,” Commissioner Nadia Barrera-Ramirez said. Commissioners ultimately approved Community Commercial-Mixed Use-Conditional Overlay (GR-MU-CO) for part of the tract and General Office (GO) for the remainder. The conditional overlay prohibits a lengthy list of uses including automotive, extermination, financial, funeral, convenience store, hotel, sports and recreation, medical office and entertainment services. ZAP Chair Jolene Kiolbassa and commissioners David King and Bruce Evans voted against the rezoning, which is now on City Council’s Oct. 15 agenda.