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.

The Supreme Court’s ruling Tuesday upholding the Trump administration’s demand to prematurely shut down the 2020 U.S. Census is bad news for hard-to-count communities in Travis County. The new and final deadline for filling out the census is Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 a.m. and census campaigners are working urgently to reach every person they can before the deadline. Austin Mayor Steve Adler was not far off the mark when he said, “There may be only moments left!” He pleaded with residents to fill out the online survey, noting, “A fair democracy requires a fair Census process that seeks to count everyone.” State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt added, “I agree with Justice Sotomayor that we will be irreparably harmed by rushing the Census count. Anyone who has not already done so should go to My2020Census.gov right now and complete their Census.” Eckhardt and Adler co-chair the Austin-Travis County Complete Count Committee, which has been working to count every Travis County resident. The results of the once-a-decade survey of the country’s population are “far-reaching and impact federal funding for public schools, transportation dollars for roads and buses, reimbursement for health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, among other services. Census data also informs the way political districts are drawn for Congress, State House seats, and school board members.”

The city’s Active Transportation staff decided they wanted a special look for the 2020 Austin Bike Map. So they asked students from the 2019 Youth Arts Safari Summer Camp to design the cover art; specifically, to “create illustrations showing how riding a bike makes them feel.” The result is the most colorful bike map to date. In return for their creativity, the students received lessons from Sophia Benner, Transportation’s street design project coordinator, on using a bike map and they learned hands-on bicycle skills and riding tips from members of the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative. The map depicts the best places to cycle in Austin and the best routes to get where you want to go. It also includes “routes differentiated by comfort level and highlights safety guidelines for people on bicycles, scooters and all other nonmotorized micromobility devices.” Get your printed copy at open bike shops or download the digital version.

The city’s Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants, or RENT Program, now has a dashboard – the RENT Program Progress Dashboard –  for those who want to track progress and reporting data on how the funds are being distributed. According to the city, the dashboard “provides aggregate data on the distribution of rent assistance to households served including the total amount and median amount of rent assistance, median family incomes, household size, number of children, geographic distribution of assisted households, and the race/ethnicity, sex, veteran status, occupations and disability status of the head of household.” Since RENT’s launch in late August, it has “provided nearly $850,000 in total rent support to over 750 low-income households which are unable to pay rent and experienced a Covid-19-related income loss.”

The Austin Firefighters Association has started a petition drive to gather enough signatures to bring a charter amendment before voters next May. If approved, that amendment would put a binding arbitration clause in the city charter as it relates to contracts between the city and the firefighters association. According to the association’s website, 95 percent of members voting in a recent election agreed with the idea of amending the city charter to include the binding arbitration clause. Campaigners working for the firefighters have already started gathering signatures to get that proposition on the ballot in May 2021. One such campaigner was seeking signatures Tuesday from voters waiting in line to vote at the South Austin Recreation Center. The petitioner, who said his name was Bakr, explained that either side could request an arbitrator if the parties reached an impasse. He said firefighters will not be back at the bargaining table until 2022.

The Travis County Commissioners Court has unanimously approved a proclamation declaring October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The proclamation, sponsored by commissioners Gerald Daugherty and Margaret Gómez, urges county residents to light their homes and businesses purple in solidarity and to help spread awareness of the problem of domestic violence. “We all have some sort of connection, relationship-wise, with someone that has had to deal with this atrocity,” Daugherty said. Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said the pandemic has forced many victims to remain inside with their abusers, adding, “We continue to work with our partners to provide safety and support to our families which in turn builds strong and safe communities.” Precinct 5 Constable Carlos Lopez said the precinct has answered 640 domestic violence calls during the fiscal year, down 185 from the previous year, and thanked the court for its condolences on the passing of Sgt. Dale Multer, who worked on domestic violence cases until contracting Covid-19. The proclamation encourages residents to participate in events scheduled by the Austin/Travis County Family Violence Task Force and other community organizations.

The Travis County Commissioners approved a request from Fire Marshal Tony Callaway to prohibit outdoor burning in unincorporated areas until Wednesday, Nov. 11. “We have received above-average temperatures which obviously corresponds to a decrease in ground fuel moisture levels,” Callaway said at the Oct. 13 meeting. Combined with particularly gusty winds from the north and lower humidity levels, Callaway said the conditions could spark wildfires. Commissioner Gerald Daugherty motioned to approve the burn ban, which passed unanimously after being seconded by Commissioner Brigid Shea. According to a press release from the Fire Marshal’s Office, the ban will not affect prescribed burns supervised by a burn manager, or grinding, welding, cutting and outdoor hot works. The release urges Travis County residents to be cautious while grilling or barbecuing outdoors.

Covid-19 testing hours at CommUnityCare Health Centers’ drive-up locations have shifted to 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and CUC is offering Saturday testing at a second location. CUC Chief Operating Officer Yvonne Camarena said in an announcement, “CommUnityCare wants to make Covid-19 testing as easy as possible for our patients. Since March, CommUnityCare has provided nearly 30,000 Covid-19 tests to community members, including people who don’t have insurance or a doctor.” Starting Oct. 17, CUC’s Burleson Road testing site will be open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CUC’s Hancock Center testing site will continue to offer Saturday testing. Testing is available to any uninsured person who needs a test. After-hours testing is available weekdays from 4-8 p.m. at the walk-in clinics at Hancock Health Center and Southeast Health & Wellness Center, 2901 Montopolis Dr. For more information about Covid-19 testing, call 512-978-8775.

Early voting, at long and nerve-wracking last, starts today in Travis County: Oct. 13-30, Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. As usual, early voters may vote at any polling location in the county, but some of the locations are different this time around, so we recommend you check out the Travis County Clerk’s map which helpfully lists real-time waiting times at each location. For a thorough guide on how to vote this year, head on over to KUT News, which has compiled information on voting by mail and voting in person during a global pandemic. On that last point, in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, officials ask voters to:

• Wash hands before and after voting. Hand sanitizer will also be available at polling locations.
• Wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth.
• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other voters and poll workers.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick.

Voting officials have added table shields and will be providing finger cots and sticks to use at the polling locations. Watch a video about the new protocols here.

A coalition of eight organizations has launched a new #AustinIsSaferWhen campaign aimed at fighting misinformation about the Austin police budget. “I’ve been talking to a lot of people who think police were fired, or have been told that budget cuts mean police can’t do their job,” Austin Justice Coalition’s Chas Moore said. “None of that is true, but I understand why people are confused. Anti-civil rights politicians and police unions are using this budget decision to scare voters, and they don’t mind lying about what happened. It is a shame. So we’re setting the record straight, and our members are sending a message that Austin supports what the Council did.” The coalition, which is composed of Austin DSA, Austin Justice Coalition, Just Liberty, MEASURE, Survivor Justice Project, Texas Appleseed, Texas Fair Defense Project, and Workers Defense Project launched a petition supporting an APD budget cut and reinvestment. The petition, which had gathered more than 2,500 signatures on Monday, can be found at AustinIsSaferWhen.org along with more information about the group and the actions taken by Austin City Council during this past budget process. In August, Council voted to cut $20 million from the police budget, with a promise to look at $150 million of the approved budget for reallocation to other departments and services.