Kurt Cadena-Mitchell, chief of staff to Council Member Alison Alter, will leave the District 10 office later this month to complete his Master of Divinity work to become a hospice chaplain. Alter presented Cadena-Mitchell with a Distinguished Service Award on Thursday in appreciation of his service to the city, which started in 2017. “Kurt was my first hire and has been an invaluable adviser and dear friend for seven and a half years,” Alter said. A social worker, Cadena-Mitchell worked for the Texas Department of State Health and Human Services Commission prior to joining Alter’s office. He also was an active leader with Austin Interfaith and a frequent voice at City Council meetings as an advocate for low-income residents. Cadena-Mitchell will receive his master’s from the Earlham School of Religion, a Quaker seminary in Indiana.

In other Council staff news, Thomas McGregor, chief of staff to Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, has left City Hall to pursue new adventures. Kelly announced his departure from the dais last month, thanking him for his service and leadership in the District 6 office.

Interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced in a memo to the mayor and City Council late Thursday that Kimberly McNeeley, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, has submitted her resignation. He wrote, “After serving 14 years with the city of Austin in various roles, Director McNeeley has made the difficult decision to leave the organization. She will use the month of May to assist with the transition plan and will complete her tenure in early June.” Garza praised McNeeley for her “significant contributions to the development and growth of the department,” as well as her instrumental work during multiple emergency response efforts. In addition, he noted that she took on the difficult assignment of interim Animal Services Officer in 2019 and that she continues to advocate for adopting animals from the Animal Center. There has been a rumor that McNeeley was up for an executive position at the Trail Conservancy, but Garza’s memo does not mention that. It does say, “We know our Parks and Recreation programs and services play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for Austinites. Director McNeeley recognizes the importance of these resources and their impact on the community. She is excited to continue contributing to the growth and development of the park system, even as she moves on from her current role.”

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced Thursday that he has helped secure $1,879,156 in federal funding for the People’s Community Clinic. The money, which comes from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program, will help with ongoing operational costs for the clinic that continues to struggle to meet the ever-present need for health care for people who are uninsured and underserved. “For decades, People’s Community Clinic has delivered affordable health care for people who are our neighbors,” Doggett said. “From primary and dental care to behavioral health, family planning services and more, People’s serves about 20,000 disadvantaged Central Texans annually. Like funds I previously secured to upgrade its electronic medical records, this federal investment will support the effective leadership of CEO Regina Rogoff and her team to do more to improve the health of more of our neighbors.”

The city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office will be hosting a training on emergency preparedness in partnership with Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division, Ascension Seton and Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA). The two-hour class, which is free and open to the public, will teach emergency preparedness with a focus on wildfire. Participants who complete the course will receive a free weather radio and emergency preparedness kit (in addition to pizza and beverages). To attend the training at the Spicewood Springs Branch Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, RSVP here.

Summer is around the bend, and some of Austin’s pools are opening soon. The 2024 summer swim season will be underway when 29 pools open from mid-May through June 10. The opening schedule is:

• May 18 openings – Mabel Davis and Walnut Creek
• May 31 openings – Balcones, Dick Nichols, Dove Springs and Rosewood
• June 3 openings – Brentwood, Canyon Vista, Dittmar, Dottie Jordan, Givens, Govalle, Martin, Montopolis, Murchison, Patterson, Ramsey, Reed, Shipe and Westenfield
• June 10 openings – Civitan, Gillis, Kennemer, Metz, Parque Zaragoza, Stacy Wading and West Austin

Splash pads opened May 1, and the Pease Park splash pad is expected to open May 10. The city’s year-round pools­ are Bartholomew, Barton Springs, Deep Eddy, Springwoods and Stacy. Additional pool information is available at AustinTexas.gov/Pools.

The openings hinge on lifeguard recruitment, and the Aquatic Division’s lifeguard hiring efforts resulted in Northwest and Garrison pools opening fully staffed on April 29. So far, 470 lifeguards are hired and ready to work, up from 333 this time last year. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department says May is a critical recruitment month to reach the goal of hiring 850 lifeguards for summer 2024. The next Austin Lifeguard Hiring Event will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 17, at the Aquatic Office, 2818 San Gabriel St. Austin residents can apply at the event or online anytime at LifeguardAustin.com.

Lifeguards must be at least age 15, and the lifeguard benefits package includes a starting $20.80/hour pay rate, free training, a $400 stipend after 80 hours of work, free uniforms, a flexible work schedule, a free bus pass and paid leave.

Austin saw a surge of opioid overdoses this week, with 51 suspected overdoses resulting in four deaths reported between Monday morning and early Tuesday afternoon. City officials called a news conference Tuesday afternoon to address the issue. Austin Police Department is currently investigating the source of the overdoses, which is believed to be a “deadly batch” of opioids that was initially concentrated in the downtown area, later spreading across the city. “We have not experienced overdoses of this volume since 2015, when K2 struck our community,” said Austin-Travis County EMS Assistant Chief Steve White. “We typically average two or three overdose calls per day.” White noted the Austin Fire Department went through its entire stock of Narcan in one day. Narcan is used to reduce the effect of opioids and prevent overdose deaths.

The Travis County Commissioners Court approved a contract on Tuesday with the Texans Connecting Overdose Prevention Efforts (TxCOPE) platform, a data aggregator that is used to predict overdose incidents and track Narcan distribution. Travis County Judge Andy Brown said the tool was used to prepare for this “bad batch” across the region. He also affirmed Integral Care was actively distributing Narcan. “Opioid deaths are completely preventable and everyone in Travis County should be completely aware and prepared to respond to an overdose incident. Everyone should carry Narcan and know how to respond to an overdose,” said Brown. “I carry a dose of it in my computer bag.” Drug overdose death is the No. 1 cause of nonaccidental death in Travis County.

Officials encourage those struggling with substance abuse to seek help, never use alone and to always use drugs accompanied by a sober companion who has Narcan on their person. ATCEMS advises the public at large to be aware of the signs of an overdose: shallow and slow breathing, confusion, small pupils, blue or purple skin, or a loss of consciousness.

Big Stacy Pool, which is open year-round, will close temporarily for annual spring cleaning from Monday, May 6, through Sunday, May 12. The pool – located at 700 E. Live Oak St., Austin, TX 78704 – will reopen on Monday, May 13. For the hours of operation of other pools during the closure, visit AustinTexas.gov/pools.

Travis County voters have not shown much enthusiasm for the May 4 election. As of Sunday, only 21,742 registered voters had cast ballots early – just 2.43 percent of the county’s registered voters. Today is the last day to cast a ballot early in the Saturday election to choose members of the Travis Central Appraisal District Board of Directors. You can find a list of early voting locations throughout the county here.

Outside of Austin, there are six areas that will be considering disannexation from the city on the May 4 ballot. That includes Lost Creek, which would owe Austin more than $7.7 million for amenities the city has provided. Voters in five other areas will also have a chance to vote on disannexation, outlined here.

The city of Lakeway’s ballot has a $22 million bond proposition as well as races for mayor and City Council. Voters in Leander will consider whether to allow collective bargaining rights for firefighters if a majority of employees favor representation by an employee association. Voters who live in the Eanes and Elgin school districts also have the opportunity to consider new school board members. Voters in Webberville will choose a mayor and two commissioners for their council.

Unsurprisingly, Lakeway voters have been among the most likely to vote, along with those in West Lake Hills and Bee Cave. Find more voter information at VoteTexas.gov.

The Save Our Springs Alliance and the city of Austin will be back in court today to battle over whether the rules the City Council has been using to allocate citizens’ speaking time are legal under the Texas Open Meetings Act. SOS and its Executive Director Bill Bunch won a temporary restraining order earlier this month requiring Mayor Kirk Watson to allow speakers to address Council for three minutes on each item they wanted to talk about. Previously, Watson had allowed only two minutes regardless of the number of items the citizen wanted to address. Bunch filed suit and Travis County District Judge Madeleine Connor granted a TRO. Today, they will be back in court at 2 p.m. before Judge Daniella Deseta Lyttle, 261st District Court, at the new civil courthouse, 1700 Guadalupe St. That court is on the 10th floor, courtroom 10B.

To celebrate May Day, the Austin Democratic Socialists of America is hosting a union-focused labor fair and concert. The job fair, which will feature opportunities from local unions like IBEW, TSEU and AFSCME, will take place on Saturday, May 4, from noon to 7 p.m. at Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches. According to a press release from Austin DSA, “There are an array of opportunities for everyone, from recent high school graduates to experienced professionals. Job hunters can enjoy live music by local bands Pony Soprano, Medieval Snails, Ama, Gummy Fang, and Provoked Emotions.” This event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested can RSVP here.

This Saturday, May 4, the Black Leaders Collective will be holding a summit “dedicated to fostering positive change in the educational landscape for school-aged children in Travis and Williamson counties.” The “State of Black Education” summit is the result of a collaborative effort between parents, guardians, students and educators and is free and open to all. Those under the age of 18 require parental or guardian permission to attend. The event will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Norris Conference Center on West Anderson Lane. For more information and to register, visit blackleaderscollectiveatx.com/sobe.

Today is the start of Austin Small Business Week, when the Economic Development Department is hosting a weeklong series of small business training sessions tailored for entrepreneurs, creatives, nonprofits and cooperatives. Sessions will cover small business management, marketing, finance and more. All sessions and events are open to the public at no cost, and they’ll be held in person at 5202 East Ben White Blvd., Suite 300. “Austin Small Business Week is a testament to our commitment to fostering a resilient and growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Austin,” says Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, director of the Economic Development Department. “These training sessions empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s competitive business landscape.” Here’s the schedule at a glance:

Monday, April 29

• State of Small Business in Austin Breakfast and Panel Discussion
• Starting Your Own Small Business

Tuesday, April 30

• Small Business Market Industry Reports
• AI Integration for Traditional Small Businesses
• Learn How to Create Better Marketing Content
• Strategies for going Zero-Waste through Circular Design

Wednesday, May 1

• Fundamentals of Pricing & Negotiation
• Explore Funding Options for Your Small Business
• Co-ops and Unions

Thursday, May 2

• BizAid Business Orientation (Hybrid)
• Small Business Financing Workshop
• Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business

Friday, May 3

• Protecting Your Small Business Against Scams and Frauds
• Reputation Management in the Digital Age
• Create Your Marketing Plan & Content Calendar

Registration for Austin Small Business Week sessions is open to the public at no cost. Learn more about business coaching and training opportunities at www.SmallBizAustin.org.