The city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is offering an Emergency Preparedness Pop-Up event from 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Windsor Park Branch Library to help prepare residents for wildfire risks and other emergences. Attendees will learn about wildfire prevention, flood preparedness, severe weather safety and other response strategies. Representatives from HSEM and other city departments will be available to share resources, answer questions and distribute preparedness materials. The first 25 guests will receive a free emergency supply kit, limited to one per household. HSEM holds monthly pop-up events on the third Wednesday of each month in different City Council districts to educate residents about disaster preparedness. With Central Texas prone to extreme weather events ranging from winter storms to flash floods, officials encourage community members to take advantage of these opportunities to learn how to stay safe before, during and after emergencies. Information is available online.

At its most recent meeting on March 6, City Council voted unanimously to designate the Perry House at 610 Baylor St. as historic. There was no discussion, but backup material indicates the home was built by Elton and Lucy Ann Perry in 1903. They also built the house next door at 608 Baylor St. The houses “are two notable and prominent examples of the development of Austin west of downtown generally and the Castle Hill neighborhood specifically,” according to their application. That document notes that “Elton Perry, who had previously worked as a machinist in Galveston and Harrisburg, served as an engineer for the Washington Fire Company, the second fire station in Austin. He would work closely with the city, including at one point being the engineer of the steam engine responsible for putting out the Texas capitol (fire) in 1881. After this, he advocated for and worked with bringing fire hydrants and infrastructure” citywide. Architectural historian Lori Martin of O’Connell Architecture worked on the application for historic designation. She also worked on restoring details of the home, which is set on a hill overlooking downtown and is shown as contributing to the West Line National Register Historic District and the city of Austin’s Castle Hill local historic district.

Credit: City of Austin (courtesy of Ryan Coursey)

Nominations are now open for Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center annual Awards of Excellence. The awards, established in 2009, recognize “leadership and meaningful contributions in the Latino/a/e/x cultural arts,” according to a press release from the city. “Individuals or groups from any artistic discipline whose work has made a significant impact to the Latino/a/e/x cultural arts of Austin or the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area may be nominated. No self-nominations will be accepted. City of Austin employees and officials may not submit nominations nor be nominated.” The center will award individuals that have done so in several categories: Emerging Artist, The Arts, Service, Arts Educator, Lifetime Achievement and Posthumous Award. Anyone wanting to submit a nomination can visit AustinTexas.gov/MACCAWARDS before March 23 to do so.

As part of a pilot project, the city of Austin has completed a new, sustainable sidewalk project on West 25th Street between Seton Avenue and Nueces Street. The project used Flexi-Pave, a material that is less impactful to trees than concrete because it requires less disruption to roots and is permeable, allowing water to flow through and recharge groundwater normally. The project was completed in partnership with University Area Partners.

The Mayor’s Health and Well-Being Council (MHWC) is working with Austin Public Health to find schools and faith-based communities that are promoting health and well-being in the community. Applications are now open for the 2025 Exemplary School Certification, which “seeks to recognize school campuses that demonstrate a commitment to implementing best practices aimed at improving health and well-being for their students within their campuses,” according to a press release from the city. “By achieving MHWC Exemplary School status, campuses will be acknowledged for their efforts in areas such as nutrition, physical activity, and creating a healthy school environment.” Exemplary schools will be eligible to compete for the Mayor’s Healthiest Schools awards. Faith communities that participate can receive technical assistance from Austin Public Health in setting health and well-being goals. Applications are open now through May 23, 2025. More information on the program and application information can be found here.

Austin ISD is closed for Spring Break this week, March 17-21. For the break, all AISD offices and schools will be closed and will resume regular business hours on Monday, March 24, when students return to class. More information about AISD holidays and events can be found here.

City staff is considering artificial intelligence tools to make reductions in the number of e-scooters and other micromobility devices left in public rights of way. At the most recent meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities, staff from the Transportation and Public Works Department said the companies that own and rent scooters have had to take a reactive stance to complaints over impediments to those in wheelchairs or with visual impairments facing an obstruction from a misplaced scooter, with the requirement to respond to a complaint and remove the device within two hours. But the in-process addition of AI tools checking the end-of-rental parking photos from users is hoped to prevent parking problems from taking place. Commissioners asked if the city has the ability to ticket users who place a device in a right of way, but that step is not possible because rental data provided to the city from micromobility companies is anonymized.

The Austin housing market continues to see median home and rental prices decline while inventory levels rise, according to the latest Central Texas Housing Report from Unlock MLS. The median home price in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA dropped 3.9 percent year-over-year to $430,000 in February. Closed sales in the MSA declined 6.5 percent to 1,856 transactions, but inventory levels rose to 5.7 months, providing more options for prospective buyers heading into the spring market. In Austin, the median home price increased by 2.6 percent to $564,000, despite a 1.2 percent decline in home sales to 674 transactions. The inventory level within city limits rose to 5.3 months, indicating a shift toward a more balanced market. Travis County saw a 2.2 percent increase in the median home price to $515,000, with sales down 4.1 percent year over year. The rental market also saw a drop, with the median rent in the MSA decreasing 2.4 percent to $2,195. In Travis County, the median rent dropped by 4.2 percent to $2,299, while Austin rents saw a 2 percent decrease to $2,400. Rental inventory across the city and county increased slightly, with Austin reaching 2.5 months and Travis County at 2.6 months.

City officials are facing legal hurdles in addressing a homeless encampment at 6706 Bluff Springs Road, located on private property near an HEB grocery store. In a message to her District 2 constituents, Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes said that while the city can clear encampments from public spaces, enforcing trespassing laws on private land requires written consent from the property owner – something the current property management agency has yet to provide despite multiple requests. Since her last update on Feb. 19, Fuentes wrote that city departments – including the Austin Police Department, Code Enforcement and the Homeless Strategy Office – have been working to manage the situation. Emergency calls to 911 continue to receive law enforcement responses, and city and county staff engage with the site almost daily. A March 5 interdepartmental meeting with the city attorney’s office explored potential legal actions to obtain access to the property, which is just under 2 acres in size and owned by MT Properties LLC, according to Travis County records. In the meantime, efforts are focused on mitigating impacts. Code Enforcement is securing a contractor for additional site cleanups, while Travis County constables regularly patrol the area. Outreach teams from the Homeless Strategy Office are offering shelter resources, though availability remains limited. City officials plan to provide updates as legal options develop and as new cleanup and outreach efforts are scheduled. Residents are encouraged to continue reporting issues via 911 and 311.

The Development Services Department is introducing the DSD Info Series, a new initiative aimed at providing community members with knowledge on permitting, housing development and property maintenance. The sessions, available both online and in-person, will connect Austinites with city resources and services. The first session, “Permitting: Where Do I Start?”, takes place March 25 and will guide homeowners, small business owners and neighborhood groups through the permitting process. Subsequent sessions will focus on housing opportunities under the HOME Initiative, with discussions on duplexes, multi-unit properties and tiny homes scheduled for April 15 and April 22. The series will also include an in-person home maintenance workshop at the George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center on April 26. Registration and other info is available online.

The city has launched “Get Hired in Austin,” a recruitment campaign aimed at attracting public servants looking to continue their careers in municipal government. The campaign highlights the benefits of living and working in Austin while focusing on filling positions with high vacancy rates, including roles in engineering, information technology and health care. It builds on the success of the city’s previous “Get Hired” initiative, which helped reduce vacancy rates from 16.9 percent to 12.9 percent in 2023. The current civilian vacancy rate is around 9 percent, but city leaders say continued hiring efforts remain a priority. “We are currently hiring for many vacancies at various skill levels and areas of expertise,” City Manager T.C. Broadnax said in a prepared statement. “With so many dedicated public servants looking for work where they can make a difference, it only makes sense to let them know the City of Austin is a rewarding option.” Job seekers can explore opportunities at AustinCityJobs.org.

City Council has officially designated the Fannie Davis Gazebo in Town Lake Metropolitan Park as a historic landmark. The 1969 structure was the first public structure built on the south shore, spearheaded and funded by the Austin chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. According to a press release from the city about the designation, “Almost 100 contractors and suppliers enthusiastically supported the gazebo project with donations of materials and labor. The gazebo was dedicated in June 1970, and then in 1984, the structure was named for Fannie Davis, a founding member of the Austin chapter of NAWIC.”