International construction consultants Balfour Beatty will oversee the portion of the Interstate 35 reconstruction project that runs just south of downtown Austin and will also play a small role in preparations for Project Connect construction. The company announced it was awarded a $746 million contract from the Texas Department of Transportation to manage the 2.5 miles of construction from State Highway 71 to Holly Street. That work will include intersection construction at Riverside Drive to prepare the crossing for Project Connect’s light-rail service. Main construction is scheduled to start next fall. Previously, Balfour Beatty was selected to help manage the widening of U.S. Highway 290 in the Oak Hill area.

The Office of Police Oversight will hold a public drawing on Monday, Nov. 18, to select members of the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC). The 11 commissioners will be chosen from a pool of 31 applicants who confirmed interest in July, along with four alternates. The drawing will take place at 2 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers and will be broadcast live on ATXN and at ATXN.tv. The CPRC, established following voter approval of Proposition A in May 2023, is an independent board tasked with strengthening civilian oversight of the Austin Police Department. Commissioners must meet strict eligibility requirements, including no current or past employment or contracts with police departments or associations. Selected commissioners will complete 20 hours of training on police conduct policies within 90 days of their appointment. The final list of members will be posted at atxpolicecommission.org.

Austin has unveiled the three finalists for the new director of its Parks and Recreation Department and is holding a meet-and-greet event Wednesday, Nov. 13, so that Austinites can meet them in person. The finalists, whose full bios can be read here, are:

• Jesús Aguirre, who has served as CEO of the Waterloo Greenway, and currently serves as board chair of the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and the Children and Nature Network (C&NN). Aguirre has a background in education and has also worked as “a middle school science teacher, a public charter school co-founder and co-director, a school district level administrator, and ultimately as chief state school officer for the District of Columbia,” according to a press release from the city.
• Oscar Carmona, who most recently served as COO for Houston’s Hermann Park Conservancy and has also worked as the director of the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department and assistant director for Dallas’ Park and Recreation Department. According to the press release from the city, he “currently serves as chair of the board for the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and the chair of the board of the Children and Nature Network (C&NN) and is a member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. ”
• Angela Means, who is the current interim director of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department and has additionally held executive-level jobs at Austin’s Housing, Development Services, and Code departments. “Means’ professional journey also includes significant contributions to the City of San Diego, where she held pivotal roles in the Department of Finance and the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst,” according to the press release.

The meet and greet will take place at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) at the Conley-Guerrero Senior Center, located at 808 Nile St., Austin, TX 78702.

This whisper has been updated to reflect the fact that Robert Brent Dennis is no longer a finalist and Oscar Carmona has taken his place.

As some City Council members prepare to leave the dais and others get ready for another year of service, the staff of those retiring have to find new jobs. Louisa Brinsmade, who has served as chief of staff for Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool for several years, has gone to work for Mayor Kirk Watson. She told the Austin Monitor she made the move in October. Her new title is senior policy adviser. Another familiar face in a new place is Ashley Fisher, who will fill a vacancy in the office of Council Member Alison Alter for a short time. We at the Monitor met her when she worked for Council Member Bill Spelman, who retired for the second time from Council in 2015. She has since worked at Austin Resource Recovery and for Council Member Pio Renteria and Mayor Steve Adler.

On today’s City Council agenda is a proposed ordinance that would “slow down and erect roadblocks to citizen-initiated petitions for ordinances, charter amendments, and recall of sitting council members,” according to a message from the Save Our Springs Alliance. The proposed ordinance “would require petitioners to register with the city clerk before launching a petition drive and use only city-clerk-issued petition forms that may or may not be approved at some unknown later date.” SOS notes that the ordinance, which would need Council approval but would not be presented to voters like a City Charter amendment, could have allowed Council to delay and undermine the Save Our Springs citizen initiative ordinance. It’s item 24 on the agenda. Council had proposed 13 charter amendments for the November ballot that were removed by a judge who found the city gave insufficient notice when the items were placed on the Council agenda for consideration. Unlike the  charter amendment, the proposed ordinance does not raise the number of signatures required for a recall petition from 10 percent to 15 percent, because that would require voter approval, but it imposes restrictions on the petition process.

A city spokesperson said via email, “Item 24 was part of a package of policy recommendations made by the Charter Review Commission. For those items that do not require an amendment to the City’s Charter and can instead be implemented in City Code, Council requested that those policy recommendations return to the Council as an ordinance for Council approval.”

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) has received two grants totaling over $750,000 to expand health care and self-sufficiency services for its residents. Through its Austin Pathways subsidiary, HACA aims to enhance programs that support health and self-sufficiency for families. A $500,000 grant from the St. David’s Foundation will extend the Bringing Health Home program, sustaining five Community Health Worker positions for two more years to assist residents with chronic disease management and informed health decisions. HACA’s recent health assessment revealed that 76 percent of residents reported having at least one chronic condition, highlighting the community’s need for targeted health services. The second grant, $265,540 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will fund an evaluation of HACA’s self-sufficiency programs, which provide job training, child care, financial literacy and health services. The funding will also support the expansion of HACA’s case management system to improve service delivery and outcomes for residents.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area will hold a hiring event focused on area veterans at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex on Hargrave Street in District 1. The Red, White & You job fair has more than four dozen employers and hiring agencies signed up to find candidates for local jobs. Any prospective employers wishing to participate should contact a business consultant via email at wfsbst@wfscapitalarea.com. The event is open to the public from noon to 1 p.m., though veterans will have priority access from opening time until noon. More info is available online.

Those running for office and their supporters will have plenty of venues to chose from on Tuesday night. The Travis County Democratic Party, in collaboration with the Harris/Walz Campaign and local Democratic clubs, will host an Election Night Watch Party from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Driskill Hotel, 604 Brazos St. They are expecting numerous local officials to be there.

The Travis County Republican Party will host an Election Night Watch Party at Golfinity, 12332 N. FM 620, Bldg. B.

Mayoral race

Mayor Kirk Watson is hosting his election watch party at El Arroyo, 1624 W. Fifth St., starting at 7:30 p.m.

Kathie Tovo and her supporters will be gathering at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tovo will likely arrive closer to 7:30 because she will be speaking with voters at the polls until they close.

Carmen Llanes Pulido will host a party at El Mesón Tequilería, 2038 S. Lamar Blvd., starting at 6:30 p.m.

Doug Greco and his supporters will gather at BBG’s Sports Bar, 214 E. Sixth St., starting at 6 p.m.

Jeffery Bowen did not return a call from the Austin Monitor.

District 2

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes will be at her own party at Radio/East, 3504 Montopolis Drive, from 7 to 8 p.m. Then she will be joining other Democrats at their party downtown. Her opponent, Robert Reynolds, has not been campaigning.

District 4

Council Member Chito Vela will be hosting a party at Knomad Bar, 1213 Corona Drive, starting at 7 p.m.

Monica Guzmán and her supporters will be watching the election from Taco More, 9414 Parkfield Drive, starting at 7 p.m.

The other candidate, Louis Herrin, has not announced plans for a party.

District 6

Council Member Mackenzie Kelly will be at Pinballz at Lake Creek Mall at 13729 Research Blvd. She told the Monitor she “plans on riding in one of the go kart races while waiting for results.”

Her only opponent, Krista Laine, will host a party at the Avery Ranch Z’Tejas starting at 7 p.m.

District 7

Gary Bledsoe’s party will be at the Hideout Pub at 16164 MoPac Expressway.

Mike Siegel will be holding his election watch party at LaLa’s Little Nugget, 2207 Justin Lane, from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Pierre Nguyen will hold a gathering at Le Bleu at 9070 Research Blvd. from 7-9 p.m.

Todd Shaw will be hosting a party at Billy’s on Burnet, 2105 Hancock Drive.

Adam Powell said he will not be having a public party.

Edwin Bautista did not respond to a query about his party.

District 10

Marc Duchen will be at Chinatown North on Greystone Drive starting at 7:30 p.m.

Ashika Ganguly will be at the Santa Rita Cantina, 1206 W. 38th St., starting at 6:30 p.m.

Today is Election Day, which means … a lot of things. One of those things, simply enough, is the suspension of all fares for all Capital Metro services in the hopes of offering easy, free access to the polls, which are open today from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. (and mapped below). To make things even easier, residents looking to use public transit to get to those polls can search out the closest voting location by searching “VOTE” in Capital Metro’s trip planner.

The city will close Congress Avenue from 11th Street to Riverside Drive from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, for the annual Veterans Day Parade. The section south of Cesar Chavez Street will close starting at 5 a.m., with the northern section shutting down at 6:30 a.m. Also, one block east and west of Congress Avenue between Cesar Chavez and Eighth streets will be restricted to local access only from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastbound lanes of West Cesar Chavez Street from Lavaca to Colorado streets will also be closed during these hours. Motorists are advised to use alternative north-south routes, including Lamar Boulevard, South First Street and Red River Street, and to consider east-west routes like 15th Street and Riverside Drive. For details on street closures, alternative transportation, parking and event information, visit the Austin Center for Events website.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is chipping in $32 million to help replace the Barton Springs Road Bridge with a new, wider structure. City Council approved its replacement in December 2023 – though, at the time, there was funding only for the design phase of the project. “When I’m not in D.C., you can find me playing soccer at Zilker or swimming in Barton Springs,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) in a statement to the press. “But all of us know that scary feeling of holding your breath as you walk across the 1920s bridge towards Barton Springs. With these federal dollars, every driver, biker, and pedestrian will be able to breathe easier. With an improved bridge, we can finally get to these Austin gems safely.”

A public comment period will soon be open for the $14 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants awarded to Austin in Fiscal Year 2024. The comments are part of an evaluation of the city’s spending and planning to address the community’s critical housing and community development needs through what is known as a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). Residents can share feedback online, in person or via mail, email, phone or text from Nov. 19 through 5 p.m. Dec. 5. More information on how to access the CAPER and submit feedback can be found here.