The city’s Resource Management Commission has approved two resolutions asking City Council to lower or eliminate certain rebates for gas appliances. On a vote of 7-2, the commission approved recommendations authored by the commission’s vice chair, Paul Robbins. The first resolution advises that Council should lower or eliminate certain rebates because they are inconsistent with rebates paid by other utilities throughout the nation. For example, commissioners recommended that the city eliminate payments for clothes dryer connections and lower rebates for tankless water heaters, furnaces and dryers. The city could reallocate some of the money currently going into rebates by assisting low-income customers. The commission recommended that Council approve a pilot program for such customers.

The commission also approved a second resolution related to state oversight of Texas Gas Service’s energy conservation programs. In the past, the city has regulated such programs, but recent legislation puts that into the hands of the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state agency that regulates the massive oil and gas industry. Commissioners voted to ask the Council to seek a waiver from the Railroad Commission allowing Austin to maintain its regulatory control.

Austin Animal Center continues its push to increase adoptions this weekend, with a Halloween-themed pet adoption festival that “promises a ghoulishly good day filled with shopping, community, and the cutest creatures in costume,” according to a city press release. In addition to waived adoption fees, face painting and local vendors, “Adoptober Fest” will feature an Adopt the Runway event starring adoptable animals in costume. “This yearly adoption event is something that shelter really looks forward to! We look at it as a day of community, supporting local makers, small businesses, and organizations, all while supporting Austin’s animal shelter,” said event coordinator Stephanie McCutcheon, in a statement to the press. “But this year, more than ever, we need successful adoptions to happen on Saturday because we are so close to having dogs back in pop-up crates due to our shelter being overcapacity.” The adoption event will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7201 Levander Loop.

City Council will likely vote to postpone an item on Thursday’s agenda authorizing an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the construction of a 300-foot-wide deck structure at Woodland Avenue over Interstate 35 as TxDOT enlarges the highway. After hearing about an alternative plan at Tuesday’s work session, Council Member José Velásquez indicated his support for a narrower structure that would be more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, cost less and have a smaller footprint. A majority of his colleagues agreed that this item should be revised. When it comes back, the proposed 300-foot-wide deck should be about 75 feet and cost the city about $2 million as opposed to the original $14.2 million plus cost overruns anticipated for the larger structure.

Marking the beginning of the transition of services from the Hornsby Bend clinic’s initial, temporary home off FM 969 (Webberville Road), a new medical facility and resource center in the Austin’s Colony neighborhood near Dailey Middle School will have its grand opening 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. The Hornsby Bend Health and Wellness Center – opened by Central Health to supply clinical, social, and support services for those living in Eastern Travis County’s medical deserts – will offer a number of services and community voices at its kickoff event. Medical and support specialists who’ll be working at HBHWC will administer Covid and flu vaccines and “practice” at the Teddy Bear Clinic. Local agencies and organizations will be on hand at the Community Resource Fair. And there will be performances by the cheer, stomp, and ballet folklorico groups from Gilbert Elementary in northern Hornsby Bend, plus live music from Rey Arteaga, a member of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Hornsby Bend Health and Wellness Center is located at 3700 Gilbert Road, Hornsby Bend, TX 78725.

Residents interested in advising local leaders on matters involving anti-displacement and equity related to Project Connect are invited to apply for a position on the new Community Advisory Committee. The CAC will advise the city, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Austin Transit Partnership on those and other related issues. Applications are open until Nov. 17, and the goal is to include representation from women, families with small children, Black people, indigenous people, people of color, people from immigrant and/or undocumented populations, members of the LGBTQI community, students and workers’ rights advocates, among others. An applicant must be a city resident (or live in Capital Metro’s service area) and not be a registered lobbyist nor an employee of any of the sponsoring organizations and not have any contract with any of the sponsoring organizations. They also must agree to follow all required ethics policies. Members will be selected based on their use of transit to commute, demographic information and lived experience involving the needs of marginalized communities, including people experiencing homelessness. The application and further information is available online.

ReadyCentralTexas.org is the new home of the emergency preparedness hub for the Austin area. The city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management was created to educate visitors on how to be ready in the face of flash floods, wildfires, extreme weather or other emergencies that take place in the Austin area. The hub offers steps to prepare for those and other hazards and provides lists of resources available across the city for those impacted by any kind of emergency in each City Council district. The hub will also allow users to register for preparedness training sessions or download a preparedness guide in English or Spanish. There are also videos in both languages explaining state and federal reimbursement programs for those affected by a disaster.

Austin City Council is seeking applicants to fill two seats on the five-member Municipal Civil Service Commission. The seats are for two unexpired terms that run through May 2024, and applicants may also be considered for the follow-up three-year terms. The commission’s focus is the rules and regulations concerning those who work in civil service, and one of its main tasks is hearing appeals and “making final, binding decisions in the case of any municipal civil service employee who is discharged, suspended, demoted, denied a promotion, or put on disciplinary probation.” The time commitment for the position is estimated at 20 hours a month. Applicants should be a city resident, a qualified voter and have experience in administration of human resources or labor relations or knowledge of labor and employment law. The application is available online.

As the state Legislature carries out a special session on “school choice,” local school leaders, advocates and policy experts will take part in a discussion hosted by The Texas Tribune on what could come out of the session and how legislation could change things for students, parents, teachers and schools across the state. Speakers include Norma V. Cantú, professor of education and professor of law at UT-Austin College of Education; John Emerich, superintendent of Crockett Independent School District; and Corey A. DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children. “Public Education and the Special Session” is planned for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, online at texastribune.org and in downtown Austin in the Tribune’s Studio 919, located at 919 Congress Ave., sixth floor, 78701. The event will be livestreamed online and available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events. RSVP here to attend this free event.

The city of Austin and Waterloo Greenway Conservancy will be holding a series of community conversations to learn more about the future of Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park. The meetings are open to the public and designed to be an opportunity to talk to people working on the project, for the public to offer feedback on future plans and for people to share Palm Park stories. The meetings, which are listed below, start today and run through the end of the month. Registration for the conversations can be found here. Feedback on the future of the park can also be offered through a survey that is available in both English and Spanish.

• Tuesday, Oct. 17
  6-7:30 p.m.
  Palm Elementary School
• Thursday, Oct. 19
  6-7:30 p.m.
  Palm Elementary School
• Saturday, Oct. 21
  10:30 a.m.-noon
  Chalmers East Community Room
• Wednesday, Oct. 25
  6-7:30 p.m.
  Mendez Recreation Center

Waterloo Greenway’s park system is currently in its third phase design and is expected to break ground in 2026.

Trucks are now restricted on a portion of Hamilton Pool Road because of safety concerns. A new order from Travis County prohibits vehicles with six or more wheels from driving through a section of the road just west of Hamilton Pool Preserve. According to a press release about the new rules, the county conducted an investigation into engineering and traffic before issuing the order, and violations will result in a $150 fine. Violations that result in a collision will result in a $200 fine.

“The safety of our constituents on Travis County roads will always be a priority for me and my colleagues on the Commissioners Court,” Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard said in a statement to the press. “I am hopeful this new safety measure to restrict truck access will help prevent tragic accidents and improve traffic congestion at the same time.”

In an effort to speed along proposed changes to Austin’s development regulations, City Council and the Planning Commission will be holding three public hearings over the next few months. Among the changes being discussed at the meetings will be new rules that will allow up to three housing units on single-family zoned properties and removing occupancy limits. (More information about Land Development Code amendments currently being considered can be found here or in our previous coverage.)

The meetings, which will be held at City Hall, will take place at:

• 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26: Planning Commission and City Council joint meeting
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14: Planning Commission meeting
• 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7: Austin City Council meeting

Information about how to participate in meetings or weigh in on the changes can be found here. In addition to setting the public meetings, the city will be sending out postcards explaining the changes and process to Austin property owners, perhaps thwarting previous legal challenges that have sunk earlier sweeping changes to the code.

Austin’s Chess in the Park is back for another round on Oct. 29 in Wooldridge Square Park. The scholastic chess tournament is for students grades K-12, with another division that is open to adults. Medals will be awarded to the top three players in each of the divisions. Registration, which can be completed here, is limited to the first 50 players. There is no elimination, and players can participate in all tournament rounds. Because the tournament is not rated, it’s open to all. In case of bad weather, the tournament will be held at the Dobie Mall food court – Guadalupe and 21st on the second level.