Jesús Aguirre was recently named as director of Austin Parks and Recreation after similar roles in Washington, D.C., and Seattle and as CEO of Waterloo Greenway, the 35-acre urban park system in downtown Austin. For a chance to meet him at a Community Listening Session, all are welcome at 6 p.m. today at the Northwest Recreation Center, 2913 Northland Drive. “We cannot achieve excellence unless we listen to the the people we serve,” Aguirre said. “I look forward to meeting community members and hearing what they have to say about the parks, trails, facilities and programs we offer.” For more information about this and future Community Listening Sessions, please visit austintexas.gov/PARDlistening.

Airport watchers will want to know that passenger traffic was down 5.38 percent in January when compared to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s January 2024 traffic. According to a press release from the airport, “January 2025 enplanements totaled 682,885, down 5.89%.” Air cargo was also down 12.14 percent. Here’s a graph:

The city’s newly established Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment could transition into existing as a separate department through the upcoming budget process. At last week’s Music Commission meeting, staff discussed the prospects and next steps to consolidate cultural, artistic and entertainment-related programs and staff from multiple city departments into a unified entity aimed at streamlining coordination and public engagement. Angela Means, a longtime city employee with experience in public administration and financial services, has been appointed as the director of the office. In addressing the commission, Means recapped her work in various city departments, including Austin Code, Parks and Recreation, and Development Services. She emphasized that the formation of the office marks a significant step toward a more cohesive strategy for supporting the city’s creative industries. While the office’s long-term vision is still being developed, Means said community engagement efforts and strategic planning will begin soon to shape its priorities. It was also revealed that the Austin Center for Events, which oversees special events permitting, will also be integrated into the new department along with select staff from the Parks and Recreation Department’s special events team. Commissioners expressed optimism about the office’s creation, noting that the idea has been in discussion since at least 2007.

​Workforce Solutions Capital Area is set to launch the Austin Infrastructure Academy with a career fair at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 26. The event will be held at Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s north location in Austin. The academy aims to connect local talent with opportunities in Austin’s expanding infrastructure sector. In March 2024, Mayor Kirk Watson announced the development of a physical presence for the Academy at Austin Community College’s Riverside Campus, acting as a central hub for training programs in areas such as welding, construction, heavy machinery operation, electric fleet maintenance and HVAC. Last July, Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Google.org contributed a combined $225,000 to support the Academy’s design phase to support the creation of a strategic plan, budget forecasting and the hiring of initial staff for the Academy’s operations. Projections indicate the need for an additional 10,000 workers annually in Austin through 2040 to support various infrastructure projects.

People who frequent the Austin Recreation Center on Shoal Creek close to downtown often attend classes like Jazzercise, Zumba, tai chi and karate. Or they may play basketball or volleyball or lift weights. Point being, visitors often get sweaty and want to take a shower before returning to work or going out for another activity, and those without access to their own showers have also been able to take showers there. Although those showers have not been available since mid-December, a Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson had good news Friday for those seeking a shower there. ARC will be closed for maintenance March 10-14, but the spokesperson told the Austin Monitor the showers were closed “due to a series of maintenance issues. The shower facilities are repaired and will be reopened on March 17 following the Austin Recreation Center’s annual maintenance week.”

The Urban Transportation Commission voted unanimously to recommend a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS, prepared by the Austin Transit Partnership for the light-rail portion of Project Connect. The Austin Monitor has previously reported on the DEIS, which remains open for public comment until March 11, as well as the ongoing litigation over the light-rail system. The Austin Transit Partnership has said it expects to release the final EIS later this year.

Spring festival season is underway, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is bracing for more than 30,000 departing passengers on some days. Though the season will last through the end of the month, the busiest days are expected to be Sunday, March 9; Monday, March 10; Sunday, March 30; and Monday, March 31. To cope with the congestion, airport officials are advising that passengers arrive 2.5 hours before domestic travel and 3 hours before international departures, allowing additional time for checking baggage and returning rental cars. AUS staff will be on-site to help travelers on the busiest days, and travelers can also call 512-530-2242 for assistance. Additional information and travel tips for this time can be found here.

At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission meeting, Pedro Carvalho, a commission member and co-owner of the Far Out Lounge music venue, floated the idea of using the Rally Austin nonprofit to create a cooperative insurance program to help local music venues manage rapidly increasing insurance costs. Carvalho suggested a model in which venues collectively contribute to a self-funded insurance pool. “We’re all paying an exorbitant amount of money into insurance. A co-op insurance program could be super beneficial to us,” he said, citing his venue’s $120,000 annual insurance costs as an example of the financial strain on small and midsized venues. A co-op system, he argued, could not only lower costs but also generate revenue for Rally Austin to reinvest into other projects to support affordability goals throughout the city. Theresa Alvarez, CEO of Rally Austin, acknowledged the financial burden venues face but said the organization has not pursued an insurance co-op model due to other ongoing priorities, and expressed an openness to the idea. At last month’s meeting, Carvalho said Texas’ favorable laws for gun owners have created ongoing concern among insurance carriers because of the increased chance of a violent incident at events with large crowds.

The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce will host the 2025 Asia x Austin International Market Summit on March 11 at the Austin Public Library’s Central Branch. The summit will highlight business opportunities between Central Texas and key Asian markets, featuring discussions on artificial intelligence, startup pitches and workforce development. Key sessions include a “Welcome to Austin” panel with local and international business leaders, a startup-focused pitch event and a discussion on workforce development strategies. A featured panel on artificial intelligence will explore emerging trends and applications in global markets. The summit will conclude with Asia x Austin After Dark, an evening networking event celebrating Asian pop culture with live performances, interactive exhibits and food experiences. The event is free to attend with registration.

Drought conditions are triggering two significant actions by the Lower Colorado River Authority that affect all LCRA water customers. Moving from Stage 1 to Stage 2 of LCRA;s drought response means that all LCRA firm water customers – including cities, industries and retail water suppliers – are required to increase water-saving measures and limit outdoor watering to no more than once a week. Secondly, no water from the Highland Lakes will be available in in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties in 2025 to most LCRA agricultural customers that use “interruptible water,” which is curtailed or cut back during droughts. “These actions are needed to help preserve and extend our water supplies in the face of a drought that shows little signs of easing over spring and summer,” said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water. “Our water supply reservoirs – lakes Buchanan and Travis – remain stressed and are now sitting at about 51% of capacity.”

Casey Dobson, a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico, has been announced as the chair of Opportunity Austin, the regional economic development initiative under the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Dobson officially took over the role on Jan. 1, succeeding longtime chair and Opportunity Austin founder Gary Farmer, who led the organization for 16 years of its 22-year history. Farmer will remain active on the board as a strategic adviser. Dobson has served on the Opportunity Austin board since 2012 and as vice chair since 2017. In a prepared statement announcing his new role he emphasized his focus on expanding the region’s global reach and attracting foreign investment. “OA’s work and success would not have been possible without Gary’s leadership over the past 20 years. Looking ahead, I’m focused on expanding our international impact by attracting foreign investment and driving business growth. With life sciences as a key priority, we will continue collaborating with regional partners to strengthen our ecosystem and build lasting economic success,” he said. Opportunity Austin has helped create more than 700,000 jobs since its inception in 2004 and has played a role in attracting major corporate investments from companies like Tesla and Samsung Semiconductor. The Opportunity Austin board also welcomed new members:

• David Brewton, managing director, JP Morgan Chase
• Michael Crowl, CEO, University Federal Credit Union
• Miguel Romano, president of foundations, Ascension Texas
• Jeremy Smitheal, partner, Riverside Resources
• Alison Walgren, Central Texas managing principal, Deloitte

Foundation Communities, a nonprofit providing health and wellness services to Austinites, is seeking to raise $125,000 during Amplify Austin Day to sustain its health programs following the expiration of federal funding. The loss of American Rescue Plan Act funds in 2024 has forced the organization to scale back or eliminate key initiatives, including Healthy Food Pantries, fitness classes, health fairs and community health worker programs. To highlight the importance of these programs, the organization will kick off Amplify Austin Day with an event showcasing its Healthy Food Pantry, which distributed 383,000 pounds of food in 2024 to serve over 2,000 households. “These food pantries have become a lifeline for families facing food insecurity, especially with the rising cost of food in recent years,” Executive Director Walter Moreau said in a prepared statement. “Every dollar we raise during Amplify Austin will support our Healthy Living programs, ensuring our neighbors can access resources they need to improve their health and well-being.” The event will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the Trails at Vintage Creek Apartments (7224 Northeast Drive). Donations can be made at foundcom.org/amplify.