On Tuesday, Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bend) joined the list of legislators not returning to the legislature in 2017. Fraser, who was first elected to the Texas House in 1988, joined the Senate in 1996. He is the Natural Resources & Economic Development Committee chair — a powerful position. He is also a member of the State Affairs, Transportation and Nominations committees. Fraser announced his decision not to seek re-election in a letter to colleagues and friends in his district as well as to the press. Fraser represents part of Travis County as well as Abilene, Belton, Fredericksburg, Killeen, Kerrville, Marble Falls and Temple. He has not been known as a friend of Austin Energy, at least recently. During the session that just ended, he filed a bill that would have given major customers of Austin’s electric utility a chance to leave Austin Energy and buy their electricity on the open market. That move was widely seen as a way to help Austin Energy’s largest customers, whose contracts with AE expired at the end of May. The legislation was a major reason why City Council approved a six-month extension of contracts with the two biggest customers, Samsung and Freescale Semiconductor, and a special tariff for Cypress Semiconductor. That cost Austin Energy about $4 million, according to an Austin Energy spokesman. In the letter he released Tuesday, Fraser did not mention Austin Energy but said his proudest accomplishment was “passing legislation requiring photo identification to vote, ensuring the integrity of the ballot box in protecting our most sacred privilege.”

As Austin continues to recover from the Memorial Day weekend floods, City Council is considering creating a Flood Mitigation Task Force to meet monthly and develop recommendations for future flood preparation and response. Council Member Ann Kitchen, who sponsored the item, brought it up at a Tuesday work session, ahead of a vote at Thursday’s meeting. “The role would be to provide support for staff and also for us to have that community-wide discussion,” she said. The task force would likely consist of 11 or 22 members, Kitchen said, depending on whether Council opts to set membership at one or two appointees per Council member. Council members Ora Houston and Leslie Pool suggested that the task force should look at flooding as a citywide issue, rather than having it focus on specific areas, creeks or watersheds. Council Member Pio Renteria expressed concerns about the structure and cost of the drainage charge on residents and the amount the city allocates to fund capital improvement projects, which is something that the task force could also potentially examine when it begins meeting in September. That would take place after Council adopts a new drainage charge structure, which it is scheduled to do on or by June 18.

Austin will soon have its first community solar project, thanks to a deal struck last week between Austin Energy and local solar company PowerFin Texas Solar Projects. As part of the agreement, PowerFin will build a 3.2-megawatt solar plant next to Austin Energy’s Kingsbery Substation in east Austin, near Springdale Road and Airport Boulevard. The power it generates will be available by subscription to Austin Energy customers. Community solar projects are particularly beneficial for renters or other customers who might not otherwise be able to install solar at their own homes. This project will be unique because it is among the first in the country to combine utility-scale solar, utility-scale energy storage technology and educational components, according to Austin Energy. “Not only is this an opportunity to provide solar to a wider number of Austinites, it’s also an opportunity to showcase the evolving smart grid and utility of the future, and provide educational opportunities to the community and local schools,” said Danielle Murray, Austin Energy’s solar energy services program manager. Austin Energy expects the project to be completed by summer 2016.

Gail Chavez, the friendly face at the desk outside the mayor’s office, retired from city service over the weekend, surprising both her boss and most of her friends and acquaintances at City Hall. Chavez was not only the person directing traffic around the City Council offices, she was also the city’s proclamation coordinator. She told the Austin Monitor, “I wrote 2,000 certificates per year and took a great deal of pride in recognizing the best of Austin. I always considered that I was getting paid to do what I had done in my volunteer positions during the 18 years I stayed home raising my kids.” Chavez, 65, worked for the city for nearly 16 years, serving under every mayor from Kirk Watson to Steve Adler. Former Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, “Gail was a longtime city of Austin employee who represented the city well. And she had a particular talent for writing proclamations. I don’t know who’s going to replace her, but it’s going to be very difficult. She was a personal friend to me and a big help in running that front desk.” Her job grew significantly with the advent of the 10–1 Council in January. Her boss, City Clerk Jannette Goodall, said she was surprised by Chavez’s sudden departure. “I didn’t know about it until this morning,” Goodall said Monday, adding that Chavez had submitted her letter indicating that she wanted to retire to the Human Resources Department over the weekend. Goodall said, “We will miss her and we wish her the best.” Chavez is the mother of Gina Chavez, who was named Austin Musician of the Year in March. The staff of the Monitor will miss her greatly. Chavez said that she intends to take a vacation and play with her grandchildren.

Bobby Levinski, who graduated from the University of Texas Law School in May, has joined the staff of Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo as a temporary employee. Levinski is well-known around City Hall and the Planning Department. Prior to attending law school, he worked for then-City Council Member Jennifer Kim. When Randi Shade defeated Kim, Levinski moved over to the Planning and Zoning Department. He later joined former Council Member Laura Morrison’s staff before deciding to go to law school. In addition to working for Tovo, Levinski is studying for the Texas bar exam, which he plans to take in July.

Please join the Austin Monitor at our next “Beers, Brains and Betterment” forum, which will take place on June 16 at the North Door. This time, we will be taking a look at the economics of the city’s Imagine Austin comprehensive plan, with urban planner Heyden Black Walker, CodeNEXT Code Advisory Group member Jim Duncan, the Austin Neighborhoods Council’s David King, AURA’s Steven Yarak, and city of Austin CodeNEXT representative Matthew Lewis. And, as always, Monitor publisher Mike Kanin will moderate. The event is free, but you can RSVP here.

Beginning June 14, the Joseph & Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum will host an oral history project, “Conversations to Create Unity.” The exhibition showcases 15 oral histories from Austinites. According to a press release about the histories, “Their interviews communicate race relations as a shared human experience and present a productive dialog about race in Austin, Texas.” On June 14, the museum will host an opening reception featuring a reading by spoken word artist Ebony Stewart and a panel discussion with Municipal Judge Stan Kerr and Lisa Byrd, executive director of the Austin African American Cultural Heritage District. Laura Gomez-Horton, of the YWCA of Greater Austin, will moderate. The exhibition, which will run through Nov. 15, is funded by Baylor University.

In the wake of the Memorial Day floods, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department has completed an assessment of the damage inflicted on Deep Eddy Pool. That assessment found that flash flooding and wind caused “major tree damage.” Afflicted tress included two large cottonwoods, which will be removed immediately. In a press release, the Parks and Recreation Department and Urban Forestry staff wrote that they are “deeply saddened by the loss of these two iconic trees, and the impact to the pool grounds and urban forest by the storms.” The statement goes on: “Residents visiting Deep Eddy will see a noticeable difference in the landscape due to the results of the flooding and high winds which downed trees throughout the park and pool grounds. The Parks and Recreation Department is working hard to create and implement a plan to help facilitate recovery landscaping options for this much-loved city asset.”

Today, results from the ATX Music Census and Needs Assessment Survey will be released. This study of Austin’s music industry took place over three months and includes feedback from 4,000 survey respondents, eight focus groups and 20 interviews conducted by the Titan Music Group. The results of the survey will be released at the Austin Music Commission meeting, which will take place at 3 p.m., and will also be available at atxmusic.org. According to a press release about the census, it was commissioned to improve the city’s “understanding of musicians, music industry entrepreneurs and employees, and live music venues, along with the needs for future job growth, salaries, revenues, and other economic factors for these sectors.”

Today’s meeting of the Citizen Review Panel has been canceled. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. in City Hall’s Boards and Commissions room. For additional information, Austinites can contact the Office of the Police Monitor at 512-974-9090.

The city is moving forward with the restoration of the historic Covert monument at the top of Mount Bonnell today. The restoration process is expected to take about two weeks. It will be completed with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Texas Historical Commission’s Certified Local Government Program and the continued efforts of the West Point Society of Central Texas. The restoration even has its very own website these days.

Yesterday, City Council unanimously and officially approved the appointment of Corrie Stokes as the new city auditor. Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo praised Stokes, who has worked in the Office of the City Auditor for the past 16 years. “She’s served that department and this community deeply and well, and is highly respected among her peers — not just in the city of Austin, but also nationally,” Tovo said. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Ms. Stokes and I believe she is really an asset to the city of Austin. Her references were glowing. They spoke to her passion for the field, and the respect and the trust and the admiration that others have for her.” Stokes has filled the position of auditor since the departure of former Auditor Ken Mory. She will receive a salary of $145,000 annually, beginning June 1.