City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s controversial appointee to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, Rebecca Forest, asked Zimmerman on Wednesday to rescind her appointment, “as it is apparent the City Council is determined not to honor it.” Eight members of the Council indicated Tuesday that they would support Council Member Greg Casar’s resolution calling for the removal of Forest from the commission just two weeks after her appointment. In the resolution, Casar cited numerous inflammatory statements Forest has made, including the statement that Texas has too many Hispanic lawmakers. She has also disparaged President Barack Obama, inaccurately calling him a Muslim, and praised the government of Angola for destroying mosques and outlawing Islam. In a letter to Zimmerman, Forest said, “Time and time again I have stated that I do not care where people come from, I just want them to obey our laws, come legally, speak our language and assimilate — become ‘Americans.'” But she also took a swipe at local leaders, saying, “It is truly disturbing to see how elected (and appointed) leaders in the City of Austin and Travis County are choosing to put the safety of legal immigrants, legal residents and American citizens at risk by adopting policies that provide a ‘safety zone’ (thus sanctuary) for violent/criminal illegal aliens flowing daily across our southern border.” Further, she said, many residents of District 6 “feel that the Austin City Council (and the Immigrant Affairs Commission) put ALL Austin families in great danger by implementing/recommending ‘sanctuary city’ policies. It is unacceptable that the leadership in Austin is knowingly aiding and abetting criminal activity through policies that act as a magnet to draw dangerous criminals into our communities — especially into our local immigrant communities.” Late last night, Casar said he had received word from City Clerk Jannette Goodall that Forest had submitted another letter in which she said she was declining the appointment. If that is legally sufficient to prevent her from taking a seat on the commission, Casar said, then he will not need to move forward with the resolution.

The Council Committee on Public Utilities voted unanimously Wednesday to make no recommendation concerning the Decker Lake Golf proposal. The proposal would create two PGA-class golf courses on undeveloped parkland at Walter E. Long Park. Committee Chair Delia Garza opened the meeting with citizens communications, whose speakers included Barbara Scott, co-president of the Colony Park Neighborhood Association. She said, “Our community is completely behind the Decker Lake Golf development. It was said the other day that we are divided. We are not divided. We have had a disgruntled person who does not live in the neighborhood, who is working with someone who is an environmentalist that is totally against the project. And basically, what they did was a witch hunt.” Scott said that someone opposing the project had asked residents whether they wanted a golf course or a park. Naturally, they said they wanted a park. But Scott contends that Colony Park will get its own park next year. Toward the end of the meeting, more than half a dozen speakers voiced their opinions on the golf course, most of whom were in favor. They included Charles Urdy, a longtime former City Council member from East Austin, as well as Brian Rodgers, a community activist who opposes the golf development. The committee agreed to place a report on the matter on the Council message board before a scheduled vote by the full Council. It is unclear exactly what might be in that report, since the proposal now has nothing to do with Austin Water Utility. Council Member Leslie Pool has indicated that her Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee will take up the matter April 29. Council Member Ellen Troxclair, chair of the Economic Opportunity Committee, said that panel would discuss the proposal at its next meeting on May 11.

The city’s Equal Employment/Fair Housing Office and Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division will host a conference May 8 highlighting the latest developments and trends in fair housing policy. The theme of the conference is “Fair Housing in Austin: Past, Present, and Future.” The conference will include topics such as Watch What You Say: Discriminatory Advertising, Statements, and Notices; Best Practices: A Fair Housing Risk Analysis of the Tenancy Cycle; Fair Housing Disability Rights: Reasonable Accommodation; Fair Housing Representational Ethics and Attorneys’ Fees; and Fair Housing Case Law Update. The agenda is intended to assist professionals working in all areas of the housing industry to understand the laws and regulations of fair housing. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. May 8 at the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road. The registration fee is $40. To register online, go here.

The Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatics Division is looking to hire more than 750 lifeguards to staff its 50 aquatic facilities this summer.  The Aquatic Administration and Training Facility is hosting three hiring days to give anyone interested in working as a lifeguard, cashier or swim instructor the opportunity to complete an application, interview and register for any required training. Pay is dependent on position and age and starts at $8 to $10.25 per hour. Prospects can apply from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Aquatic Administration and Training Facility, 2818 San Gabriel. Other hiring sessions are planned for May 8 and May 20. For more information, call (512) 974-9332 or go here.

The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District will hold a public hearing today to evaluate a Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association, or TESPA, claim. According to a news release from TESPA, “This public hearing is in response to a notice of intent to sue filed by TESPA alleging that the wells and well field constructed by Electro Purification were constructed without a necessary permit from the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. This notice is a requirement to filing suit under Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code. In addition to filing the notice of intent, TESPA has filed suit in Hays County state district court in San Marcos. To date, TESPA has not sought preliminary injunctive relief in state court because it has not been necessary to stop further development of the wells.” The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. at Dripping Springs City Hall, 511 Mercer St.

The Spanish ambassador to the United States will be in Austin today and Thursday to visit with state and local officials and give a speech or two. Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares is a former assistant secretary of state and foreign policy adviser to Spanish Head of Government J.M. Aznar. He will travel accompanied by Houston-based Enric Panés, the consul general of Spain in Texas. Gil-Casares plans to meet with several state officials, including House Speaker Joe Straus; Rep. Rafael Anchía, chair of the International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee; Austin Mayor Steve Adler and others. Gil-Casares will address the Austin Council on Foreign Affairs Thursday, where he will discuss the economic and political situation in Spain, and the state of relations between Spain and the U.S. He will also meet with leaders of several Spanish businesses that have investments in Texas.

The Lower Colorado River Authority will hold an open house April 22 to help educate the public on proposed enhancements to the Mansfield Dam Low Water Crossing Recreation Area. LCRA aims to complete planning and design for the 41-acre recreation area this spring, and construction is expected to begin in 2016. All are invited to learn more and offer feedback from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. April 22 at the Travis County West Service Center, 4501 Highway 620 North. Presentations are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

City of Austin Chief Information Officer Stephen Elkins has been named one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of 2015 by Government Technology Magazine. Each year, the publication honors 25 people in the public sector who have encouraged creativity and “transformative projects” in information technology. Elkins has been the city’s CIO since 2010. According to a statement from the city about his accomplishments, Elkins “has championed a transition toward shared services, open data, and streamlined IT processes and projects throughout the city. Elkins has supported partnerships with Code for America and embraced the value of hackathons to spur IT innovation at the city. He has also been fostering regional cooperation with Corpus Christi, Houston, Fort Worth, Harris County and other local governments in Texas to tackle common issues such as cybersecurity, vendor management and public-safety dispatch. This past year, the city’s IT organization amassed more than a dozen awards and achievements under Elkins’ guidance, including winning five Public Technology Institute awards for work supporting the mission of the City of Austin.”

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization transportation policy board selected Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen on Monday as its official appointee on the Capital Metro board of directors. Kitchen, who also chairs the Council’s Mobility Committee, will complete the term of former Council Member Mike Martinez, which expires June 1, 2016. She will join Council Member Delia Garza, who filled former Council Member Chris Riley’s place in March, as Council’s elected official representative. The transportation board also reappointed Momark Development LLC President Terry Mitchell, whose term was set to expire June 1, as CAMPO’s appointee with at least 10 years of experience as a financial or accounting professional.

City Council Member Don Zimmerman made it extra clear Monday that he would not back down on Rebecca Forest, his appointment to the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. Council Member Greg Casar has asked that Zimmerman reconsider that appointment and added an item on this week’s Council agenda that proposes the appointment be rescinded. A news release from Zimmerman’s office notes that Forest’s statements at a Texas tea party rally were rated “true” by Politifact Texas. In that same statement, Zimmerman says, “I’ve known Rebecca Forest for more than a decade. She is a well-educated District 6 constituent who is qualified for the Immigrant Affairs Commission, ‘to maximize the benefits to local immigrants under existing laws.’ Ms. Forest, if serving as a member of the Immigrant Affairs Commission, would differentiate between ‘illegal immigration’ and ‘legal immigration,’ a distinction most District 6 and many Austin constituents support.” The news release continues, “CM Zimmerman notes that policies such as in-state college tuition and “sanctuary city” rules regarding illegal immigrants incentivizes more illegal border crossings and empowers criminal cartels which profit from human trafficking, which endangers human lives in the process.” In addition, Zimmerman’s appointment to the Parks and Recreation Board, Sharon Blythe, is signed up to speak about “City Issues” during this week’s Council meeting. Blythe has had conflict with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and her appointment was postponed by Council.

In order to complete sidewalks, the construction that’s underway along Cesar Chavez Boulevard will move farther into the street. As a result, the temporary bikeway on Cesar Chavez, located between San Antonio Street and Shoal Creek, will be closed until 2016. As a detour, the city is offering pedestrians and bicyclists the use of Third Street, but with a warning: “There is substantial construction activity occurring along 3rd Street at this time and the city urges bicyclists and pedestrians to proceed with caution.”

At 685 feet, the Independent is slated to be the new tallest building in Austin. The 58-story project will feature 370 condo residences in a 950,000 square-foot development located at the corner of West Third Street and West Avenue. In 2010, the City of Austin and Constructive Ventures (co-founded in 2004 by Perry Lorenz and Larry Warshaw) entered into a master development agreement for the 1.7-acre site, which is the former location of the Austin Energy Control Center. Condos in the Independent will range in price from mid-$300,000 to more than $3 million. Units will be 675 to 3,485 square feet each.

Image courtesy of Rhode:Partners/Neezo