On Friday, state Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) filed SB 1048 at the Texas State Legislature. If approved, the legislation would prohibit local governments and subdivisions from using Federal Transit Administration money for mass transit passenger rail projects. According to Government Executive, such a bill could stop rail expansion plans underway in Houston and Dallas right in their tracks, and also stymie any future plans in Austin and elsewhere to develop rail. According to the website, Hall generally espouses a variety of right-wing and tea party issues. Observers don’t give the bill much chance of passing.

The Animal Planet network and the Austin Animal Center are joining forces to sponsor a local free pet adoption event as part of the national “Road to Puppy Bowl” tour. The second annual Austin event will be from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, when Animal Planet will pay for all adoption fees for animals from the center. There will be photos and giveaways in addition to animal adoptions. Each February, Animal Planet hosts the Puppy Bowl to coincide with the NFL Super Bowl. Puppy Bowl has led to hundreds of adoptions over the past 11 years and is a key leader in Animal Planet’s ongoing mission to highlight the importance of animal adoption and responsible pet ownership. Those interested in adopting Saturday can register to be eligible for the waived adoption fees. The event will be at the Austin Animal Center, 7201 Levander Loop.

Stephanie McDonald has gone to work for the Austin Chamber of Commerce as vice president of public policy, according to chamber Senior Vice President Jeremy Martin. McDonald, a previous aide to former Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, has also served as executive director of the Waller Creek Conservancy. She will be working with Martin on a variety of policy issues related to local government.

The Austin Energy City Council Committee, which is a committee of the whole, will meet for the first time March 26. Chair Sheri Gallo posted information on the Council message board Monday on some of the topics that will be covered, and asked for input on other topics. As of now, the committee will take up: financial foundation, refunding high-cost debt and reserves, demand-side management issues, arrearage and deferred payment plan management, and the utility’s Customer Assistance Program.

A group of citizens from across Texas will gather in the State Capitol rotunda today to read an open letter to state officials seeking to preserve local control for Texas cities. The group, Local Control Texas, will release the letter calling on Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Joe Straus and legislators to oppose efforts to strip power from cities and counties. “We need to stand against legislative efforts to undo these good works,” Daren Hodges, Mayor Pro Tem of Fort Stockton, said. “This effort brings together Texans from across the political spectrum, and from every corner of our state. It’s about standing up for one of our core values — local control.” Among the group’s members is Byron Friedrich, a Caldwell County homeowner and opponent of a landfill proposed for just outside of Lockhart, who will point out how weakening local governments makes it easier for population centers to dump on smaller communities. The group will gather in the Capitol rotunda at 10:30 a.m. today. For more information, go to LocalControlTexas.org.

The National Wildlife Federation is honoring Austin as the top city in the country with the strongest commitment to wildlife — and we’re not talking Red River Street here. As part of its celebration of National Wildlife Week 2015, the agency released its list of the Top 10 Cities for Wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation ranked America’s largest cities based on three important criteria for wildlife — the percentage of parkland in each city, citizen action to create wildlife habitat and school adoption of outdoor learning in wildlife gardens. The agency cited the city’s Wildlife Austin program as an example of how Austin protects its wildlife. The agency also noted that, among the cities reviewed, Austin has the most Certified Wildlife Habitats (2,154), the most Backyard Habitats per capita and the most Schoolyard Habitats (67). Other major cities in the Top 10 include Portland, Oregon; Atlanta; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Indianapolis; Charlotte, North Carolina; and New York City.

The Parks and Recreation Department is planning its final Onion Creek Metropolitan Park Master Plan public meeting, set for Thursday. The project team will present a final draft version of the master plan at the meeting. Onion Creek Metropolitan Park is 555 acres of parkland located in southeast Travis County, just south of Onion Creek. The proposed park is part of the area that was hit by the 2013 Halloween flood. The city-owned space is relatively flat and wooded, and sits undeveloped. The 180-acre Onion Creek Greenbelt is north of the 79-mile Onion Creek. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Widen Elementary School, 5605 Nuckols Crossing Road.

The new City Council’s first committee meeting is scheduled to take place at noon today. The Audit and Finance Committee was originally scheduled to meet last Tuesday, but the meeting was postponed after Council’s work session ran long. The committee will consider Mayor Steve Adler’s plan to add extra staff to his office.

On Friday, the Fifth U.S. Court of Appeals granted an injunction that stops Austin from enforcing its new Source of Income Ordinance. City Council passed the ordinance in December, and the Austin Apartment Association immediately filed suit. Council intended to expand housing options for low-income residents by passing the ordinance. The Austin Apartment Association says the ordinance interferes with property rights and forces landlords to participate in federal programs. In February, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks denied an injunction to block the ordinance, but it was blocked on appeal. A reply asking the court not to block the ordinance is expected today.

The city has announced two new cultural funding programs for local artists: Capacity Building Program and Cultural Heritage Festivals Program. The Capacity Building Program is open to nonprofit arts organizations located in Austin or its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and funds can be used to support things such as management, governance, financial resources and administrative systems. The Cultural Heritage Festivals Program is open to nonprofit organizations located in Austin or its ETJ. In order to qualify for this program, project activities must involve the marketing, production, presentation and funding of a culturally specific festival open to both residents and tourists. Interested applicants should visit www.austintexas.gov/department/cultural-funding to read the program guidelines and eligibility. Deadline for Capacity Building applications is March 23; deadline for Cultural Heritage Festivals applications is March 30. Both programs come from the city’s Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department.

This weekend, spring break started early for the Austin Police Department. On Saturday, APD began its Impaired Mobilization Selective Traffic Enforcement, or STEP, initiative for Spring Break 2015. During the initiative, APD will have more officers enforcing DWI laws than usual. STEP will continue through March 22.