This Valentine’s Day, Tree Folks and the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department are asking Austinites to show their love of nature. In a gathering called “Loving Austin Creeks to Life,” volunteers will plant 1,000 seedlings along the Northeast Austin’s Buttermilk Creek. According to a notice about the event, “This is the latest step in the creek’s restoration, where River Watch teens started working in 2009. The creek is a valued part of the neighborhood, enjoyed by the many people who walk the trail along its banks each day. But like many urban streams, it has been stressed by pollution, trash, and a lack of shade, which hurts the creek’s ecology…The restoration work has involved planting native tree saplings and grass plugs, collecting and dispersing native grass and forb seeds, and installing 14 seed islands.” The planting will take place on Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. until noon at Buttermilk Park. More information can be found here.

On Friday, after our story about Bill Aleshire’s criminal complaint against City Council Member Don Zimmerman ran, Aleshire sent an email to attorney Stephen Casey clearing up one point. The law prohibiting a candidate from paying his or her spouse for campaign work is not new, as Zimmerman suspected might be the case. “Based on my quick look at the statutory history, the best I can see, that prohibition has been in the election code since at least January 1, 1992,” wrote Aleshire.

This Wednesday, the Fifth Annual Central Texas Water Efficiency Network Symposium will take a “Deep Dive Into Water Conservation.” According to the press statement released by the Austin Water Utility, the all-day symposium will include discussions about “the importance of drought-tolerant landscaping and landscape development code; promoting water conservation by connecting water and energy consumption; case study on designing an effective water conservation program; and using social media and customized apps to engage customers as water conservation allies.” More information about how to register for the seminar and the agenda can be found on the Texas Water Foundation website.

City Hall regulars have, no doubt, noticed the change in art there already. The opening reception, however, won’t take place until Feb. 27, when the new exhibit kicks off for real and the people’s choice winner from 2014 is revealed. Curious art lovers can attend the reception at 6:30 p.m. and are encouraged to RSVP here.

Those who miss the craziness of last year’s City Council election might want to swing by Tres Amigos on Sunday, Feb. 15, when Dr. Laura Pressley will continue her 2014 fight to win an election she lost in December. Pressley is hosting a “meet and greet” to discuss her recently filed election lawsuit, answer questions and, apparently, fundraise. From her invitation, which links to the “donate” page of her campaign website: “Our election lawsuit is related to the fact that the numbers don’t add up and we are asking for help from the district court to resolve these unfortunate discrepancies.” Pressley lost the runoff election for Council by 1,290 votes, which was confirmed by a Pressley-requested recount. Pressley’s complaints filed with the Secretary of State have been rejected. On Jan. 29, she filed a lawsuit contesting the election. Details on the meet and greet can be found here.

Congratulations to District 2 City Council Member Delia Garza and her husband, Ramiro Martinez Jr. Garza confirmed Thursday that she is indeed pregnant. Garza, still looking very svelte, said the baby is due in mid-May. Garza said she still has plenty of energy, which she will need in the coming months. She is hosting a town hall meeting at Perez Elementary School, 7500 S. Pleasant Valley Road, from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Mayor Steve Adler will join the Austin Environmental Democrats at their meeting today to discuss environmental priorities for the next year and beyond, and take questions from AED members. The meeting will take place at El Mercado South from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt is now accepting applications from those wishing to serve on the Austin Travis County Sustainable Food Policy Board. A letter from Eckhardt’s office states, “The Board was created to advise both the City Council and the Commissioners Court in areas concerning the availability of safe, nutritious, local and sustainably grown food and to aid in the coordination of local government activities with those of nonprofit and community organizations and local businesses. Persons with expertise and/or interests in these areas are encouraged to apply.” If interested, contact Loretta Farb by the end of the business day on Feb. 13, 2015, by email (loretta.farb@traviscountytx.gov), fax (512-854-9535) or regular mail (700 Lavaca St., Suite 2.300, Austin, TX 78701). Include a letter stating goals of service and a commitment to attend 80 percent or more of the monthly meetings along with a resume and a non-conflict of interest affidavit. Information on the board can be found here.

This week, the Austin Bulldog reported that District 6’s own City Council Member Don Zimmerman paid his wife to work on his campaign, which could run afoul of campaign finance laws. For his part, Zimmerman remains focused on Council spending. Yesterday, he took aim at funding public art and proposed a Feb. 12 resolution that would end the practice of earmarking 2 percent of eligible Capital Improvement Project construction budgets for public art. Zimmerman’s proposal has yet to make it to the agenda. (It is here, though, on the Council message board.) However, there are two items on the agenda that seem to have triggered Zimmerman, both concerning art for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expansion. Artists for the project have already been selected and approved by the Austin Arts Commission. More information about the process can be found in the City Council backup, under agenda items eight and nine.

On Saturday, City Council Member Delia Garza will be holding a town hall meeting to reach out to constituents in District 2. According to the invitation, residents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts about the community, learn about City of Austin resources, receive assistance on enrolling for marketplace health insurance and get updates on the Onion Creek flood buyout process. The meeting will take place from 10:00 a.m. until noon at Perez Elementary School, 7500 S. Pleasant Valley Road.

From now until March 2015, the city will be giving people cash incentives to decrease their outdoor irrigation. Austin Water customers could earn up to $1,750 in rebates. Those hoping to cash in on their green (or, in this case, less-green) lifestyle can visit Water Wise Austin for information on how to apply to the program. Residents could receive $35 per 100 square feet of native plant beds and permeable hardscapes that are converted from existing turf grass (though it is a bit more complicated than that).

Mayor Steve Adler signed the first ordinance presented to him in his official capacity on Tuesday. It will become old hat soon, but he was pretty excited to take the pen and inscribe his name on an ordinance approved by Council last week that made clear that ethics complaints about rank and file city employees would fall under civil service jurisdiction, not within the purview of the Ethics Commission.