A post on the City Council Message Board from Mayor Kirk Watson says he has been working on a draft request for proposals for a search firm to help the city find a new city manager. Spencer Cronk, the previous city manager, was fired for his response to last February’s winter storm. Council members also were angered at Cronk’s attempt to finalize a contract with the police union when Council had said they needed to wait for a vote on Proposition A. Watson asked Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis and Council members Leslie Pool, Chito Vela and Vanessa Fuentes to act as a committee to help with the initial process. He added an assurance that all members of Council would be able to see the final RFP and comment on it before it is issued. He concluded, “The goal will be for the committee to narrow the field to a few search firms that will then be brought to the full council for review and selection. I hope we accomplish the selection of a firm in the July-August time frame and the firm can begin its work.” Interim City Manager Jesús Garza was appointed to the temporary position on Feb. 15, following Cronk’s dismissal. The Austin Monitor noted that it took 10 months from the selection of the search firm for the last city manager to the hiring of Cronk. The International City/County Management Association offers a handy listing of search firms that do this kind of work.

The city is increasing homeless shelter capacity to accommodate 130 more people, according to a Tuesday news release. Rooms at the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters will be converted from single-bed units to double-bed units, the city says. New beds are expected to be available at Northbridge by June 13, and the city hopes to expand Southbridge capacity sometime next month. The expansion of emergency shelter capacity comes as Austin hopes to provide permanent housing for 3,000 residents by the end of next year. “If we want to live up to our reputation as a compassionate city, we need to do everything we can to help our least fortunate neighbors who are sleeping on our streets and in our creeks. That includes short-term solutions like expanding our shelter capacity and long-term solutions that address the root causes of homelessness,” District 9 Council Member Zo Qadri said in a statement. For more information, go to austintexas.gov/homelessness.

Have some thoughts about the city’s proposal to make some changes to Barton Springs Road? The project, to take place between Stratford Drive and South Lamar Boulevard over a yearlong period, would “enhance safety for everyone on Barton Springs Road, including the most vulnerable road users, such as people dining outdoors, walking, bicycling or riding a scooter,” according to the Transportation Department. Proposed changes include providing one lane in each direction between Azie Morton Road and South Lamar Boulevard “to improve safety and multimodal facilities”; providing additional lanes at the intersections of South Lamar Boulevard and Azie Morton Road; connecting “a future continuous ADA-accessible pedestrian route from Barton Springs Bridge to Stratford Dr. along the north side of Barton Springs Road”; upgrading bike lanes and making them wider; and shortening the pedestrian crossings on Barton Springs Road. Learn more at the virtual open house, and leave your feedback in the survey. 

As the saying goes, you’re never too old to learn to swim. If you don’t know how to get moving in the water, want to brush up on your skills or just learn a few new strokes, the Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatic Division is here to help with a variety of swim lessons and programs for all ages, from six months to adult. Now is the time to register for lessons and beginner to youth swim teams. Get started by visiting AustinTexas.gov/swimming. You can also check out the Summer 2023 Aquatics Program Guide for all kinds of water-based fun. The guide includes a list of Austin’s swimming pools and splash pads, along with a map so you can see which location is most convenient to you.

The North Texas city of Arlington has named five finalists to take over as fire chief and director of the Emergency Management Department, including Austin’s Assistant Fire Chief Richard L. Davis Jr. Davis has 30 years of service with AFD. Other finalists include Jack H. Andrade of the Kansas City Fire Department in Kansas; Alvin D. Benson of the Shelby County Fire Department in Memphis, Tennessee; Robert Fite of the Grand Prairie Fire Department; and R. Bret Stidham of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. Arlington has been looking for a new chief since Don Crowson announced his May 31 retirement. The five finalists are scheduled to participate in a community forum tonight, where they will answer questions previously submitted by the public. Arlington expects to name its new fire chief within the next few weeks.

It’s Pride Month, and among the area’s many other planned events and parades, Travis County will be hoisting a colorful rainbow pride flag. As Travis County Judge Andy Brown wrote in his newsletter, “we recognize that our diversity and inclusiveness make us a stronger community. At a time when families are being attacked for expressing who they are, this tradition of raising the Pride flag at Travis County is a beacon to our LGBTQIA+ community – you are welcomed here and you are loved.” The entire community is invited to join members of the Commissioners Court, LGBTQ leaders and Travis County staffers for the flag-raising ceremony at noon on Tuesday, June 13, at the Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca St. RSVP here.

It’s Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita Run time. Name another event that’s as much about Tex-Mex as it is fitness. That’s right; you can’t. The annual run returns June 8, and proceeds go to the Trail Conservancy. The race starts at 8 p.m. at Sand Beach Park (111 Sandra Muraida Way). Expect some rush hour road closures – for example, Electric Drive between Walter Seaholm Drive and Sandra Muraida Way will be closed from 2 to 11 p.m. You can find info on additional closures at the city’s website. Race organizers encourage runners to use the Butler Hike and Bike Trail, taxis, ride-hailing services or Capital Metro to get to the starting line.

Austin is gearing up to celebrate Juneteenth for a full week, as the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center (1165 Angelina St.) hosts the Stay Black and Live Juneteenth Festival from June 12 to 19. This year’s theme is Austin Family Reunion, according to the museum. Grammy-winning high school music teacher Pamela Dawson will deliver an interactive lecture and singalong from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 12. James Beard Award-winning author Michael T. Twitty is set to teach festgoers about African American foodways from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 15. Then get your party shoes on from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 16 for a community kickback and dance party that will close with a special edition of Body Rock ATX. The museum will host a cookout and music festival from 3 to 9 p.m. on June 17 in the Rosewood neighborhood. The tunes continue starting at 6 p.m. on June 17 with SaulPaul, Sonya Jevette and more artists, followed by a performance from GAPX at 8 p.m. The Juneteenth festival wraps up on the June 19 holiday, starting with Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed speaking about her book, “On Juneteenth,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Later that day, the museum and Austin Justice Coalition will partner for their Community Revival and Remembrance to honor victims of police violence in Texas. It will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Find more information at juneteenthatx.com.

It’s never easy to have tough conversations with kids. That’s why Austin Public Health is launching a public service campaign called “Ask, Listen, Talk, Repeat,” in the hopes of raising awareness of mental health issues in children and teens. The campaign encourages parents and caregivers to have “critical conversations” with young people, “a generation that is sometimes forgotten when discussing mental health.” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County’s health authority, points out that in the last few years kids have “been besieged by several factors from losing time with friends due to the pandemic to the rise in usage of social media. Let’s start our response with simple conversations. Take the time to talk with your kids about how they are feeling and pay attention to changes in behavior.” According to Austin Public Health, national studies show that “one in six children in the United States experience a mental health disorder and that nearly 50 percent of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by the age of 14.” Those are sobering statistics. Find resources at the campaign website, AskListenTalk.org, and a mental health toolkit here.

Why do we never tire of advising people to get vaccinated for Covid? Well, it’s because the vaccine is still the absolute best way to protect yourself and others from getting this extremely nasty disease. If you have summer travel plans, you’ll definitely want to get your vaccination before boarding a train or plane or getting in line with hundreds of your fellow germ-covered humans at some festival or fair. CommUnityCare is offering free Covid-19 vaccines and boosters to people ages 5 and older. To schedule an appointment, visit CommUnityCare’s online portal. And Austin Public Health has decided to sweeten the deal by providing gift cards (while supplies last) to anyone who receives any Covid-19 vaccine, whether it’s their first or second shot or booster. Sign me up! Find APH’s list of community vaccine events – some of them quite festive – here.

In the third year of a pilot program to mitigate harmful blue-green algae in Lady Bird Lake, the city will apply lanthanum-modified clay near Red Bud Isle and along the north shore of the lake between Interstate 35 and the lagoon near the Festival Beach Boat Ramp. According to the city, the clay material is not harmful to pets, wildlife or people but only works to “help prevent or slow down the growth of harmful algae in the areas where it is applied. The clay binds to phosphorus, a key source of nutrients for algae. Once bound into a mineral form, the phosphorus becomes unavailable to the algae and essentially robs the algae of one of its primary food sources.” The first applications will be at Red Bud Isle on Monday and east of I-35 on Tuesday. The work may extend into Wednesday, and applications are also planned for July and August. Humans and pets should avoid contact with algae and rinse off after contact with lake water, and dogs should not be allowed to lick their fur prior to rinsing.

A new pilot program starting June 7 at the Austin Animal Center will smooth the adoption process and help make perfect matches between human and beast by assigning adoption counselors to prospective pet parents. The program, Meet My Match, is by appointment only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those interested in adopting may schedule an appointment in advance and fill out an application online. When they arrive at the center, their adoption counselor will introduce them to their selected pet (or pets) for a one-on-one experience. Those looking for lost pets may also make an appointment during Meet My Match hours by emailing animal.reclaim@austintexas.gov. The shelter’s normal public hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Tuesday and 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.