Austinites should anticipate more than the usual traffic delays today, thanks to a scheduled visit by former U.S. President J. Donald Trump, who is scheduled to hold a press conference at a private jet terminal at the airport and appear on the Joe Rogan podcast. According to the city’s Public Information Office, “Street closures are expected along all lanes of HWY 71, including frontage lanes, between HWY 183 and Woodward Street. Additionally, all lanes, including frontage lanes, of HWY-183 between HWY 71 and Burleson Road will close for the visit. No closures are expected on IH-35.” City officials are advising drivers to plan alternate routes and avoid parking in those areas. In addition, AUS is advising anyone that needs to be at the airport this Friday afternoon to plan accordingly and give themselves extra time.

The city of Austin’s Economic Development Department has awarded over $21 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax-funded grants to 502 recipients across the city’s creative sector. This year’s grants, distributed through programs like the Austin Live Music Fund, and the Nexus, Thrive, and Elevate programs from the Cultural Arts Division, aimed to provide funding for individual artists, performers, organizations and businesses focused on arts and music. The Live Music Fund awarded $4.3 million to 17 live music venues, 105 musicians and 14 independent promoters at amounts ranging from $15,000 to $60,000. Nexus awards totaled $500,000 to 102 artists, businesses and creative nonprofits at $5,000 each. Thrive awards, awarded on a two-year cycle, totaled $7.7 million to 35 organizations. Elevate awards accounted for another $9.2 million to 125 nonprofit groups and 104 individual artists or creative businesses. The funding process heavily weighed equity and serving vulnerable populations. That shift, which began in 2017 to address ongoing disparities among arts groups, has resulted in ongoing debate and criticism from many legacy arts groups.

Austin City Council is seeking applicants to fill vacancies on the five-member Municipal Civil Service Commission, with the term extending through May 2027. The commission handles appeals on disciplinary actions involving non-exempt city of Austin employees, including suspensions, demotions and dismissals. Serving on the commission requires about 20 hours per month, with hearings typically lasting a full business day twice per month. Candidates must be Austin residents, qualified voters, and ideally have expertise in human resources, labor relations or employment law. Applications are open until filled, and interviews may be conducted by City Council’s Audit & Finance Committee. Interested applicants can apply online.

Citing funding challenges, the SIMS Foundation has announced a 90-day pause on its mental health and other services for musicians. During the pause, the nonprofit organization will go through a strategic planning process to restructure its service delivery model. The organization needs to raise $480,000 by November to maintain service levels during the restructuring. In a letter to supporters and clients, Board Chair Marissa Rivera said the foundation, which has provided over $50 million in mental health care to more than 25,000 members of Austin’s music community since 1995, needs to adapt to the evolving health care landscape as key reasons for the temporary halt. SIMS clients can still maintain relationships with their providers at a discounted rate during this period. Derrick Lesnau, the newly appointed CEO, is leading efforts to guide SIMS during the transition.

The Greater Austin YMCA and St. Edward’s University have teamed up to apply for a $20 million Community Change Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. If awarded, the grant will fund the construction of a climate resilience hub at the East Communities YMCA, located at 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd., as well as community outreach and education programs. St. Edward’s will lead the project’s community engagement efforts, contributing expertise in programming and research. The proposed 30,000-square-foot facility will include spaces for emergency shelter, education and community events, with energy-efficient infrastructure powered by a microgrid system. The initiative, supported by local leaders such as U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and Austin City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, aligns with the city’s broader goals to create a network of resilience hubs in the Eastern Crescent. In the first three months of the grant cycle, the YMCA and St. Edward’s will conduct feasibility studies, energy audits and community engagement to develop a Community Resiliency Action Plan. The partnership will launch sustainability education and social programs focused on energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation and biodiversity, alongside initiatives for disaster preparedness, health, education and social equity.

The Austin office market remains soft and highly priced, with vacancy rates increasing 6.6 percentage points to 27.8 percent, which is the highest jump among major U.S. office markets, according to a recent study from Commercial Edge. Office construction in the city has slowed, with only 3.4 million square feet currently underway – equal to 3.6 percent of total stock – and Austin has maintained its position as a leader in office sale prices. Local office properties are trading at an average of $379 per square foot, the highest among top U.S. markets, surpassing Los Angeles. While office vacancy is a persistent problem downtown and elsewhere in the city, housing and development experts don’t see the available space as ready for conversion to badly needed housing supply. Nationally, vacancy rates have risen to 19.5 percent with 68.5 million square feet of office space under construction. Though Austin has slowed its office development, Miami has overtaken Austin in development activity, with 3.9 percent of its office stock under construction. Despite the local slowdown, Austin’s office prices remain a standout, signaling continued investor interest in the market despite broader sector challenges.

In response to public feedback, the city has revised its safety project at Cameron and Dessau roads. Though about 80 percent of the 1,000 online survey respondents indicated support for the project, the feedback also led city staff to making a few changes. According to a report from the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, the proposed design will now include:

• Adding a third southbound vehicle lane in advance of the Shropshire Lane/Braker Lane (north intersection) intersection to the Braker Lane (south intersection) to better address vehicle capacity needs
• Adding a northbound dual left turn at Braker Lane
• Adding dedicated left-turn pockets at existing median breaks at the driveways to the Lucent and Parmer Place apartments as well as at Daleside Lane
• Continued evaluation of access control and U-turn refinements for safer motor vehicle movements, and placement of relocated and enhanced bus stops

Construction on the 6.5-mile corridor is expected to begin in spring 2025. More information on the project updates can be found here. As part of the city’s Vision Zero project, the improvements are intended to bring much-needed safety improvements to the road, which sees an average of two people killed and 95 people injured each year in traffic crashes.

The West Travis County Public Utility Agency has delayed a decision on a request from Mirasol Capital, developers of the proposed 1,400-acre Mirasol Springs project near the Pedernales River, to build a pipeline sourcing water from Lake Travis, Community Impact reports. The developers are seeking approval for a 4-inch pipeline to provide water exclusively to Mirasol Springs, bypassing the contested Pedernales River supply. Environmental groups, including Save Our Springs and Save the Pedernales, voiced concerns about the potential environmental impact, with wastewater treatment plans and possible overdevelopment in the region being top issues. While developers argue that sourcing water from Lake Travis addresses concerns over the Pedernales, opponents contend that more sustainable water solutions, such as rainwater collection, should be considered. The WTCPUA postponed its decision until Nov. 18, giving board members time to review the proposal in greater detail.

The Capital Delivery Services Department is hosting its second “Building Austin” event on Nov. 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Dove Springs Public Health Facility on Palo Blanco Lane. The series aims to keep the community informed about key infrastructure projects shaping the city’s future. The upcoming session will focus on transportation and flood risk reduction projects in Southeast Austin, including updates on the Brassiewood flood reduction, Slaughter Lane and William Cannon corridor improvements, and the Williamson Creek wastewater interceptor. The hybrid event will feature presentations and an open house format, and attendees will get a chance to meet with project teams. Registration is available online.

Chess in the Park is back at the 2024 Chris Riley Memorial Wooldridge Square Tournament. The event, which will feature a K-12 student section and an open section for all ages, will take place on Nov. 3. The tournament has been officially renamed after former City Council Member Chris Riley, who passed in July and was a dedicated supporter of community chess, volunteering to organize matches most Saturdays at Wooldridge Square Park from 2003 to 2023 and co-founding the project. This year’s tournament will take place at the park  from noon until 5 p.m., with registration required. That registration is now open and can be found here.

Early voting started on Monday, with long lines at many locations and just over 6 percent of registered voters in Travis County (or 46,646 people) showing up to cast ballots. From the Travis County Clerk’s website, it appeared that the polling place at the University of Texas still had a lot of eager voters standing in line at 8 p.m. For a list of early voting locations, see here. Early voting will continue through Friday, November 1, for the November 5 election. Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado hopes every eligible voter will turn out early. She sent the following message to voters: “Vote early, vote easy. Voting early not only helps you avoid long lines on Election Day, but it also ensures that nothing unexpected – like traffic or an emergency – keeps you from casting your ballot. Make your plan to vote early, and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. If you plan to vote on Election Day, also plan to be in a line. Every vote matters, and together, we can shape the future of our community and country.”

This Saturday, Oct. 26, Travis County and the Drug Enforcement Administration will collect unwanted prescription drugs from the public as part of National Take Back Day. The day helps people safely dispose of expired, unused or unneeded medications in an effort to help make communities safer. According to a press release from the county, “the misuse and improper disposal of expired and unwanted drugs is a growing problem nationwide and also threatens local water supplies.” On Saturday, residents can drop off medications (barring syringes) anonymously and at no cost at any of the five Travis County Constable Precincts between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.