Austin Central Library would like to see proposals from “artists, collectives, curators and beyond” to exhibit their work in the library’s gallery from January 2024 to September 2024. The gallery’s mission, according to the announcement, is “to support local artists and art communities, raise awareness of contemporary and diverse forms of art, and to provide exhibitions in which a wide variety of identities and interests are represented.” The artwork will be juried by “local artists, curators, educators, and community leaders through a jury-scoring process” and the selected candidates will be announced in early March. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Artists must be Texas residents. Find a few more details about the open call here and apply here.

The city of Austin and the Ethics Review Commission are hosting a live runoff candidate forum tonight, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m. The forum encompasses all of the City Council races that are yet undecided: mayor, District 3, District 5 and District 9, and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters Austin Area. Here’s the schedule from the city:

• District 3: 6 p.m., José Velásquez and Daniela Silva
• District 5: 6:45 p.m., Ryan Alter and Stephanie Bazan
• District 9: 7:30 p.m., Zohaib “Zo” Qadri and Linda Guerrero
• Mayor: 8:15 p.m., Celia Israel and Kirk Watson

All of the forums may be viewed in person in City Hall Council Chambers or live at ATXN.TV, cable TV channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99, and on streaming apps. The forum can also be heard live on KAZI FM 88.7 and by telephone (dial 1-855-756-7520, ext. 83464, according to a press release from the city that also included five-minute candidate statements. Email questions for the forums to forum@lwvaustin.org or call (512) 451-6710. Early voting for the Dec. 9 runoff election starts Thursday, Dec. 1. Find more information about early voting and election day voting here.

On Dec. 13, the Housing & Planning Department will begin a 15-day public comment period to receive comments on its draft Fiscal Year 2021-22 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, or CAPER. According to the announcement, HPD “receives the following grant entitlement funds annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for affordable housing, community development, economic development and public services: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA).” Cities that participate must develop a CAPER each year to monitor the city’s progress and the effectiveness of its performance. During the comment period, community members may view the draft FY 2021-22 CAPER on HPD’s website and follow the instructions on how to submit comments.

OK, so it’s not the much hyped Georgia Senate race, but the Dec. 13 runoff is important to our city’s future. Will Celia Israel or Kirk Watson be our next mayor? If you live in City Council district 3, 5 or 9 you will get to vote on who will represent you for the next four years. Austin voters may cast their ballots early starting this Thursday through Dec. 9. Election day is Tuesday, Dec. 13. For a complete list of polling locations for early voting and election day, check the Travis County clerk’s website. If you wish to vote by mail, this Friday is the last day to ask for a mail ballot. That can also be accomplished at the Travis County clerk’s website.

Sure, it’s balmy outside now, but colder, harsher weather is on the way. Just remember these three little words: Winter Storm Uri. No one wants to relive that nightmare, especially Austin Energy, Austin Water and the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The three departments are helping Austinites prepare for the coming winter by handing out emergency supplies like meter keys, hose bib covers, hand-crank flashlights, preparedness kits and winter tip sheets. The items can be picked up – while supplies last – at Utilities Customer Service Centers from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates:

• North UCSC, 8716 Research Blvd., Ste. 115, Tuesday, Nov. 29, and Tuesday, Jan. 10
• East UCSC, Rosewood-Zaragosa Center, 2800 Webberville Road, Wednesday, Nov. 30, and Wednesday, Jan. 11
• South UCSC, 1901 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 100, Thursday, Dec. 1, and Thursday, Jan. 12

Find more weather preparedness tips from the city here.

It may not seem like it, but composting is an important topic. It’s relatively simple for individuals to do, but rather complicated for the city to manage. That’s why Austin Resource Recovery is hoping to collect as much feedback as possible from residents who live in multifamily complexes like apartments and condos. Surely you have some thoughts and feelings about composting? If so, complete the composting survey by Nov. 30.

The parks department is helping Austinites introduce a little history into their holiday traditions, via free gingerbread ornaments that can be decorated as figures from Texas history. As part of the third annual Gingerbread History Heroes program, Brush Square Museums will be distributing salt dough “gingerbread cookie” ornaments and decorating supplies to participating sites, including the Elisabet Ney Museum, Asian American Resource Center, Carver Museum, French Legation State Historic Site, Old Bakery & Emporium and the Park Ranger Station at the Zilker Caretaker Cottage. Community members may pick up the ornaments from Dec. 2-31.

Laura Huffman, who has led the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce since April 2020, will be leaving her post at the end of this year. “I am proud of the Chamber’s accomplishments over the last three years. Importantly, none of the success we celebrate would have been possible without the talented staff we have. From the moment I began at the Chamber at the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, I was enormously impressed by the team’s professionalism and commitment to doing great work. Together, we navigated through the depths of the pandemic and the unemployment and uncertainty that came with it. Today, Austin continues to be one of the strongest economic performers in the country,” Huffman said in a statement to the press. Before joining the chamber, Huffman served as the Texas executive director at the Nature Conservancy and held positions with the cities of Austin and San Marcos. The Austin Chamber is expected to announce information on an interim director and launch a national search for a permanent replacement soon. “Laura took the reins of the Chamber at an incredibly difficult time for our community and country,” Ali Khataw, chair-elect of the Austin Chamber Board of Directors, said in a statement. “She provided key direction on issues including the Covid-19 pandemic, homelessness, public safety, talent, and workforce development. Her engagement helped businesses and the community navigate turbulent times and find solutions to these pressing challenges.”

As all our readers know, local elections aren’t over quite yet, with runoffs for mayor and representatives of City Council districts 3, 5 and 9 to take place on Dec. 13. Those who remain undecided on whom to vote for in the mayoral election might want to tune in to KLRU’s Dec. 5 forum, which can be seen in person or virtually, with free tickets available online. Austinites may also submit questions for the candidates at austinpbs.com/elections. Mon., Dec. 5, 11:30 a.m., Studio 919 at The Texas Tribune, 919 Congress Ave., sixth floor.

For the 56th year in a row, crews from Austin Energy are preparing to transform Zilker Park’s moonlight tower into the Zilker Holiday Tree, officially kicking off the holiday season in Austin. Local entertainment, food and live music are always a cornerstone of the Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and this year will not disappoint. The Austin Civic Wind Ensemble with conductor Robert Laguna will perform at 5:15 p.m., followed by the tree lighting ceremony at 6 accompanied by a cappella group the Austonettes. The first-place winners of the Zilker Holiday Tree art contest will flip the switch that turns on the 155-foot-tall tree. Event organizers recommend carpooling or taking Capital Metro to the park as free parking on-site is on a first-come, first-served basis. Sunday, Nov. 27, 5:15-7 p.m., 2100 Barton Springs Road (on the south side of the park).

Those looking forward to speaking on the city’s plan for the Palm District will have to look forward a little longer. A memo from Housing and Planning Department Director Rosie Truelove explains that, though a public hearing was set for Dec. 1, adoption of the Palm District Plan will now be postponed to at least Feb. 23, 2023. The memo explains that because the plan is part of the city’s comprehensive plan, Council cannot act without a Planning Commission recommendation that is still pending. Staff will still move forward with a briefing planned for the Nov. 29 City Council work session.

An alarming increase in cases of upper respiratory virus, especially among children, has Austin Public Health epidemiologists urging Austinites to take preventive measures to decrease their chances of contracting an illness this holiday season. Getting up to date with flu and Covid-19 vaccines is the most important thing you can do to stay healthy and keep others around you healthy. According to APH, the region’s emergency rooms “are inundated with patients suffering from upper respiratory illnesses. The flu positivity rate in Travis County for the most recent reporting period is 26.88 percent. It’s usually below 10 percent at this point in the season. The percentage of visits to health care providers due to flu-like illness is 8 percent – much higher than at this point the last few years.” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority, didn’t mince words, saying, “If you haven’t already, please get your seasonal flu shot. If we can limit the prevalence of those viruses in our community, it will help our already short-staffed health care system care for high-risk patients.” Find vaccine resources here.