The Office of the City Auditor is starting work on an audit of the city’s Animal Services Office as directed by Council in a resolution this summer. As part of the audit, community members are invited to talk about their experiences with the shelter at one of three public meetings, starting next Monday from 6:30-8 p.m. at the North Village Branch Library, 2505 Steck Ave. A second meeting will be virtual via WebEx on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 6:30-8 p.m. The third meeting will be in the City Hall Boards and Commission room at 301W. 2nd St. on Nov. 10, 6:30-8 p.m. The auditor’s office plans to hire an external animal sheltering expert knowledgeable in no-kill policies and practices to assist in identifying strategies and recommendations for improved flow of operations, quality care of animals, and a successful, sustainable no-kill shelter. Auditors are expecting recommendations from the public on an expert to help them with the audit. The audit team is also asking community members for their views on the areas of greatest concern regarding animal services. The public input will assist the auditors in narrowing down the focus areas. The audit is expected to be completed by January.

The first performance in a multiyear collaboration between Forklift Danceworks and the Watershed Protection Department will feature 25 Watershed employees, 15 vehicles – including a forklift – and a live musical score by Austin composer Graham Reynolds. The performance, titled The Way of Water: Waller Creek, “will explore the way water moves through Downtown Austin, and what it means for our community,” according to the press release. Watershed assistant director Ramesh Swaminathan said,“It’s going to be unbelievable to see some of the things that Watershed Protection does on a day-to-day basis in the light of an artistic rendition. Our field crews make a dump truck look beautiful and Forklift Danceworks is going to shine a light on the beauty inherent in the work of Watershed Protection.” Tickets are free with reservations. Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 18 & 19 at 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. at the Waller Creek Tunnel Inlet Facility at Waterloo Greenway.

Nonprofit organizations that need help with a project involving data, measurement or program evaluation are encouraged to apply to UT’s RGK Center for Philanthropy & Community Service’s CONNECT program. CONNECT matches community organizations with graduate students who can give an assist with better data practices. Project applications for spring semester are due by Nov. 4. Find more information at RGK Center or by emailing alyssa.studer@austin.utexas.edu.

“Another wave of infections has begun in Europe and will likely reach the U.S. in the next few weeks,” declared Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority, in a news release. “We can get ahead of this by getting the bivalent booster,” she said. “The updated boosters can protect against serious illness caused by newer variants including BA.5 sublineages BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. We need more people – especially children – to complete their primary series to better safeguard our community.” Following Dr. Walkes’ recommendation means getting updated booster doses for those who don’t yet have them. Austin Public Health supports the CDC’s updated booster recommendations for kids 5 and older at least two months after their most recent Covid-19 vaccine. According to the release, “About half of Travis County’s 5- to 11-year-olds are not yet eligible for Covid-19 booster doses because they have not completed their primary vaccination series. About 40 percent of children 5-11 have completed their primary series in Travis County.”

A new fundraising initiative aimed at helping Black-led organizations in Austin has opened the request-for-proposals process to select recipients of the first round of grants totaling $340,000. The Black Fund will award 16 grants in four areas: education access and outcomes, health and wellness, wealth building and power building, and organization and advocacy. Information about the RFP process and the grant structure is available online, with a submission deadline of Nov. 18. Recipients will be announced in February. The Black Fund is a first-of-its-kind initiative intended to promote equity and social justice for communities that have been historically marginalized and cut off from opportunity in Austin. So far the fund has raised $1 million, with contributions from Notley, Google, Indeed and the Austin Community Foundation, which has helped with organization and administration duties along with leaders of existing Black-led nonprofits.

Last year, 400,000 fans – a number for the record books – flocked to the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas to watch Max Verstappen take the prize. Race officials expect similar crowds thronging COTA the weekend of Oct. 21-23 to enjoy live musical performances by Green Day and Ed Sheeran and the Grand Prix race on Sunday. To avoid the supreme hassle of finding parking, fans are encouraged to take a free shuttle to COTA, which pick up and drop off from three locations: Waterloo Park, Barton Creek Square Mall and Travis County Exposition Center. Those who do take their own cars to COTA should remember to get a pre-purchased parking pass. COTA’s website has all the info you’ll need about purchasing shuttle passes. Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft will operate out of the Del Valle High School parking lot. From there, riders can take a free shuttle to the track.

Travis County AgriLife Extension Services is holding a free fair to get community members excited about creative, low-cost ways to garden at home. The Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day features a variety of DIY and demonstration activities on growing veggies and fruit trees, composting, raised bed construction, rainwater harvesting, and integrated pest management. There will be family-friendly activities for kids like an insect identification scavenger hunt, and a limited supply of Earth-Kind plants and fall vegetable starts will be available for purchase. Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1600-B Smith Rd. 

Travis County Clerk Rebecca Guerrero has issued a statement in response to accusations that Konnech Inc.’s CEO mishandled personal information about Los Angeles County poll workers. On Tuesday, L.A. County officials announced that CEO Eugene Yu had been arrested “in connection with an investigation into the possible theft of personal information about poll workers,” according to The New York Times. Konnech Inc. makes the PollChief Election Worker Management System software that Travis County uses to manage and schedule poll workers. In her statement,  Guerrero was clear that the software is not used in the voting process, and will not be used moving forward. “Travis County takes these accusations seriously and we are looking into the impact, if any, on data related to poll workers. At this point, the county has no reason to believe its poll worker data is involved. There is no evidence, allegation or indication that Travis County poll worker information has been compromised,” Guerrero said. “As the county continues to examine the possibility of any inappropriate handling of data, the Travis County Clerk’s Election Division remains focused on the upcoming general election on Nov. 8.  If more details are confirmed, we will promptly share information about the security of its poll worker data. However, the County Clerk’s Office will not be commenting on this matter until we have additional information to share.” Konnech has faced scrutiny by election deniers and conspiracy theorists in the past and has repeatedly denied storing data outside the country. The company stands by Yu and says he has been wrongfully accused.

This whisper has been corrected.

You know you can’t drive to the ACL Fest, but you’re not sure how exactly you’re going to get there? Capital Metro has several options to get you to Zilker Park in time for the festival. The transit agency’s bus and bike options will get you to Republic Square where you can pick up a free ACL shuttle. You can also get close enough to the park itself (the corner of South Lamar & Barton Springs) to simply walk the rest of the way. Some other options:

• Rapid routes run every 15 minutes on weekdays.
• Night Owl routes have you covered until about 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
• Route 30 is on detour, avoiding Zilker Park both weekends. Route 4 will service Stop ID 1977 on Veterans Drive after 7 p.m.
• Rail will only extend service hours for the Austin FC game at Q2 Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 16.

The Economic Development Department is launching a new arts grant intended to offer “focused investment to sustain and grow local arts organizations that are deeply rooted in and reflective of Austin’s diverse cultures.” Thrive grants ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 will be going to 30+/- organizations that are registered 501(c) and “have a five-year history of cultural/arts programming” in the Austin area. The funding “is for general operating support, project support, and institutional improvements.” As EDD Director Sylnovia Holt-Rabb explained, “These new grants are the product of 36 months of hard conversations, listening and learning, incorporating valuable feedback, and willingness to embrace the change that will allow Austin expand its future as a world-class creative capital for all.” Find out more at austintexas.gov/thrive. Nov. 21 is the deadline to submit an app.

If you’ve been contemplating adopting a furry family member but haven’t found the right match yet, there’s an event this weekend that might speed up your decision process. The Austin Animal Center is having its second annual Adoptober Fest, a huge, holiday-themed adoptathon that spills out to the front lawn of the facility. Adoptable dogs – arrayed in Halloween costumes, of course! – will be strutting their stuff on a runway escorted by their favorite volunteer or staff member. Meet-and-greets will follow, and if everyone is amenable, you can take your new four-footed pal home the same day. The event also features over 20 vendors plus an emcee and a DJ to top it off. Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (runway event starts at noon). 7201 Levander Loop.