Headlines / Quote of the Week

Pease Park Conservancy celebrated the grand opening weekend of its $15 million revamp of Kingsbury Commons in Pease Park on Friday, July 2. The first major project completed in the Pease Park Vision Plan, the 7-acre area boasts a two-story treehouse, water play feature, bocce court, and the park's landmark 1920s Tudor Cottage that's been renovated as a community rental venue. (Photo by David Brendan Hall)

Making Cents of the Money: On Friday, July 9, City Manager Spencer Cronk will present the fiscal year 2021-22 proposed budget to Mayor Steve Adler and City Council at Community First! Village. The event will be streamed on Facebook (fb.com/austintexasgov) and ATXN.TV, and broadcast on TV on ATXN.

Oh Sh!t, Here We Go Again: Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride: The 87th Texas Legislature convenes today (Thursday, July 8) for a special session. Among Gov. Greg Abbott's legislative priorities are the usual suspects that rankle the Texas GOP: meaningful bail reform, trans Texans' rights, and the undoing of voting restrictions, among others. Read more.

Better Late-ish Than Never: As the Chronicle went to press on Wednesday, July 7, 70% of Travis County's residents age 12 and older had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Department of State Health Services data. The milestone just barely missed local health providers and agencies' so-called "Let's Stick Together" initiative goal to reach that percentage by July 4. The initiative now aims to get 70% of residents fully vaccinated by Labor Day.

Petition in the Streets: A group of residents, Bike Austin, and Walk Austin have organized a petition calling on the city to create a "Living Streets" program that would allow residents to create their own traffic-calming devices and "Healthy Streets" measures, and to block neighborhood streets to prevent through-traffic to allow children to play.

ESD No. 17 Team: Mike Howe, Mitchell Jones, and Vicky Linsalata were appointed to serve on the inaugural board of commissioners for the new Emergency Services District No. 17. Approved by voters in May, ESD No. 17 overlays the existing ESD No. 2 served by the Pflugerville Fire Department and will provide ambulance services.

County Homestead Exemption: Last week the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved raising homestead exemptions to $100,000 for homeowners age 65 and older and those with disabilities.

Stay Clear of the Tracks: Capital Metro will temporarily close its MetroRail Red Line service July 10-18 to perform trackwork/maintenance. MetroRail services will be unavailable during that time, except for special service to and from Q2 Stadium on Tuesday, July 13, for the Austin FC vs. Tigres UANL match.

Missed Connections: Beginning July 14, Austin Energy resumes standard nonpayment operations, including service disconnections. If you're behind on your utility bill, call 512/494-9400 to discuss payment options or financial assistance.

Quote of the Week

"You thought you were done screaming WTF @ #txlege? Not on their watch!"

– Advocacy org MOVE Texas tweeting what we’re all thinking heading into the Lege’s special session