1. A new draft of CodeNEXT was released last Friday
The second draft of Austin’s land development code was released at the end of last week. Highlights of the new draft include a boost to the city’s housing capacity from 148,000 units to 180,000 units and adding a new categorization of the zones.
The code’s revised text can be found here, and the new zoning maps can be found here.
2. Travis County Commissioners review Central Health’s proposed fiscal year 2017-18 tax rate Tuesday
Last week, the Central Health board of managers approved its FY 2017-18 budget and tax rate. Although the new tax rate is lower than last year’s rate, homeowners could see a tax increase of $12.50 because of the increase in property values.
The Travis County Commissioners Court will review the proposed budget Tuesday and vote on whether to approve the budget and tax rate.
3. There’s a North Austin Civic Association meeting this Thursday
At the meeting, NACA plans to hear from Austin police officers about open container ordinances, and District 4 City Council member Greg Casar will provide district updates.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the North Austin Community Center/YMCA, located at 1000 W. Rundberg, Austin.
4. Williamson County has a new emergency preparedness mobile app
The Wilco READY app includes resources for emergency situations, such as how to prepare and react to floods, tornadoes, wildfires and thunderstorms. It also has a feature that allows users to generate their own emergency plans and shopping kits.
The app is available for free on both Android and iOS operating systems.
5. A kitchen and bath store at The Domain closes at the end of September
California-based Pirch closes its door at the end of this month after having been since May. Its location at Domain Northside—11801 Domain Blvd., Austin—was the only location in Austin. The store said it will continue to ship orders from the location through November.
6. Austin ISD parents have until Oct. 2 to apply for free or reduced-price meals
New meal benefits application must be submitted each school year. Although applications are accepted throughout the school year, AISD suggests parents apply by Oct. 2 to ensure benefits continue uninterrupted throughout the 2017-18 school year.
Families can create an account and apply for the benefits at www.SchoolCafe.com or through the SchoolCafe mobile app. For more information, parents can contact Austin ISD Nutrition and Food Services at 512-414-0251.
7. Texans can watch the state’s largest Hurricane Harvey benefit concert on TV this Friday
The Rebuild Texas Fund’s benefit concert at the Frank Erwin Center sold out last week, but Texans throughout the state can watch the show from the comfort of their homes on Friday. The concert, which features Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and James Taylor—will be available to watch on Tegna Inc. TV stations, including KVUE.
The concert airs from 9-10 p.m. It will also be available to view at www.youtube.com/texasstrong
