North - Northwest Edition | May 2023

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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 4 JUNE 128, 2023

Pressing pause on Parmer

Little Kitchen Academy to open in late summer

Premier Rugby Sevens to host season kicko

TENANTS ARE TAKING A STEP AND THEN PAUSING, TAKING ANOTHER STEP, AND PAUSING. MARK EMERICK, CBRE MANAGING PRINCIPAL WITH THE PARMER INNOVATION CENTER

Local re station serves as training hub

The expansion of Apple’s newest campus is one of several projects in the works along Parmer Lane. (Courtesy Falcon Sky Photography)

Oce development slows as uncertainty grows, real estate experts say

Tex-Mex restaurant oers family-friendly space

BY GRACE DICKENS

developers, employers and residents alike. However, in 2023, the future of Parmer is uncertain, multiple commercial real estate agents with prominent projects in the area said. The threat of economic decline has resulted in potential purchas- ers moving slower, development taking longer and projects com- ing to a halt, said Mark Emerick, CBRE managing principal with The

Parmer Innovation Center, a 300- acre corporate park east of I-35. “Tenants are taking a step and then pausing, taking another step and pausing,” Emerick said. “What I haven’t seen is demand fall o from the tenant side, but it’s not moving at a pace that gives you a sense of when all of this is going to culminate, when it’s going to actually come to fruition.”

Pull the newest teaser from CC Libraries

Dozens of projects along Parmer Lane have shaped the technol- ogy and corporate thoroughfare as Austin knows it today, includ- ing Samsung to the east and the Apple campuses farther northwest. Previously noted as one of Aus- tin’s last frontiers of development by local real estate leaders, the road- way has served as a major draw for

CONTINUED ON 24

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

My doctors collaborate, and that makes my life easier.

~ NANCY Ascension Seton patient and new mom

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THIS ISSUE

MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Taylor Caranfa Stover EDITOR Grace Dickens REPORTER Brittany Anderson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sabrina Musachia ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jill Futch METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Travis Baker MANAGING EDITOR Amy Denney COPY EDITOR Kasey Salisbury SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Haley Grace CONTACT US 16225 Impact Way, Ste. 1, Pugerville, TX 78660 • 5129896808 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES nnwnews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING nnwads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 35+ localized editions across Texas to more than 2.5 million residential mailboxes.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH

FROM TAYLOR: Hello, North-Northwest Austin! You may have noticed a change on the front cover of this issue. Along with a slight shift to our circulation boundaries, we have updated this edition’s name from Northwest Austin to North-Northwest Austin to more accurately reect our delivery area. I hope you enjoy this month’s local updates and in-depth stories. Please reach out to me with story ideas or questions, and as always, thank you for your readership! Taylor Caranfa Stover, GENERAL MANAGER tstover@communityimpact.com

FROM GRACE: Hi there! Thanks for checking out our North-Northwest Austin edition. In this issue, we give you the latest on Parmer Lane with my front-page story on slowing oce development along the technology thoroughfare. We also take a closer look at Tex- Mex restaurant Mama Betty’s and local business Slackers Brewing Co. As always, thank you for reading! Grace Dickens, EDITOR gdickens@communityimpact.com

What does SWAG stand for? “Stu We All Get” as CI Patrons

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linkedin.com/company/communityimpact

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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

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LAKELINE BLVD.

LAKE CREEK PKWY.

6 11

PECAN PARK BLVD.

CEDAR PARK

AMBERGLEN BLVD.

WELLS BRANCH PKWY.

LAKE CREEK PKWY.

Dell Children’s Medical Center North

POND SPRINGS RD.

BROOKE SJOBERG/COMMUNITY IMPACT

4 A new addiction treatment facility called The Meadows Outpatient Center opened May 5. The facility offers an eight- week intensive outpatient program for pa- tients with drug or alcohol addiction and other mental health issues. The facility includes a yoga studio, an expressive arts area and more. The Meadows Outpatient Center is located at 3721 Executive Center Drive, Ste. 102, Austin. 866-356-9801. www.meadowsoutpatient.com 5 Uplift Desk , an Austin-based office furniture company, opened a showroom location at 1848 Ferguson Lane, Austin, in early April. Uplift Desk offers a line of office furniture, including standing desks, conference tables and gaming desks, plus other office accessories, such as chairs and stools, filing cabinets, and desk lighting. 512-614-5272. www.upliftdesk.com 6 Thrift store Uptown Cheapskate opened a Cedar Park location May 4. Uptown Cheapskate is a clothing resale store that buys and sells clothes for teens and young adults. Raúl and Rachel Guzmán as well as Isa and Raul Alvarez are the owners of the Cedar Park store, located at 11066 Pecan Park Blvd., Ste. 105. The Cedar Park location is the third Austin-area location. 512-386-1033. www.uptowncheapskate.com The Waterloo Crew , an outdoor main- tenance services company established in March, is now servicing the Greater Austin area. According to representa- tives with the company, The Waterloo Crew offers commercial and residential pressure washing, junk removal, tree ex- cavation, landscaping, auto detailing and more. The company also offers monthly membership plans that include all of its 35

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WALNUT CREEK PARK

GREAT HILLS TRL.

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DENTON DR.

SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RD.

ALDRIDGE DR.

EXECUTIVE CENTER DR.

CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY.

MAP NOT TO SCALE

NOW OPEN 1 Boss Pizza Co . officially opened at 7318 McNeil Drive, Austin, in April. The restaurant serves a variety of specialty pizzas, such as the spicy barbacoa pizza with barbacoa, hot sauce and queso fres- co; build-your-own traditional pizzas with up to four toppings; and desserts, such as the Boss Cheesecake Cups. The restau- rant has seating available for customers along with carryout and delivery services,

according to the business. 512-362-8842. www.bosspizza.co 2 Dell Children’s Medical Center North opened April 27. The building is over four stories tall with over 187,000 square feet of space dedicated to medical care for children. Located at 9010 N. Lake Creek Parkway, Austin, the medical center broke ground in May 2021. The 36-bed hospital offers emergency and trauma services with two operating rooms, endoscopy and pro- cedure rooms, and shelled space for future

growth. 737-247-7500. https://healthcare.ascension.org

3 GBA opened a new engineering firm in Northwest Austin at 9601 Amberglen Blvd., Ste. 109, Austin, in March. GBA employs 30 engineers and specialists in Texas, offering professional engineering services for several different fields such as transportation, site development, industri- al development and others. 512-259-3882. www.gbateam.com

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The Waterloo Crew COURTESY THE WATERLOO CREW

The Village Coin Shop

COURTESY JOE GREENE/THE VILLAGE COIN SHOP

services in one package. 512-537-2122. www.thewaterloocrew.com COMING SOON 7 Home furnishing store AllModern will open a location at 9722 Great Hills Trail Stes. 145 and 150, Austin, in the Arboretum Market in the fall. AllModern is known for its variety of indoor and outdoor furni- ture, mirrors, rugs, wall decor, lighting and more; Scandinavian, midcentury and modern farmhouse styles; and free design services. www.allmodern.com 8 Austin’s second Eskimo Hut location is slated to open by the end of this year at 13201 RM 620, Ste. 108, Austin. Eskimo Hut is a fully stocked convenience store offering frozen daiquiris and margaritas to go plus Jell-O shots and loaded gummy bears along with beer, wine and snacks. www.eskimohut.com 9 Tommy’s Express Car Wash is set to open its first Austin location at 11213 RM 2222, Austin. The car wash offers mem- bership plans, including a family plan; four wash packages, including tire gloss, body wax and underbody flush services; vacuums; mat washers; personal detail kits; and more. 737-251-6904.

and other precious metals; collectible coins; paper money; gold, platinum and silver jewelry; scrap silver; and sterling flatware. The shop also sells a variety of coin supplies. 512-219-0030. CLOSINGS 11 Austin-area Bed Bath & Beyond stores—including its Cedar Park location at 11066 Pecan Park Blvd., Cedar Park—will close down after the company announced in April that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The home goods retailer is known for its selection of kitchen applianc- es, bathroom accessories and college dorm furnishings. Coupons, gift cards, store credit and rewards are no longer usable, but customers can still shop online and in stores. www.bedbathandbeyond.com 12 Big Red Express Car Wash , located at 11213 RM 2222, Austin, closed April 3. The car wash offered four wash options and an unlimited wash club member- ship. The location will now be the site of Tommy’s Express Car Wash. www.bigredexpresscarwash.com 13 Weight loss chain Jenny Craig an- nounced in a Facebook post in early May that it would be closing all of its centers, including its location at 10710 Research Blvd., Ste. 136, Austin. All auto delivery subscriptions have been canceled, and all coaching sessions, food orders and merchandise sales have ceased online and in corporate centers. 14 Following discount home and lifestyle store Tuesday Morning ’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February, Austin’s last location in Great Hills Sta- tion at 10225 Research Blvd., Ste. 3500,

Little Kitchen Academy will open its location in Northwest Austin this summer.

COURTESY LITTLE KITCHEN ACADEMY

FEATURED IMPACT COMING SOON Little Kitchen Academy , a Montessori- inspired cooking program for children ages 3-18, is opening its agship Texas location in The Shops at Arbor Walk at 10515 N. MoPac, Austin, this summer. Area franchisee Bill Duy said the academy is aiming for a late summer opening and will oer year-round, three- hour classes. According to the academy, classes are organized by age group, composed of 10 students and three instructors, and teach table manners, food literacy, independence and more. In each class, students cook a meal from raw ingredients—recipes never repeat as there are over 700, Duy said—and according to the academy’s website, are free of meat, poultry, seafood and nuts. Austin-based grocer service Farmhouse Delivery will also help provide fresh

produce, dairy, spices and more. Prices are not ocially set but typically range from $35 an hour, Duy said. The academy will also oer summer, winter and spring break camps, and there are 75 locations planned for the rest of Texas over the next decade. www.littlekitchenacademy.com/ locations/austin

MOPAC

www.tommys-express.com NEW OWNERSHIP

Austin, closed in May. The business of- fered home decor, kitchenware, lifestyle accessories and more.

was founded in June 2013 and serves six counties in Central Texas. The non- profit celebrated its anniversary with a birthday party May 13 in North Austin. Through its nearly 40 partner agencies, it provides diapers, wipes and period supplies to over 30,000 families in the area each year with diapers coming from donations and drives. 512-710-7232. www.austindiapers.org

www.tuesdaymorning.com ANNIVERSARIES

10 The Village Coin Shop , located at 8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste. 204, Austin, is under new ownership. Joe Greene took over as the owner earlier this year and said he got into coins as a hobby about 16 years ago. The shop buys and sells gold, silver

15 Austin Diaper Bank will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in June. The or- ganization at 2210 Denton Drive, Austin,

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TODO LIST

June & July events

COMPILED BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

JUNE 08

ENJOY MARGS IN THE MOONLIGHT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

JULY 04

CELEBRATE WITH WILLIE Q2 STADIUM

Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita 5K Fun Run is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a 5K course that will travel along Lady Bird Lake before ending back at the park for a Tex-Mex party and margarita celebration. Registration includes race entry and entry to the nish line celebration, a T-shirt, two margaritas and Tex-Mex appetizer-size bites. 8 p.m. $60. 111 Sandra Muraida Way, Austin. www.thetrailconservancy.org

Willie Nelson’s 50th annual 4th of July Picnic will take place for a second year at Q2 stadium. The concert will feature Willie Nelson & Family, Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Shakey Graves, Shane Smith & the Saints, Asleep at the Wheel and others plus food, drinks and postshow reworks. 1 p.m. (doors), 2 p.m. (show). $49-$304. 10414 McKalla Place, Austin. 512-953-2872. www.q2stadium.com

The Texas Team will kick o its 2023 season at Q2 stadium.

COURTESY PREMIER RUGBY SEVENS

FEATURED EVENT CATCH A RUGBY GAME Premier Rugby Sevens’ Texas Team will host the 2023 Eastern Conference Kicko tournament at Q2 Stadium on June 17, marking the start of the 2023 PR7s season. The festival-style event will rotate between the men’s and women’s competitions for a series of eight 14-minute games, each crowning a winner, plus featuring bands, DJs, games, contests and more. PR7s debuted in 2021 and is the rst sports organization of its kind with men’s and women’s teams competing with equal pay, according to the organization. 4 p.m. $20-$113. 10414 McKalla Place, Austin www.prsevens.com

JUNE 15 THROUGH 17 CATCH A SOFTBALL GAME The Texas Smoke, Austin’s newest professional women’s sports team, will kick o its inaugural softball season with a home game at the Concordia University Texas eld June 15 featuring a pregame tailgate with barbecue, pitmaster competitions, music and surprise entertainment. Two other home games will follow June 16 and 17. 7 p.m. (June 15), 6:30 p.m. (June 16-17). $10 (bleachers), $15 (general admission). 11400 Concordia Kids music entertainer “Mr. Will” Dupuy will hold a kids country concert at Wells Branch Community Library. Dupuy is an Austin-based singer-songwriter who provides concerts and country music sets for kids of all ages. Noon. Free (registration required). 15001 Wells Port Drive, Austin. 512-989-3188. www.wblibrary.org 17 CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH Central Texas Juneteenth’s 25th University Drive, Austin. www.thetexassmoke.com 16 SING ALONG TO COUNTRY MUSIC

annual Historical Juneteenth Parade and Festival in partnership with the Greater East Austin Youth Association will kick o at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Comal Street, and end at Chestnut Avenue. The celebration will continue at Rosewood Park with food, local vendors and live musical entertainment. 10 a.m.-noon (parade), noon-9 p.m. (festival). Free. 2300 Rosewood Ave., Austin. www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com 24 CELEBRATE PRIDE The Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce will host its fourth annual Pride in Local Music block party, a full- scale outdoor live music and creative festival event. Local LGBTQ musicians and performers will take the stage along with artists, makers and creators and participating venues on Fourth Street. A portion of proceeds will go to the Austin LGBT Chamber Education Fund. 4-10 p.m. Free (general admission with donations encouraged), $75 (early bird VIP), $100 (VIP). 4th Street, Austin. 512-761-5428. www.prideinlocalmusic.com 24 GRAB SOME GEAR Uptown Tennis will celebrate its second anniversary with refreshments and giveaways at its 1,600-square-foot store

in Austin. Uptown Tennis carries women’s and men’s tennis apparel, rackets, shoes, accessories and more. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 13359 US 183, Ste. 414, Austin. 512-906-0165. www.uptowntennisaustin.com 24 THROUGH 25 GEEK OUT The Greater Austin Comic-Con is back for its fourth year. The two-day event is set to feature celebrity guests, artists and cosplayers from all things comic books, anime and more. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (June 24), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (June 25). $40 (June 24), $35 (June 25), $60 (June 24-25); VIP packages are also available. 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park. 512-600-5000. www.greateraustincomiccon.com JULY 04 WATCH FIREWORKS Austin’s largest Independence Day celebration will take place at Auditorium Shores and the Long Center with patriotic music by the Austin Symphony and a reworks display over Ladybird Lake. 8 p.m. (opening ceremony), 8:30 p.m. (concert begins). Free. 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin. 512- 474-5664. www.austinsymphony.org

PANDHANDLE RD.

CALLE NORTE

BRIGHT VERDE WAY

MCKALLA PLACE

Find more or submit North-Northwest events at communityimpact.com/event-calendar. Event organizers can submit local events online to be considered for the print edition. Submitting details for consideration does not guarantee publication.

NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

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TRANSPORTATION UPDATES CapMetro hits highest monthly ridership in 3 years Over 2 million Austinites took a

COMPILED BY BRITTANY ANDERSON

ONGOING PROJECTS

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RISING RATES OF RIDERS

MOPAC

March saw the highest number of monthly boardings for Capital Metro services, surpassing prepandemic numbers.

ride with Capital Metro in March, the highest number of riders in one month the service has seen since February 2020, according to the agency. Data from a CapMetro news release shows 2.2 million customers utilized transit agency CapMetro’s services in March—a 25% increase compared to 1.7 million customers in March 2022. With MetroRail services to and from downtown as well as Metro- Bus and MetroRapid services with stops around the city, CapMetro offers MetroExpress bus routes for residents in North Austin and other outlying areas, plus a ride-sharing option called Pickup. CapMetro representatives said every one of its services saw an increase in ridership in March with Pickup ride-hailing and MetroEx- press bus services seeing the largest increases—71.4% and 33%, respec- tively—in comparison to last March. MetroBus and MetroRapid ridership also each increased by 26%.

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59.2%

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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MAY 16. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT NNWNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Funding sources: Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Texas Department of Transportation 183 North widening The 183 North Mobility Project—a $612 million transportation project meant to alleviate congestion and improve emergency response times—is on track for a 2026 completion date. Over the next several weeks through the summer, crews will focus on earth- work, storm sewer drainage, bridge work, retaining wall work, paving, electrical and franchise utility adjust- ments, and pavement grinding. Timeline: January 2022-26 Cost: $612 million

January

February

March

April

SOURCE: CAPITAL METRO/COMMUNITY IMPACT

CapMetro representatives said the jump in ridership numbers could be due to several factors, such as the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals, which usually generate an uptick in ridership, CapMetro Com- munications Specialist Blythe Nebeker said in an email. “Compared to last year and even the last few months, traffic has picked up in Central Texas during rush hours.

More people are starting to return to the office, which could be one reason for the increase,” Nebeker said. The total number of boardings this year through March reached nearly 6 million, CapMetro’s performance dashboard shows. As the service grows, CapMetro representatives maintain the agency has been working to improve its on-time performance, which is around 80%.

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

CITY & COUNTY

News from Austin & Travis County

Travis County takes first steps on mental health alternative to jail

THE PROBLEM

BY KATY MCAFEE

place, according to a county report. The county will also need to reinstate the counsel-at-first-appearance program, which was active for 13 days last spring and then canceled due to staffing shortages. “If it is done in isolation, nothing will change; it will just back up and be another jail,” said Dr. Stephen Stra- kowski, a professor at The University of Texas Dell Medical School who has compiled studies on the rate of repeat offenders who report struggling with mental illness. If the county successfully imple- ments all five components, it will still need to fully staff the center, which has historically been a struggle for both city and county law enforcement. Quiana Fisher, the homelessness response system strategy director for the Ending Community Home- lessness Coalition, added that to be effective, the diversion center will need staff who can adequately provide mental health resources to

TRAVIS COUNTY A diversion center that will bring nonviolent offenders to a facility with mental health services instead of jail or an emergency room is underway in Travis County. The center—an estimated $30 million endeavor that will take at least two years to build—will cost between $2.5 million-$5 million annually to operate and has been met with widespread support from the commu- nity since its announcement in March. The center will likely be funded through a variety of sources, includ- ing federal, state, city and county dollars; Central Health, the county’s health care district; and some private sources of funding. The diversion center is just one com- ponent of a five-part plan to reform the county’s jail system. To effectively address mental illness in the county, technology upgrades, bridge support housing programs and increased peer support services will need to be in

Many Travis County residents who need mental health care are going to jail or an emergency room after committing nonviolent crimes or showing mental health disorder-related behaviors.

40% of the Travis County Jail population reported mental illness.

150 Travis County Jail inmates are waiting for state mental health beds.

420 DAYS the longest time for an inmate to be transferred to a non-maximum security mental health facility

SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

people experiencing homelessness and Black residents as Black people have historically been underserved in mental health systems. When people with mental illness receive treatment instead of jail time, it creates safety for family members and the community as a whole, said Terra Tucker, a steering committee member and the Texas director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a public

safety solution organization. “Breaking cycles of crime and doing prevention are things that actually make us safe, right? So we’re not just being reactionary to what’s already happened, but preventing new things from happening,” Tucker said. Strakowski said diversion programs also create safety for people with mental illness as they are often subject to violence and assault themselves.

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Austin City Council will meet June 1 and 8 at 10 a.m. at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin. 512-974-2250 www.austintexas.gov/department/ city-council Travis County Commissioners Court will meet June 6, 13 and 27 at 9 a.m. at the Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca St., Austin. 512-854-4722 www.traviscountytx.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court will meet June 6, 13 and 27 at 9:30 a.m. at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS TRAVIS COUNTY Fentanyl-related deaths more than doubled from 2021 to 2022 and particularly affected Hispanic and Black communities as well as women, a new medical examiner’s report found. The data, released on April 26, comes as local officials continue focusing on combating overdoses after declaring drug deaths to be a public health crisis in 2022. County Judge Andy Brown said commissioners could next reserve $750,000 in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget to create an overdose prevention fund. AUSTIN On May 2, the city’s library system announced a pilot program for enhanced library cards. The cards will serve as a valid form of identification or supplement with other documents to prove one’s identity for many city departments and local organizations. AUSTIN The city will pay $100,000 to a protester injured by police in the May 2020 demonstrations, the latest in a growing series of payouts. Austin’s total tab for police brutality payouts from the protests now sits at $18.98 million after council approved the settlement agreement May 4.

DPS pauses patrols in Austin; concerns on profiling raised

BY BEN THOMPSON

DPS troopers would begin targeted patrols in Austin to assist the short-staffed APD by focusing on crime and traffic enforcement in late March. Since then, police offi- cials credited the program for an observed a drop in violent crime this spring. At the same time, some com- munity groups and City Council members raised concerns about traffic stop and arrest data showing Black and particularly Hispanic drivers were being disproportionately affected by the patrols. The outlook for further DPS support in Austin isn’t clear following the first month and a half of what Mayor Kirk Watson called “bridge” support for the city’s police department. Watson said DPS troopers’ border deployment is expected to last at least

AUSTIN The Texas Department of Public Safety’s supplemental partnership with the Austin Police Department was paused May 13, just over six weeks after the initiative began. The partnership, announced at no cost to the city and operating under was expected to continue indefinitely while the city and APD worked on filling up the department’s ranks. However, the DPS pulled the direction of police Chief Joseph Chacon, the plug on its support work in Austin on May 13 amid a surge of state resources to the Mexico border announced by Gov. Greg Abbott May 12 alongside the expiration of the Title 42 immigration public health order. City leaders announced

A public safety partnership centered on violent crime and trac enforcement in Austin was paused May 13. (Ben Thompson/ Community Impact)

SKEWED TRAFFIC STOPS One month of data from the Austin policing partnership shows state troopers mostly pulled over Hispanic/Latino drivers. Alaska Native/American Indian Asian/Pacific Islander Black Hispanic/Latino White 2022 March 30-April 27, 2023

4.2% 0.26% 16.5% 38.17% 40.87% 18,743 total traffic stops

4.63% 0.35% 15.01% 54.21% 25.8% 11,841 total traffic stops DPS PARTNERSHIP

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

two weeks, and Chacon will remain in contact with state law enforcement about the program’s future.

The DPS did not respond to a request for comment on the end of the partner- ship as of press time.

Austin to end minimum parking spot mandates AUSTIN City officials moved to end Austin’s longstanding practice of requiring a set amount of parking with new development May 4. BY BEN THOMPSON

Council voted to eliminate the rules laying out different requirements that apply to all kinds of development, ranging from housing to retailers. “Instead of using dubious formulas to mandate how much parking is included in every new development, I believe we should allow individual property owners to decide what levels are appropriate,” said District 9

Council Member Zo Qadri, the item’s sponsor, in a statement. The push to wipe out parking mandates in all cases comes on the heels of a similar proposal brought by District 3 Council Member José Velásquez aimed only at bars that was approved in April. A final ordinance will return to council by the end of 2023.

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

EDUCATION

State action imminent over special education issues

The Texas Education Agency has a process to determine if a student needs to receive special education services. Austin ISD is being investigated for its backlog of evaluations for these services. EVALUATION PROCESS EXPLA INED

BY AMANDA CUTSHALL

auditory impairment. At home, he receives special education therapy, but for a student to receive services from AISD, the district must evaluate them. Olmsted is one of the students waiting for AISD to complete their evaluation, and the district is fac- ing a state conservatorship over its backlog. As of March 20, more than 1,800 special education evaluations were overdue, according to Texas Education Agency records. A TEA report released on March 31 cited 40 instances of “systemic noncom- pliance” where the district failed to meet its special education obliga- tions in a timely manner. While the district awaits a review by the TEA—asking for a less severe form of intervention—families are making choices for their students. Hendrix said the process dragged out for more than a year. She made the decision to move him to the Texas STAFFING SHORTAGES CAUSE BACKLOGS AISD officials said a shortage of educational diagnosticians and licensed specialists in school psychology is one of the reasons for the backlog of student evaluations for special education.

School for the Deaf but says she has to wait for the evaluation to be completed. Another AISD parent, Marie Le, said her 17-year-old daughter has also waited more than a year for a completed special education evalua- tion. Le said she plans to fight for her daughter, whom she believes is not ready to move beyond high school due to the district denying her the special education services she needs. Le said the report she received from the district is incorrect as it does not include all of her daughter’s disabili- ties nor needed accommodations. “She’s so close to graduating and not at all prepared,” Le said. What happened On March 31, TEA officials announced they would seek a conser- vatorship over AISD. Under the con- servatorship, the board and interim superintendent would remain in place, but the conservators would have decision powers. AISD has failed to correct com- plaints against the district since July 2019, according to the TEA report. Since then, a lawsuit was filed in 2021 by Disability Rights Texas, a nonprofit advocating for people with disabilities. DRT attorney Kym Davis Rog- ers said as a result of the delayed evaluations, “many students with disabilities did not receive any spe- cial education services, and others received services based on out-of- date evaluations.” Rogers said the “situation has only gotten worse” each year. “The critical personnel shortage, particularly in employing the needed

For more than a year, Nicki Hendrix’s 10-year-old son, Hendrix Olmsted, has been awaiting special education accommodations at Austin ISD. A physician diagnosed him with autism, attention-deficit hyper- activity disorder, dysgraphia and Starting in 2018 and worsening during the pandemic, AISD has failed to meet state deadlines to provide special education evaluations. DELAYED EVALUATIONS

THE EVALUATION JOURNEY

The district evaluates the child within 45 days of receiving permission from the parent A parent or campus official requests a student receive an evaluation for special education services AISD HAS BEEN IN “NONCOMPLIANCE” STATUS WITH THE TEA OVER ITS FAILURE TO COMPLETE EVALUATIONS ALONG THE STATE TIMELINE SINCE 2018, PROMPTING THE PROPOSED CONSERVATORSHIP The district notifies the parent of the outcome of the evaluation within 30 days Once a child is deemed eligible for services, an educator creates an Individualized Education Program and services are provided

EVALUATION REQUESTS EVALUATIONS COMPLETED

100%

99.93%

93.25%

Pandemic begins

24.05%

Special education staff monitor the student’s progress

63.21%

The district reviews the student’s IEP annually

Positions available 71% Positions filled 29%

72 total positions*

The district re-evaluates the student every three years

new evaluations requested between January 2023 and March 2023

*AS OF MARCH 15

SOURCES: PARTNERS RESOURCE NETWORK, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

evaluations completed from May 2022 through March 2023

SOURCES: AUSTIN ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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MAKING IMPROVEMENTS

LEVELS OF STATE INTERVENTION The Texas Education Agency is eyeing a conservatorship for Austin ISD, but the district is asking for a monitor instead.

Austin ISD officials have identified dozens of tasks, split into three goals, to improve special education services.

SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Goal 1: Establish a clear, inclusive vision with community support

Goal 2: Implement strong instruction and support systems

Goal 3: Meet state evaluation and compliance requirements

Example: Develop a plan to use during walkthroughs to assess if evidence-based practices are being used

Example : Improve system for evaluations and Individualized Education Program reports

Example : Increase family and community engagement and outreach to build trust

TEA MONITOR

Monitors report to the TEA on the activities of the board of trustees or the superintendent. Example: Round Rock ISD, 2021

17 32 45

Complete:

29 16

In progress:

Total tasks*

Not started:

*AS OF MARCH 15

TEA CONSERVATOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

numbers and quality of licensed specialists in school psychology, presents a maddingly intractable sit- uation that is the focus of the daily work of the department,” said Fran- ces Stetson of Stetson & Associates, the independent consulting firm hired by AISD to conduct a review of the special education department. How we got here Heather Merritt, a former AISD special education teacher at Travis Early College High School who still works in the district, has worked for AISD since 2004. “It has been difficult, and we rec- ognize that. We are ready and willing to help our students with disabilities, and we want to make sure they have the services they need,” Merritt said. At an April 3 board meeting, AISD attorney Pam Kaminsky said there were several factors that contrib- uted to the backlog of evaluations for special education, including an evaluator shortage and an increase in referral rates for the department. Kaminsky said Austin was not alone in struggling to conduct evalu- ations during the pandemic.

As of press time May 24, AISD interim Superintendent Matias Segura and board President Arati Singh did not return requests for comment. The plan Members of a labor union for AISD employees, Education Austin, spoke out against the TEA’s plan at a press conference April 3. “What we need from the state is money—money to fill the positions to support our kids in this district,” Education Austin President Ken Zari- fis said. Zarifis said he and his colleagues realize AISD has issues with its special education services, but he believes the school board and Segura will work with other local groups to solve them. The TEA report laid out several recommendations beyond the con- servatorship for improvements to the special education department. The report states AISD must acquire a new external audit—at the expense of the district—to address the issues in the special education department. The district must also implement

training for its staff and board to address the deficiencies in the spe- cial education department. What’s next On April 17, the district requested an informal review by the TEA to determine if a monitor would be more appropriate than a conservator man- agement team, AISD Media Relations Specialist Elizabeth Lippincott said. “The TEA does not have a set time period to respond, but we hope it is soon,” Lippincott said. A monitor would oversee the district’s progress on its backlog, but would not have binding deci- sion-making power. If the TEA disagrees with the request for a monitor, the conserva- tor will be put in place. The district can make a final appeal to the state office of administrative hearings, which works to resolve disputes between Texas agencies and other entities. This office would make the final decision. Regardless, Jake Kobersky, the director of media relations with the TEA, said agency officials look for- ward to working with the district to

A conservator oversees the district and has decision-making power. Board and interim superintendent stay in place. Example: Current proposal in AISD

TEA TAKEOVER

A state-appointed management team takes over at the district, removing the board. Example: Houston ISD, 2023

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

appropriately serve all students in need of special education services. “This issue started three boards and four superintendents ago. … It will take a lot of hard work, and sometimes that takes time,” Singh said in a board meeting April 3. “We want our students to meet their full potential in a loving way that lifts them up, and we are all 100% devoted to that.”

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NORTH - NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023

COMMUNITY Jollyville Fire Department Community station provides hub for safety, training

TRACKING TRAINING As a regional training facility, the Jollyville Fire Department has nine training simulations that can be run on the facility grounds. Sprinkler simulations Fireghters learn how to start/stop an open re sprinkler

BY GRACE DICKENS

re district in Williamson County, and then we became the rst emergency services district in Williamson County,” Landi said. “We like to be the trendsetter.” The re department responds to roughly three to four calls a day, but that number spikes to 18-24 in weather events such as Winter Storm Uri. The station handles roughly 1,000 calls annually, Landi said. While “re” is in the job title, calls for res are around 2% of the calls the department receives, Landi said. Most of the calls received are medical and service related. “The No. 1 thing that people don’t really realize is when you dial 911 for a medical call, you get a re truck,” Landi said. “We’re part of what’s called a tiered system. You dial 911; the re trucks get there as rst responders because we are closer than an ambulance.” As a “borderline” department located on the border of Travis and Williamson counties, re- ghters from the Jollyville Fire Department are in constant coordination with other local emergency service departments, Landi said. Along with coordinating on assignments, the

Many things have changed in the 30 years re Chief Brad Landi has been with the Jollyville Fire Department. When Landi joined the team in 1992, the department was completely volunteer run with a sta of 40-45 people and two stations. Fast forward to 2023, the department is now run by 19 paid sta members and 15 volunteers in its station o Anderson Mill Road. “Our volunteers range from people that are doing the exact same thing as the paid sta— they’re running into burning buildings and helping people—to people that support the organization in times of need, like Snowmageddon [in 2021],” Landi said. Established in 1975, the Jollyville Fire Depart- ment provides service to an 11-mile area within Williamson County and beyond when necessary. Known as “Emergency Services District No. 1” on residents’ tax bills, Landi said the district likes to come rst. “We were the rst volunteer re department in the area to have [an automated external debrillator] back in the ’80s, we were the rst

Fireghters determine how to use the building’s re response system to provide water to dierent levels of a building Standpipe simulations Search and rescue techniques are taught to reghters in a very low- visibility, multilevel structure Search and rescue simulations Teach reghters how to navigate live re situations along with smoke and heat conditions Live re simulations Instructs reghters to locate and stop an underground pressurized gas line leak Gas simulations Movement on sloped and elevated services is taught to reghters Roof simulations

The Jollyville Fire Department opened their current location near Anderson Mill Road and Pond Springs Road in 2010.

The re department has several vehicles available in dierent sizes depending on the emergency.

PHOTOS BY GRACE DICKENSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

departments also work together on training. The Jollyville department serves as a regional training facility with an outdoor area for nine separate training simulation scenarios. “Regional training isn’t just a classroom, so we’ve got a lot of stu that others don’t have in the area,” Landi said. “We try to be a focal part of the emergency response in the entire region.” Traditional methods of re training burn hay and wood, but the Jollyville Fire Department has upgraded to the use of propane gas and articial smoke in training to increase the safety for people in training and ensure personnel are available in times of emergency, Landi said. “[Burning wood and hay] is bad for you,” Landi

said. “It’s cancer causing, so then you have to take the entire crew out of service; you have to have another crew covering for them while they’re training. We’ve redone all of that to make it a little cleaner, a little safer to train while still having the realism.” Outside of responding to and preparing for emergencies, the Jollyville Fire Department stays involved in the community, Landi said. The department participates in several holiday and school events along with parades. “It’s not all just about 911 or running when someone calls,” Landi said. “It’s about your involvement with the community on a day-to-day basis.”

The training simulation facility is located behind the re department and features several dierent options for simulations.

SOURCE: FIRE CHIEF BRAD LANDICOMMUNITY IMPACT

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