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Popular podcaster—and new Austin resident—Joe Rogan canceled all podcast episodes for this week just days after the controversial music artist Kanye West teased that he would be on the show.
<p>The cancellation of this week's podcast episodes comes after Rogan's producer Jamie Vernon tested positive for COVID-19. On Instagram, Rogan said he and the rest of his team had tested negative. Rogan also said he had not seen Vernon in nine days, and his staff would be tested every day to make sure they did not contract the virus.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c202cbb4acc79657709a6dd0f8b9b94" id="84d39"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>While Rogan did not mention the guests of the upcoming episodes that were canceled, West tweeted screenshots of a FaceTime call with Rogan, which referred to West being a guest on the podcast this Friday. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f8f25e768b362c9f67e4db0cfdb03cd" id="4c70b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1317550429895622657"><div style="margin:1em 0">Joe Rogan said it’s cool for me to design the set for our podcast this Friday ⛷ https://t.co/9FOPjU36K3</div> — ye (@ye)<a href="https://twitter.com/kanyewest/statuses/1317550429895622657">1602963476.0</a></blockquote></div><p>West has not publicly responded to the cancellation. </p><p>The rapper icon first mentioned he wanted to be on the podcast on <a href="https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1315680854555848705?s=20" target="_blank">Twitter Oct. 12</a>. This would mean West would fly from his Calabasas home to Rogan's <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-businesses-behind-the-joe-rogan-studio-2647571718/timeline-of-joe-rogan-moving-to-texas" target="_blank">new Austin podcast studio</a>, as many guests on the podcast have done already.</p><p>West made news in July for <a href="https://austonia.com/politics/elon-musk-kanye-west" target="_blank">launching his candidacy for U.S. president</a>. While his name will not appear on most ballots, he is still encouraging fans to write his name in. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="19a18f982b6c1115bb96e4146247aae8" id="a8fbc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1314407219434196993"><div style="margin:1em 0">Friends writing me in 🕊 https://t.co/bC4NvFBWB5</div> — ye (@ye)<a href="https://twitter.com/kanyewest/statuses/1314407219434196993">1602214076.0</a></blockquote></div><p><strong>More on Joe Rogan:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/iconoclast-joe-rogan" target="_self">Austin's newest superstar resident, podcaster Joe Rogan, is a complicated, pot smoking, elk hunting, fight fan who wants everyone to just 'calm down'</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ1MzI4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDczNzU4NX0.7iTW7OLxrUqt24g-Zxe2TKriAjAIWIaNeeBjNHT0KLU/img.jpg?width=980" id="90c7a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3f1c8b335784ceacbf24509cb282d8d5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin's newest superstar resident, podcaster Joe Rogan, is a complicated, pot smoking, elk hunting, fight fan who wants everyone to just 'calm down'
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(Pexels)
About 50,000 Austin-area users have already downloaded Citizen, a smartphone app that reports real-time police and emergency medical threats. Austin is already one of Citizen's most popular cities since the company soft-launched here late last year.
<p>"It's one of our top markets after cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago," Citizen spokesperson Lily Gordon told Austonia via email.<br/></p><p>The app relies on hired analysts and user-generated content to track every 911 call and public safety dispatch in the city. Users receive alerts about nearby incidents directly on their cell phone lock screen, and reports are updated live with additional details as well as audio and video recordings as they become available.</p><p>While there are numerous services similar to Citizen, including the city-built <a href="https://austintexas.gov/department/austin-pd-smartphone-app" target="_blank">Austin PD smartphone app</a>, Citizen claims to be the most popular since its launch in 2017. In total, the app has been downloaded by 5 million people across 20-plus metropolitan areas. </p><p>Citizen has already live reported several notable events in Austin. In addition to daily local COVID-19 updates, the app served as an information resource during downtown social unrest in late May and June.</p><p>More recently, Citizen dominated coverage during two September news events: when <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-trump-boat-parade" target="_self">five boats sank</a> during a pro-Donald Trump boat parade rally on Lake Travis (Sept. 4) and again when <a href="https://austonia.com/construction-crane-collision-austin" target="_self">two construction cranes collided</a>, injuring 22 workers in the Mueller neighborhood (Sept. 16). During both news events, the smartphone app scooped some local news outlets with live breaking news updates from analysts and Citizen users.</p><p>"We were proud that we were able to provide real-time updates on this major story to more than 30,000 Austinites and be a resource for local news outlets," Gordon said via email. "As a real-time safety app, this example points to how we are in a unique position to provide up-to-the-minute updates about developing public safety incidents."</p><p>As part of its "official" Austin debut in April, the company hired freelance help to increase activity on the platform. Austin native Brian Smith, who runs <a href="https://twitter.com/txmobilenews?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@txmobilenews</a> on Twitter as a freelance videographer, helped Citizen cover breaking news events in Austin as part of its "Street Team Program." He posted videos of public safety threats directly to the app, getting paid for each scene he documented. </p><p>The street team disbanded after the first month because of COVID-19 health concerns. Smith did similar stringer work while living in New York City. But Austin doesn't have as many breaking news stringers—think Jake Gyllenhaal's character in "Nightcrawler"—as the larger news markets. </p><p>"I'm kind of the only one who does the videos for the television networks," said Smith, who works as head of sales for a technology startup during the day. "This market just doesn't support it."</p><p>Even though Smith is no longer paid by Citizen for his side hustle, he still uses the app to find breaking news events to cover for the highest bidder. He even posts the occasional video clip from a news event as long as it doesn't compete with his freelance work.</p><p>From his experience, the app has proven reliable and accurate, and it's only improving.</p><p>"I do believe the people behind Citizen are committed to doing the best they can to put the best information out there to inform the public," Smith said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="614b6e2361ab68210306ae3383fc7f09" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="356b6" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzNTU2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY2OTcwMH0.JPAjqSqiMj3SUbE6RPsTteEqibfZQFp_xWrTaRAoBLs/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Public safety alerts are blasted to Citizen users each time a 911 call is documented. Users can customize the extent they receive alerts.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Citizen app</small></p><p>Many users on Citizen promote news from the app on other social platforms, including Westlake resident Dennis Lastor, who posts the occasional breaking alert to Twitter. The city has become less safe since he moved here 21 years ago, he said, and Citizen helps document the extent of the issue.<br/></p><p>"I wanted to see what kind of crime was going on and what kind of increase might be going on, and Citizen app was the only direct source showing the reality of what kind of crime was going on," said Lastor, who downloaded the app about three months ago.</p><p>Lastor, an engineer, says Citizen provides data that shows a rising crime trend as well as bizarre anecdotes about public safety risks in Austin. For example, there have been reports of multiple people chased by a machete-wielding man in one neighborhood, he said, and more than a dozen 7-Eleven convenience stores have recently been robbed. </p><p>According to the <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/101520_CMR_September_%20EXTERNAL.pdf" target="_blank">latest crime report</a> from the Austin police chief, crimes against persons and property crime are down so far this year. Lastor acknowledges the app has the potential to confirm his own bias, so he also relies on other news sources to balance out Citizen.</p><p>Lastor and Smith also both reject any comparison to Nextdoor—another hyperlocal reporting service—which is sometimes ridiculed for its unsubstantiated "suspicious person" posts. In fact, Lastor just deleted his Nextdoor account. </p><p>"(Citizen) can be hypervigilant, so you may think it's World War III when it's just an average day, but the upside beats the downside," Lastor said.</p>
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(Nan Palmero/Flickr)
Austin-based jewelry empire Kendra Scott is now selling earrings designed by University of Texas students in The Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
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<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0b3d68391ec84748e48d20d4f629d933" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="fd50f" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzMTU1Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDUwOTEwM30.BrEtoWbyLpqPL3UXwTq56tTIr9vTRl-7agexQWt1LvA/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Kendra Scott)</small></p><p>Students in the Textiles and Apparel Design program teamed up to create potential Kendra Scott pieces aimed toward Gen Z, or younger, consumers. According to UT, more than 5,000 people voted online to pick the winning design.<br/></p><p>The winning team, comprised of Anita Ghamarian, Tianjie Pei, Julia Sotelo, Sara Kopenec and Pinar Sarilar, named the earrings Ciarla in honor of the creator and instructor of the course, Jessica Ciarla.</p><p>In an interview with the <a href="https://cns.utexas.edu/news/ut-students-jewelry-design-picked-up-by-kendra-scott" target="_blank">UT College of Natural Sciences,</a> recent Textiles and Apparel Design graduate Ghamarian said that the final designs included pastels, astrological symbols and other trendy elements seen on social media.</p><p>"We really wanted to get into the mindset of the Gen Z individual, so we went to where they spend the most time: social media," Ghamarian said.</p><p>The accessory design, development and merchandising course is offered as part of the Kendra Scott Women Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute. The course was first offered in the spring.</p><p>The earring set <a href="https://www.kendrascott.com/jewelry/categories/earrings/842177179284.html#q=ciarla&lang=en_US&start=1" target="_blank">retails for $78</a> and is available online and in stores with 20% of the proceeds going back to The Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, according to the <a href="https://www.kendrascott.com/jewelry/categories/earrings/842177179284.html" target="_blank">Kendra Scott website</a>.</p><p><strong>More on Kendra Scott:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/kendra-scott-shark-tank" target="_self">Local entrepreneur Kendra Scott takes a seat on ABC's Shark Tank</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzMDU0MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjY2ODkwM30.IpPj4KQ-H2fh_g2lrPUYJIBxHdKdhaq6rN7TugPJAr0/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C1071%2C0%2C318&height=800" id="eb3fd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="633a1bf838772932b4db3fe6a71bf02a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Local entrepreneur Kendra Scott takes a seat on ABC's Shark Tank
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(Laura Figi/Austonia)
People line up outside 6th Street bars on Sept. 12.
More than 200 Austin bars have recently reclassified as restaurants, bypassing Travis County health rules that keep bars closed amid COVID-19 concerns.
<p>Some bars in Texas, shut down <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/26/texas-bars-restaurants-coronavirus-greg-abbott/" target="_blank">since late June</a>, reopened last week at 50% capacity <a href="https://austonia.com/texas-bars-covid" target="_blank">where local officials deemed it safe</a>. Travis County ultimately <a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-bars" target="_blank">kept bars closed</a> because "the risk to our public health is too great," Judge Sam Biscoe said.</p><p>But at least 203 Austin bars are eligible to reopen anyway, based on mid-October permit records from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. These bars submitted paperwork proving they have on-site food service facilities where customers can order at least two entrees at the same time alcohol is served.</p><p>There has been a significant surge in converted bars locally since <a href="https://www.tabc.texas.gov/static/sites/default/files/2020-08/industry-notice-qualifying-as-a-restaurant-under-ga-28.pdf" target="_blank">state-issued guidance in August</a> told bars how to reopen as restaurants. Here is a map showing every Austin establishment that successfully applied to reopen.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=131hMua8aRgzZ9hifWe2gdeRd4Ex_SSYR" width="640"></iframe></div><p>Keep in mind that permit changes don't necessarily mean every business on the map reopened just yet.<br/></p><p class="media-headline">Bars that were unable to reclassify as restaurants remain closed in Travis County. Since the pandemic started in March, Austin bars have only been allowed to <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/as-covid-19-surges-gov-abbott-orders-bars-re-closed-restaurants-to-scale-back-capacity" target="_blank">open for about five weeks</a>, from mid-May until late June when shutdown orders were reissued statewide.<br/></p><p>Texas restaurants—including converted bars—can operate at 75% capacity as long as tables remain distanced and there are no more than 10 people per party. </p><p>In Austin, the city has established the "<a href="http://austintexas.gov/page/shop-the-block" target="_blank">Shop the Block</a>" pilot program to encourage businesses to expand outdoor operations during the pandemic. However, only 17 restaurants and converted bars have active permits to expand into private parking lots as well as public sidewalks, parking spaces and streets.</p><p>Many of the existing participants, mostly converted bars, have renewed their permit. The outdoor expansion into private parking lots and public rights of way is free as long as the expanded area doesn't include a tent or seat of more than 49 people. If so, then it's $306 per month.</p><p>Additional application, usage and inspection fees apply for public space closures. Most applicants have expanded into their private parking lots, avoiding those fees in the process.</p><p>See more details of each successful applicant in the map above. The city is encouraging more applicants for the sparsely used pilot program, which runs through at least Dec. 15. </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on bars:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-bars" target="_self">Travis County judge says bars must remain closed after governor granted authority to reopen</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUxODM3My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzQwOTk2OX0.-VZkqRMYxrTe51FxoDbIfBVFZdNFkhbjmiwSjAXf7bE/img.png?width=980" id="93449" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8cfbb97d60fef89f2c67787113690a58" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Travis County judge says bars must remain closed after governor granted authority to reopen(Laura Figi/Austonia)
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A rental relief program from the city of Austin has so far helped more than 750 residents access nearly $900,000 to cover rental costs for up to three months.
<p>The city <a href="https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiN2IwOGJlYzgtNzkzNS00Y2U2LWFhZDktMGM1NGU1NWYyOTE1IiwidCI6IjVjNWUxOWY2LWE2YWItNGI0NS1iMWQwLWJlNDYwOGE5YTY3ZiJ9&pageName=ReportSection890641d17a14a1a2636a" target="_blank">introduced a new dashboard</a> Wednesday that showcases how much rental relief money has been distributed since late August when the program debuted. The Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenants, or RENT, program aims to provide rental aid to low-income residents who have been impacted by COVID-19.</p><p>But that's only a fraction of the $12.9 million allocated for rental relief efforts. As of Thursday morning, 776 recipients out of 2,600 applicants have received $897,698 in approved rental assistance. That means only 29.8% of applicants have qualified for rental assistance.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76ec241022e7477fa4d4008caf2078b2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="4a923" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyMTExNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMzcxODk5NX0.uOqTIqMkKOe46mY7KyuY5_350p1J8NOGjVIYWty3kWU/img.png?width=980"/>
</p>
<p>The typical household received $1,095 toward monthly rent, according to the dashboard, which also breaks down recipients per ZIP code, industry, ace/ethnicity, as well as household size and income.<br/></p><p>Approved applicants have their rental money distributed directly to their landlord. Also, only those making between 0% and 30% of Austin's median family income qualify for rental assistance all three months. Anyone making between 30% to 80% of the median family income only qualify for one month of relief. </p><p>To better promote the RENT program, the city has partnered with nonprofit organizations to assist renters in the application process. The city announced Wednesday it spent $400,000 to partner with these community organizations, which focus outreach efforts on the following factors:</p><p>Low-income residents in ZIP codes with high COVID-19 rates<br/></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Black and Latinx</li><li>Large households or families with children</li><li>People with disabilities</li><li>Veterans</li><li>People with limited English proficiency</li></ul><p>According to the city, recipients are selected randomly from the pool of qualified applicants. Such drawings occur "periodically over the comings months" or until the $12.9 million relief fund dries up. </p><p>"All applications, regardless of when they are submitted, will be given equal chance in the selection process," the city's website states.</p><p>Qualifications also balance household size with income, as applicants cannot make more than 80% of the city's median family income. Want to know if you qualify? Follow this basic breakdown to see if your household income is lower than the maximum threshold:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>I person=$54,700</li><li>2 people=$62,500</li><li>3 people=$70,300</li><li>4 people=$78,100</li><li>5 people=$84,350</li><li>6 people=$90,600</li></ul><p>Also, be ready to show evidence that COVID-19 has created financial hardships, such as paystubs and unemployment notices. </p><p>For more information about the relief program and eviction information, visit the <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/rent#" target="_blank">RENT assistance homepage</a>.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More:</strong> </p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-renter-market" target="_self">Austin market posts lower rents, a pandemic-era boon to some tenants</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3OTQ2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTY3ODc1NH0.starkffGkk6wJiQrq_JbQdOUe-0TW5UTi_EtpMsRsNA/img.jpg?width=980" id="a8a06" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29c026154265589b9d960d55cc6ef4a1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin market posts lower rents, a pandemic-era boon to some tenants
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(Pexels)
Austin is adding a new social media start-up to its growing list of tech businesses—TUBBR.
<p>Priding itself as the "world's first personal social networking app," TUBBR allows users to regulate the content they see and how it is accessed by others.</p><p><a href="https://tubbr.co/about.html" target="_blank">TUBBR</a>—pronounced like rubber—came to life when co-founder Saurabh Uttam was on a trip with friends and found that there wasn't an app that would allow the whole group to share pictures and videos while still being semi-private.</p><p>"This kind of collaboration and conversation was missing on any of the existing platforms," Uttam said in an interview with Austonia.</p><p>The need for the app grew as Uttam considered current apps and how he wanted a home for all content to exist under the same account.</p><p>TUBBR's Community Lead and Head of Marketing Sneha Sharma said what Instagram and Facebook can't do is provide universities or brands one place for all their content to exist under the same account, while still separated by category and topic.</p><p>On TUBBR, this is achieved by "walls." Different from Facebook walls, TUBBR users can create walls around topics like fashion, sports and politics, where all related content can go. Users can set these walls to public or private, which enables you to "push the right content to the right audience," Sharma said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="17e7a37f065a8e9949edd0de91333742" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="acd3c" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUyMDk1MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMzQwNjcwNn0.RWYt1VM0wkmiUcrHKVxwg-oDWEyVetWxJLi8IK55RWo/img.jpg?width=980"/>
</p><p>The app, whose headquarters are in Austin, announced in a press release this week that it has received funding from venture capitalist fund Global Ascent Partners. The funding will support the full launch of TUBBR's beta program in January 2021.<br/></p><p>In the soon-to-be-released beta version, Uttam said you don't have to be tech-savvy to use it. Users can share a link to private walls via email or text, so people without an account can still see that content.</p><p>"I can send a link to my mom, just like a Zoom link, and she automatically becomes part of my family wall," Uttam said,</p><p>The beta launch also includes the option for premium walls, giving users and influencers the ability to monetize their walls by charging those who wish to access them. TUBBR will take a portion of these profits in place of traditional ad revenue.</p><p>"In traditional platforms, unless you have a million followers and good enough viewership, you cannot have a substantial income," Uttam said. "On TUBBR, you can convert your fan base to support you through paying for walls, exclusive content and membership programs."</p><p>In the two years since TUBBR's creation, more than 200,000 users have signed up, and the company has recruited more than 20,000 global and micro-influencers to join. In comparison, Facebook as more than 2.5 billion users. </p><p>Despite instant comparisons to other social media platforms like Facebook, Uttam isn't worried about the competition. He said that the uniquely intimate connection that TUBBR offers will attract users and clear a space in the social media market.</p>
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(Austin Public Health)
CARES Act funding has helped pay for testing sites in the Austin area.
As Congress faces a stalemate over another possible coronavirus relief package, local and state governments around the country are facing a looming deadline for the last one.
<p>By Dec. 30, they must spend all the federal coronavirus relief dollars they received through the CARES Act, a bipartisan bill that was signed into law in late March and provided more than $2 trillion in assistance. Any unspent dollars must be returned to the U.S. Treasury Department. </p><p><strong>At the local level</strong></p><p>The city of Austin received nearly $171 million in CARES Act funding, which was intended for necessary expenditures incurred by the pandemic, according to <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=338985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an April presentation</a> by Brie Franco, intergovernmental relations office for the city. </p><p>As of Sept. 30, the city has spent more than $101 million of its CARES Act allocation, spokesperson Bryce Bencivengo wrote in an email to Austonia. More than two-thirds of the spending occurred between July and September. </p><p>Some of this funding has paid for new pandemic-era hires, such as epidemiologists, contact tracers and strike force teams that have helped respond to clusters at long-term care facilities and schools, Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden said on Sept. 29. </p><p>Earlier this month, council members unanimously approved <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-music-venues-qualify-for-relief" target="_self">the SAVES Resolution</a>, which allocated $15 million in CARES Act funding to music venues and other businesses deemed vital to the local culture. </p><p>Although Congress has not yet developed a relief package that could extend funding into 2021, APH is already planning to continue its COVID response efforts beyond the deadline. </p><p>"We understand that the federal funding will end as of December of this year, but we must continue to provide testing and contact tracing, our case investigations, our surveillance and our enforcement," Hayden told City Council. "Those efforts have really helped us as a city and county be in this place that we are in." </p><p><strong>At the county level</strong></p><p>Travis County received just over $61 million in CARES Act funding. As of Oct. 9, it has spent around 43%, with a remaining balance of more than $34 million to administer in the next 11 weeks.</p><p>The largest expense for Travis County has been through its economic development and strategic investments department, which has disbursed nearly $10 million in small business grants. </p><p>The bulk of the county's unspent dollars fall under two programs: 1) rent and mortgage assistance and 2) direct response.</p><p>With a countywide ban on rental evictions in place through at least the end of the year, staff have recommended that some of the rent and mortgage assistance funding be reallocated toward other causes rather than risk it being returned. </p><p>Direct response funding covers direct personnel and operating costs for <a href="https://austonia.com/we-are-blood-convalescent-plasma" target="_blank">the county's public health response</a>. </p><p>Despite the unspent dollars, Budget Director Travis Gatlin told county commissioners on Tuesday that the county's COVID-related costs are far in excess of the CARES funding it has received.</p><p>"We want to spend every dollar as soon as we can because we don't want to take a chance on having to send a dollar back," he said. "We want to keep those funds in the community."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dee8fd76e4334dbce369c75d5c9d5054" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="bba43" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUxOTExMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjgyOTExMH0.D8JFtmxA5LK9kBb9R4d3Bg-IhulteFhW8soi61PPefw/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">An Oct. 13 presentation by Travis County Budget Director Travis Gatlin shows how CARES Act funding has been allocated. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Travis County) </small></p><p><strong>At the state level</strong><br/></p><p>The state of Texas received <a href="http://sites.utexas.edu/covid19relief/funding-for-state-and-local-jurisdictions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">approximately $8 billion</a> in CARES Act funding and had a similarly broad mandate for how it could distribute it. The act also included funding for specific applications, such as homelessness outreach and rental assistance. </p><p>Although the state has disbursed some of its CARES Act funding to public schools, it simultaneously reduced <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas-school-districts-cares-act-funds-tea-money-state-funds/269-3e09564f-afbb-4d7a-9acf-725011de20fb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">its typical funding to those same schools</a>, leaving many districts—<a href="https://austonia.com/austin-isd-enrollment-2648193236?share_id=5867054" target="_self">including Austin ISD</a>—scrambling to make up the additional costs incurred due to the pandemic. </p><p><strong>At the federal level</strong></p><p>Congress has not passed a relief package since May. Since then, more than 100,000 Americans have died of the disease.<br/></p><p>Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional COVID relief funding until after the election. Hours later, he tweeted a request for Congress to send him a bill for a second round of stimulus checks. </p><p>Austin Mayor Steve Adler expressed hope that another relief bill was imminent during an Oct. 1 City Council meeting but acknowledged "it's like reading smoke signals or tea leaves." </p><p>Since then, Congress has struggled to reach an agreement. Treasury Secretary Steven Mncuhin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10/14/business/us-economy-coronavirus?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage#mnuchin-says-he-does-not-expect-a-stimulus-bill-before-the-election" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said Wednesday</a> that he does not expect a relief bill to arrive before the Nov. 3 election. </p><p>Despite the uncertainty of additional funding coming through in the new year, Hayden stressed the importance of the programs currently being reimbursed through the CARES Act.</p><p>"Public health is a number-one priority for the city of Austin and Travis County," she said at a press conference earlier this month. "We will continue to provide the level of service that we have provided thus far."</p>
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Austin residents could qualify for a $75 rebate from the city just for raising chickens at home
14 October
Chicken-keeping in Austin is not only allowed, but encouraged. So much so, in fact, that Austin residents can be rebated $75 for adding a chicken coop to their backyard.
<p>Austin Resource Recovery will virtually host a <a href="http://austintexas.gov/event/online-chicken-keeping-class-free" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free chicken-keeping class</a> at 6 p.m. Oct. 22. The event will teach Austin residents how to raise chickens and how to qualify for the $75 rebate on their utility bill. </p><p>The rebate also applies to residents with home composting systems. Such a system functions similarly to chickens, which are known to eat scraps, potentially reducing food waste going to the landfill, according to the city. Here is how you qualify for the rebate:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Decide to compost at home or keep chickens</li><li>Take a free online home composting or chicken-keeping class</li><li>Purchase a home composting system or chicken coop from a vendor of your choosing. Keep the receipt.</li><li>Submit a rebate application form.</li><li>Receive the rebate by mail in approximately eight weeks</li></ol><p>The average chicken eats seven pounds of food per month, so they won't tire from eating your food waste. Chicken droppings can also double as compost for lawns and gardens, furthering their benefit. </p><p>Chicken coops are available at plenty of Austin-area retailers, including <a href="https://callahansgeneralstore.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Callahan's General Store</a> near the airport and <a href="http://sunrisefarmtx.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Backyard Farming</a> in Dripping Springs. Callahan's also sells baby chicks every Thursday morning on a first-come, first-served basis</p><p>As chicken-keeping grows more popular in Austin, so, too, have 3-1-1 complaints to the city's code enforcement department. Since 2015, there have been a combined 297 chicken-related complaints lodged, according to city records. </p><p>Based on annualized data, chicken-related complaints—mostly regarding coops—peaked in 2018, dropping drastically last year. So far this year, there have been 56 chicken-related complaints submitted to 3-1-1, according to Austin records.</p><p>Here is a breakdown per year:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>2015: 9 complaints</li><li>2016: 59 complaints</li><li>2017: 60 complaints</li><li>2018: 80 complaints</li><li>2019: 33 complaints</li><li>2020 (as of October): 56 complaints </li></ul><p>Most of these complaints were filed under "public health" and "environmental services" classifications. Only once, in 2015, does the city have a documented instance of a loose chicken complaint. Appropriately, the complaint was filed under "Loose animal-not a dog." </p><p>To obtain free tickets for the chicken-keeping class, visit the <a href="http://austintexas.gov/event/online-chicken-keeping-class-free" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">city website</a>, or learn more about the rebate program <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/arrhomerebate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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