01.09.2024

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Today’s Forecast

58º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:47 p.m.

💼 Can we speak to the manager?

Applications open to become Austin’s next city manager

The front of Austin's downtown City Hall

Austin may have a new city manager before summer. | Photo by ATXtoday

Wanna run the City of Austin?

Applications for Austin’s city manager position opened yesterday. Here’s what to know about the job search for one of the Capital City’s most important positions.

Background

The city manager is responsible for managing the city’s $5.5 billion budget and overseeing 14,000+ city employees.

Austin’s last official city manager was Spencer Cronk, who was hired for the job in 2018.

Austin City Council voted to remove Cronk from his position last February, questioning the city’s preparedness and communication during the winter storm. The freeze, which took place earlier that month, cut power to a third of Austinites, damaged 10.5 million trees, and left 170,000 tons of debris.

Since Cronk’s removal, former city manager Jesús Garza has filled the position in an interim capacity.

Filling the role

The City Manager application is expected to close on Monday, Feb. 12, according to a memo from Mayor Kirk Watson.

In addition to the open application, the city hired Mosaic Public Partners to conduct a national search. Mosaic is expected to provide a list of candidates to Austin City Council by March.

Watson said the city aims to decide on a finalist for the job by mid-April, but noted the process could take longer and that “because this is such a big decision, we shouldn’t feel rushed in any way.”

Events

Tuesday, Jan. 9

“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” | Now-Sunday, Jan. 14 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $35-$150 | Learn about the Grammy winning Queen of Rock n’ Roll to the soundtrack of her own music.
Welcome to Night Vale | Tuesday, Jan. 9 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $25-$35 | Spend your Tuesday immersed in the world of this creepy, nostalgic fiction podcast of the same name.

Wednesday, Jan. 10

Intro to Modern Calligraphy | Wednesday, Jan. 10 | 6-8 p.m. | CRAFT, 916 Springdale Rd., Bldg. 4, #102, Austin | $86 | Local calligrapher Jesilyn Kay will walk beginners through how to make their own beautiful script.
Pouring With Heart | Wednesday, Jan. 10 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Caña Rum Bar, 405 E. 7th St., Austin | $15 | Try the Brazilian spirit cachaça at this educational tasting.

Thursday, Jan. 11

Birds in the Landscape | Thursday, Jan. 11 | 8-10 a.m. | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave., Austin | $15 | Join birders from the Travis Audubon and horticulturists from the Wildflower Center on a morning field trip.

Plan Ahead

Carnaval Brasileiro | Saturday, Feb. 3 | 9 p.m. | Speakeasy, 412 Congress Ave., Austin | $40 | The annual Mardi Gras celebration features live Brazilian bands, a body painter, and lots of dancing.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Number

One million. That’s how many people are expected to travel to Texas for the upcoming total solar eclipse in April, with an estimated 122,000-488,000 visitors headed to Kerrville alone. Plan your eclipse party. (KXAN)

Closing

Hong Kong Supermarket restaurant P. Thai’s Khao Man Gai (8557 Research Blvd.) will close permanently on Saturday, Jan. 27. Chef-owner Thai Changthong hopes to reopen the restaurant — and a second space called P. Thai’s Noodle Shop — in a new location.

Coming Soon

South Austin’s St. Elmo Brewing Co. plans to open a second location at 8110 Springdale Rd. this spring. The brewery will contain a beer garden, 20+ beers on tap, all-day coffee from Spokesman Coffee, and a Spicy Boys food truck. (Eater Austin)

Now Open

A luxury cat hotel with a state-of-the-art spa and 27 themed rooms is now open in northwest Austin. Guests at The Happy Cat Hotel & Spa will receive room service, enrichment activities, and 24-hour webcam monitoring access. (Austin Monthly)

Trending

A customer at Bastrop’s El Nuevo Mexico restaurant tipped $10,000 on their bill — twice. A manager for the restaurant said the customer is a regular, and has also previously paid for other customers’ food. (Austin American-Statesman)

Plan Ahead

Third Eye Blind, Yellowcard, and A R I Z O N A will perform at Austin’s Germania Insurance Amphitheater in August as part of their Summer Gods Tour. Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the public this Friday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m.

Fun Fact

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Try This

📚 Never stop learning

23 classes to take in Austin

Try something new this year. | Photo via @maverick_horseback_riding

Happy 2024, Austin.

Whether your plans for this year include learning a new language, cooking more, or spending more time with your family, there are dozens of classes all over Austin to help you reach your goals. Here are a few of our favorites.

Austin Spanish Academy | Bolster your language abilities at these virtual courses — classes are available for all ages and skill levels, and take place weekly. (Psst — check out these nine other ways to learn a new language in ATX.)

Maverick Horseback Riding | This year just might be just the year to try something new and exciting. Book a lesson for you or your children if you’re brand new to horseback riding, or jump right in on a ranch ride if you’re already comfortable in the saddle.

Central Market Cooking School | Cook up some confidence in the kitchen. Upcoming classes will teach you how to make souffles, Asian dumplings, and French macarons.

3 more classes

Asked

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A. Local classes
B. Local wildlife and plant life
C. Notable days in Austin history
D. Other

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The Buy

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

I was gifted a video bird feeder for Christmas this year, and my fiancé and I have been having so much fun looking at the photos of our backyard’s feathered inhabitants. So far we’ve spotted a northern cardinal, a tufted titmouse, and lots of pesky, clever squirrels.

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