� City Council has taken off for summer vacation, but not all city-related business is in a holding pattern, especially not when it comes to Formula One: It appears the state will go forward with a $25 million payment to Circuit of the Americas now that a lawsuit attempting to stop the deal has likely hit a dead end. See “Beside the Point.”
� The Austin Police Department arrested 73 people for driving while intoxicated over the four-day July Fourth weekend as part of a statewide No Refusal crackdown. In total, 29 drivers were subjected to blood tests by warrant, five consented to blood draws, and four underwent mandatory testing. In addition, 35 people failed Breathalyzers, 21 of whom were at least twice the legal limit.
� Austinites got to see the potential shape of future council elections as city-retained lawyers at Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP unveiled some possible maps for single-member districts. All four maps use Mayor Lee Leffingwell‘s preferred model of six districts, with the mayor and two at-large members filling out the dais. The shift from the current all-at-large system to geographic representation requires a charter amendment, and voters have rejected similar measures in the past.
� Travis County commissioners are working on their own set of new district boundaries. Outside counsel has drawn up three maps for the county, while Precinct 3 Commissioner Karen Huber has offered her own plan, which proposes a radical take on the lines in East Austin between incumbents Ron Davis in Precinct 1 and Sarah Eckhardt in Precinct 2. Travis County residents will be able to give their input at a hearing July 12; commissioners will vote on the final map in August.
� It’s bond election season. A Travis County citizens advisory committee is nearing completion of a list of bond proposals – a $150 million package addressing road and park projects – that county commissioners may decide to place on the November ballot. The committee’s final set of recommendations is expected to go before commissioners July 26.
� City work crews have painted newly designated “reverse-angle” parking spaces along a chunk of South Congress, adding another 70 parking spaces to the area between Riverside Drive and Live Oak Street. The city already has back-in parking on West Third, West Sixth, and Dean Keeton streets.
� The Texas Supreme Court last week threw out a 2006 Travis County lawsuit that challenged the accuracy of electronic voting. Plaintiffs, including former attorney general candidate David Van Os and the Austin chapter of the NAACP, had sought to force the county to provide paper copies to voters after their ballots were cast.
� President Barack Obama has declared Texas a major disaster area due to ongoing wildfires. The declaration allows state and local government in 45 counties access to extra federal funding in their firefighting endeavors; other counties may be added later.
� With the legislative session barely over, Gov. Rick Perry is already making interim appointments. Tarrant County’s internationally respected Chief Medical Examiner Nizam Peerwani becomes chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Meanwhile, the Texas Freedom Network has condemned Perry’s appointment of religious extremist Barbara Cargill to lead the State Board of Education.
This article appears in July 8 • 2011.