Fall 2022 HNA Newsletter — Highland Neighborhood Association

Hi folks!

It’s been a bit since the HNA has communicated with the neighborhood, so I thought I’d drop y’all a line to let you know about some stuff that’s going on. We also have some good news about the Highland Neighborhood Park.

Highland Neighborhood Park: Construction Begins Soon

On October 13th, city council voted to officially choose the contractor for completing the next phase of the park. Visit the city of Austin website for the park for more information.

The money’s been allocated, the contractor has been approved…and construction should start in early December. This is actually happening! According to PARD, 330 days is allotted for construction. HNA VP Kate Garza has been working hard to make sure we have access to the playground for at least part of the construction, but we can’t guarantee that will happen. There are safety and funding considerations that come with maintaining access during construction. In short, it could increase costs and prolong construction to maintain access. It may be that some part of the park will be accessible at some point during construction, but probably not for the whole time.

The bridge over Waller Creek, for which the HNA got an Austin Parks Foundation grant, will theoretically be built towards the end of the project. We will track this to make sure it happens during this phase, however.

To help celebrate, sign up for It’s My Park Day at Highland Park. Usually we mulch the oaks there to keep them healthy, and do some light cleanup. It’s also a great way to meet your neighbors and enjoy the park.

Upcoming state and local elections

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know there’s an election coming up. Early voting runs from Monday, October 24, 2022 to Friday, November 4, 2022: 7am - 7pm

Polls are open on Sunday, October 30 from 12pm - 6pm. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. You can vote anywhere in Travis Country if you’re registered in Travis Country.

In addition to the statewide races (governor, etc.), we’ll be voting on our member of Congress, mayor of Austin, an at-large school board seat, our state board of education representative, county judge, and several bond measures—3 for AISD schools and one for affordable housing.

We will also be voting for our representative in the state legislature. One thing to note is most of Highland is now in the Texas House of Representatives District 50, which is new. The people running are Victor Johnson, James Talarico, and Ted Brown. James Talarico currently serves in the Texas House and is running in this newly drawn district we’re in now. Click here to see a sample ballot.

Voting locations

The closest polling place for Highland is in the City of Austin Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr. That’s across Middle Fiskville Rd. from the Linc shopping center (where Easy Tiger is).

HNA executive board elections

At our next HNA meeting on Tuesday December 14, we’ll be holding elections for the HNA executive board. I won’t be running for reelection—I’ve been president for 6 years and was vice president for several years before that. I’ve enjoyed being involved—I’m proud of our work getting the park built, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pork chop get demolished.

But I’d like someone else to have the chance to have an impact on our community. Highland needs a strong voice going forward—there is and will be a lot of change in this neighborhood. And Highland needs an effective neighborhood association to track the issues and development affecting our area.

Brian Richey, the vice president of the south sector of the HNA, will also be moving on. We’ve loved having him around and wish him the best in his new venture.

All this is to say, please volunteer with the HNA. We’re a community organization that is only as effective and engaged as its volunteers choose to be. Neighborhood associations are an important part of Austin’s strong historical commitment to democratic governance. That sounds high-falutin’, but I really believe that.