Voters will decide this fall whether to adopt a new requirement for citywide third-party audits, on the heels of City Council's approval of a separate recurring "efficiency assessment" program.

The details: The concept of wide-ranging external auditing was supported by officials in the wake of last November's failed tax rate election, and council adopted a citywide audit program as proposed by Mayor Kirk Watson earlier this year. However, calls for additional reviews continued from outside City Hall.

The political group Save Austin Now, a top donor against Proposition Q, had pushed for third-party city auditing since last year through a petition for an "Independent Affordability and Efficiency Initiative" of Austin's government, which it submitted it to the city for certification on June 2.

On June 22, the petition was certified with more than 20,000 registered voters in support and the measure will appear on Austin's November ballot. 

RDA Martial Arts Academy opened in Northwest Austin this month. The family-owned business brings training programs to students of all ages.

The specifics: The new academy offers Brazilian jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing and self defense classes for students ages three and older. All RDA Martial Arts Academy programs are crafted with beginners in mind, Cris Dos Anjos, a representative from the business, said.

“Our curriculum is structured to help students build confidence, fitness, discipline, and practical self-defense skills from day one,” said Cris Dos Anjos. “We believe martial arts should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, fitness level or experience.”

About the owner: RDA Martial Arts Academy is led by founder and head instructor Rafael Dos Anjos, a UFC world champion. He has competed at the professional level for over two decades. 

Another detail: Up next, the academy is slated to expand youth offerings to feature a Homeschool Martial Arts Program. The RDA team is currently building its mid-morning class waitlist for students ages 3-14. 

• 6001 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 230, Austin

A resource center adjacent to Austin's downtown homeless shelters reopened this spring to offer health, job, housing and other assistance to those in need.

The details: A space in between two city-owned facilities—the Eighth Street Shelter and Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH—was previously converted from a parking lot into an outdoor cooling and amenity area for homeless people called the Oasis. After Austin cut ties with former shelter operator Urban Alchemy, the space closed due to a lack of funding.

The former Oasis officially relaunched June 15 and is now called the SOW Community Resource Hub. The initiative was supported by the Sow Family Foundation in partnership with Endeavors, as well as contributions from Lowe's. No city funds are being used.

“We really are trying to make it more and more into a one-stop hub that is easy for folks to access, there's really no barriers to entry, and folks can come on-site and get connected with the service that they need," said David Gray, director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations.