Bastrop city officials continue to signal that the Bastrop Building Block, or B3, Code will soon be replaced with the Bastrop Development Code—a framework that is expected to better guide future growth. 

What we know: Brittany Epling, a senior planner with the city of Bastrop, told Bastrop City Council during a Dec. 16 meeting the planned Bastrop Development Code will keep “the most important intentions” of the B3 Code and ensure that regulations are “clearer, simpler and more predictable to administer.”

“The Bastrop Development Code is intended to guide land use and development through clear standards and consistent procedures so that growth remains authentically Bastrop, fiscally and environmentally sustainable, and thoughtfully planned to meet future needs,” she said in a staff report.

Bastrop’s downtown hospitality scene is poised for another boost, as Bastrop resident John Wayne Formica is set to open Pluto’s Wine Bar in early 2026. 

What we know: Pluto’s Wine Bar will feature the following: 

• Wines by the glass and by the bottle
• Beer
• A seasonal menu 
• Educational tastings 
• Themed events 

• 924 Main St., Bastrop

Central Texas counties could begin receiving up to $1.25 million each in state funding for flood warning sirens in the coming weeks and months, officials announced Dec. 16.

The overview: The funding comes less than six months after historic flooding hit parts of Central and West Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 137 residents and visitors. During special legislative sessions this summer, state lawmakers approved requirements that 30 counties included in a July disaster declaration install flood warning systems with the help of $50 million in state grants.

Zooming in: Each county is expected to receive up to $1.25 million from the Texas Water Development Board. Counties seeking more money will need their requests approved by the three-member board.

Counties are required to submit detailed project plans to the TWDB and can use the grants to install physical infrastructure such as sirens, rain gauges, flood gauges and solar panels to power the warning systems. The money can also be used for local flood education, outreach and training programs, TWDB staff said.