Bee Cave City Council approved a funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for improvements at the Hwy. 71, Hamilton Pool Road and Bee Cave Parkway intersection.

The overview: In January 2024, City Council approved a resolution supporting design improvements for an "innovative intersection" such as a diverging diamond.

Since then, the city worked with TxDOT and found that expanding the intersection would be a faster and more viable solution for pedestrians, rather than an "innovative intersection," Bee Cave City Manager Julie Oakley said.

The improvements that will expand the intersection are aimed at accommodating Bee Cave’s consistent population growth in recent years.

The details: The project is estimated to cost the city about $2.8 million, whereas the state costs are at nearly $3.7 million.

Bee Cave will be funding the Bee Cave Parkway improvements, while TxDOT will fund the improvements on Hamilton Pool Road and Hwy. 71.

The Austin City Auditor’s Office plans to launch at least 10 new audits in 2027 and complete six projects started in 2026. The City Council Audit and Finance Committee considered the 2027 audit plan on Oct. 21.

The 2027 plan features:

• Reviews of topics including police oversight, employee pay and the management of city-owned facilities

• Completion of six ongoing audits like a homeless strategy efficiency assessment and police training audit

• Space for possible flex projects related to initial findings of the Comprehensive Efficiency Assessment Program, the multi-year citywide audit project launched by City Council this year

The auditor's office will also oversee the efficiency assessment now being conducted by the third-party firm Public Works LLC.

More than 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first seven days of early voting in the Nov. 3 election, state data shows.

The overview: From Oct. 19-25, 23.8% of Texas' 19 million registered voters had voted in-person or by mail, according to voter turnout data submitted by counties and reported by the secretary of state. This is slightly below early voting turnout at the same point in 2018 and several percentage points above turnout in 2022.

Some context: Turnout this fall follows voter enthusiasm during the March primary election, when more Texans voted early than in recent primaries. In total, about 4.5 million people—or one-fourth of voters registered at the time—cast ballots in Texas' March election, setting a primary turnout record.

At the polls: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county through Oct. 30, the last day of early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3. Texans can read Q&As with dozens of candidates, find local polling sites and print a custom sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.