Bastrop officials are weighing options to address a projected $830,468 General Fund shortfall after an Aug. 6-7 council workshop in Fredericksburg drew criticism over its location.

The details: Options include using surplus funds, cutting vacant positions, shifting Street Fund money or adopting one of two higher property tax rates.

What they’re saying: State Rep. Stan Gerdes criticized holding the workshop more than 100 miles from Bastrop and said he plans to pursue legislation requiring city councils to meet within their cities.

Mayor Ishmael Harris said the meetings were publicly posted, open and livestreamed, while acknowledging concerns about in-person access.

Texas Attorney General guidance states a governmental body is prohibited from holding a meeting at an inaccessible location, and cites previous opinions finding that entities cannot hold a meeting outside the country or state; however, it does not specifically address city- and county-level meetings.

What’s next: No action was taken during the workshop, and the city must hold a public hearing before making its final decision.

Bastrop’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

PostalAnnex will open its first Bastrop location at Burleson Crossing East next month, offering shipping, packaging and business service options.

The gist: As previously reported by Community Impact, construction on the PostalAnnex began in May at the expanding shopping center.

• Opens in early September
• Burleson Crossing East, 663 SH 71 W., Ste. 111 

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation updates.

Ongoing projects

Austin seeks public feedback on Cesar Chavez Street renaming: The city is seeking public feedback on the potential renaming of Cesar Chavez Street following some City Council members' request for the change earlier this year. The city is asking residents whether the street should be renamed, and if so, what designation to use as a replacement. Council will take that input before making any final decisions. Three public meetings about the renaming process will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Central Library and  Aug. 15 at Sanchez Elementary School, and Aug. 18 via a virtual webinar. 

Completed projects

CapMetro's Bikeshare service to resume Aug. 11: After a temporary service suspension due to an operations facility fire, Capital Metro officials announced that its rentable electric-assist bike service Bikeshare will return in phases beginning Aug. 11. Nearly one-third of the Bikeshare fleet will be available for riding by Aug. 18 in priority areas with the highest customer demand

Five-year-old Avry Jo Schapansky rang the bell at Dell Children's Blood and Cancer Center on Aug. 7, celebrating the end of her cancer treatment and marking her as the first patient in Central Texas to complete a stem cell transplant through the hospital's new program.

Why it matters: Before Dell Children's launched the program in August 2025, families needing this level of care had to travel outside Central Texas, often for a month or longer, to hospitals in Houston, Dallas or San Antonio.

Schapansky, diagnosed with high-risk Stage 4 neuroblastoma, underwent a roughly year-and-a-half treatment plan that included chemotherapy, surgery, tandem stem cell transplants and radiation.

A closer look: Dr. Shannon Cohn, her pediatric oncologist, said the family's decision to stay reflected trust in a brand-new transplant team.

The program was made possible in part through a gift from the Shivers Cancer Foundation, which helped recruit Dr. Amir Mian to lead it, along with a partnership with nonprofit blood center We Are Blood.

What else? Dell Children's is working toward offering CAR T-cell therapy and gene therapy in 2026.