ATX-LTW: Impact 10/1/2025

The City of Bee Cave is sharing details on its proposed $19.98-million library building, with an informational town hall scheduled for Oct. 9.

The overview: As public approval for city developments in Bee Cave is now required per a charter amendment from November 2024, the new library facility will appear on the city’s Nov. 4 election ballot this year.

If approved by voters, the proposed 18,500-square-foot library will be constructed as a one-story building on the city-owned Skaggs Tract, located on Bee Cave Parkway near Hill Country Indoor and across from the Ladera neighborhood.

Private study and work areas, a multipurpose room, an outdoor reading area, and play areas are included in plans for the library, according to a Sept. 23 news release.

The details: On the November ballot, two propositions related to the library will be presented to voters.

Proposition A will authorize the construction of the new library. Proposition B will authorize the issuance of $19.98 million in general obligation bonds to fund the new building.

Law enforcement and medical personnel will soon jointly respond to serious mental health emergency calls in Central Austin.

The details: The local management of such incidents has evolved over recent years, with notable updates like the addition of a mental health option for 911 callers.

After City Council recently asked for a review of how Austin handles mental health response, the Austin Police Department, Austin/Travis County EMS and Integral Care are pooling resources for the new joint unit starting up this fall.

The "Austin FIRST" team will both patrol the downtown area and take 911 calls for the highest-acuity, or most severe and potentially dangerous, mental health crisis events.

The new team is starting a pilot initiative that will likely be adjusted and potentially expanded after a six-month trial run.

According to a Sept. 26 press release, Target has launched a first-of-its-kind accessible self-checkout experience designed for guests with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision.

The self-checkouts will roll out nationwide beginning this holiday season and in early 2026 as part of Target's ongoing checkout improvements, according to the release.

What to expect: Per the release, the innovation is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are visually impaired while supporting those with motor disabilities.

The technology works with Target’s existing self-checkout system and includes:

• Braille and high-contrast button icons
• A headphone jack with adjustable volume controls
• Physical navigation buttons and a dedicated information key

The Nov. 4 election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Oct. 6 to cast votes in various local races and weigh in on 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.

What to know: Texans who need to register to vote must submit a paper application. The application is available here and must be printed, signed and mailed to the election office in the voter’s county of residence.

Texas does not allow online voter registration, unless residents are updating, renewing or replacing a Texas driver’s license or ID card.

Zooming in: To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Reside in the county they apply to vote in
• Be at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court