A new disaster restoration business launched this fall in the Hudson Bend area. 

Diving in deeper: Known as ServiceMaster Restoration by Blakely Services, the business offers disaster restoration services for water damage, mold remediation, fire or smoke restoration and more. 

About the owners: The business is owned locally by Eric and Jenna Blakely, who decided to start the business after experiencing extreme water damage and flooding from a severe storm. 

“They recognized the need for these services to help repair their home and were inspired to help others in similar situations,” a news release states. 

• 15008 Iowa St., Austin

The Leander ISD board of trustees are continuing long-range planning discussions in light of budget concerns and pushback on potential elementary school closures. 

Some context: LISD officials are projecting multimillion dollar budget shortfalls over the next several years. In May, officials began considering ways to address these shortfalls, and in September, the board approved a resolution to establish criteria and thresholds for potential campus consolidations, including how enrollment will be considered.

Major takeaways: Under potential new staffing guidelines, or the ratio of staff needed to effectively serve a campus, campuses with 400 to 499 students would be under the low-enrollment phase 1 threshold and adjust staff levels for librarians, receptionists and registrars to 0.5, or part-time roles. Campuses with up to 399 students would be under the low-enrollment phase 2 threshold which would adjust the same roles to 0.5, along with assistant principals, counselors and instructional coaches. 

Next steps: The board is slated to continue this part of long-range planning at its Dec. 4 workshop, including:

• Finalizing staffing guidelines
• Developing enrollment thresholds 
• Exploring mitigation strategies 

Texas State University will purchase a 128 acre tract of property in San Marcos as part of a conservation effort around Sink Creek.

What you need to know: The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved the land purchase for $4.5 million Nov. 20, allowing the university to take ownership of an ecologically sensitive area and continue efforts to preserve it. Acquiring the property is part of a commitment to environmental stewardship on behalf of Texas State University, per a release shared by the system.

The details: The property is located northeast of Spring Lake and Spring Meadows, adjacent to the Spring Lake Natural Area, a city of San Marcos-owned park protected for several environmental features. 

What they're saying: Being located within the Sink Creek Watershed provides an opportunity for students to further study local ecology, said Robert Mace, director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

A tentative labor agreement between the city and local firefighters' union was withdrawn from City Council consideration Nov. 20, due to concerns over the possible financial impacts of a separate ballot measure the union released after the proposed deal was reached earlier this fall.

The details: The tentative four-year agreement was in late September and scheduled for final approval by council and Austin Firefighters Association members in November.

However, the AFA also announced a petition campaign for a city charter amendment to cement Austin's four-person fire engine staffing standard enacted in 2018. While it remains in place, AFA leaders said a permanent requirement is needed after city leaders including fire Chief Joel Baker floated a three-person staffing option this summer.

On Nov. 18, city leaders raised concerns over a petition provision they worry could hamstring Austin's entire budget before impacting the fire department. The city formally asked the Austin Firefighters Association to restart negotiations Nov. 19, and Austin leaders won't consider or approve a new contract until the union responds and addresses that issue.