Manvel’s new comprehensive planning drafts were presented to City Council at its Jan. 5 meeting and are intended to guide the city’s growth and community character.

The plans are not development approvals but tools meant to align community priorities with future decision-making, city officials said.

Why now?: Manvel has seen a significant population growth over the past decade, due in part to its proximity to the Houston metro area, according to city documents.

Smash Zen, a rage and paint splatter room, will relocate to a new location in Pearland by the end of January, the owner said.

The details: The business will occupy a larger space which will allow them to have four rage rooms, where guests can smash objects like plates and old computer monitors, as well as a dedicated splatter paint room.

• 2849 Miller Ranch Road, Ste. 505, Pearland

Officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced Jan. 5 its transition to a new fare system, RideMETRO, which replaces and discontinues the METRO Q Fare Card.

The gist: METRO riders can purchase the RideMETRO $2 fare card, according to METRO’s website, and load money at any of the following locations:

• METRO RideStore locations
• METRO Online RideStore
• RideMETRO app
• Participating retail locations
• Ticket vending machines

Riders can check their balance on the RideMETRO app. After 10 paid trips, riders get one free trip, according to METRO’s announcement.

The cost: No fare increases are taking place as part of the new fare system, according to the METRO website.

A new U.S. Postal Service rule could impact when time-sensitive mail, such as tax forms and mail-in ballots, is considered officially sent.

The overview: Effective Dec. 24, mailed items are postmarked when the USPS processes them, rather than the date items are dropped in a mailbox. A postmark refers to the date and location stamped or printed on most mailed items, indicating when and where the USPS “accepted custody” of a mailpiece, per the federal agency.

Zooming in: According to the Texas comptroller’s office, the updated USPS guidance means items could be postmarked “several days” after they are dropped in a mailbox. This includes date-sensitive items sent by Texas residents and businesses, such as property tax payments, federal tax returns, mail-in ballots and required business reports.

To ensure that mail is postmarked on the day it is sent, customers can take mail into their local post office and request that the item be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS. Texans can also pay property taxes and submit ballots in-person at county offices.