A $9.6 million drainage project aimed at upgrading aging utilities and enhancing pedestrian access along Coll Street has begun.

What residents should know: Construction on New Braunfels' Coll Street Drainage Project began Oct. 19. Coll Street, from the Comal River to Castell Avenue, will be completely closed for the first portion of the project, which involves the installation of box culverts along the street, according to a news release.

Construction will occur Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. City representatives said residents and businesses in the area should expect active construction zones with detours, heavy equipment and occasional impacts to driveway access.

When that phase is complete, and the work moves toward the Seguin Avenue intersection, one half of the intersection will be closed, which will allow for two-way traffic to continue throughout the project, the release states.

At a meeting on Oct. 19, the New Braunfels ISD board of trustees unanimously authorized the district to issue the remaining $113 million from its 2024 voter-approved bond and refinance $112.65 million.

Why it matters: The district doesn't anticipate needing the remaining $113 million until August, but market conditions and interest rates are ideal right now, said Chief Business and Support Services Officer Paul McLarty.

The district will also have the flexibility to authorize the bond funds earlier than August if needed, McLarty said.

"This gives us the flexibility as a district to jump into the market whenever the interest rates are best," McLarty said.

The board's decision to refinance the $112.65 million in existing bonds with higher interest rates to potentially lower interest rates will help manage the district's debt and tax rate, representatives from the district said.

A new physical therapy clinic has opened in New Braunfels.

The overview: ATI Physical Therapy opened on Oct. 22 at 2292 Sophie Lane, Ste. 103.

The clinic offers sports therapy, sports medicine, concussion therapy, injury screenings and more. The New Braunfels location will also offer dry needling.

• 2292 Sophie Lane, Ste. 103, New Braunfels

In July, Texas' top elected officials directed most state agencies, appellate courts and public universities to cut spending by 3% in their base budget requests for the next two years.

The overview: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said those reductions will help Texas hold a "strong fiscal position" by expanding property tax relief and maintaining public education funding when the legislature returns to Austin next year.

The issue: Dozens of agency leaders have warned that the cuts, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, are not sustainable. They would cause Texas residents to lose "essential" services and lead to losses in state revenue, leaders said at the capitol and in budget documents.

Government institutions protesting the budget reductions include the comptroller's office, the attorney general, Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, state criminal justice agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.