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West U adopts FY 2026 budget prioritizing public safety, infrastructure enhancements
By a unanimous vote, members of West University Place City Council approved the $101.96 million fiscal year 2026 budget and tax rate at the Sept. 22 meeting, prioritizing public safety, service enhancements and city infrastructure projects.
"Together with the passage of a revised 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, they provide an opportunity to express our priorities as a city and to show residents how their tax dollars are being spent to make their lives better," Mayor Pro Tem John Barnes said.
The big picture: The city’s general fund budget is balanced with $26.7 million in revenues and expenses. General fund revenues increased by around $5 million from FY 2024’s $26.2 million general fund budget. City documents estimate a homeowner’s property tax bill under the balanced budget at the no-new-revenue rate will be $3.584.76—a $481 decrease compared to $4,065.77 under the FY 2025 tax rate.
Digging deeper: An additional $46.5 million in funding was identified for 2026 capital projects within the city’s 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Plan, according to agenda documents.
Korean fried chicken restaurant closes for the second time
Korean fried chicken restaurant Dak & Bop has closed its 18th Street location for the second time, according to the restaurant's social media.
What happened: Dak & Bop, which translates to chicken & rice, first opened in 2014 in Houston's Museum District, but closed in May 2020.
Restaurant owners later opened a second location along 18th Street in the Timbergrove area that fused Korean and Italian cuisine; however, the restaurant would later return to its original location in the Museum District in 2023, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
However, the restaurant's run in the original location was cut short after two years, as on Sept. 15, Dak & Bop announced it would close at the end of September. The restaurant closed Sept. 24. The owners wrote on social media that the decision comes down to the "current circumstances and the overall climate" the restaurant was in.
FOODIE FRIDAY Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Houston area.
Aki Sushi and Asian Fusion opened its doors in Manvel in September. Nestled in Manvel Town Center, the family-owned restaurant serves steak and sushi that is made fresh daily, as previously reported by Community Impact. At the restaurant, customers can choose from a variety of sushi, including popular items such as spicy tuna rolls, shaggy dog rolls and California rolls. Additionally, Aki Sushi and Asain Fusion offers bento boxes, rice and noodle dishes, hibachi, nigiri and sashimi.
🥩 New Brazilian steakhouse coming to Webster in 2026 (Read more)
🍔 Smalls Sliders opens fourth Texas location near Hwy. 249, Grand Parkway (Read more)
😋 Newly opened boba cafe serves authentic Japanese food, fresh boba (Read more)
🆕 New Mediterranean restaurant opens in Pearland (Read more)
Owner Letty Martinez said she has plans to open The Taco Shop in Humble this fall.
Martinez said The Taco Shop will offer authentic Mexican breakfast options and will be located two doors away from her other restaurant, Letty’s Authentic Mexican Cocina.
“Letty’s usually opens at 11 a.m. so I wanted to open a restaurant to offer breakfast,” Martinez said.
Harris Health eyes Hermann Park land for $410M Ben Taub hospital expansion
The Harris Health board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution Sept. 23 calling for the acquisition of a portion of Hermann Park to support the expansion of Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital, according to a news release.
Current situation: The board authorized the Harris Health legal team to take all necessary actions to purchase three parcels of land in Hermann Park—totaling about 8.9 acres, or 2% of the park—by eminent domain. The land currently belongs to the city of Houston, which oversees the park’s operations.
How we got here: Harris County voters approved a $2.5 billion Harris Health hospital bond in 2023, which included plans for the Ben Taub expansion, according to past Community Impact reporting. The $410 million project would add approximately 100 patient rooms to the hospital, which has been consistently operating at and beyond its 402-bed capacity, according to the release.
Thousands of Texas businesses barred from selling THC to customers under 21
Many Texas retailers can no longer sell consumable THC products to customers under 21 years old after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved two emergency rules Sept. 23.
The overview: The new rules, which were drafted after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Sept. 10 executive order requesting tighter THC regulations, apply only to retailers that sell alcohol. The rules state that businesses may not sell, serve or deliver consumable hemp products to minors and must check all customers' IDs before selling them THC products.
Zooming in: About 60,000 Texas businesses hold TABC licenses and will be prohibited from selling THC products to minors. Those businesses include bars, restaurants, liquor stores, grocery stores and some convenience stores.
However, the rule does not apply to THC retailers that do not sell alcohol or have a TABC license, such as smoke shops, gas stations or online sellers. The TABC and the Texas Department of State Health Services are working to determine how to best enforce age restrictions for THC retailers that do not sell alcohol, agency spokespeople said.
