Catch up on four government updates from the Pflugerville and Hutto area, as well as Travis County.

1. Lake Pflugerville maintains target 633 feet, water restrictions to ease: The water level of Lake Pflugerville continues to rise after multiple breaks to the city’s Colorado River pipeline halted water flow into Pflugerville’s primary reservoir. At an April 28 City Council meeting, staff announced that the lake level has remained just above 633 feet, and the city will move into modified Stage 1 emergency water restrictions on May 1.

2. James Hartshorn to serve as Pflugerville's next city manager: Pflugerville city officials announced April 15 that current deputy city manager James Hartshorn will serve as the next city manager.

3. Travis County to withhold 9% of tax rebate to Tesla for 'incomplete documentation': Electric car manufacturer Tesla will receive less of a tax rebate than initially expected from Travis County due to “partial noncompliance” with the performance-based agreement.

Pflugerville City Council approved a construction contract with Liberty Civil Construction in the amount of $18.7 million for construction services associated with the Immanuel Road Project.

The overview: The project includes full reconstruction for widening of the existing roadway to a three-lane roadway section from Pecan Street to Killingsworth Lane. Improvements include curb and gutter, intersection improvements, street lighting, underground storm infrastructure and share use paths.

The project will be funded by general obligation bonds from 2022 and 2023, as well as certificate of obligation bonds from 2025.

Some context: The council approved an agreement with the Rodriguez Transportation Group for $209,670 on professional engineering services on the project in March 2024.

In October 2024, Pflugerville acquired one parcel of land from Dessau Investments, and two parcels from Jan Carol Salmon and Dwain Salmon for “real estate property interests” for the road project.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation project updates.

Upcoming projects
Lakeline Boulevard shared-use path
Project: A 10-foot paved shared-use path is planned along Lakeline Boulevard in Cedar Park between New Hope Drive and Little Elm Trail to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.
Update: According to city officials, design is 90% complete. Plans have been revised to modify an existing roadway bridge rather than construct a new pedestrian bridge, with final design and permitting ongoing.

• Timeline: 2024-26
• Cost: $10.5 million
• Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation

• Timeline: 2026-29
• Cost: $68.4 million
• Funding source: Austin 2016 mobility bond, TxDOT

Texas retailers can keep various smokable hemp products on their shelves through late July, a Travis County judge ruled May 1.

The overiew: Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle’s ruling prohibits the Texas Department of State Health Services, which regulates and licenses consumable hemp businesses, from enforcing new THC testing requirements and sharply increasing licensing fees.

The hemp industry previously argued that the DSHS was overstepping its regulatory authority by changing how Texas classifies THC content. State officials have defended the reclassification and other rules as in line with a September executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott.

What it means: DeSeta Lyttle’s temporary injunction extends an earlier pause on the DSHS rules, which was issued April 10.

The pause applies to all consumable hemp businesses in Texas, allowing them to continue producing, manufacturing and selling smokable products until at least July 27, when a final court trial is scheduled. That could change if the state appeals the ruling to a higher court.