Buda City Council took the first formal step toward issuing about $28 million in bonds to pay for park and utility projects included in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

In a nutshell: On Dec. 2, council adopted the resolution authorizing publication of a notice of intention to issue city of Buda combination tax and limited revenue certificates of obligation, Series 2026. 

The cost: About $13.5 million would be backed by property taxes for park-related improvements, and $14.6 million would be used for and supported by water and wastewater utility revenue.

City officials said planned park improvements will include:

• Buda Sportsplex upgrades: $11.3 million
• City park Phase 2: $1.4 million
• City park playground replacement: $850,000

• Reuse water system expansion: $1.8 million
• Old Black Colony water storage facilities: $2.2 million
• FM 2770 12-inch waterline: $1.5 million
• Bradfield/Lifschutz 12-/16-/18-inch gravity interceptor expansion: $3.6 million
• Railroad crossing replacement line: $450,000
• FM 2770 wastewater line: $4.2 million
• Wastewater treatment plant digester rehabilitation: $800,000

A locally owned, independent grocery store is now offering staples and more in University Plaza.

What they offer: Eli and Natalie Zablosky said they stock Ollie’s Market with locally sourced, health-conscious produce, pantry staples, dairy, meat and more. 

A closer look: In addition to groceries, customers can purchase grab-and-go sandwiches, sweets and drinks, including:

• The Bronson sandwich on sourdough with ham, salami, mortadella, oil and vinegar
• Cold-brew coffees and matcha teas
• Affagato, an Italian dessert made with matcha or cold-brew coffee poured over soft-serve ice cream

• 314 N. Edward Gary St., San Marcos

CapMetro is marking its 40th anniversary with a forward-looking overhaul of how it serves a region where commuting patterns have shifted. With hybrid work reducing traditional peak-hour demand, the agency adopted Transit Plan 2035 as a “recalibration” aimed at building a more equitable, reliable and widely used system.

A closer look: Key strategies include expanding on-demand Pickup zones, boosting frequency on core MetroRapid corridors and improving all-day service on the Red Line in the coming years.

The plan also highlights system gaps in many outer neighborhoods, where bus stops remain far from homes and business centers, while Central Austin riders continue calling for more dependable service.

The outlook: CapMetro leaders say increasing frequency is the most effective way to attract riders.

Safety remains a focus as well. The agency’s community-centered public safety program blends ambassadors, intervention specialists and a new Transit Police Department, contributing to stabilizing incident trends. Long-term, CapMetro is investing in transit-oriented development to connect more Austinites to housing, jobs and high-frequency routes

The Texas power grid is expected to hold up this winter, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Dec. 9. This is due in part to “tremendous supply growth on the ERCOT grid,” ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said, amid an influx of data centers coming to the state.

The overview: Since last winter, over 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity have been added to the ERCOT grid, Vegas said. That growth, which largely comes from battery storage and solar facilities, could be used to power about 2.8 million homes during periods of peak electric demand.

Zooming in: Under most weather conditions, there is a less than 2% chance of a grid emergency through February, ERCOT found.

However, Texas could be in trouble in the unlikely event that a repeat of Winter Storm Uri hits large parts of the state this winter, although ERCOT noted that the probability of such a severe storm happening again was "well under one percent."

The February 2021 freeze devastated an unprepared power grid, resulting in nearly 250 deaths.