Bellaire City Council approved an ordinance authorizing City Manager Sharon Citino to execute a new work order for wastewater facilities engineering and support at an April 20 meeting.

How we got here: In September 2023, City Council approved global professional services firm HDR Engineering Inc. to assess the city's wastewater treatment plant and lift stations and develop a capital improvement program to address infrastructure needs at those facilities.

What’s new: At the April 20 meeting, City Council approved Work Order No. 5, which includes final design and construction services that can not exceed $822,820. The report also stated that the ordinance will amend certain appropriations in the Capital Improvement Fund, but that there will be no net change to the fund. 

Arnaldo Richards, owner of the authentic Mexican restaurant Picos, has announced an official closing date for Picos. 

What’s new: After being open for 42 years, Richards said in an April 21 social media post that the restaurant will temporarily close if a new location is not established by August 30.  

In the post, Richards said the space Picos currently occupies will be turned into a high-rise development, forcing Richards to relocate.

The context: The Houston staple originally announced in August 2025 that the restaurant was preparing for an immediate closure after more than 40 years in service, as previously reported by Community Impact. 

However, a month later, officials said that the restaurant would remain open until the end of 2025 after seeing a wave of support following the first closure announcement.

• 3601 Kirby Drive, Houston

In the 2025-26 school year, Cy-Fair and Klein ISDs had the highest-paid superintendents while Lamar CISD and New Caney ISD had the highest-paid teachers, on average, according to Texas Education Agency data released in mid-March.

The big picture: Community Impact analyzed data from the TEA to learn about compensation for superintendents, teachers and staff at public school districts for the 2025-26 school year.

According to the TEA data released March 16, the Greater Houston-area school districts with the highest-earning superintendents for the 2025-26 school year are:

• Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent Wayne Killian with $520,231 in total pay
• Klein ISD Superintendent Jenny McGown with $508,554 in total pay
• Katy ISD Superintendent Kenneth Gregorski with $474,440 in total pay

• Lamar CISD with $76,225
• New Caney ISD with $75,125
• Deer Park ISD with $74,343

According to the April 15 Houston Association of Realtors’ March Rental Market Update, Houston's rental market has seen an increase in leased listings.

The details: For March, HAR reports there were 4,718 leased listings for single-family rentals on the market, a 15.8% increase compared to last March. For pending listings, there was an increase of 7.8% compared to last year, totaling 6,172 homes on the market. Lease prices in comparison to last March dipped by 2.1% to $2,242 from $2,290. Homes have also spent slightly longer in the market, from 43 to 47 days.

What else: According to HAR, the townhome and condominium market has also seen changes in March; 673 properties were leased this March, leading to a 12.4% increase compared to the 599 properties last March.

Alongside the rental market, the number of new listings for townhomes and condominiums has grown by 10.1% to 1,082 properties; last March’s listing amount was 983 properties. Meanwhile, the number of days on market has grown to 61 days this March from 53 days last March.

Demand on the Texas power grid could more than quadruple in the next six years, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced April 15.

The details: The state grid operator projected that peak electric demand could hit 367,790 megawatts by 2032—more than four times the current demand record of 85,508 megawatts, which was set during an August 2023 heat wave. Much of this forecasted growth is due to data centers, according to ERCOT documents.

However, ERCOT leaders warned that the growth forecast is “preliminary” and needs adjustments.

What's happening: During an April 17 meeting, ERCOT officials told the Public Utility Commission of Texas that they plan to work with utility providers to issue a revised forecast in the coming weeks.

“I think it's clear we need to engage in the process and look at ways to refine this number to something that's more usable,” PUC Chair Thomas Gleeson said.

Stay tuned: ERCOT said it expects peak electric demand on the grid this summer will hit between 90,500-98,000 megawatts, which would shatter the current demand record.