Austin leaders are reviewing whether to create a standalone office for 911 calls.

The background: In August, City Council narrowly voted to move toward a civilian-led Office of Joint Emergency Communications and approved more than $1 million for its launch—against the advice of city management and public safety officials.

What's happening: A new report from public safety consultant Mission Critical Partners recommends keeping 911 call-taking under Austin Police, and advised city leaders to maintain the current structure while implementing modernization efforts. According to the study, the city's strongest path forward is to pair professional civilian leadership with targeted improvements rather than creating a standalone department.

Garbo's Fresh Maine Lobster announced on social media that the restaurant will not renew its North Lamar lease. The seafood restaurant is shuttering the location on Sept. 26. Garbo’s fans will still be able to find the familiar lobster rolls at the North Mopac restaurant, the post details.

The history: The North Lamar location initially launched in March 2023, according to previous Community Impact reporting—a year before the seafood restaurant opened the Dripping Springs restaurant. The Dripping Springs expansion shuttered in January 2026, according to Community Impact.

On the menu: Patrons can expect to see lobster rolls served with hand-cut fries, chips, jalapeno slaw or a side salad. The seafood restaurant serves several roll options, including: Connecticut, Maine, seasonal and mini lobster rolls. Other offerings include lobster bisque, fish and chips, crab cakes, smoked fish dip, oysters and caviar.

• 626 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin

Three candidates are running to lead the Texas General Land Office in the Nov. 3 election.

The overview: Democrat Benjamin Flores and Libertarian Neill Snider are challenging Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham for the seat.

Buckingham ran uncontested in the March Republican primary, Community Impact reported, while Flores won the Democratic primary. Snider was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

The context: The state land commissioner manages 13 million acres of state lands, with duties such as allocating disaster recovery funds, leasing state lands to generate revenue for the Texas Permanent School Fund, preserving state landmarks such as The Alamo and overseeing several veterans programs.

Looking ahead: Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30 in the midterm election, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

A senior living facility in Leander, a LongHorn Steakhouse in Kyle and a drive-thru coffee shop in Cedar Park are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Hayden Grove Northline ($50 million): This project involves the construction of a senior independent living, assisted living and memory care facility with associated common-use spaces.

2. 901 E. Fifth St. refresh ($39 million): This project involves the renovation of the first through fourth floors of 901 E. Fifth St. in Austin. Renovations include the Level 1 lobby area and the addition of amenities to Level 2, including a conference center, fitness center and tenant lounge.

3. LongHorn Steakhouse ($3.5 million): A new LongHorn Steakhouse location is coming to Kyle, with construction set to begin in December. 

4. LaundroLab ($1.5 million): This project involves the demolition of the interior of a former restaurant to build a laundromat. 

5. 7 Brew ($400,000): A new 7 Brew location is coming to Cedar Park. Construction on the drive-thru coffee shop is set to wrap up in December.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must stop issuing new permits for data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sept. 21.

The overview: His order expands an existing pause on data center development in the state amid consistent public criticism of the booming industry. Abbott, who is running for a fourth term as governor, has recently moved to slow the growth of data centers after calling Texas “the epicenter of AI development" last year.

The context: Hundreds of proposed data centers are currently being audited by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid.

Some developers may be able to get around the ERCOT pause by building in-house power infrastructure that is not connected to the grid, experts have said.

However, any construction project impacting at least 1 acre of land requires permits from TCEQ.

What they're saying: "As Texas faces increasing pressure on our water supplies and electric grid, we need to ensure that data centers operate efficiently and sustainably," said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas.