A proposed ordinance tied to West University Place’s adoption of a public facility naming and dedication procedure was tabled Sept. 28 after City Council members voted 4-1 to set the item aside for a later time.

What happened: At the Sept. 28 meeting, Mayor Susan Sample moved to table the subject in lieu of taking a vote, a motion supported by council member Clay Brett.

Council member Kalie Rainsberger voted no.

If approved, the proposed ordinance would have amended a section within Chapter 66 of the city’s code of ordinances and allowed council members to adopt specific standards for what information may be included on the dedication plaques of city properties.

As a result, all existing building plaques in the city would have been removed within a reasonable timeframe, with installation of new signage dependent on the direction provided by West U officials at the Sept. 28 session, Communications Manager Bianca Cuccerre confirmed via email.

Something to note: The city currently does not have a formal policy for dedicating its facilities and parks.

Local residents Allaire Clark and Emily Downs celebrated the grand opening of their new antique shop, Curate, near West University Place on Sept. 24.

Meet the owners: The concept of Curate grew from Emily and Allaire's shared love of the hunt and the belief that the "most interesting" homes are collected over time, not decorated all at once.

According to the store's website, Clark is a former interior designer who travels frequently through Europe, sourcing antiques that bring history and character into modern homes.

On the other hand, Downs, who left a career in marketing, found herself increasingly drawn to the "hunt for beautiful things," pieces with history, character and a point of view.

About the shop: Curate offers a variety of items such as antique tabletop items, rugs and books, as well as European antiques, original fine art and vintage furniture.

• 3859 Bellaire Blvd., Houston

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) board members unanimously approved the fiscal year 2026-27 budget of $1.7 billion during a Sept. 30 meeting.

What’s different: METRO now expects to collect $29.2 million more in sales-tax revenue than it originally projected, a 2.6% increase. The additional revenue allowed the agency to avoid service reductions that had previously been considered, according to a news release.

The adopted budget includes $1.015 billion for operating expenses, a 2.4% decrease from the current budget, and $371.5 million for capital projects, nearly 40% less than the FY2025-26 budget.

METRO said the budget also avoids restructuring its debt or using reserve funds during the fiscal year.

Also of note: METRO officials expect total ridership to grow 2.8% in FY 2026-27, according to budget documents.

The fiscal year began Oct. 1.

Harris County leaders broke ground Sept. 30 on the first of seven community solar program sites at the Reliant Center. The initiative, called the Affordable Community Energy Program (ACE), is the region's first county-led community solar program.

The details: The program is designed to expand clean energy access and affordability for low-income residents while enhancing grid resilience during extreme weather and power outages.

The program details include:

• An $88.3 million investment Harris County Commissioners Court approved in March

• Generation of up to 45 megawatts of solar energy and 20 megawatt-hours of battery storage on publicly-owned land

• Expected energy bill cuts of about 20% for 9,500 to 10,000 income-qualifying households at or below 80% of the area median income

Before you go: Officials expect the Reliant Center site to be complete in 2027, with the remaining six sites continuing construction through 2029. Resident enrollment will start in 2027 for both renters and homeowners

The Texas Education Agency is asking state lawmakers to spend $97.3 billion on K-12 education initiatives and staffing in the next two years, up from about $91 billion in the current state budget.

The details: During a Sept. 29 hearing on the agency's legislative appropriations request, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath noted that the TEA is "largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas." This means that while funding would be allocated to the agency under Article III of the state budget, the majority of that money would be sent to school districts, outside of funds used to pay TEA staff and cover operations for associated entities, such as the State Board of Education.

More information: The TEA is asking for about $49.6 billion for fiscal year 2027-28 and $47.7 billion for fiscal year 2028-29, totaling $97.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. Morath said those amounts would "preserve 100% of all funding for public schools" through the Foundation School Program, which is the state's main funding source for K-12 schools, and other initiatives.