Check out what's happening in the Lake Houston area Oct. 9-11.

Trolls Jr.: Visit the Charles Bender Performing Arts Center to watch a production of Trolls Jr., which is based on the DreamWorks movie “Trolls.” The production is being performed by Christian Youth Theater, an after-school theater arts training program for students ages 5-18.

• Oct. 9, 7 p.m.; Oct. 10, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Oct. 11, 2 p.m.

• $25

• 611 Higgins St., Humble

Music & Motors: The streets of Downtown Humble will be filled with custom builds, classic cars and trucks. The event will also feature live music and local vendors.

• Sept. 11, 6-9 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• Uptown Park, 308 Main St., Humble

Construction on a new Crunch Fitness in Kingwood is expected to begin Oct. 10, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: The $1.2 million project will consist of the interior remodel of a roughly 36,800-square-foot facility on Kingwood Drive, according to the filing.

Crunch Fitness offers classes, strength and cardio equipment, yoga studios, spin studios and other fitness services, according to the business’ website.

While the filing does not include a projected opening date, construction is expected to wrap up in late March.

• 4303 Kingwood Drive, Ste. 200, Kingwood

On Oct. 1, the Lone Star College System board of trustees unanimously approved a fiscal year 2026-27 total tax rate of $0.1058 per $100 valuation.

This rate is $0.0002 lower than the previous fiscal year's rate and is budgeted to generate $356.2 million in tax revenue.

Diving deeper: The total tax rate consists of two parts:

• An M&O rate of $0.0839 per $100 valuation for college operations, including employee salaries and utilities

• An I&S rate of $0.0219 per $100 valuation to pay off bond debt, with leaders hoping to pay off $404 million in debt by approximately 2030 or 2031

What you should know: Taxpayers in the Harris Central Appraisal District are expected to see a drop in their college system property tax bill. However, some taxpayers in the Montgomery Central Appraisal District and the San Jacinto County Appraisal District are expected to see higher bills due to increased median property values.

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. It 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 the 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

• Expected completion of the Reliant Center site in 2027, with the remaining six sites continuing construction through 2029

• Resident enrollment starting in 2027 for both renters and homeowners

Houstonians paying a $5 garbage fee may see a sales tax included in the fee.

What's new: At the Sept. 29 Budget & Fiscal Affairs meeting, council member Amy Peck said she noticed a sales tax included in the $5 fee.

“In all of the briefings and models presented to us, I don’t recall us ever talking about a sales tax as being part of it,” Peck said. “The models presented to us showed $24 million yearly going to the combined utility system.”

Peck added that with the 8.25% sales tax, the fee actually would put about $22.17 million in the CUS.

Some background: In June, Houston officials passed a $7.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27, which notably included approval of a new $5 administrative fee that officials said will help close the city’s budget gap and address issues with the Solid Waste Department.