Bastrop City Council is funneling hotel occupancy tax revenue back into the community. 

The details: During a Nov. 18 meeting, Bastrop City Council approved $433,825 to the Bastrop County Historical Society, $194,000 to the Bastrop Opera House, $167,950 to the Lost Pines Arts Center, $50,000 to the Kerr Community Center and $50,000 to the Bastrop African American Cultural Center. 

Zooming in: Each funding amount will be distributed through community service agreements, and will be paid for in HOT revenue—generated from a tax levied on people who pay for the use of a hotel room or other lodging facility—allocated for fiscal year 2025-26, according to city documents. 

The outlook: As part of the community service agreements, the Bastrop County Historical Society, the Bastrop Opera House, the Lost Pines Arts Center, the Kerr Community Center and the Bastrop African American Cultural Center will each need to submit written reports on a quarterly basis, according to city documents.

The first three reports will be progress reports, while the fourth report will provide an annual summary.

Bastrop residents Mark and Sabrina McClenton recently opened a glamping retreat on their 62-acre cattle ranch.

What they offer: Sabrina McClenton said guests can stay in a climate-controlled safari-style tent, which comes with a king-sized bed, soaker tub, refrigerator and coffee machine, noting that the deck is decorated with rocking chairs.

What else? Add-ons are available, including accessories for the fire pit and grill, as well as hand-picked meal packages depending on the guests' requests.

"We can even set up a romantic dinner in a tipi for a special occasion," she said.

Other outdoor activities, such as guided all-terrain vehicle tours and fishing, can be added as well.

"After a day of exploring, guests can unwind with a few games or simply relax and take in the quiet beauty of the ranch," she said.

• 153 La Jolla Lane, Bastrop

Austin Water is no longer pursuing an Aquifer Storage and Recovery project in Bastrop County.

The details: Although Austin City Council was scheduled to vote on a collaboration agreement with Bastrop County entities, which would have advanced the project to a field testing phase, Austin Water withdrew the item from the Nov. 20 Austin City Council agenda.

The decision was announced Nov. 19.

“While Austin put our best foot forward to achieve the collaboration and partnership that would be needed to complete testing and eventually build such a regional project, we didn’t reach the level of partnership that is needed,” Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson said in a memorandum sent to Austin City Council.

Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino noted the removal of the agenda item.

“The residents in Bastrop won,” she said in a Nov. 19 statement.

Airport operations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport have returned to normal following this month’s brief government shutdown, but officials expect heavy traffic as holiday travel ramps up after a record year.

What you should know: Travelers are encouraged to arrive early—2 1/2 hours before domestic flights and three hours for international—and to build in extra time if checking bags, returning rental cars or parking. Individuals can check real-time parking availability or reserve spots in the Blue Garage, Red Garage or Economy lots, though shuttles may see delays.

What else? Allegiant and Frontier passengers should remember that both airlines operate from the separate South Terminal. Flyers can speed up check-in by using mobile boarding passes, kiosks or curbside options. All three TSA checkpoints open at 3 a.m., with PreCheck, Clear and military lanes at Checkpoint 2 West.

On last thing: Travelers can access ADA shuttles, wheelchair assistance through airlines and TSA Cares. Construction tied to the Journey With AUS expansion continues, and an online map helps visitors navigate restaurants, gates and amenities.