Georgetown will raise its rates for residential and commercial trash as well as recycling services beginning Oct. 1.

The rate increases will cover the growing costs of providing solid waste services, Assistant Public Works Director April Haughey said at a June 9 City Council workshop.

What residents should know: Solid waste rates will increase in increments from fiscal year 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.

Officials proposed a 5% residential increase for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, tapering down to 3% by FY 2030-31. For a standard residential customer, this means the monthly bill will go up by $1.24 in FY 2026-27, from $24.78 to $26.02.

Commercial rates will see an 8% increase in FY 2026-27, eventually dropping to a 5% increase by FY 2030-31. A business using a standard cart once a week will see a $3.36 monthly increase, while a business using a 4-cubic-yard dumpster once a week will see a $12.65 monthly increase.

Perky Beans Coffee, a Leander-based, locally owned and operated coffee shop, will open a new location in Georgetown in late June.

Learn more: The full-service coffee shop will offer coffees, teas, smoothies and other beverages as well as some grab-and-go food options. After receiving a waiver from Georgetown City Council on June 9, the shop will also provide some mixed alcoholic beverages.

"Alcohol sales are intended to be complementary to our existing business model and represent only a small portion (less than 2%) of our anticipated sales," Angie Diaz stated in a written letter to City Council. "Our concept is not that of a bar or nightlife establishment."

Perky Beans currently has two storefronts—a coffee shop and a cafe—in Leander. Owners Ron and Angie Diaz operated a mobile coffee truck in San Diego before establishing their brick and mortar in Texas in 2019.

• 2651 E. University Ave., Georgetown

Universal Kids Resort will open in Frisco on July 1.

What you need to know: The theme park is a first-of-its-kind that is designed for kids. Guests can start planning their vacations with tickets sales and hotel bookings now available, according to a May 28 news release.

Tickets, packages and the first annual pass option for Universal Kids Resort are officially on sale.

Looking back: The theme park was announced in January 2023 and it was always geared toward young children and families. The project later broke ground that year and the hotel joined the Frisco tourism group in early 2026.

Quote of note: "When Universal opens, it's going to be something that's really unique about growing up in Frisco," Mayor Jeff Cheney said. "It's going to be kind of a big part of the Frisco DNA going forward."

Texas must protect residential consumers from paying for the infrastructure needed to power new data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a June 10 order aimed at balancing the rapid growth of data centers with the needs of residents and communities.

The big picture: The governor directed state regulators to ensure data center companies do not pass infrastructure costs on to ratepayers, urging lawmakers to tighten regulations on data centers’ water use and repeal certain tax exemptions that benefit the industry.

Abbott’s order comes as Texas grapples with how to manage the data center boom amid climbing electric demand and looming water shortages. It is the first time the Republican governor has publicly called to restrict data center growth.

The context: As communities across Texas consider new data center projects, reporting shows that some residents are pushing back, raising concerns about the large facilities’ water usage, potential strain on the electric grid and impacts on local neighborhoods.

What they're saying: In response, state agencies called protecting consumers from rising electric costs "our top priority."