Pflugerville ISD residents could pay more in taxes to gain access to Austin Community College’s in-district tuition rate and other opportunities if PfISD voters move forward with a measure to annex into ACC's taxing district in November.

The ACC board of trustees voted during a special meeting Aug. 17 to add the item to the Nov. 3 ballot, which will go before residents living within PfISD’s territory not already in the college’s taxing district.

The big picture: ACC’s in-district tuition and fee rate is $85 per credit hour. Students who live outside the ACC district currently pay $286 per credit hour, which includes a $201 out-of-district fee.

The local impact: The college district’s current tax rate is $0.1034 per $100 taxable value. Based on the average PfISD home value of $407,524, residents with a homestead exemption could expect to pay $34.67 monthly, or $28.25 monthly with a senior or disabled exemption. 

If approved, the rate changes would occur upon certification of the election, and residents would be eligible for in-district tuition in January.

Intersection improvements are coming to northbound FM 685 and the SH 130 southbound frontage roads at Kelly Lane.

The details: Pflugerville City Council approved a construction agreement with Joe Bland Construction, LLC totaling $1.7 million for the project at its Aug. 11 meeting.

The project consists of dedicated left-turn lanes, U-turn lanes and signal modifications.

A closer look: Currently, both frontage roads have two straight lanes with one left-turn lane combination, one turnaround lane and one right-turn lane. After the project, both frontage roads will have two straight lanes, two left-turn lanes with one acting as a turnaround lane combination, and one right-turn lane.

According to the city, the goal of the project is to increase capacity, and improve flow and safety for vehicles and pedestrians.

The project will be funded by roadway impact fees and Traffic Impact Analysis escrow funds.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, and will take a little less than six months to complete.

Check out the latest transportation updates across the Austin metro from local and state sources.

Upcoming projects

Bee Cave Parkway and Bee Cave Road pedestrian improvements
Project: Bee Cave Parkway and Bee Cave Road in Bee Cave will undergo pedestrian improvements including the construction of signals, crosswalks, sidewalks and ADA curb ramps.
Update: The final package of design documents will be completed in August.

• Timeline: Construction is expected to begin in March 2027

• Cost: $1.06 million

• Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation and the Bee Cave Development Corporation

Ongoing projects

Austin Avenue vehicular bridges
Project: This project includes reconstruction of two vehicular bridges crossing the San Gabriel River in Georgetown.
Update: The southbound Austin Avenue bridge decks were demolished starting in early June, and reconstruction will take approximately two months. The contractor will then do the northbound bridge decks.

• Timeline: 2024-27

• Cost: $12.8 million

• Funding sources: city of Georgetown, developer fees

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved adding the first phase of the UT Dell Medical Center to UT’s capital improvement program at an Aug. 12 meeting.

The CIP is the university’s approved list of major capital projects. Adding the project to the CIP allows the project to move forward with early design and development preparation work.

The background: The UT Dell Medical Center will be a 27-acre medical complex planned to be equipped with a hospital tower, outpatient facilities, an emergency department and 300-500 patient beds for specialized care, according to documents from the UT Board of Regents.

The details: Phase I of the project is expected to cost up to $1 billion and will be funded from the university’s revenue financing system bonds.

What they're saying: “Today is a very big day,” UT Austin President James Davis said. “[The medical complex] will establish the clinical foundation for a new academic health enterprise. It will advance research, education, health professionals and serve patients and serve Texas for generations to come.”