Lakeway officials approved several changes to plans for The Square at Lakeway mixed-use community at the Jan. 20 City Council meeting, but held off on considering a proposed $47 million economic incentive package for the project.

Development updates approved include increases to the project's commercial square footage and a decreased office space footprint, updated timelines for the property's Main Street and overall completion, and adjustments to parking requirements. City Council rejected requests to increase the project's multifamily housing units and reduce some residential parking allowances.

The Square's fourth PUD amendment passed 5-2, with Mayor Pro Tem Louis Mastrangelo and council member Matt Sherman voting against.

Council members were also posted to consider a multimillion-dollar economic development agreement before its withdrawal in January. Mayor Thomas Kilgore said the item could be considered down the road, and Lakeway may develop a broader civic policy for similar incentive deals as well.

An agreement has been approved for the city of Bee Cave to transition police dispatch services from the city of Lakeway to the city of Marble Falls, as stated in a news release.

Zooming in: The city of Bee Cave’s police dispatch costs have doubled in the last seven years with an increase from $285,000 in fiscal year 2018-19 to almost $570,000 in FY 2025-26.

The city of Bee Cave reviewed call volume data, operational capacity and long-term cost controls for six months before the Bee Cave City Council approved an agreement with Marble Falls which will provide equivalent dispatch services at an annual cost of approximately $330,000.

The new agreement will go live Oct. 1. The news release states the change will bring upfront transition costs; however, the city will recover those costs within an estimated time frame of two years.

The Texas Broadband Development Office awarded the Lower Colorado River Authority a $29 million grant that will expand high-speed internet access and improve flood-monitoring infrastructure throughout Central Texas. 

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the award Jan. 20. 

The details: The Texas Broadband Development Office expects the financing to accomplish several goals, including: 

• Extending fiber into underserved and unserved areas 
• Bolstering local economies 
• Improving access to education, health care and emergency services