SATX-NEM: Impact 11/3/2025

Cibolo City Council will soon decide whether or not to raise utility rates in the city to prepare for future projects.

On Oct. 27, council received a recommendation by Willdan Financial Services to implement a three-year rate plan that would increase the average customer’s monthly bill by $18.20 by Oct. 2027.

The cost: Willdan’s recommendation is to increase rates in three stages, the first occurring in January 2026 with an average customer increase of $3.31 in wastewater rate. For the study, an average customer is one who uses 7,500 gallons of water and 5,000 gallons of wastewater per month.

Subsequent water and wastewater rates would increase again in October 2026 and October 2027, increasing the average customer bill by $8.88 and $6.01, respectively.

The current average monthly bill is $106.98, according to a presentation by Willdan Vice President Dan Jackson. According to agenda documents, a 2% wastewater rate increase was implemented in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget process, but staff held off on additional increases until the Willdan study concluded.

After a winter storm left millions without power across Texas in 2021 and caused infrastructural damage across the state, a Cibolo restaurant was forced to close.

Now, the Cantonese eatery has reopened to the public at a new location in Northeast San Antonio, over four years after the storm.

What’s happening: Kowloon W. Kitchen held a soft opening on Oct. 26 at its new brick and mortar location at 110 Meek St. in downtown Cibolo.

Owner Janet Lai said her new location is perfect to suit the community’s needs.

“I like the location, the people and the area here,” she said.

The restaurant had been previously located in Schertz off of FM 78, known then as Kowloon Chinese Restaurant.

On the menu: Kowloon W. Kitchen chefs serve up traditional Chinese and Cantonese dishes such as orange chicken, General Tso’s chicken, a variety of dumplings and more, Lai said.

• 110 Meek St., Cibolo

From library openings to new sewing spaces, check out these top stories for the week of Oct. 27-31.

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NBISD reopens libraries, opens dashboard for parents to challenge library materials

Volunteer Guide 2025: Give back to 15 nonprofits in New Braunfels

Schertz City Council allocates $9.72M for new fire station

Family-owned truck looks to bring peace and love through Filipino food in New Braunfels

Millions of Texans may see delays in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits beginning Nov. 1, as the federal government shutdown reaches the one-month mark.

The latest: The federal food assistance program is set to run out of funding in November, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Two federal judges ruled Oct. 31 that the Trump Administration must use federal contingency funds, which are stockpiled for emergency expenses, to fund SNAP in November, although the next steps surrounding SNAP benefits were unclear as of press time.

The local impact: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks.

“People are at risk of going hungry if the government doesn't reopen and SNAP benefits are delayed. … These are already vulnerable Texans,” Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said in an Oct. 27 interview.

Food banks across the state Texas food banks previously expanded their operations to meet increased demand as thousands of federal workers go without paychecks during the shutdown.