Major votes and actions have been taken by local governments in the Hays County area, from major funding allocations to a community organization suing Guadalupe County.

Check out four government stories from San Marcos, Hays County, Kyle and Guadalupe County.

1. San Marcos council allocates over $770K housing grant: The San Marcos City Council approved allocations of over $770,000 in Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, funding to multiple local groups with public service programs and projects.

2. Hays County to update decorum rules: Hays County staff will review and potentially update the Commissioners Court rules of decorum.

3. Kyle to explore funding opportunities for city boards: The city of Kyle is exploring the establishment of independent nonprofit foundations to support projects through private donations, grants, sponsorships and other opportunities.

4. Guadalupe County sued over data center agreements: On July 20, the Data Center Action Coalition and local residents filed a lawsuit against the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court to stop the development of the Cloudburst and Palomino Alpha data centers.

Chicken Salad Chick announced the opening of its newest location at the Amberwood Retail Center, located at 19037 I-35 in Kyle. The grand opening celebration will take place Aug. 19.

What’s on the menu: The new location features a drive-thru, in-restaurant dining, take-out, and catering options. The menu offers a variety of made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, fresh sides, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and desserts, according to a news release.

Quote of note: “While many of our group’s restaurants are based in greater San Antonio, Kyle marks our first outside of Austin. Kyle is such a fun and unique city, and we believe residents here will embrace what we have to offer,” said Jeff Rochelle, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick of Kyle. “We’re excited to uphold Chicken Salad Chick’s mission to ‘Spread Joy, Enrich Lives, and Serve Others’ in Kyle very soon.”

• 19037 I-35, Kyle

The Edwards Aquifer Authority, or EAA, declared Stage 2 Critical Period Management for Edwards withdrawal permit holders in the San Antonio Pool of the EAA’s jurisdiction on Aug. 6 due to declining water levels in the aquifer, according to an EAA news release.

This jurisdiction includes Medina, Bexar, and parts of Guadalupe, Comal, Hays, Atascosa and Caldwell counties, the release states.

How it happened: On April 6, the 10-day average at the J-17 index well was 649.8 feet above mean sea level, which falls within the Stage 2 threshold of the EAA Critical Period Management Plan. The J-17 index well is a monitoring well where the EAA measures groundwater levels in the San Antonio Pool of the Edwards Aquifer. The 10-day average at the Comal Springs is 219 cubic feet per second, or cfs, and the San Marcos Springs is 128 cfs, according to the release.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation updates.

Ongoing projects

Austin seeks public feedback on Cesar Chavez Street renaming: The city is seeking public feedback on the potential renaming of Cesar Chavez Street following some City Council members' request for the change earlier this year. The city is asking residents whether the street should be renamed, and if so, what designation to use as a replacement. Council will take that input before making any final decisions. Three public meetings about the renaming process will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Central Library and  Aug. 15 at Sanchez Elementary School, and Aug. 18 via a virtual webinar. 

Completed projects

CapMetro's Bikeshare service to resume Aug. 11: After a temporary service suspension due to an operations facility fire, Capital Metro officials announced that its rentable electric-assist bike service Bikeshare will return in phases beginning Aug. 11. Nearly one-third of the Bikeshare fleet will be available for riding by Aug. 18 in priority areas with the highest customer demand

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.