Longtime Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin announced Dec. 5 that she would be vacating her seat to run for Harris County attorney.

Kamin represents District C, a geographic area that includes portions of the Heights, Washington Avenue, Montrose, Rice Village and Meyerland. Her decision has sparked a special election in April to fill her seat on the council.

Why it matters: Candidate applications officially opened Dec. 17, with the last day to file and write-in deadline set for Feb. 2 by 5 p.m. Interested applicants will need to file with the Mayor's Office, 901 Bagby St., or email [email protected].

A drawing for the ballot order will be held Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. in the City Hall Annex council chamber.

The special election will be held April 4, and the winner of the race will fill the role until January 2028.

Stay tuned: To stay up-to-date with candidate information or fill out an application, residents can visit the city of Houston election page.

URBN Dental is now open in Meyerland Plaza, specializing in implants and Invisalign.

What they offer: The new dental office offers personalized oral healthcare, from routine check-ups to specialized treatments. Services include dental cleaning and checkups, oral cancer screenings and root canals, as well as cosmetic offerings such as dental bonding, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening and dentures.

According to its website, the office also utilizes artificial intelligence in its office to analyze dental images, detect issues and provide customized treatment recommendations.

• 450 Meyerland Plaza, Houston

Renowned baker and pastry chef Jean-Francois Feuillette has set his sights on the River Oaks District for the first U.S. opening of his brand—Café Feuillette.

“I’m thrilled to bring the Café Feuillette concept to the United States and especially to Houston," Feuillette said. "This city truly won me over. Its energy, cultural richness and culinary scene made it the ideal place to introduce our French coffee shop concept abroad."

What they offer: Café Feuillette will bring a taste of French art de vivre to Houston, featuring high-quality, sweet and savory homemade dishes and signature gourmet drinks.

The menu will offer breakfast, lunch and afternoon treats, as well as pastry drinks inspired by classic French desserts, such as vanilla flan and Paris-Brest. Pastries that will also be available include French favorites such as filled madeleines, canelés, brioches and chocolate fondant.

Looking ahead: The Houston location will mark the fifth store opening overall, but will be the first to open outside of France. The cafe is expected to open in summer 2026.

• 4444 Westheimer Road, Houston

Texans now have a new database to track the results of local bond propositions and tax rate elections, or TREs, in their communities and across the state.

The details: Texas’ Local Government Bond, Tax, and Project Transparency Database was unveiled after state lawmakers passed House Bill 103 this spring. The new law requires the comptroller to compile information about all bonds, tax rate elections and maintenance tax rate changes proposed by local governments in an election, including:

• Ballot language for all tax-related proposals
• How each tax measure would impact the local tax rate or debt service
• The difference between the adopted tax rate and voter-approval tax rate, if applicable
• The entity’s tax rate for the prior year and the tax rate following the election
• A list of projects funded by each tax measure
• The results of each election, including votes for and against a measure