Austin Parks and Recreation cut the ribbon on a renovated Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse at 2611 Webberville Road on June 10, celebrating more than nine decades of community history.

Local artist Samson Barboza's stainless steel sculpture—"Brown Birds" and "Grackle"—was installed as part of the project, drawing on Mexican American culture and the natural environment surrounding the park.

The backstory: Parque Zaragoza has anchored East Austin’s Mexican and Mexican American community since the early 20th century, when residents were pushed into the neighborhood by discrimination and displacement from areas like the Old Mexico neighborhood near today’s Republic Square, according to Austin Parks and Recreation.

After years of lobbying by cultural advocacy groups, the city purchased land for the park in 1930, and it opened the following year—quickly becoming a cultural center with organized activities, celebrations and community maintenance.

City Council is now in its annual meetings recess ahead of Austin’s budgeting process that begins in July. Read more about several notable votes cast by officials to cap off their spring session in late May.

In addition to several of those policy decisions, council also advanced a landmark settlement agreement with those who were falsely accused in the so-called Yogurt Shop Murders of 1991. The update came after Austin police determined last year that evidence pointed to serial killer Robert Brashers, rather than four men who'd been wrongfully arrested and convicted. The settlement totaled $35 million and advanced with a public apology from Mayor Kirk Watson.

City Council's next regular voting meeting is scheduled for July 23. City Manager T.C. Broadnax is also expected to present his draft of Austin's fiscal year 2026-27 budget July 16, followed by weeks of review before the spending plan is approved in August.

Check out six ongoing transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Rockride Lane
Project: This work will upgrade Rockride Lane in Georgetown to a two-lane collector roadway with a continuous center left-turn lane and a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along one side from SE Inner Loop to Sam Houston Avenue.
Update: As of February, the contractor had completed work on the west side of the road and began working on the east side. 

• Timeline: 2022-26

• Cost: $12 million

• Funding source: city of Georgetown

William Cannon Bridge
Project: The William Cannon Bridge over I-35 will be blocked off with lane reductions on the main lanes and frontage roads in both directions for the second weekend in a row as part of the I-35 Capital Express South Project. Once completed, the project will feature two high-occupancy-vehicle lanes and a southbound bypass lane. 
Update: The bridge will be blocked off from June 19 at 10 p.m. through June 22 at 5 a.m. 

• Timeline: 2022-28 (total project)

• Cost: $548 million (total project)

• Funding source: Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, TxDOT

In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2127, a sweeping regulatory measure designed to prevent cities and counties from adopting local ordinances that conflict with various sections of state law. Three years later, there is confusion about what local governments can and cannot do under the law.

The background: At the time, some legislators and other proponents of the bill said it would ensure consistency among Texas cities, citing ordinances passed by “liberal blue cities” that they said made it hard to run a business. Opponents of HB 2127, including some local leaders, said the law would prevent cities from addressing residents’ needs while undermining local worker safety provisions and nondiscrimination ordinances.

What's happening: During a June 4 hearing, the law’s critics said it has had a “chilling effect” on some local actions, while those who support the law expressed concerns that cities have not removed ordinances that are preempted by the state.

Ahead of the 2027 state legislative session, lawmakers are considering whether changes are needed to clarify or better enforce the law.