Bastrop County officials voiced their concerns about Austin’s planned Aquifer Storage and Recovery project during an Oct. 27 meeting, and discussed that they would like the Texas Legislature to change the permitting process for similar plans. 

The details: During the meeting, the Bastrop County Commissioners Court approved a resolution supporting joint permitting authority between the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for all aquifer storage and recovery projects, and voted against an ASR collaboration agreement with Austin Water. 

A burn ban will remain in effect for Bastrop County through Nov. 10.

The details: James Altgelt, the Bastrop County emergency management coordinator, told Bastrop County Commissioners Court during an Oct. 27 meeting that he spoke with all six local fire chiefs the morning of the meeting. 

“They are recommending to allow the people who have been abiding by the burn ban order to burn stuff that they’ve been holding at this time,” he said. “The thought process was that since we're going into a different climate with the temperature, the soil won't dry out at the same rate. If it comes out that we don't get additional rainfall and we do continue to have a fire threat, we can reenact the burn ban at a later time.”

However, commissioners cited concerns about a forecasted “wind event” for Oct. 29, and voiced their desire to err on the side of caution with an extension. 

Travis County officials approved a $124,953 feasibility study Oct. 21 to explore a potential commuter rail line between Austin and San Antonio.

The big picture: Championed by Travis County Judge Andy Brown, the study will examine passenger rail options along state-managed land near highways, potentially connecting the Amtrak station in San Antonio to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Brown said the goal is to use existing corridors like SH 130 and I-10 to avoid major land acquisition and speed up development.

Why it matters: Brown said a rail line could remove up to 25% of I-35 traffic between the two cities as the corridor’s population—projected to reach 8 million by 2050—continues to grow. The study will run 175 days and include engineering, ridership and cost analyses.

Zooming out: The project complements a separate TxDOT study reviewing 11 alternatives along I-35, including commuter rail and multimodal lanes. Rail ranked as the top community preference in 2024 public feedback sessions.

Texas is home to about 3.5 million small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500 per year if voters approve an expanded business tax exemption on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The details: State Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of a business’s personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from taxation. Texas business owners currently receive a tax exemption on property worth $2,500 or less.

“At $2,500, virtually everyone's paying this tax,” NFIB Texas Director Jeff Burdett said in an Oct. 24 interview. “If you have a desk, a computer and a chair, you're probably over $2,500 [in inventory]. … It makes no difference for almost any business.”

At the polls: Early voting in the Nov. 4 election began Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information about the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

The overview: As Community Impact enters its third decade, it’s returning to its roots of growth and deeper reader connections. The “Patron” program, which began in 2020 by reader demand, has relaunched as the InCIder.

“This relaunch represents our renewed commitment to readers who support our local news,” CEO John Garrett said. “Beyond funding great journalism, we also want to reward our InCIders and build deeper connections with them, creating a true sense of community around the work we do.”

Event details: As part of the relaunch, Community Impact will host its first-ever InCIder Hour, a new event aimed at celebrating and engaging the company’s supporters.

The event, open to InCIders only, will take place Nov. 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Community Impact Headquarters, 16225 Impact Way, Pflugerville.

Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow InCIders, meet Community Impact staff and attend a featured conversation with legislative reporter Hannah Norton, moderated by CEO John Garrett.

“Our first event needed to start where all the hard work is put together,” Garrett said. “People are blown away when they see our operation. To be able to sit and chat with the best legislative reporter in Texas, Hannah Norton, makes it an event our InCIder friends deserve and hopefully will enjoy.”