Round Rock residents could pay slightly more for trash and recycling pickup after Nov. 1, with city officials giving initial approval for a fee increase.

Latest update: On Sept. 24, Round Rock City Council approved the first reading of a 3.86% increase to the rate charged for residential refuse services.

Public Works Director Michael Thane said provider Republic Services can petition the city for an increase once a year. The proposed increase is tied to an increase in the consumer price index, he said.

The specifics: Last year, Republic Services requested the maximum 5% increase allowed by its contract with the city. With sales tax and a $3.10 fee to maintain the city's recycling center, this brought the total bill for a residence from $23.67 to $24.69.

This year's proposed increase would raise that bill from $24.69 to $25.51.

It’s time to retire the razor and shaving cream because the 32nd Hairy Man Festival is back on Oct. 17.

Hosted by the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District, the Hairy Man Festival is an annual community-wide celebration of a local legend.

The history: The story dates back to a stormy night in the 1800s, festival organizer Chloe Loflin said.

The legend goes: As a family of settlers rolled along the banks of Brushy Creek, a young boy fell out of the stagecoach. His absence went unnoticed by his family because of the storm, leaving the boy to survive in the woods by himself. He became a recluse with long hair covering his entire body, she said.

In 1994, the community started the Hairy Man Festival to celebrate the "unique, eerie legend,” Loflin said.

The celebration: The festival has a variety of events and activities, starting with the Hairy Man 5K run. Beginning at noon, there are train rides, craft vendors, a pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting and a barbecue sauce contest.

As the festival wraps up, there is a reading of the Hairy Man legend before the grand finale—the Hairiest Man Contest.

• 8320 O'Connor Drive, Austin

Austin Community College trustees unanimously approved a tax rate of $0.103643 per $100 of valuation, up from $0.1034 last year. Because property values fell, the average bill will drop about 2.2%, and the average homestead bill will drop about 1%. The owner of an average home will pay about $557, down from $562 last year.

The details: The new rate is below the college's no-new-revenue rate, meaning it will collect less from existing property. District officials said the slight rate increase is tied to debt on a $770 million bond voters approved in 2022. Property taxes fund about 67% of the college's $583 million budget.

What's next: Tax bills typically go out in the fall. They are due Feb. 1, 2027, because Jan. 31 falls on a Sunday.

Check out six trending stories in the Austin area from Sept. 21-24.

1. Event center slated for site of old pharmacy at Parmer and Whitestone

2. Nana B's Country Kitchen showcases slow-cooked family recipes near Round Rock, Hutto border

3. Texas Roadhouse to open in November in Georgetown

4. Tacodeli plans new Dripping Springs location

5. ARA Diagnostic Imaging opens Leander location

6. Fritz Park holds grand opening in Hutto

The Hill Country draws people to its rolling landscape, clear waterways and live music scene. But as development grows throughout the Hill Country, attempts to build large entertainment destinations have increasingly collided with concerns over traffic, noise and environmental impacts.

The overview: White Rocks, a proposed 71-acre mixed-use development located near Hwy. 71 between Bee Cave and Austin, is the latest project to face this tension.

The site would include a 10,000-seat amphitheater, residential units and a hotel with amenities including two restaurants, three bars, a spa, an onsite distillery, a 1,500-seat indoor performance venue and professional recording studios.

While developers stated in a press release that the project is designed with “environmental stewardship” in mind, opponents are raising concerns about the development’s proposed wastewater system and its potential effects on Barton Creek and the surrounding land.