Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations unveiled its first-ever strategic plan in February, detailing how the city plans to invest and coordinate across the local homelessness response system in the coming year-plus.

The details: The full plan, available to view online, was developed last year and is meant to serve as a blueprint for AHSO from Austin's current fiscal year 2025-26 through FY 2026-27. The city's homelessness office spent months engaging with more than 30 local groups and polling its own team to build out the plan that addresses five high-level objectives, with dozens of specific benchmarks that will be further outlined or completed over the year ahead.

Those include improving how the city tracks its spending and contracts, outcomes for homeless clients, resident and stakeholder engagement, and internal training. New shelter beds and other homelessness facilities are also called for.

Travis County has extended a burn ban that went into effect on Feb. 10 for unincorporated areas of the county due to continued dry condition, according to a news release. The ban now remains in effect through March 24 unless the county judge or fire marshal lifts it earlier.

The details: The ban applies to outdoor burning in unincorporated areas—areas outside of any specific city—of Travis County. It does not apply to prescribed burns, outdoor welding, cutting, grinding or other hot work operations, according to the release.

The Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office urges residents to use caution when grilling or barbecuing outdoors and to keep a water source or fire extinguisher nearby. Anyone who sees a fire that may be out of control should call 911 immediately.

The initial burn ban was put into effect after Travis County officials responded to 20-25 fires Feb. 7, Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Gary Howell said Feb. 10.

Stay tuned: Residents can receive burn ban status updates by texting TCBURNBAN to 888777.

Restauranteur Erin Wade, owner of Vinaigrette's Austin location, now also owns the 1950's-era building housing the restaurant on property shaded by Live Oak trees. 

What you need to know: In a Feb. 20 news release, the restaurant owner announced that she purchased the property on which her restaurant sits, as well as plans to expand the space with two new concepts: Tiny's, serving coffee and light bites, and the Live Oak Farmer's Market, bringing a bi-weekly market of local growers and makers to the neighborhood. 

About the business: Vinaigrette Austin was opened in 2016 by Wade, preceded by the original Santa Fe, N.M. location in 2008 and Albuquerque, N.M. in 2012. The restaurant offers a variety of salads, with "bright and zingy", savory or lightly sweet flavors, as well as beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails. The Austin location's brunch menu also includes omelettes, pastries and other breakfast fare.   

From a commercial retail center to a gas station and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Courtside in Austin: Quantum 71 will build a 26,331-square-foot restaurant and a 4,128-square-foot pickleball building.

2. Base Power in Austin: The Austin-based energy supplier will finish out a shell building for manufacturing and warehouse uses.

3. Winding Oak Commercial Development in Leander: Zoomers Investment Group will construct a commercial retail center, which will feature a 4,000-square-foot quick-serve restaurant, 19,543 square feet of retail space and a two-story 16,400-square-foot office and retail building.

4. AAA Storage and Business Park in Austin: The self-storage business will construct an 85,000-square-foot facility and business park.

5. Smart Stop in Georgetown: Central Texas-based Smart Stop will open a convenience store and fuel station that spans 6,000 square feet.