The Hays County Commissioners Court did not take action on three agenda items related to emergency drought response, conservation and a development moratorium during a Feb. 24 meeting. The items would have addressed concerns surrounding water availability in the region and potential developments that use large amounts of water.

The overview: The commissioners’ agenda featured three water-related items aimed at addressing extreme drought conditions across the state. The conditions were outlined in a renewed drought disaster proclamation issued by Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 16.

A moratorium on the issuance of new permits to developments that would utilize an immense amount of water was considered by the court at the meeting. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra tabled the item following community testimony and court discussion.

Counties in the state do not have the legal authority to issue development moratoriums, according to a letter sent to Attorney General Ken Paxton by Texas Sen. Paul Bettencourt.

Zooming in: Hays County and the surrounding region continue to face long-standing water challenges, including a severe multiyear drought.

The Wittliff Collections team at Texas State University, founded in 1986, opened a 40-object exhibition to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The full story: The Spirit of The Wittliff displays objects from archives of the Southwest Writers Collection, Texas Music Collection and Southwestern & Mexican Photography Collection. It highlights the history of The Wittliff, featuring items collected over its four-decade-long history, including:

• Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar pick from his final concert
• Correspondence between writer Elizabeth Crook and her editor at Doubleday, Jackie Onassis
• The desk where author Cormac McCarthy wrote his novels

• Albert B. Alkek Library, 7th floor, 601 University Drive, San Marcos

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.

The focus of a national initiative to build climate resilience at the local level in Central Texas will focus on three specific climate hazards, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions announced in February.

What you need to know: The Feb. 18 announcement states that the triple threat of extreme heat, wildfires and flooding in the area will be the focus of the Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator hub in the area.

This comes after months of meetings with area leaders, assessments of area disasters and other information-gathering.

What they're saying: This accelerator program will be the first through the CCES to include flooding, according to the news release.  

"Although the harmful impacts of any of these hazards alone can be very significant, the compounding impacts when they overlap can be devastating," the release states. "Extreme heat can amplify wildfire risk, and heavy rainfall immediately following wildfire can increase erosion and flooding due to soil and vegetation changes."