Austin is moving to enact a new regulatory framework covering how and where data centers can be built in the city, and block the development of the largest and most resource-intensive facilities.

“We’re looking to have a complete, legally viable means of regulation, prevention and protection," Mayor Kirk Watson said.

What's happening: Today, data centers are generally allowed in Austin's commercial and industrial areas and there are no specific rules in place to control or monitor their development. City staff identified targeted land-use policy as the most effective way to enact local oversight of data centers, and to mitigate any negative effects on residents and public resources.

After a unanimous City Council vote to pursue those regulations on Aug. 27, some could go into effect by the end of the year after code updates are drafted and considered through public reviews.

Dripping Springs, once a small town in the northwestern area of Hays County, has grown by over 500% since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city has been working to increase service capacity as the population has grown. Since 2015, the number of wastewater customers served by the city of Dripping Springs has increased by approximately 600%.

After a seven-year legal setback, the city is making progress on expanding the South Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, the city’s main treatment plant. The expansion will increase the facility’s treatment capacity from approximately 162,500 to 822,500 gallons per day—a 406% increase.

The overview: The city is making progress on expanding wastewater infrastructure, more than 10 years after the need was identified. Costs have risen since then, and the city needed an additional $51.5 million for the project, which it secured through a loan from the Texas Water Development Board.

For several months, the South Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility, or SRWRF, has been near capacity and unable to accept most new large connections.

Texas voters will choose from Republican Bo French, Libertarian Arthur DiBianca and Democrat Jon Rosenthal in this November's Texas Railroad Commission race.

The details: The winner of the race will be sworn in to replace incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright in January.

French beat Wright in a May Republican primary runoff, advancing to the general election. Rosenthal ran uncontested in the March Democratic primary, while DiBianca was selected as the Texas Libertarian Party's candidate during an April nominating convention.

Did you know? The three-member railroad commission does not have any jurisdiction over the state's railroads—that authority was transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government by 2005, according to the commission's website. Instead, the agency regulates Texas' oil and gas industries.

Looking ahead: Early voting in dozens of local and state races runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.