Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD, KAROLINE PFEIL & BEN THOMPSON
Lake Travis water levels sink following July floods Water levels on Lake Travis are sinking follow- ing July flooding as the region continues to face drought, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. What’s happening Lake Travis is 83% full at 671.17 feet, LCRA data from Oct. 14 shows. In August, Lake Travis was as 90% full following the July flooding, at 675 feet. Despite the increased rainfall this year, the region remains in a drought that originally began in August 2019 and continues to today, said Shan- non Hamilton, Central Texas Water Coalition’s executive director, at an Oct. 6 Lakeway meeting Looking statewide, almost 40% of Texas is in an abnormally dry period. “Texas as a whole is experiencing a drought,” Hamilton said. “[But] we are in a much stronger drought than other areas.”
New short term rental rules effective this fall Austin’s rules for short-term rentals, or STRs, will soon shift following legal and enforcement issues. Changes approved Sept. 11 capped off a regulatory overhaul intended to curb the spread of unlicensed rental operations and nuisances in neighborhoods, while raising more tourism dollars. The details The new policies are aimed at making it easier to strike unlicensed STR listings from platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, and ensure full tax collections are taking place. Council members also made adjustments to stream- line the licensing process, and allow renters as well as property owners to participate in the rental market with sign-off from a landlord. Some new mandates for rental platforms like Airbnb won’t apply until next summer.
Monthly minimum lake level, 2025
700 640 660 680 620 600 0 Feet above mean sea level
SOURCE: LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The overview Currently, the Lower Colorado River Authority is working on an updated Water Management Plan, which addresses how the Highland Lakes, includ- ing Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan, are managed. In mid-2026, LCRA officials plan to submit an updated Water Management Plan to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for approval.
TravCo child care expansion reaches $55 million
The funding will:
• Increase subsidy spots in early childhood day cares • Create incentives for providers to offer reduced-tuition spots • Increase after-school and summer-care spots • Expand nontraditional-hours child care outside the 9-to-5 workday • Cover gaps in state subsidy funding
Travis County commissioners approved an additional $21 million in contracts Oct. 7 to expand child care under the newly rebranded Raising Travis County initiative, formerly known as Travis County CARES. Less than a year after voters passed a county- wide tax rate hike to boost affordable child care, the county has now doled out a total of $55 million toward the effort.
The big picture Travis County Judge Andy Brown said he’s eager for the new partnerships to start “cutting red tape” and shortening long wait times for local families. The annual $75 million in taxpayer funding is expected to support several specific programs that increase affordable child care for around 9,800 children.
SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
OPENING IN NOVEMBER 2025! • Get first dibs on your preferred teacher + time • No risk! Fully refundable until your first lesson • Any instrument, any age, any level This is your exclusive invitation to become a founding member of Musicologie Lakeway. Here’s how it works: FROM $94 /MONTH Memberships FOUNDERS • Sign up now to lock in our best pricing ahead of the grand opening • Includes private lessons, junior classes + accelerated group labs
Get Your Founders Membership:
3502 Wild Cherry Dr., Bldg. 6 • go.musicologie.com/lakeway • 512-686-6418
11
LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook