SunScout was founded in New Zealand, with existing operations in New Zealand, Asia and Massachusetts. The Buda facility will mark the company's newest manufacturing operation, expanding its United States footprint and supporting growing demand for its solar-powered, wire-free robotic mowing technology.

The company is projected to create approximately 50 jobs spanning technical, management and production roles, reinforcing the region's ability to attract advanced manufacturing companies, while strengthening the local economy, stated a news release. SunScout's arrival adds another innovative manufacturer to Central Texas, further establishing the region's growing profile in advanced and clean-technology manufacturing.

The project is supported through the Buda EDC RISE Workforce Incentive, a performance-based program that rewards job creation, competitive wage levels and employee retention. If all program benchmarks and retention milestones are achieved, the project could qualify for up to approximately $312,500 in total incentives, including additional incentives tied to hiring Buda-based employees.

"Buda offers the space, the workforce and the pro-business environment we need to grow our U.S. manufacturing footprint," said Edwin Cywinski, CEO and chairman of SunScout Holding Limited. "We're excited to bring SunScout's manufacturing to Central Texas and to grow alongside this community."

"SunScout's arrival adds an innovative clean-technology manufacturer to Buda's growing roster of advanced manufacturing companies, further establishing the region as a hub for forward-looking, sustainable industries,” said Brian Dyer, Buda EDC assistant director of recruitment and development. “Through tools like the RISE Workforce Incentive, we're able to support quality job creation, while welcoming companies that share our commitment to innovation and community growth."

According to JHS principal Robert Hensarling, the school has been on a waiting list for the program since opening, with the initial construction including a range and a classroom made for the curriculum. While Lehman and Hays high schools house the Navy and Marine Corps programs, respectively, Johnson will host the Air Force branch.

“You don’t want too many of the same branch. The military has some guidelines in terms of the distance between different programs and my understanding is you can’t have two of the same program in the same district,” explained Hensarling. “Air Force made great sense because of the aerospace engineering program that the campus [has] … We’re the only campus that offers that program study, with the intent that it would coexist with the Air Force JROTC once we had it approved because there’s some carryover between things, like learning to fly aeronautics.”

The school had to be inspected prior to approval, where they were told that the “facilities were top notch,” said Hensarling.

When the first email was sent out gauging interest, 48 responses were received of the required 50 students needed, so the school knew that students were “chomping at the bit to get started,” many of whom are in the aerospace engineering career and technology education track.

Prior to the 2026-27 school year, students interested in JROTC were required to transfer schools to either Lehman or Hays to participate.

The curriculum will be led by aerospace science instructor Senior Master Sergeant Jacequlyn Rider and senior aerospace science instructor Colonel Shelly Mendieta.

Rider served for 22 years in the Air Force and retired in March 2026. She held positions at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of leadership.

Mendieta is retired from the Air Force and also served as a F-15E Weapon Systems Officer. She accumulated more than 2,400 flying hours as an instructor and flew more than 100 combat missions.

In the class, students will learn several basic fundamentals as the other branches, said the principal, but also teach Air Force specific lessons.

“We’ll do a seven-year curriculum planning, but the core components of the curriculum are the aerospace science, which is going to cover aviation history, science of flights, basic exploration, astronomy, cybersecurity, unmanned aircraft systems, but also … we have leadership education. So, it’s a lot of citizenship, traditions, personal growth, financial management, career paths, college preparation and, of course, military drill and ceremonies,” described Rider. “They’ll [also] get [physical education] credit for it. So, we focus on building active, healthy lifestyles through targeted exercise and national fitness standards. It’s not a military recruitment tool, but we have curriculum components that the Air Force dictates that we’ll make sure we’re meeting.”

Because this is the first year, there are currently no outside extracurricular options, but as the program grows and student interest increases, outside opportunities like drill teams will be added.

It’s Rider’s first time teaching and although she’s nervous, she explained that she wants to create a precedent of a great program.

“I went to Hays [High School] and I was in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC all four years of high school and then, I joined [the military] about two years after I graduated and I realized the impact that my Marine Corps Junior ROTC instructors had on me. In fact, when I was promoted to senior master sergeant in 2023, I asked my former instructor to come back and preside over my promotion ceremony and when I think about it, that's the kind of impact I want to have,” said the sergeant. “I want somebody to come back to me 20 years later or 25 years later or whatever and say, ‘Hey, this is the impact you made on me when I was a high school student and I would like for you to be part of this significant event in my life.’”

Both Hensarling and Rider shared that all students should consider joining the program, not just those interested in a military career.

“We want any student that’s interested in learning how to better themselves [or] push themselves. The ultimate goal is not to have all the cadets join the military. I’m sure some are interested in that field and we absolutely want to cultivate that, but we understand that the vast majority won’t go into a career in the military. We want them to be leaders in whatever field they pursue next. Learn some self discipline, learn some leadership skills, learn to take care of your mind and body and be a good citizen — that’s the ultimate goal of the program,” emphasized Hensarling.

Those who participate in all four years can qualify for an industry-based certification, which lets industry professionals know that they’re college, career or military ready. Students can also opt to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test, if interested in the military.

When asked what it means for Johnson to have this program, Rider simply said: “Everything.”

As the Air Force JROTC program is in its first year, JHS will allow students to sign up for the class for the first few weeks of school, said the principal. Students in any grade level can join and there are no prerequisites. Additionally, there will be an informational session available for families in the coming weeks.

Located on the Buda-Kyle border, the new location allows TCOB to remain rooted in the community it has served for nearly two decades, while making its services more accessible to families in Kyle and other rapidly growing areas of northern Hays County, according to a news release. The new location provides a more central option for families traveling from both communities and gives the practice room to continue serving a growing population of clients who need individualized speech, language and occupational therapy services.

TCOB provides speech-language therapy and occupational therapy, with a special clinical focus on supporting autistic and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) clients. The practice also supports clients with communication differences, AAC needs, executive functioning differences, sensory processing differences and other developmental and communication needs.

A central part of the practice's approach is neurodiversity-affirming care, the release continued. Rather than focusing on making a client appear more “typical,” therapy is individualized around each person's communication, sensory needs, autonomy, strengths and quality of life.

For families seeking an alternative to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or other behavior-focused approaches, TCOB offers a different model of support. The practice does not use compliance, normalization or the suppression of autistic traits as measures of progress. Instead, therapy focuses on communication, self-advocacy, autonomy, regulation, meaningful participation and skills that matter to the individual client.

“Families are sometimes told that ABA is simply what you do after an autism diagnosis and many don't realize there are other options,” said Amy Grant, MS, CCC-SLP, owner and clinical director of TCOB. “We want families to know that support doesn't have to be about changing who their child is. You can build communication, independence and quality of life, while respecting the person in front of you.”

For Grant, this approach is closely connected to the disability rights principle: “Nothing about us without us.”

As an autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) clinician herself, she brings both professional training and lived experience to the philosophy behind the practice, the release stated.

“Neurodivergent people deserve to have a voice in what good support looks like,” Grant said. “Being AuDHD doesn't replace my clinical training, but it absolutely informs the way I listen to our clients, the things I notice and the kind of practice I wanted to create.”

“We want therapy to be a place where clients don't have to hide who they are in order to be considered successful,” Grant continued. “For our autistic and ADHD clients especially, our goal isn't to teach them to look less autistic or less ADHD. It's to help them communicate, advocate for themselves, access the support they need and feel understood.”

The new location was also chosen with the client experience in mind. Rather than a traditional medical-office environment, the space offers a more comfortable, home-like setting designed to help clients and families feel at ease.

“Therapy Center of Buda has been part of this community since 2008 and remaining connected to Buda was incredibly important to us,” Grant said. “At the same time, Kyle is growing incredibly quickly, and we know many families are traveling farther than they should have to for affirming therapy. Being right at the edge of these two communities puts us in a really unique position to serve both.”

“It's a new address, but we're still the same practice, the same team and the same commitment to our clients and families,” Grant said. “We're excited to make this space our home and, hopefully, a place our families feel at home, too.”

The proposed budget outlines service priorities and community investments for the coming year, while addressing financial constraints driven by rising costs and limited revenue growth.

According to a news release, the proposed budget totals $56.7 million, including approximately $53.9 million for operating expenses and $2.8 million for capital projects.

The budget is balanced with a proposed tax rate of $0.3681 per $100 of valuation, compared to the current rate of $0.3576. The average home with a taxable value of $376,811 will pay $1,387 in property taxes to the city, an increase of $7 over the previous year.

Additionally, the proposed budget includes an increase to water and wastewater rates. Beginning with October meter readings, water rates would increase 6% and wastewater rates would increase 4%. For the average customer, this means a monthly bill increase of approximately $7.20, or 5%. The increase is necessary, according to the release, to pay the rising costs of operations, including water supplies, rising costs of materials and services and debt service associated with system improvements.

"The city’s budget and the services provided are foundational to the success of the community,” said Grau. “Without reliable infrastructure, safety created by the Buda Police Department and community gathering places and events that draw us together, we would not be a thriving community. The city, through its budget, ensures that basics needed for our residents and businesses to thrive are met. The proposed budget addresses these items and advances the priorities identified by the city council.”

The city developed the FY 2027 budget under continued economic pressures. Expenses are outpacing revenues amid low assessed-value growth and rising operating costs, including an increase in insurance premiums, higher fuel costs and general inflation. To present a balanced budget, the city manager and the Finance department reduced department requests by $3.7 million.

Reserves are available for one-time expenses and the city continues to hold one of the lowest property tax rates in the region and state.

Key budget items for FY 2027 include:

• A 6% water rate increase and a 4% wastewater rate increase, averaging approximately $7.20 a month or 5% for the average household customer to offset increased operating costs, expanded water supply costs and investment in infrastructure.

• Residential solid waste will increase slightly from $22.82 to $23.03 per month, with expanded service options to let customers select additional carts including a new optional green waste cart.

• A proposed tax rate of $0.3681 per $100 of valuation continues Buda’s tradition of a low property tax rate.

• Two new Public Works utility positions; no new positions in the general fund.

• Salary and stipend adjustments to keep police officer pay competitive with surrounding jurisdictions.

• New and replacement equipment for Street Maintenance, Parks and police.

• Construction contribution as a partner of the proposed Kyle Regional Animal Shelter.

• A study to explore future water supply options.

Policy priorities for FY 2027:

• Water supply and infrastructure

• Public safety

• Street maintenance and completion of bond projects

• Parks, including playground replacements at Cullen Country and Green Meadows, the opening of Buda Championship Park and the completion of Garison Park

The public is invited to attend and participate in the upcoming city council meetings and hearings on the proposed budget and tax rate:

• Thursday, Aug. 13 – City manager’s budget presentation to city council and record vote on the proposed tax rate

• Tuesday, Sept. 1 – Public hearing on the budget and courtesy hearing on the tax rate

• Tuesday, Sept.15 – Public hearing on the tax rate, courtesy hearing on the budget and first and final reading of the ordinance to adopt the budget and tax rate

To review the proposed FY 2027 budget and the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan, visit the Budget tab of the Finance department page at www.budatx.gov/budget.

The final, adopted budget will be added to the website after council adopts the document and final edits are complete.

The city’s fiscal year begins Oct.1.

The current makeup of BPD varies, as community affairs officer Matt Schima explained that he was one of five who were hired all at once approximately a year ago; that group ranged from having experience elsewhere to being brand new out of the academy. BPD’s chief and captain have a few decades under their belts, as well as the first-line supervisors with at least 15 years.

Now, with two officers in training, the final vacancies within the department have been filled to be a full staff.

While the numbers are not reported, seeing fully-staffed police departments is not common across the state of Texas or nation, Schima said. This is due to challenges, such as the culture that currently stands between the community and law enforcement, as well as what all it takes to do the job.

“Part of it is the culture today. We've seen in the past maybe 20 [to] 25 years a swing in public support and when officers look at opportunities for a career, it's not really enticing to go into a career where you could be sued for doing your job. You could be indicted for a criminal offense when you did the right thing,” he said. “I think young people and those looking into the career see those, as well. Maybe it's not really worth it. I think that's the tough part … There's a lot of small, but loud groups that are anti-law enforcement and so, especially younger officers coming into the profession that are on social media nowadays, they're seeing that a lot. I think that is a deterrent to getting into a career in law enforcement.”

Remaining competitive with neighboring departments, especially the larger ones that are along the IH-35 corridor, is important. Schima explained that he believes the advantage BPD has is the culture, emphasizing opportunity for officers to try different teams and promotions, such as field training officer, corporal, detective, drone, peer assistance, etc.

He added that they also stress the value of promoting teamwork, noting the most recent charity flag football game against the Buda Fire Department, as well as recognizing officers’ accomplishments with the annual awards banquet, which was started last year.

Having a full staff paves the way for more opportunities and addresses the concerns of the community from outreach to traffic complaints and reducing crimes, Schima said.

“We're able to concentrate more effort on reducing those criminal statistics to better serve our community. It also allows us to better serve at our events,” he said. “We are an event city; we have a lot of large events where people come from all over and so, that allows us to have adequate security for those events and we hope to continue growing, so that we can better serve in those capacities.”

The officer continued to highlight BPD’s connection with being community-oriented. When departments are short on officers, it can be difficult for them to slow down in the middle of responding to calls, get out of the patrol car and speak to kids on the street who are playing basketball, for example, Schima shared.

“That community mindset allows us to have the trust that we need in order to do our jobs, to have extra eyes and ears on the street, to be able to not only prevent crime, but solve crime,” he concluded. “We're really proud of the relationship that we have with our community partners from businesses to neighborhoods to individuals, through our community programs and just the everyday mindset of the patrol officer of, ‘Hey, we're going to treat you right, whether it's a traffic stop or domestic violence. We're going to continue to build those relationships and treat people right, so that we keep you safe.’”

Learn more about BPD at www.budatx.gov/111/Police.

Although the fire department was ahead most of the game, the police department pulled away in the end for a 32-28 victory.

The real winner, however, was the community. The event generated food donations and helped raise awareness for families across Hays County, who rely on the food bank’s services.

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 Judge Sandra Bryant conducted the coin toss and Buda City Council member Kimberly Goodman presented the trophy.

After tallying on Monday, the food bank shared that a total of 829 pounds was collected from the drive.

Following two-and-a-half days of a boil water notice for the neighborhoods of Summer Pointe, Whispering Hollow, Elm Grove, White Oak Preserve and Stonewood Commons, the city of Buda announced Wednesday that the water has been tested and is now considered safe for human consumption.

As previously reported by the Hays Free Press, a line break on FM 1626 near Oyster Creek Drive caused water pressure to drop below the required 20 pounds per square inch (PSI) on Monday morning.

The line was repaired by approximately 7:30 p.m. the same day; however, the boil water notice was in effect until laboratory test results confirmed that the “necessary corrective actions” were taken to restore the quality of the water.

For more information on boil water notices, visit www.budatx.gov/941/Boil-Water-Notice-Tips-for-Consumption.

To sign up to receive alerts for future notices, visit:
• Warn Central Texas: www.warncentraltexas.org

• City of Buda Notify Me: www.budatx.gov/list.aspx

The San Marcos positive sample was collected from a site July 28 and the one in Buda was collected July 30, marking the fourth and fifth West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pool reported by Hays County during the 2026 season. Statewide, the Texas DSHS reported 905 positive mosquito pools in 2026. At this time, no human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Hays County.

“With summer at its peak, it is that time of year when people and mosquitoes tend to interact more. Findings this week serve as a reminder that people should take steps to protect themselves while outside by taking simple measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites,” said Nick VandenBroek, environmental health specialist II. “Wearing lightly colored and loose-fitted long-sleeved shirts and pants, applying EPA-approved insect repellent and draining any unwanted standing water around your homes are simple ways to reduce the risk of possible mosquito bites while enjoying the summer.”

HCDS conducts mosquito surveillance from May through November to monitor mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes are collected using standardized traps and then, sent to the Texas DSHS for identification and arboviral testing. This surveillance helps HCDS track mosquito activity, identify breeding areas and guide prevention and control efforts.

Mosquitoes are present year-round, but are most active from May through November. Infected mosquitoes can transmit West Nile Virus through bites. Most infected people — 80% — have no symptoms, while about 20% may develop fever, headache, body aches, rash or other flu-like symptoms. Adults ages 50 and older and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.

There is currently no treatment for West Nile Virus.

The best way to prevent WNV is to reduce mosquito populations where people live, work and play. Residents can reduce their risk of mosquito bites and West Nile Virus infection by following the three Ds: Defend, Dress and Drain.

• DEFEND: Whenever outside, use EPA-approved repellents and always follow label instructions.

• DRESS: Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing outside.

• DRAIN: Drain or treat all standing water in and around the home or workplace where mosquitoes could lay eggs.

“Protecting the health and safety of our residents is one of Hays County's highest priorities,” said Hays County Judge and director of Emergency Management Ruben Becerra. “While we have not had any reported human cases of West Nile Virus this year, this positive mosquito sample in another part of Hays County is an important reminder that prevention starts at home. I encourage everyone to take simple precautions like using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing and eliminating standing water around their property. By working together, we can help reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness and keep our communities healthy.”

For more information regarding mosquito surveillance, visit the Hays County Development Services website at www.hayscountytx.gov/493/Mosquito-Surveillance-Program or call (512) 393-2150. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/index.html for more information on the West Nile Virus.

Residents were notified via social media, Warn Central Texas and the city’s Notify Me system of the situation shortly before 6 a.m.

According to the notice, due to the line break, water pressure dropped below the required minimum of 20 pounds per square inch (PSI) level to city of Buda water customers west of Onion Creek, which led to the issuance of a boil water notice for the affected areas.

Initially, the notice was in effect for the neighborhoods of Carpenter Hill, Creekside Park, Cullen Country, Elm Grove, Garlic Creek, Summer Pointe, The Porch at Du Pre, White Oak Preserve and Whispering Hollow.

An update at 6: 50 a.m. narrowed the area to only Summer Pointe, Whispering Hollow and Elm Grove.

Subsequent updates expanded the area again, to include White Oak Preserve, Tilly Lane and the Stonewood Commons subdivision “out of an abundance of caution.”

Under the notice, water users in the affected areas should boil all water used for drinking, cooking and ice making to ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes or use bottled water for human consumption purposes.

As of 4:45 p.m. Monday, the Public Works Department anticipated repairs being completed by 7:30 p.m., according to city of Buda communication specialist Letty Ortiz. 

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, a water sample will be sent for laboratory testing to confirm it is safe for consumption. Results are estimated to be returned to the city by midday Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The boil water notice will remain in effect until the results confirm that the water is safe for consumption. 

Affected residents can get water at Summer Pointe Park until 6:30 p.m. Monday.

For more information on boil water notices, visit www.budatx.gov/941/Boil-Water-Notice-Tips-for-Consumption.

To sign up for alerts, visit:
• Warn Central Texas: www.warncentraltexas.org

• City of Buda Notify Me: www.budatx.gov/list.aspx

For more information, visit www.atlasjiujitsu.com/buda-tx.

Grady Reed, financial analyst for HDR Engineering, began by providing backgrounds for both water and wastewater.

For water, he explained that revenue is planned for an “average” year, which accounts for residential use of 6,500 gallons of water per month, although this can be higher in hot, dry years.

Water expenses for FY 2027 are expected to total $8.4 million. However, looking ahead, they are projected to increase to $10.4 million in FY 2031, due primarily to anticipated capital improvement plan (CIP) projects.

According to agenda documents, the largest increase in the CIP projects comes from the Public Works & Parks facility expansion, which are estimated at $2.5 million and $13 million for FY 2030 and FY 2031, respectively.

With the expected rise in expenses, Reed recommended a 6% across the board rate increase for water services. For 7,500 gallons of use, customers would pay an additional $4.46 per month.

Future large CIP projects are also on the horizon for wastewater, with expenses projected to increase from $9.2 million in FY 2027 to $11.3 million in FY 2031. Although, according to Reed, the fund has reserves above the required amount, he still recommends a 4% rate increase for wastewater. For 5,000 gallons of use, customers would pay an additional $2.74 per month.

“I am always asked, ‘Well, if we're above the current reserves, then why are we doing any rate increases?’ And the answer is, there's two things kind of at play here. One, you don't want to draw the reserves down too fast because then, whenever you hit your reserve target, you're going to be facing a really large rate increase in that year or those couple of years to try to stop that momentum and that's kind of painful to your customers,” Reed explained. “Most customers, while they may not like rate increases, I think it's generally a better idea to try to do some rate increases every year, in a more controlled manner, than maybe to skip it for a couple of years and then, you’re facing a 15% or 20% rate increase to try to catch up.”

The analyst also said that there could be some potential larger expenses that go beyond the five-year planning period that are not shown, such as an additional water supply the city may need, so by FY 2031, it might be good to carry a little more fund balance than the currently required three-month reserves.

Closing out his presentation, Reed compared the residential and commercial proposed rates to various surrounding cities. This showed that the residential rates remain less than Pflugerville, Liberty Hill, Taylor, Hutto and Kyle, while being higher than San Marcos, Georgetown and Leander.

The commercial rates remain lower than Hutto, Kyle and Pflugerville, while being higher than Liberty Hill, San Marcos, Taylor, Georgetown and Leander.

Additionally, the city has been looking at health insurance costs for staff members, after receiving notice that the current rate plan would be increasing by $659,363.88 to a total of more than $2.1 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

Currently, for the base health plan, the city contributes 100% of the employee’s premium and 72% of the premium for spouses and dependents.

During the meeting, council was presented with various cost-saving options, which include adding a high-deductible health plan, with a health savings account, to the options for employees who may be interested and/or decreasing the city’s contribution for spouses and dependents.

There were no votes on any items covered at the meeting; everything will be brought back to council as a part of the full proposed budget, which will be posted on the city’s website Aug. 7 and presented to council Aug. 13.

There will be a public hearing on the budget Sept. 1 and a public hearing on the tax rate Sept. 15.

Buda City Council will meet next Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Special Use Permit

Following a proclamation recognizing July 2026 as Parks and Recreation Month, council moved through a full slate of agenda items, which began with the deliberation of a special use permit (SUP) application.

Sandlin Services, on behalf of Emergency Animal Hospital of Buda, submitted the application to request approval of outside yard/kennels for a proposed facility at the southwest corner of the intersection of South IH-35 and Robert S Light Boulevard.

While the veterinary facility is allowed within the current B-3 zoning of the property, an outdoor yard/kennel is prohibited without an approved SUP.

“It is an outdoor yard,” Will Parrish, assistant director of Development Services, clarified. “They don't propose to kennel dogs in the outdoor area.”

Parrish also stated that the proposed yard will be located on the side of the building facing IH-35, rather than the adjacent neighborhood, and the animals would always be supervised when in the yard.

According to agenda documents, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the request.

Council voted unanimously to approve the SUP on first and final reading.

Pot-bellied pigs

Following the item being tabled at a June meeting, the allowance of pot-bellied pigs as household pets in the city limits was back up for discussion.

Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd presented updated information based on prior council feedback, including two options for potential ordinances.

Option 1 allowed the animals, but prohibited outdoor enclosures, instead requiring pot-bellied pigs to be kept inside and limiting outdoor access to two hours per day.

Option 2 provided options for outdoor structure regulations within the proposed ordinance.

“I just wanted to clarify that this doesn't supersede any [homeowners association (HOA)] rules,” said council member Monica Davidson. “No matter what we do here, they still need to follow what their HOA does and this is not an opportunity to try to amend those.”

Council voted 7-0 to approve Option 1 on first and final reading.

Hays Central Appraisal District

Next, council was presented with a resolution to authorize the Hays Central Appraisal District (HCAD) to purchase land and construct a new facility for its office.

As previously reported by the Hays Free Press, HCAD is seeking approval from its voting taxing entities to fund a total of $15 million over the course of 25 years for the land and building.

“There are some other entities in Hays County that I know have denied this,” explained city manager Micah Grau. “Not because they don't support the appraisal district and their efforts and they're not denying that they need expanded property, but more because there hasn't been a lot of information up to this point about the project.”

If approved, the city’s cost would increase from $80,088 in FY 2026 to an estimated $97,729 in FY 2027, Grau stated.

While the consensus of the dais was that there is a need for the new facility, the lack of information provided by HCAD was a common sentiment.

“I think one of the difficulties, without a lot of information, is that there are multiple entities around Central Texas who have set a budget for a new building and land with it and then, come in way over,” council member Evan Ture said. “One of the concerns here is we have a budget, but we don't have that much information. My concern would be it comes back with a significantly different number, which it might, but we don’t know that and I don’t think the Hays CAD necessarily knows that until maybe proceeding a little bit further.”

Ultimately, council voted 7-0 to deny the request.

Resignation

The last of the regular agenda items for the evening was the acknowledgement and acceptance of the resignation of Smith.

Serving in the At-Large Position 1, Smith was elected to fill a vacant position in November 2020 and subsequently reelected in November 2022 and November 2025. He will continue to serve in his position until a special election can be held, which is anticipated to coincide with the general election Nov. 3, 2026.

“I appreciate the citizens’ trust. It wasn’t an easy decision, obviously, to make. After what will be six full years of serving, now is the time, primarily driven by time in my own household,” he said.

In addition to the At-Large Position 1 Special Election, the mayor, At-Large Position 2 and Single Member District B seats will be on November’s general election ballot.

Buda City Council will meet next at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4.

In November 2025, Buda Police Department officers took a report from a local recreation vehicle (RV) supplier involving an individual purchasing an RV with fraudulent information. It was only fully realized by the business after the individual left the store with the RV. 

A Buda PD investigation revealed Goodson was producing fake checks, using a fake driver’s license, as well as a Texas State Department of Health Medical Officer badge along with a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs card to apply for and obtain credit for the purchase of recreational vehicles. Investigators with Buda PD learned of victims in Seattle, Washington, Lake Jackson, Texas, Snohomish, Washington, Tacoma, Washington and Kingsland, Texas. 

The information leading to the Kingsland location connected Buda investigators to the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force. 

A multi-month investigation already initiated by the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force led to the identification of suspects in a large-scale trailer theft and fraud operation. The task force suspected the individuals involved were responsible for more than $150,000 in stolen recreational trailers, utility trailers, and equipment across Central Texas. This is in addition to the estimated well over $100,000 in credit fraudulently obtained for the purchase of trailers and equipment.  

The investigation spanned the counties of Burnet, Williamson, Blanco, Limestone, Brazoria and Llano, as well as the cities of Buda, Kyle, Burnet, Georgetown, Del Rio and Marble Falls. Thefts and recovery of stolen items occurred in the cities of Burnet, Marble Falls, Kingsland, Georgetown, Buda, Mexia and Blanco, along with confirmed out-of-state ties to Washington and Idaho.  

After obtaining surveillance video of the truck involved in these transactions, investigators were able to document unique identifiers on the truck and search an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system. The vehicle was located on the system and showed hits in multiple counties. Once the vehicle was fully identified, investigators were able to connect multiple cases and recover stolen trailers and equipment valued at over $100,000. This technique also allowed the team to identify the suspects as Goodson and Jorge Ramirez. In turn, arrest warrants were obtained for the individuals.

In October 2025, officers with the Burnet Police Department responded to a local RV supplier for fraudulent purchase of an RV with a fake check. Goodson was dressed in medical scrubs claiming to be both a medical doctor and a law enforcement officer who showed them a badge. The case was then referred to the task force.

Then, in November 2025, deputies with the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office took a report for an individual who sold a tractor to Goodson via social media and learned he used a fake check. The image taken of Goodson by the victim was sent to the task force, who identified Goodson. A coordinated investigation was conducted with assistance from surrounding agencies. As a result, investigators with the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office obtained four arrest warrants: two for Goodson and two for his accomplice, Jorge Ramirez. The charges were enhanced due to the victim being over the age of 65. 

Also in November 2025, Goodson used a forged cashier’s check to purchase a mower from a local business in Marble Falls for almost $5,000. A fraudulent Agricultural Exemption Number was also used to avoid paying sales tax on the purchase. At another location, Goodson used a fraudulent cashier’s check to purchase almost $2,500 worth of furniture. Goodson was identified as the suspect through cooperation with the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force. Arrest warrants were then issued for Goodson. The charges were enhanced due to the age of the victim. 

On Dec. 27, 2025, Goodson attempted to purchase an RV with a fake cashier’s check at an RV supplier in Kyle, Texas. The salesperson called law enforcement right away and officers with the Kyle Police Department discovered Goodson was in possession of several different pieces of identifying information for an elderly person. Kyle Police Department officers arrested Goodson for outstanding warrants from Burnet County and Marble Falls Police Department as well as their charge of being in possession of identifying information of another. After being booked into the Hays County jail, he was served with the Buda PD arrest warrants.  

Under the supervision of Hays County Prosecutor Thomas Stevenson, Goodson was indicted by a grand jury and soon convicted for the following charges in Hays County:

• Fraud use/possession of identifying information of elderly, F3 (Kyle PD)
• Theft of property $30,000-$150,000 (Buda PD), four years
• Forgery of a financial instrument (Buda PD), four years
• False statement to obtain property or credit $30,000-$150,000, (Buda PD), four years
• Fraud use/possession of identifying information <5 items of elderly (Buda PD), four years

The other charges outside of Hays County include:

• Forgery of a financial instrument enhanced (Burnet County), 15 years
• Forgery of a financial instrument involving elderly (Burnet County), 15 years
• Theft of property from elderly (Burnet County), 15 years
• Theft of property enhanced (Blanco County), 15 years

“This case is another example of our officers going above and beyond in a collaborative effort to both hold criminals accountable and bring peace of mind to the victims,” Buda PD Chief Bo Kidd. “This great work, from the streets to the courthouse, will ensure this person will not victimize more businesses and individuals in our community.” 

Marble Falls Police Department Chief of Police Trisha Ratliff said: “This investigation is a testament to what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together toward a common goal. Complex fraud investigations often cross jurisdictional lines, making collaboration essential. Thanks to the dedication, professionalism and seamless coordination of all agencies involved, the responsible individual was held accountable and justice was obtained for the victims. We are grateful for the outstanding teamwork demonstrated throughout this investigation and we remain committed to protecting our community from those who seek to exploit others for personal gain."

While Goodson was sentenced to a total of 80 years, it is up to each judicial body to have the time served either concurrently or consecutively. 

Goodson’s accomplice has been arrested and is facing a 12-year sentence for theft.

TerraFirma Inc. relocated from Austin to a 40,000-square-foot facility at Tower Business Park, where the company hosted a grand opening for its new "Robot Ranch." The facility will serve as the company's headquarters and house research, design and testing operations for its construction robotics technology.

Founded in 2023 by Noah Schochet and Noah McGuinness, TerraFirma designs and manufactures robotics for construction applications, including excavation, site work and demolition. The company has said its long-term goal is to eventually adapt its technology for use on Mars.

The move to Buda follows the city's approval in March of an incentive package valued at $412,500 to attract the company. According to city documents, TerraFirma plans to hire hundreds of employees over the next several years.

"We are excited to officially welcome TerraFirma to their intergalactic headquarters, now located in Buda, Texas," said Jennifer Storm, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation. "Locating in Buda will create high-quality, long-term jobs in engineering, skilled equipment operations, robotics maintenance and construction management. This move further demonstrates that Buda offers a highly skilled workforce capable of supporting advanced, high-paying technology jobs."

Storm said the relocation also strengthens Buda's emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics industry.

"As these companies expand, they bring high-quality employment opportunities and increased disposable income, strengthening and supporting local businesses," she added.

The new headquarters brings TerraFirma's operations under one roof, while providing dedicated outdoor space to test its robotic and AI-powered construction equipment. Company officials said the expanded facility will help meet growing demand and fulfill recently secured contracts.

TerraFirma's technology is designed to address challenges facing the construction industry, including labor shortages, rising costs and increasing infrastructure demand, by combining robotics, software and field operations to improve productivity.

Schochet said, in a news release provided by Buda EDC, that the city offers the right environment for the company's continued growth.

"The region's strong workforce, proximity to major metropolitan markets and growing tech and AI community create the right environment for us to scale both our technology and our mission,” he said.

McGuinness added that he credits the Buda EDC with helping the company establish its new headquarters.

"We are focused on building tools that remove bottlenecks in construction and ultimately, make the industry faster, safer and more cost-effective," McGuinness  said.

In the release, Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said the relocation aligns with the city's long-term economic development goals.

"This project brings hundreds of high-tech, in-demand jobs to our community and directly supports our strategic plan. It is exactly the type of innovation-focused, high-wage employer we aim to recruit to Buda, strengthening our reputation as a location for advanced industrial and robotics-focused businesses and helping attract complementary employers and investment over time,” Urbanovsky said. “This move reinforces Buda's position as an emerging hub for technology and innovation."

A letter, dated July 15, posted on the door of the Buda restaurant outlines a history of missed payments that led to the ultimate closure: “On April 7, 2026, the landlord delivered notice to tenant of tenant’s unpaid rent and other charges in the amount of $15,090.19. Tenant cured its April default, but has now become delinquent in rent for the month of July 2026.”

The total payment due, according to the letter, is $14,151.50, which includes $13,477.62 for July rent and $673.88 in late fees. Additionally, the letter demands $1,000 in attorney fees.

In a social media post Thursday, July 16, the business addressed the closure, stating, “We are saddened to come to the decision to close Mudbugs and, while we loved serving Buda and the other great towns around us, the times we are in have led us to this painful result.”

Additionally, the post addresses rumors of unpaid employees: “We are still working hard to get our staff caught up and paid what they are due.”

“Again, we are incredibly thankful for the support, friendships and memories we’ve shared with this amazing community. It has truly been our privilege to serve Buda,” the post concluded.

On Monday, July 20, former general manager Sara Kelley created a fundraiser for staff impacted by the sudden closure.

“While losing our jobs has been devastating on its own, many employees are also facing the reality of unpaid wages and bounced paychecks,” she said. “Some of our employees are single parents trying to provide for their children. Others are worried about paying rent or their mortgage, keeping the lights on, buying groceries, making car payments or covering other basic necessities. While many of us are pursuing unemployment benefits and other assistance, those resources often take weeks to arrive. Unfortunately, our bills can’t wait.”

Kelley clarified that the fundraiser, which is being organized by her and other former staff members, will directly benefit staff impacted by the closure.

“No funds from this fundraiser will be used for ownership or business expenses,” she stated.

Those wishing to donate can find the GoFundMe at gofund.me/a40bd091b.

Owner Jeff Parks did not respond to a request for comment.

Co-owners Jordan Patiño and Abby Arechiga, pictured above, began the idea for the business a year ago, when the two had a suite across from each other at another facility. From there, Patiño began researching properties and the pair joined the Buda HIVE Cohort and developed the idea of the Lola House Collective — a one-stop shop for visitors. There are six small businesses within, including: Hex & Glow, Frankie & June Hair Salon, Tell Me I’m Pretty Nail Co., The Girl’s Room Skin Club, Barber Addy and HALES | Hair & Men’s Grooming. 

According to Patiño, the name comes from wanting a cute, “cool girl” name and offering more than one service, instead opting to be a “collective” resource. She also stated that the business hopes to have items from small businesses sold in the foyer. For more information on Lola House Collective, located at 1155 FM 1626, Buda, visit www.lolahousecollective.com.

Attendees were serenaded by the actors throughout the night, including when Glinda, portrayed by Trinity Barrera, and the munchkins welcome Dorothy to Oz and celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch. The musical will be accompanied by American Sign Language interpretation July 17-19. 

For more information about the show, visit www.budaamphitheater.com/summer-musical.

The grant has been running for years, though the last time the library received it was in the '90s, said Arlyn LaBelle, youth librarian. This year, BPL is one of 70 recipients chosen for $2,500, after applying for the grant in April, for the first time in five years.

“It takes a good understanding of our collection to see what we need. So, for this whole year, in particular, I’ve been redoubling [our] Spanish language collection development in general and doing a lot of work with that. That took a lot of studying of our Spanish language section and I used all of that research to target exactly what we were missing in our collection and what gaps we could fill [in the application],” LaBelle recalled.

The write-up included specifics about what the library needed, the argument for it and a list of books it would purchase, if granted the money.

LaBelle stated that it was an easy decision to choose to expand the Spanish section, as it currently fails to represent the city’s population and was last updated in 2018.

“Around 14% of our residents speak Spanish in their homes and right now, our collection does not reflect that. I think that about 3% of our total collection was Spanish language materials, so that is obviously not ideal,” they said. “This is trying to get that to better reflect our community. We’re especially lacking in new adult stuff and some [young adult (YA)] stuff. Our teen collection for Spanish language was small and some of our adult stuff was a bit older, so it was basically due for a nice, big refreshing. We’re really grateful that we’ll be able to do that.”

The hope is to expand the junior graphic novel and chapter book section, while creating a YA nonfiction and adult fiction section, since those are practically nonexistent, said LaBelle. Of the 3% of Spanish language books, 42% are picture books, so the team is hoping to focus on the older readers. All titles will be available by the fall.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Texas Book Festival and to their partner, the Texas Library Association, for giving us this opportunity to bolster this section. It definitely deserves the little bit of attention that it’s going to be able to get with this grant and it means a lot, especially [because] budgets are tight and every little bit helps. This is a big bit, so it’s wonderful to be able to dedicate the time and love to this section and to grow it, so that it better reflects and serves our community,” LaBelle concluded.

For more information on BPL, visit www.budalibrary.org.

In the afternoon, Buda Amphitheater & City Park opened for the main event, which included vendors, inflatables for the kids and live music by Elle Townley and headliner Shinyribs. Pictured, Jackson poses for a photo with the e

Combined with a $2.62 million local match, the project carries a total budget of $13.1 million, with funding anticipated to become available in 2029. CAMPO is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown region, responsible for coordinating transportation planning and distributing federal transportation dollars across a six-county area through a competitive project selection process. The East Main Street expansion was selected in CAMPO's 2028-2031 Call for Projects.

East Main Street — Buda's primary commercial corridor east of the interstate — currently carries two-way  traffic on a single lane in each direction with a center turn lane, a configuration that has generated persistent congestion as the city has grown. 

The project will reconstruct and expand East Main Street as a four-lane corridor, with a raised center median and dedicated left-turn lanes from IH-35 to Firecracker Drive, according to a city news release. A 10-foot shared-use path on both sides of the road will accommodate pedestrians and cyclists along the length of the corridor. 

“Securing this competitive funding from CAMPO is a significant achievement for Buda,” said Mayor Lee Urbanovsky. “This award reflects years of planning and helps us move a critical east-side mobility project closer to construction.” 

East Main Street also serves as the primary access route for the Sunfield master-planned community, which has more than 5,800 planned residential lots east of Firecracker Drive. The expanded road will also improve access to IH-35 and SH 45 for commuters, area businesses and school buses, the release continued. Additionally, the Sunfield developer will expand East Main Street from Firecracker Drive to the east. 

The project also includes upgraded stormwater infrastructure and on-site water quality treatment. All improvements will be built within the existing right-of-way. 

The city took a phased approach while pursuing full funding. In November 2024, the city awarded a contract for an interim solution — adding a dedicated right-turn lane from westbound Main Street onto the northbound IH-35 frontage road — which was completed in April 2025. The full reconstruction will complete the build-out the city has planned since 2023.

More information about East Main Street and other 2021 bond projects is available at www.budabonds.com.

Prior to the vote, Chief Financial Officer Deborah Ottmers presented the item at the June 22 meeting, first beginning by noting the demographics of the district. Currently, there are 25,400 students enrolled in 28 campuses, with more than 3,000 employees across 221 miles.

The three budgets required to be adopted by the board, which will reflect the $12.2 million cuts, as previously reported by the Hays Free Press, are:

• General fund:

- Revenue: $281,575,000

- Expenditures: $275,423,724

• School nutrition fund:

- Revenue: $$13,727,900

- Expenditures: $13,727,000

• Debt service fund:

- Revenue: $112,100,000

- Expenditures: $112,100,000

These total to $407,402,900 in revenue and $401,253,724 in expenditures.

“Even though the [general fund] budget has changed — revenues increased, expenditures increased — the anticipation is still that we’re going to keep that $25 million fund balance. When actuals happen, after we go through the audit, it’s going to change some because those are real numbers that are going to be hitting all the accounts, but it looks like it's on track to be very close to keeping that fund balance, which is ultra important,” said Ottmers.

This balance — which will rise to $37,387,051, due to the $12.2 million in cuts — she continued, is recommended to sit at 90 days worth of operating expenses, but is instead only at 33 days. The full 90-day amount would be estimated at $68 million, Ottmers said.

She also noted that at the end of the year, approximately 10 days will be added, potentially more, getting the district to its goal of reaching the 90-day balance in three to five years.

Regarding the funding amount provided by the state, the CFO stated that, if the district was able to be funded based on student enrollment of 25,400, it would receive more money: “The revenue and the expenditures per enrolled [student are] about $60 per student per day and so, when a student doesn’t come to school, we don’t get the $60, but we [still] spend the $60. So, for a financial standpoint, that's important. That’s why we would prefer to be paid on enrollment, not on attendance.”

The proposed 2026-27 tax rate is the same as 2025-26 at $1.1546 per $100 valuation, consisting of $0.6669 for maintenance and operations and $0.4877 in interest and sinking.

Trustee Raul Vela Jr. asked whether homestead exemptions affect the district when it comes to receiving these taxes, since they lower the amount of taxable property. “Yes and no,” responded Ottmers, explaining that the general fund nearly makes up the differences, but it could slightly affect the debt service fund.

“One of our largest challenges that we’ve been having the last several years [is] one of the changes in the law was refunds that are made to taxpayers and when those are made. So, they used to make them only at certain times of the year and those would be the times when cash flow was up, but, now, it’s whenever they have to make that refund. The tax office doesn’t have enough cash, [so] we actually send them money to make those refunds. That’s a time where our cash flow is lowest,” she shared.

Prior to the vote, trustee Byron Severance stated, "I know this is not the budget we'd like to do, but I think it's the one we have to do, based on our circumstances. I think we're all just committed to making it work to keep our focus on the true education of kids."

Severance motioned to adopt the general, debt service and school nutrition funds at the June 29 meeting, with trustee Esperanza Orosco seconding. The item passed 7-0.

The Hays CISD Board of Trustees will meet next Monday, July 27.

In the Best Social Media Post (Population Under 25k) category, the city of Buda was named TAMIO award winner for its timely Taylor Swift-themed post, following the announcement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. The post, uploaded just 31 minutes after the announcement, leveraged a rapidly trending global cultural moment to increase engagement with the city of Buda’s social media channels and reinforced the organization’s approachable, community-focused brand voice, stated a city news release.

In the Marketing Public Service Announcement (Population Under 75k) category, the city was named TAMIO award winner for its marketing specialist recruitment video. Rather than relying on a traditional job posting, the project aimed to promote the opportunity through engaging storytelling that highlighted creativity, collaboration and real community impact. While the production drew from a familiar short‑form content format, the release continued, it translated the trend into a purposeful municipal hiring campaign, designed to attract creative professionals and expand awareness of career opportunities in local government.

“These awards reflect the creativity, responsiveness and dedication our team brings to every project. Whether we're connecting with residents through a timely social media post or developing innovative ways to attract talented professionals to local government, our goal is always to communicate in a way that is authentic, engaging and meaningful,” said city manager Micah Grau. “It is an honor to be recognized by our peers across Texas and I am incredibly proud of the work our team continues to do on behalf of the city of Buda.”

At its Tuesday, June 16 meeting, council was presented with a historical look at the bond process by Capital Improvements Program (CIP) manager Austin Messerli.

Beginning with the city’s 2020 Transportation and Mobility Master Plan (TMMP), Messerli explained that, at this time, the three biggest projects in Proposition A — Old Black Colony Road reconstruction, Austin Street reconstruction and West Goforth Road reconstruction — were “just lines on a map,” with limited detail.

High-level planning cost estimates were also included in the TMMP at the following amounts:

• Old Black Colony Road reconstruction: $6.1 million

• Austin Street reconstruction: $2.4 million

• West Goforth Road reconstruction: $5.9 million

These estimates would be low, compared to later bond projections and, ultimately, actual construction costs: “We didn’t necessarily know all the details about what these projects may be when they grow up,” Messerli said.

After the bond was approved, the city moved into preliminary design, which included public outreach.

“There’s two ways that you can really take approaches with projects. Both have their positives and negatives. You can just say, ‘Hey, these are the projects; they are voted on and approved by citizens. This is what we are going to do,’” the CIP manager explained. “I am proud to say Buda takes a little bit of a different approach. We like to listen, adopt and incorporate from what our public says, what our bond committee says, as well as what this city council says.”

The negative to this approach, he continued, is that it takes time to incorporate feedback.

The additional time taken, along with the number of major construction projects happening in Central Texas, has also resulted in a substantial increase in construction costs since 2021.

Given all of these factors, the current status of each project, along with funding amounts and projections, is as follows:

West Goforth Road

Total funding available: $20,755,326

Status: 60% design

Total projected costs: $26,176,326, of which $20,702,278 is construction costs

Austin Street

Total funding available: $6,713,206

Status: 60% design

Total projected costs: $8,588,389, of which $6,908,563 is construction costs

Old Black Colony Road

Total funding available: $23,833,868

Status: 60% design, nearing 90%

Total projected costs: $26,887,804, of which $22,694,852 is construction costs (includes signal at 1626)

“Overall, in Proposition A, the really, really bad news is you are short $7 million,” said Angellia Points, senior project/program manager for WSB Engineering. “But I’m going to share two things of good news: one, we have a plan and that’s what we are presenting to you tonight because we want to get all of these projects done. The second good news I bring you is that many of these bond projects that are already in green, they are coming in at or under the funding that you do have.”

Of the 16 projects in the bond, she continued, 11 of them have met the funding or have excess funds to move around.

“To our recommendation, knowing that we have three big transportation projects [and] we can’t construct all of them. So, we can sit and say, ‘Well, we’ll just wait for more money to fall out of the sky’ or we’ve worked together to come up with a recommendation that really maximizes the amount of money we have to construct some of these projects,” said Messerli.

The recommendation by staff was to finish the design, obtain rights-of-way and easements and construct all of Old Black Colony Road and Austin Street.

However, for West Goforth Road, the recommendation was to finalize design, obtain rights-of-way and easements and reconstruct a portion — from South Loop 4/Main Street to approximately Bonita Vista Drive — which consists of approximately 44% of the entire road and overlaps with drainage improvements with Project Area 1B. Remaining funds would be reallocated to Old Black Colony Road and Austin Street to fully fund those projects based on current projected costs.

Following discussion, council member Matt Smith motioned to approve staff’s recommendation as presented, which was seconded by Monica Davidson. The motion passed 6-0. LaVonia Horne-Williams was not in attendance.

To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/4oGNIMS.

As previously reported by the Hays Free Press, the city of Buda invested in a comprehensive inspection of all of the playground equipment at city-owned parks in 2025. During a budget presentation the same year, council was informed of the issues at city park, which included exposed concrete, loose, missing and corroded hardware, rotting wood fixtures, unstable structures and more.

At the time, the Parks and Recreation department removed the more acutely hazardous equipment and tightened fixtures as staff was able to.

Ultimately, $850,000 was earmarked in the fiscal year 2026 budget for replacement costs.

During the June 16 presentation, Parks director Tony Host explained that the playground project is important because city park serves as a central gathering space for the community and is utilized heavily not only during community events and festivals, but also daily by local families and visitors.

“The existing infrastructure has aged and no longer fully reflects modern playground standards or community expectations,” he continued.

Additional limitations at the playground include limited shade, accessibility challenges, limited inclusive play opportunities and surfacing concerns, thus leading staff to name the primary goals for the project as safety, accessibility, inclusivity, durability and community identity.

With these goals in mind, Host brought forth three options, at various price points, for council consideration.

Option 1: $825,9000

• Pour-in-place (PIP) surfacing throughout the entire playground area, including the pyramid climber area.

• An age 2-5 playground with integrated shade structure.

• An age 5-12 playground.

• An all-age geo slide.

• An all-accessible, inclusive, all-age playground.

• An all-age we-go-round (accessible merry-go-round).

• Block wall and drainage additions on the hillside of the splash-pad area to mitigate run-off onto the splashpad surface.

• Three shade structures: over the 5-12 playground, at the splash pad entrance and over the accessible playground.

Option 2: $860,500

This option removes the 5-12 age playground and replaces it with a zip line and swing set. Everything else from Option 1 is still included.

Option 3: $873,298

This is the same as Option 1, with the addition of a stand-alone zip line.

Completing the project, while remaining mindful of the budget, was a top concern for council members Monica Davidson, Evan Ture and Greg Bowles, with all having a preference for Option 1.

Bowles, Davidson and council member Kimberly Goodman expressed interest in the possibility of a stand-alone swing set, rather than the zipline listed in Option 3.

Ture further explained that the stand-alone zipline in Option 3 was a strong contender for him, which council member Matt Smith echoed, but they recognized that it may need to be added at a later time.

Council voted 6-0 to approve Option 1. LaVonia Horne-Williams was not in attendance.

According to Host, construction is expected to begin as soon as the splash pad closes after Labor Day and will take eight weeks to complete.

The shop has classic flavors, such as cookies and cream and vanilla, as well as original seasonal creations: bluebonnet — blueberry lavender —  Sunset on Main and more. The shop is located at 112 N. Main St., Suite A, in Buda.