El Chilito opens in Southwest Austin, special session begins and more for Southwest Austinites to know this week

Travis County strikes $430 million deal on 308 Guadalupe St. development 

• Travis County closed on a $430 million deal July 11 with Lincoln Property Company and Phoenix Property Company to develop a 77,215-square-foot downtown property once eyed for a future Travis County courthouse. These funds will help contribute to the cost of a new civil and family courts complex for the county, a project originally proposed in the November 2015 bond that was not approved by voters.

[caption id="attachment_257921" align="alignright" width="220"] El Chilito opened its Southwest Austin location July 13.[/caption] El Chilito opens Southwest Austin location 

• The Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant and taco bar opened at 4501 Manchaca Road on July 13. The restaurant is the fourth Austin-area location but the first in Southwest Austin. The signature menu includes tacos, soups and salad, and all-day breakfast items. The Manchaca location is the only one with an indoor dining area and a large outdoor patio.

Austin Community College adopts $352.8 million budget

• The Austin Community College board of trustees on July 10 unanimously voted to adopt a balanced budget that included a 3 percent employee salary raise for the next fiscal year. The $352.8 million fiscal year 2017-18 budget, which begins Sept. 1 and runs through Aug. 31, 2018, includes nearly $230 million for salaries and benefits, which makes up nearly 65 percent of the community college district’s expenses.

Austin Parkland implements burn ban 

• Effective immediately, building fires and grilling is banned in all city of Austin parks, greenbelts and preserves until further notice. The city’s parks and recreation department issued the burn ban July 12, citing dangerous fire conditions in Central Texas. The ban includes the use of wood or charcoal barbecue pits, grills and smokers. Propane stoves are allowed in designated picnic areas only. The Austin Police Department’s Park Police and park rangers will enforce the ban in the city’s parks and greenbelts. Violations may result in a fine between $300 and $500.

[caption id="attachment_251544" align="alignright" width="175"] The special session of the 85th legislative session begins July 18.[/caption] Special session begins July 18 

• Gov. Greg Abbott called for a special session for state lawmakers in June to address legislation which failed to pass during the regular 85th session. When the session begins on July 18, its first priority will be to address sunset legislation—which keeps state agencies like the Texas Medical Board open, Abbott said.