Beginning Aug. 1, Georgetown water utility customers will receive a text message letting them know they are now enrolled in the City’s real-time, water outage texting service.

Once launched, enrolled customers will be able to receive real-time updates via text message to and from 512-930-3640. Water outages must still be reported by phone by calling 512-930-3640 and pressing 1. The City’s phone system will recognize the number if it’s tied to the utility account.

Customers should still track water and electric outages on the City’s online outage maps and only report outages not already reflected on the maps. The City will text customers about water outages, and customers can send text messages to the system to learn about status updates.

“We are proud to expand our outage texting service to our water customers,” City Manager David Morgan said. “Providing real-time updates to our utility customers is critical to ensuring our residents have the information they need to remain safe, and we know our customers are looking forward to having a more automated process to learn updates about outages.”

The City will automatically sign-up residents using the phone number(s) associated with their utility account(s). Customers will also be able to enroll by texting WATER to 512-930-3640.

The City launched TextPower to its electric customers in April 2023. Unlike the water texting service, electric utility customers can report outages via text to 512-930-8400. Read more about the electric services here.

TextPower serves 175+ utilities providing text messaging (SMS) solutions for mission-critical applications for immediate communications with customers via their trademarked SmartAlerts platform.

The City of Georgetown is hosting the Gather Round Georgetown Project Expo on Aug. 3 to give residents and business owners the chance to help shape our community’s future, as well as to share what you love about Georgetown, ideas, and concerns.

Bring your family from 6-8 p.m. to City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St., to learn more and provide feedback on various projects and plans currently under development in the City.

Learn more about:

• Austin Avenue Corridor Study
• on the Transportation website
• Austin Avenue Pedestrian Bridges
• Williams Drive Enhancement Study

Provide feedback on these projects:

• Downtown Master Plan
• Future Mobility Plan and Sidewalk Master Plan
• Mobility Bond Projects
  • Hwy. 29-east and west
  • Rockride Lane
  • FM 971
  • SE Inner Loop
• Unified Development Code Update

During the event, City leadership, staff, and project managers will be available to take feedback and answer questions.

“The project expo is a collaborative effort between the City and our residents,” City Manager David Morgan said. “We want to work hand-in-hand with everyone in the community to create a Georgetown that meets the needs and aspirations of all of our residents. By participating in our project expo, you become an essential part of building a better future for Georgetown.”

Feedback gathered during the event will be used to help inform decisions about the future of Georgetown land use, transportation, and downtown.

The event will also include food trucks, as well as free ice cream for those who participate in the expo.

The City’s Public Works Department will display some heavy equipment for construction and maintenance projects.

The event is open to residents of all ages, and Spanish interpretation and materials will also be available.

For more information, visit georgetown.org/gather-round-georgetown.

The City is seeking comments on a diagnostic report of the Unified Development Code (UDC) as part of the UDC update process. The report assesses the existing UDC and provides recommended changes and updates based on best practices, stakeholder interviews, and community input from a January 2023 online survey.

Residents and stakeholders will be able to provide feedback on the diagnostic report through Aug. 9 at udc.georgetown.org. Comments will be recorded and referenced throughout the update process. An interactive map is also available on the project website for residents and stakeholders to share their ideas and examples of development in Georgetown that has worked well and areas for improvement. The map will be available for public input throughout the entire update process.

Adopted by City Council in 2003, the City’s UDC is the primary tool used to regulate land development in Georgetown. Rapid growth, changes in market demand, and the recent adoption of an updated 2030 Comprehensive Plan have spurred the need to revisit the UDC to ensure alignment with best practices, resident expectations, and City adopted plans and policies. The update will help define how to manage future land development and maintain the quality-of-life Georgetown residents have come to expect.

In October 2022, City Council approved an agreement with Freese and Nichols to update the City’s UDC along with a steering committee— including City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission members and members of the public—to help oversee the project.

The 24-month process will largely be driven by feedback from code users, the community, and policies and actions identified through the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and other master plans.

Throughout the process, the City will host a variety of City Council workshops, Steering Committee meetings, and community engagement opportunities that will be open to the public.

Visit UDC.Georgetown.org for additional information on the code update process. The website includes an interactive map, project schedule, documents, how to get involved, and contact information.

If you are interested in having a representative from the City speak to your group or organization about the UDC update, email planning@georgetown.org.

City of Georgetown offices will be closed Tuesday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. There will be normal solid waste and recycling collection on July 4.

The annual Sertoma Club Family July 4 Celebration starts at 11 a.m. July 4 in San Gabriel Park. Fireworks will start about 9:30 p.m. More details here.

City offices closed July 4

City offices and facilities closed July 4 for Independence Day include the following:

• Airport Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive
• Animal Shelter, 110 Walden Drive
• Art Center, 816 S. Main St.
• City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
• Council and Courts Building (including Municipal Court), 510 W. Ninth St.
• Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.
• Grace Heritage Center, 817 S. Main St.
• Parks and Recreation Administration, 1101 N. College St.
• Planning Department, 809 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
• Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St.
• Public Safety Operations and Training Center, Police Records, and Fire Support Services offices, 3500 D.B. Wood Road
• Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave., including the indoor and outdoor pools
• River Ridge Pool, 414 S. Ridge Circle
• Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive
• Village Pool, 370 Village Commons Blvd.
• Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St.

Facilities open July 4

• Collection Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive, will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Splash pads at Garey Park, San Jose Park, Rabbit Hill Park, and downtown at Ninth and Main streets
• Williams Drive Pool, 3201 Williams Dr.

GoGeo paratransit bus service

There will be no service Tuesday, July 4.

Regular solid waste and recycling collection

There will be regular solid waste and recycling collection for City of Georgetown customers Tuesday, July 4. For questions about trash or recycling collection, call Texas Disposal Systems at 512-930-1715.

The Collection Station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive will be open normal hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, July 3 and 4.

Sertoma July 4 celebration

The annual Independence Day celebration sponsored by the Georgetown Sertoma Club in San Gabriel Park is Tuesday, July 4. Come visit craft vendors, the car show, a children’s area, and food vendors. Admission is free.

A children’s parade with decorated bikes and wagons starts at 11 a.m. by the low-water crossing. Line-up starts at 10:30 a.m. Live entertainment at the amphitheater begins at noon. The fireworks show begins about 9:30 p.m.

Personal fireworks prohibited

By City of Georgetown ordinance, fireworks are not allowed in the city limits of Georgetown or within 5,000 feet of the city limits, unless they are used in a permitted display authorized by the Georgetown Fire Department. This area outside city limits includes, but is not limited to, the neighborhoods of Cedar Hollow, Crystal Knoll, Escalera, Fountainwood, Indian Creek, Logan Ranch Road, Lost Rivers, Oak Crest, Olde Oak Estates, Serenada, Shady Oaks, Turtle Bend, and Woodland Park, and areas along D.B Wood Road.

Violations can lead to fines of up to $2,000 per firework. To view a map showing the 5,000-foot boundary, go to georgetown.org/gis/pdfs//FireworksBanAreaMap_Letter.pdf.

Additionally, please make sure your dog is secure inside your home, particularly during the evenings of the holiday weekend. Georgetown animal control officers pickup several loose dogs around the Fourth of July and New Year’s holidays, many of whom are never reunited with their owners.

Fireworks can be triggering for veterans and pets

Please remember that loud noises like fireworks can be triggering for our veterans.

Fireworks also can be upsetting for pets. Please do not bring dogs to the fireworks show July 4 in San Gabriel Park and make sure your dog(s) is secure inside your home, particularly during the evenings of the holiday weekend. Georgetown animal control officers pickup several loose dogs around the Fourth of July and New Year’s holidays, many of whom are never reunited with their owners.

If your dog has a tendency to become anxious at loud noises, please consider staying home with the animal; playing music in the house to drown out the noise of fireworks; and/or buying a product that “hugs” the dog. Your veterinarian also may be able to provide a sedative or calming medication for the dog.

For more ideas on keeping your dog safe this holiday, please see the article, “10 Fourth of July Pet Safety Tips.”