FM 971 road project dedicated
The FM 971 roadway expansion and realignment project was dedicated today with officials from the City of Georgetown, Texas Department of Transportation, and Chasco Constructors.
The project involved expanding FM 971 to four lanes from Austin Avenue to Gann Street with turn lanes, sidewalks, and a pedestrian underpass at Austin Avenue. The new roadway aligns FM 971 with Northwest Boulevard, providing a new east-west crossing over I-35.
The $7 million project was managed by the Texas Department of Transportation and funded by the 2008 City of Georgetown road bond. Engineering design was funded by the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation. RPS was the design engineer on the project, and Chasco Constructors was the contractor.
The road remained open with temporary closures during the construction process.
The City is seeking funding to expand FM 971 to four lanes from Gann Street to the SH 130.
GAF Energy announces second U.S. solar roof manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Texas
New facility will create hundreds of jobs producing the world’s first nailable solar shingle
GAF Energy, a Standard Industries company and a leading provider of solar roofing in North America, has signed a lease and begun construction on a 450,000 square-foot facility in Georgetown, Texas. The manufacturing facility will be located on the southeast corner of I-35 and SE Inner Loop and construction is expected to be completed in June 2023.
“We are pleased GAF Energy selected Georgetown as their destination for their facility,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “Their innovative product is one that will change the market as we know it, and we are excited that it will be developed here in our backyard.”
Once improvements are complete, the new facility will serve as the company’s second U.S. manufacturing center for its award-winning solar roof, Timberline SolarTM. Featuring the world’s first nailable solar shingle, Timberline SolarTM is the only roof system to directly integrate solar technology into traditional roofing processes and materials. The buildout of the property and its ongoing operations will result in hundreds of new, U.S.-based, clean energy manufacturing jobs and build on GAF Energy’s ongoing effort to deliver a solar roof product that is assembled in America. As a Standard Industries company and sister company to GAF, GAF Energy brings extensive roofing manufacturing and research and development expertise to the solar industry.
“The response from both consumers and roofers to our Timberline Solar roof has been tremendous, and we’re thrilled to be expanding capacity to meet that growing demand,” GAF Energy President Martin DeBono said. “Georgetown has a long track record as a clean energy leader, so it is the perfect home for us to build the future of solar. We launched Timberline Solar because we believed that more consumers would choose solar if they had a more reliable, durable, and attractive option. The market has confirmed our belief—now we’re turning that belief into reality and building the future of clean energy here in the U.S.”
GAF Energy plans to hire 265 employees in high tech jobs over the next 10 years at the Georgetown facility. The total capital investment for the project is estimated to be over $100 million in that time.
GAF Energy will receive a total combined incentive package worth more than $3.24 million from local jurisdictions, including:
- A City of Georgetown property tax abatement for 10 years of 75 percent for business personal property and 50 percent for real property, valued at $2.35 million.
- A five-year job creation grant with a total value of $395,000, paid by the Georgetown Economic Development Corporation.
- The retirement of Renewable Energy Credits to offset the company’s electric usage for five years to certify the facility as using 100 percent renewable energy, valued at $500,000.
The net 10-year economic impact to Georgetown is estimated to be $3.75 million.
About GAF Energy
GAF Energy is transforming the solar and roofing industries to generate energy from every roof. A Standard Industries company, GAF Energy works with North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, GAF, to offer homeowners elegant, roof-integrated solar options through a national network of roofer partners. The company’s leading product, the Timberline Solar™ roof system, incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle to create an attractive, durable, and reliable solar roof. GAF Energy’s products have received numerous awards and honors, including the FastCompany 2022 World Changing Ideas Award, the CES Best of Innovation Award, and an NAHB Best of IBS Award. GAF Energy develops and assembles its products at its R&D and manufacturing facility in San Jose, Calif.
About Standard Industries
Standard Industries is a privately-held global industrial company operating in over 80 countries with over 20,000 employees. The Standard ecosystem spans a broad array of holdings, technologies and investments — including both public and private companies from early to late-stage — as well as world-class building solutions, performance materials, real estate and next-generation solar technology. Throughout its history, Standard has leveraged its deep industry expertise and vision to create outsize value across its businesses, which today include operating companies GAF, BMI, Grace, GAF Energy, Siplast, SGI and Schiedel, as well as Standard Investments and Winter Properties. For more information, visit standardindustries.com.
About the City of Georgetown
Georgetown is a welcoming, vibrant city that has been ranked No. 1 in Southern Living Magazine’s “South’s Best Cities to Live in” and is home to the “Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas.” Georgetown has a rich history, with Victorian storefronts and a cultural district with a wide selection of restaurants, wineries, shops, art galleries, theaters, and museums, as well as Southwestern University, tied for the No. 1 National Liberal Arts College in Texas in the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking. Outdoor recreation includes 40 parks, 16 miles of hiking and cycling trails, and Lake Georgetown. Georgetown is the fastest growing city in the U.S. with a population of more than 50,000.
City launches FlashVote surveys for resident input
The City of Georgetown is initiating a new platform to receive quick, regular feedback from its residents. Georgetown residents can now sign up for FlashVote, a survey tool that allows residents to have a voice in city government through text, email, or voice responses.
“I encourage all our residents to sign up,” City Manager David Morgan said. “It only takes one minute, about once a month, to help make our city better.”
FlashVote is a public survey research platform used to recruit a panel of residents representative of the entire community to answer short surveys. Starting today, residents may receive a text message from FlashVote with a chance to sign up.
FlashVote is designed to gather feedback within 48 hours, allowing City government to quickly get useful and statistically valid information from residents. The City plans to continue other outreach and survey efforts, such as community town halls, online surveys, and the biannual resident survey administered by Texas State University.
“FlashVote is a tool the City is using to enhance, not replace, our current public engagement efforts,” said Aly Van Dyke, communications and public engagement director. “We know folks are busy, and we want to make engaging with the City quick and easy.”
Sign-up takes less than one minute, and survey data is anonymous. Residents can also sign up at flashvote.com/georgetowntx or call 775-235-2240 to participate by phone. Personal or demographic information collected by FlashVote is never shared with the City or anyone else.
When residents sign up, they can determine how they want to participate in surveys with options for text, email, or phone call. They will receive a notification whenever there is a new survey, and they will have 48 hours to participate before voting closes. Once a survey is closed, everyone who participated will automatically receive a summary of the overall results and be able to see how their responses compare to the group.
Responses from FlashVote surveys will be used to inform City decisions on services, programs, and initiatives.
“We’re very excited to use the input collected in these surveys to inform decision making at the City in ways that serve our residents better,” Morgan said.
The first surveys will be sent once the number of people who have signed up is large enough and includes a cross section of the community. Look for the first surveys to start later this year.
Join your friends and neighbors and sign up today at flashvote.com/georgetowntx.
Georgetown hires new police chief
Update: The City Council approved the appointment of Cory Tchida as the police chief for Georgetown at a special meeting on June 6, 2022.
After a nationwide recruitment search conducted by Strategic Government Resources, City Manager David Morgan has appointed Interim Police Chief Cory Tchida as chief of police for the City of Georgetown. The city manager’s appointment will be presented to City Council for confirmation at a special meeting at 6 p.m. June 6, pursuant to Texas Local Government Code 143.013.
Tchida was one of three finalists from the more than 50 applicants who applied for the position from across the country.
“Cory Tchida has been a key leader within the police department and has provided exceptional leadership and value throughout his service as interim chief since June 2021,” Morgan said. “He is passionate about our community and deeply values relationships. I’m excited about his service in this new role.”
Tchida has served as interim police chief since June 14, 2021. He has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement, including duties in corrections, patrol, narcotics, traffic, professional standards, and administration. He has more than 20 years of supervisory experience leading police officers and civilians at all levels of the organization. Tchida also had specialized assignments to SWAT (entry and sniper), the Crash Investigation Team, as a field training officer, and to the Bike/Lake Patrol. Tchida’s teaching experience includes topics such as use of force, less-lethal devices, active shooter response, racial profiling, crime statistics, and leadership and supervision.
Tchida has been with the Georgetown Police Department for more than 25 years, beginning his career as a patrol officer. For 10 years, he was a sergeant responsible for patrol, training, traffic, and narcotics. In his time with Georgetown, Tchida created a workload metric-tracking system for patrol officers, coordinated department training, conducted a complete rewrite of the standard operating procedures for the narcotics unit, and reformed the traffic unit. When he became lieutenant of patrol and administration, among other duties, he assisted in the restructuring of the department’s firearms training program, including phased levels of training and performance metric tracking.
Over the course of his career, Tchida has received numerous honors, including the Georgetown Police Chief’s Award in 2015 and the City of Georgetown’s Manager of the Year Award in 2013. He has made presentations to Citizen Police Academy classes, citizens’ groups, and peace officers. Tchida is a longtime board member of the Williamson County Court Appointed Special Advocates. He earned a Master of Science degree in criminal justice leadership and management from Sam Houston State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. Tchida is a 2014 graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command and a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session No. 272.
“I have been blessed to serve this community for over 25 years, and I have loved this community from the start,” Tchida said. “It is the single greatest honor of my professional life to be selected as your police chief and continue to serve this community in that new role alongside the women and men of this department who strive to be the standard every day.”
Census: Georgetown is fastest-growing city in U.S.
Georgetown is the fastest-growing city in the U.S. for cities with a population above 50,000, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Georgetown’s growth rate was 10.5 percent from July 1, 2020, through July 1, 2021, resulting in a population estimate of 75,420.
“Georgetown continues to attract new residents for the same reasons many of us moved here — good jobs, safe neighborhoods, and unbeatable parks and events,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “But all those things may not be as important as the sense of community you feel when families gather on a Saturday afternoon on our Courthouse lawn or dance in the street at our annual Red Poppy Festival. People don’t just move here: They fall in love with this town.”
This is the second time in the past seven years that Georgetown has been ranked the fastest-growing city in the U.S. Georgetown was the seventh fastest-growing city in the U.S. on the list released in 2020 and in 2019 by the Census. In 2018, Georgetown was the sixth fastest-growing city in the U.S., fifth in 2017, the fastest in 2016, and the second-fastest in 2015.
Georgetown’s population was 67,176 in the 2020 census. According to today’s estimate, Georgetown added 8,244 residents since 2020.
The news release from the Census about the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. is at census.gov.
Juneteenth celebration June 18
The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association will host the 70th annual Juneteenth celebration in Georgetown Saturday, June 18, at the Georgetown Community Center, 445 E. Morrow St., in San Gabriel Park. The theme for this free, community event is “Continuing to Share the Journey of Juneteenth and Freedom.”
Juneteenth event schedule
The event starts at 11 a.m. with a special program featuring guest speaker Dr. Malissa Sanon, director of Student and Inclusion and Diversity at Southwestern University. The special program concludes at noon and is followed by a Juneteenth Festival until 3 p.m.
Festivities from noon to 3 p.m. include live entertainment by DJ Eric Sampson, Smooth, and EZ Dance of Texas, as well as vendor booths, youth activities, a silent auction, bingo, barbecue, and more.
Juneteenth Children’s Event
GCCMA has partnered with the Georgetown Public Library to offer a self-guided story walk June 12 through 19 in the Children’s Room of the Library, 402 W. Eighth St. Youth will learn why Juneteenth is celebrated in Texas, featuring the book, “Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free,” by Alice Faye Duncan, as well as arts and crafts.
Juneteenth history
Juneteenth marks the day on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers landed at Galveston and reported that the Civil War was over and slavery had ended. The Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves had been in effect since January 1, 1863, but word did not reach Texas for more than two years. Juneteenth was declared an official state holiday in Texas in 1980.
Contact information
For more information, please contact Alma Allen-Johnson at JohnsonAlma2000@yahoo.com.
GCCMA’s mission is to educate, preserve, and celebrate African American history and culture. For more information, visit gccmatx.org.
Woodlake Drive repairs underway after hole filled
Paving on Woodlake Drive is happening this morning on Friday, May 13, after an investigation and repair of a void under the roadway. The road should be reopened by the end of the day today.
After a hole in the roadway was reported on May 6, City crews discovered a void area under the roadway, which led to its closure. Public Works crews and a contractor excavated the hole in the roadway to understand what may have caused it to form.
No natural karst feature was found under the road after an evaluation by a geotechnical firm, the City’s Public Works and Engineering Departments, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The expert consensus on the cause of the void is that it was likely the result of underground boring work about 12 years ago during the installation of a water line. Underground borings for a utility line involve the extraction of dirt and rock material from the bore. This extraction process likely removed loose fill from an abandoned wastewater manhole above the boring area, causing the underground void to form. City engineers are evaluating the incident to prevent a similar problem in the future.
The cost to excavate, refill, and repave the hole under the roadway is still being tallied and will be funded through the City’s Public Works budget.
Memorial Day closings, ceremony May 30
City of Georgetown offices will be closed Monday, May 30, for the Memorial Day holiday. There will be normal solid waste and recycling collection on May 30.
The annual Memorial Day Ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. May 30 in Sun City. Details below.
City offices closed May 30
City offices and facilities closed May 30 for Memorial 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.
- Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive
- Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St.
Facilities open May 30
- Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Collection Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive, will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Some City pools open Memorial Day weekend
The four City of Georgetown pools will have modified opening hours, because of a shortage of lifeguards.
Beginning Saturday, May 28, the Recreation Center outdoor pool will be open Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Williams Drive pool will be open seven days a week, 1 to 7 p.m. The Recreation Center outdoor pool will be closed May 30. The Village and River Ridge pools will remain closed.
Beginning Friday, June 10, the Village Pool will open Thursday-Monday, 1 to 7 p.m., and River Ridge Pool will operate Wednesday-Sunday, 1 to 7 p.m. The Williams Drive Pool will shift to a Tuesday-Sunday schedule, with operating hours 1 to 7 p.m. The Recreation Center outdoor pool will increase operating hours to Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Click here for more details.
Splash pads: The splash pads at San Jose Park, 1707 San Jose St.; Downtown, 816 S. Main St.; and Rabbit Hill Park, 1109 Blue Ridge Drive, are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day through Sept. 30. The splash pad at Garey Park is open daily during park hours from April 1-Oct. 31. The Garey Park splash pad closes 30 minutes prior to park closing.
GoGeo paratransit service
There will be no service Monday, May 30.
Solid Waste and Recycling Collection
There will be normal solid waste and recycling collection for City of Georgetown customers on Monday, May 30. Carts should be at the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day. The Collection Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive, will be open normal hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Monday, May 30, for the Memorial Day holiday.
For questions about solid waste collection, call TDS at 512-930-1715.
Curative COVID-19 testing site
The COVID-19 testing site located at 707 S. Martin Luther King Jr. St. (near the Georgetown Public Library) will be closed Monday, May 30.
COVID-19 testing is by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, click here. To schedule a rapid PCR test, which provides results in fewer than four hours, click here.
Memorial Day Ceremony and Reception
The annual Memorial Day Ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 30, at the Georgetown-Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza in Sun City, 2 Texas Drive. The event will honor the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives in service to our country and our freedom and include remarks from a guest speaker, retired Marine Corps General Robert B. Neller. It is free and open to the public.
Strategic Partnerships for Community Services grants: Apply by June 8
The City of Georgetown is now accepting applications from eligible nonprofit agencies for Strategic Partnerships for Community Services grant funding for the City’s 2022-23 Fiscal Year, which begins Oct. 1, 2022.
Application forms and supplemental materials should be filled out and submitted no later than 5 p.m. June 8, 2022. Funding decisions will be made by the City Council in compliance with the policy and funding guidelines subject to the availability of funds. Grants will be awarded in a range from $10,000 to $50,000.
The Strategic Partnerships for Community Services Advisory Board, which is appointed by City Council, will review the applications received. The board will then make funding recommendations to City Council for potential approval in the 2022-23 Fiscal Year.
Applications, supplemental materials, and more information is on the City website at government.georgetown.org/city-management/strategic-partnerships-for-community-services-grant-funding.
For questions, contact Shirley Rinn in the City Manager’s Office at shirley.rinn@georgetown.org or 512-930-3723.
Election results for District 7 city council seat
Final unofficial results as of 10 p.m. by the Williamson County Elections Department for the City of Georgetown election.
27 of 27 polling locations reporting:
District 7 | Percent | Votes |
Ben Stewart | 67.93 | 322 |
Jaquita Wilson-Kirby (write-in) | 32.07 | 152 |
To see complete May 7 election results, go to wilco.org/elections.
Votes will be canvassed at a special City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, May 16. During that meeting, newly-elected city council members will be sworn in.