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.”

The 40th annual Sertoma Club Family July 4 Celebration and fireworks display will be held at San Gabriel Park Tuesday, July 4. The event is sponsored by the Georgetown Sertoma Club with assistance from the City of Georgetown.

Activities begin at 11 a.m. at San Gabriel Park and will include live entertainment starting at noon. The festival also includes arts and crafts vendors, food vendors including a beer and wine vendor, a petting zoo, classic and antique cars, games, and rides for children and adults. The event concludes with a fireworks show at about 9:30 p.m.

Admission to the event is free; however, there are fees for some activities.

“The Sertoma Club of Georgetown and the City of Georgetown invite you to join us in the beautiful San Gabriel Park located on the San Gabriel River,” Sertoma Club President Bill George said. “This year’s 40th celebration sponsored by Sertoma is partnering with FREEDOM FUN to bring you new and exciting experiences in games, a petting farm, train rides, and many activities, plus more and affordable pricing in wrist bands and individual rides. With an increase in the number of food and craft vendors, we have something for everyone. Classic car displays and other, new items to be announced. Our stage will have entertainment after our kids’ parade starting at 11 a.m. Bring your chairs, enjoy the fun, and stay for the fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m.”

Hometown parade

The July 4th Hometown Parade in San Gabriel Park begins at 11 a.m. at the low water crossing near the College Street bridge and ends at the large pavilion. Participants should gather at 10:30 a.m. at the low water crossing. Kids are encouraged to decorate their wagons or bicycles for the parade. Motorized vehicles and pets are not permitted in the parade. The annual parade is sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.

The fireworks display begins at about 9:30 p.m. Fireworks will be launched from the McMaster Athletic Fields on North College Street. Fireworks can be viewed from San Gabriel Park, VFW Park, and other areas in Georgetown. The best entrance to San Gabriel Park for the event is via Morrow Street on North Austin Avenue. Please do not bring dogs to the fireworks show.

Parking

There is limited parking in San Gabriel Park. The Sertoma Club has arranged a free shuttle from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4. Guests can park in Georgetown ISD’s stadium parking lot, behind the Richarte School District. Please bring water.

Alternatively, attendees also are encouraged to park at Georgetown High School and carpool to San Gabriel Park. Limited handicapped parking is available in the designated area on the south side of San Gabriel Park.

Both the McMaster Fields parking lot and the Parks and Recreation Administration parking lot at North College Street and W.L. Walden Drive will be closed on July 4 due to their proximity to the fireworks fall zone.

College Street and McMaster Fields closure

Due to the fireworks fall zone, North College Street will be closed from about 9 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, between the traffic circle and Holly Street. Parking, standing, or sitting along that segment of North College Street will not be permitted during this time.

The McMaster Athletic Fields will be closed all day Tuesday, July 4.

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 fireworks ban area map.

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

This week to celebrate National Public Works Week, we decided to join Public Works Streets Foreman Anthony Aquilino for a tweetalong to learn about his job, the streets crew, and to see a day in the life of our Public Works Department in Georgetown.

We started the day prepping for sidewalk repairs in the Pinnacle neighborhood in southeast Georgetown and then got to visit with crews putting in new no-parking signs, prepping for street maintenance, picking up a damaged tree that had fallen in the right of way, and ended our morning pouring concrete for the same sidewalk repairs. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the work these crews do every day to keep Georgetown running smoothly. Other duties include picking up dead animals from city streets, trimming trees and mowing, and drainage maintenance. Aquilino said no two days are ever the same in Public Works, and sometimes you never know where the day will take you.

Aquilino said the best part of his job is serving the residents of Georgetown through Public Works projects and helping solve problems.

We joined Aquilino on Thursday, May 25, for the morning. You can relive the day with us here.

Here are some highlights from our day:

Public Works crew install framing and rebar for sidewalk repairs.

A crew pours concreate for a sidewalk improvement project in the Pinnacle neighborhood.

Public Works street crew prepares new no-parking signs to install in Old Town.

A public works employee installs a new no-parking sign in Old Town.

Public Works employees prepare a street for maintenance.

Update, June 5, 2023—Last week no mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile Virus in Georgetown. Williamson County and Cities Health District continues weekly monitoring and testing across the County. Protect yourself by following the 3Ds:

• Defend with EPA-approved insect repellent
• Dress in long sleeves & pants
• Drain standing water

—
A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Georgetown has tested positive for West Nile virus. This testing is part of Williamson County and Cities Health District’s (WCCHD) Integrated Vector Management program. The positive test was indicated in lab results received on May 25, 2023 from the Texas Department of State Health Services lab in Austin.

The positive sample was collected from a trap site near Geneva Park located near 1021 Quail Valley Drive, 78626. The last date a positive sample was collected from this location was October 2022.

This is the first reported West Nile virus positive trap of the 2023 season, and the earliest that West Nile virus has been detected in a mosquito sample in Williamson County since the mosquito sampling program began in 2013. In 2022, there were four mosquito trap samples that returned positive samples for West Nile virus in Williamson County. There was one human case of West Nile virus reported in Williamson County in 2022.

“With the recent rain events, we are seeing large increases in mosquitoes throughout Williamson County. As we near the holiday weekend and enjoy outdoor activities I encourage everyone to remove any standing water and use insect repellent if spending time outdoors.” said Jason Fritz, MPH, Integrated Vector Management Program Lead.

Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is largest and most active from May through November. During this period, WCCHD monitors the mosquito population and tests for mosquito-borne viruses.

Symptoms of infection may include fever, headache, and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes. Those age 50 and older and/or with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for severe symptoms, which may include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis, and in rare cases, death.

The most important way to prevent West Nile virus is to reduce the number of mosquitoes where people live, work, and play. Health officials strongly encourage everyone to remain vigilant about protecting themselves from mosquito bites and preventing mosquito breeding on their personal property. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, needing as little as one teaspoon. By draining all sources of standing water in and around your property, you reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed.

What you can do:

Eliminating places where mosquitoes can breed and reducing the chances of mosquito bites are the most effective lines of defense against exposure to West Nile Virus. As part of its Fight the Bite campaign the Health District recommends the 3 Ds of mosquito safety:

• Drain standing water in flowerpots, pet dishes, or clogged gutters so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed and treat water that can’t be drained,
• Defend by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, and
• Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors.

For more information, go to the WCCHD website at www.wcchd.org or visit the Texas Department of State Health Services West Nile website at txwestnile.org.

For the second year in a row, 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 14.4 percent from July 1, 2021, through July 1, 2022, resulting in a population estimate of 86,507.

Georgetown added 10,887 more residents than the Census estimate from a year ago.

“Job growth in Georgetown and across the Austin metro continues to bring new residents to our city,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “People are moving here for the same reasons that brought many of us to Georgetown—wonderful and safe neighborhoods, fantastic parks and events, and welcoming people. We continue to adjust our plans and build new infrastructure to maintain the great quality of life for all of us who are proud to call Georgetown our home.”

Since 2015, Georgetown has been included in the list of the top 10 fastest-growing cities and topped the list in 2016 and 2022.

Georgetown’s population was 67,176 in the 2020 census. According to today’s estimate, Georgetown has added 19,331 residents since 2020.

The news release from the Census about the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. is at census.gov.

City of Georgetown offices will be closed Monday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. There will be normal solid waste and recycling collection on June 19.

The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association will celebrate Juneteenth with two events June 16-17. More details are available here.

City offices closed June 19

City offices and facilities closed Monday, June 19, for Juneteenth include the following:

• 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 June 19

• Airport Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive
• 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.

Pools Schedule for June 19

Both the Recreation Center and the Williams Drive pools will be closed. The River Ridge and Village pools will be open 1-7 p.m. Outdoor splash pads will be operating.

GoGeo paratransit bus service

There will be service Monday, June 19.

Regular solid waste and recycling collection

There will be regular solid waste and recycling collection for City of Georgetown customers Monday, June 19. 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, June 19.

Final, unofficial results have been posted by the Williamson County Elections Department for the City of Georgetown election with 28 of 28 polling locations reporting, including early votes.

To see complete May 6 election results, go to wilco.org/elections.