The City is seeking feedback from the community regarding general knowledge of the natural waterway systems and the programs the City of Georgetown provides to protect those systems. The results will be used to develop or improve education materials and programs residents can use to help protect water quality.

“Our waterways, like Lake Georgetown and the San Gabriel River, aren’t just great recreation spots,” Georgetown stormwater management coordinator Tiffany Spicer said. “They also serve as homes to hundreds of species and provide drinking water from, through and to Georgetown and other communities in the area. It’s important we know people’s understanding of these systems, their impacts, and our programs, so we can work together to protect these critical resources.”

Take the survey here before it closes Friday, July 16.

The City of Georgetown has a Storm Water Management Program as required by state and federal regulations. The program describes the steps required to reduce pollutants in the City’s storm water. The City’s existing programs and activities are designed to protect the environment and water quality. The survey results will be used to improve the program and community outreach.

More information can be found at transportation.georgetown.org/storm-water-plan.

[UPDATE: Fireworks may start at about 9:15 p.m.]

The Georgetown Sertoma Club will have a fireworks display at dusk Sunday, July 4, in San Gabriel Park for its 38th annual Family July 4 Celebration. The parade and other festivities normally included in the celebration have been canceled.

“Several months ago, a joint decision was made by the City of Georgetown and the Georgetown Sertoma Club not to hold this year’s festivities in San Gabriel Park due to COVID,” Georgetown Sertoma Club President Lauri Tulloch said. “Since then, we have seen improved conditions. It’s much too late for the necessary planning of events, but we are thrilled to be able to provide the fireworks show.”

The fireworks display begins at about 9:15 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 via Morrow Street on North Austin Avenue. The free event is sponsored by the Georgetown Sertoma Club service organization with assistance from the City of Georgetown.

Please do not bring dogs to the July 4 event.

Parking

There is limited parking in San Gabriel Park. 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 Sunday, July 4, from about 9 to 11 p.m. 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 Sunday, 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 here.

Additionally, please make sure 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.

Police Chief Nero to serve as interim

Assistant City Manager Wayne Reed has accepted the position as the city manager for the City of Cibolo, Texas. His last day with the City of Georgetown will be June 25. Cibolo City Council approved his hire at its meeting June 8. His first day in Cibolo will be July 12.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of the Georgetown team these past five and a half years,” Reed said. “I have been provided opportunities by David Morgan to lead diverse service areas and oversee initiatives to improve the culture and performance of the organization. I’m excited by the opportunity to help a small but fast-growing community implement its vision and become a high-performing organization by working with the City Council to set a course for the future of the community, like we are continuously striving to do in Georgetown.”

In Georgetown, Reed led development-related departments, including planning, public works, systems engineering, permitting and inspections, as well as human resources and community services. Reed was instrumental in leading the City’s administration of special-purpose districts, like Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) and Public Improvement Districts (PIDs), to facilitate responsible growth management. His mantra, which he is carrying with him to Cibolo, is to put systems in place to ensure organizations are “vision inspired, mission focused, values driven, and performance based.”

“I’m thankful for Wayne’s contributions to Georgetown,” City Manager David Morgan said. “He was critical in improving our development processes and managing the pressures of growth, and he helped improve the efficiency and services of the entire organization by championing our performance management program. I’m thrilled for his new opportunity and look forward to hearing more great things about Wayne’s continued achievements in Texas. Cibolo is lucky to have him.”

Reed has more than 25 years of local government experience in both Colorado and Texas. Prior to arriving in Georgetown Jan. 25, 2016, Reed worked as a deputy city manager in Centennial, Colo., where he managed community development, public works, and the Office of Innovation for the growing Denver suburb with 107,000 residents. Before that role, he served as Centennial’s community development director. Reed also previously held the position of planning director for the Town of Berthoud, Colo., and served as a planner for the City of Arvada, Colo., and Denton, Texas.

A graduate of Texas A&M University with a master’s degree in urban planning and a bachelor’s degree in environmental design, Reed also served as a sergeant with the U.S. Army Reserve. Reed is a certified planning professional and a member of the International City/County Management Association, American Public Works Association, American Institute of Certified Planners, and the American Planning Association.

Effective June 14, Georgetown Police Chief Wayne Nero will serve as interim assistant city manager in Georgetown while the City uses a search firm to fill the position. The goal is to have a new assistant city manager in place by Oct. 1, which is the start of the next fiscal year. Assistant Police Chief Cory Tchida will serve as interim police chief while Nero fills the role.

“Chief Nero has been a key leader in our community and organization,” Morgan said. “I appreciate him stepping into this interim role while we search for a replacement.”

The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association will host a virtual event on Saturday, June 12, and an in-person event on Saturday, June 19, to celebrate Juneteenth. Both events are free and open to the public.

June 12 virtual event

The virtual event from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 12, will address education, health, and justice for all. Panelists for the online event are Eastview High School Principal La Toya Easter, Wayne Sneed from the Austin ISD Police Department, and Derrick Neal, Williamson County and Cities and Health District executive director.

To register for the online event, visit gccmatx.com/community.

June 19 in-person event

An in-person Juneteenth celebration is noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 19. The event is at 801 West St. next to the historical Shotgun House. Featured guests include the Saving Grace Praise Team, gospel singer Chad Jackson, and keynote speaker Wesley Jarmon, a retired administrator for the Federal Communications Commission and founder of the Ernest Everett Just Foundation whose mission is to foster academic excellence for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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 Jan. 1, 1863, but word did not reach Texas for more than two years. Juneteenth was declared an official state holiday in Texas in 1980.

The City of Georgetown will host an open house meeting to provide information on the project to widen D.B. Wood Road from Hwy. 29 to Oak Ridge Road on Thursday, June 17. The open house meeting at 6 p.m. will be in the training room at the Public Safety Operations and Training Center, 3500 D.B. Wood Road. A short presentation about the project by City staff will be given at 6 p.m., followed by time for questions and answers.

The project that will enhance safety and connectivity will widen D.B. Wood Road from the existing two-lane road to four lanes with a center two-way left turn lane. A 10-foot wide shared-use path for pedestrians and bicycles along the west side of D.B. Wood Road also may be included in the project. This project was approved by the voters in the 2015 City transportation bond. Construction is expected to start in 2022 and be completed in 2024.

Another project to widen D.B. Wood Road from Oak Ridge Road to the Public Safety Operations and Training Center was approved in May by Georgetown voters as part of the 2021 Mobility Bond. Timing for this additional project has not yet been determined. City Council is actively working on a schedule for all 2021 Mobility Bond projects.

Exhibits showing the proposed improvements for the current project will be available for review at the open house. A brief presentation will be made during the open house and project team members will be available to answer questions.

All interested residents are encouraged to attend the open house and provide input on the project.

Public comment

People can provide comments either verbally or written no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, June 24. Written comments may be emailed Joel Weaver, project manager, at joel.weaver@georgetown.org or mailed to: ATTN: Joel Weaver, City of Georgetown, 300-1 Industrial Ave, Georgetown, TX, 78626. Please include your name, address, and phone number.

The open house meeting will be streamed live on Zoom. To access the meeting and participate on Zoom, go to https://georgetowntx.zoom.us/j/94617134572. The webinar ID is 946 1713 4572. You also can participate in the Zoom meeting by phone at one of these toll-free numbers: 833-548-0276 or 833-548-0282. Use the webinar ID: 946 1713 4572.

 

The City of Georgetown, in partnership with Curative, Inc., has opened a COVID-19 vaccination site, in tandem with its ongoing testing efforts, in the parking lot at 717 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, which is north of the Georgetown Public Library. The walk-up site will operate on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Individuals 12 and older are eligible to get the Pfizer vaccine offered at the site.

“As the community shifts away from mass vaccinations to more localized efforts, it’s important that residents who are newly eligible or have not had a chance to get their jab still have easy access to vaccines,” said Georgetown Community Services Director Jack Daly. “We really appreciate Curative for staffing this convenient, no-cost-to-the-patient site in Georgetown that will be available every day of the week.”

Registration is encouraged before visiting the vaccine site; however, walk-ups are welcome. Patients younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

To register for a vaccine, visit https://curative.com/sites/28951 or call 888-702-9042. To schedule a COVID-19 test visit https://curative.com/sites/28951.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the WCCHD website at www.wcchd.org/COVID-19 or visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

The City of Georgetown is seeking entries for the 2021-22 Sculpture Tour, a juried, year-long outdoor exhibit in the busy Georgetown Cultural District. Applications will be accepted from 12:01 a.m. June 1 to 11:59 p.m. Aug. 1.

Each sculptor may submit up to three sculptures for consideration. Eighteen sculptures will be selected by the City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Board to be featured in the tour, which includes outdoor exhibits around the Square, at the Georgetown Public Library, the Georgetown Recreation Center, and Wolf Ranch Town Center.

Sculptures will be installed in November and will be on display until October 2022. All sculptors with works selected to be in the tour will be awarded a cash prize, including $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $750 for honorable mention.

For more information, including submission guidelines, visit arts.georgetown.org.

The Georgetown Public Library is hosting an exhibit featuring “13 Jewish Drivers’ Licenses: A Tale of Nazi Destruction, Discovery and Reconciliation” from June 27 through the month of July.

The exhibit is being sponsored by Congregation Havurah Shalom of Sun City.

“13 Jewish Drivers’ Licenses” tells the story of a town in Germany coming to terms with its darkest past. The licenses were discovered in 2017 when the staff of the district offices in Lichtenfels were digitizing the town’s official paper records. The licenses had been revoked by the Nazis in 1938.

The exhibit reveals a story about the discovery, and the exploration by a high school history class to find descendants which led to many places and countries, including Austin, Texas. It is a story about reflection, reconciliation, human connections, and doing the right thing. And it is a story about hope for all of us in today’s tumultuous world.

The exhibit is free and will be open to the public during library hours, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, visit library.georgetown.org.