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Street Work Update: Asphalt and Sealant
Updated, September 2: Street resurfacing work continues in Georgetown. Below is the updated schedule for remaining work, weather permitting.
Asphalt Paving on Whispering Wind
Asphalt paving in Sun City on Whispering Wind Drive (from Del Webb Boulevard to Enchanted Drive) is scheduled for September 6 – 9.
Paving work on Williams Drive was completed on Friday, September 2. Striping on Williams Drive from River Bend to Lakeway is scheduled for Wednesday, September 7, weather permitting. Striping is a rolling operation with minor traffic impact expected.
Sealant Work
Application of emulsion sealant continues in Old Town and on Southwestern Boulevard. Chip seal work on Southwestern Boulevard in in Old Town was completed on Thursday, September 1.
- September 7 – 8: FastSet sealant on Pine and Walnut streets and cross streets in Old Town and on Haven Lane
- September 9: FastSet sealant on Southwestern Boulevard (University Avenue to Sam Houston Avenue)
For questions about the road work or schedule, contact Customer Care at (512) 930-3640 or at customercare@georgetown.org.
Watch School Zones as Classes Start on Aug. 23
The first day of classes for schools in the Georgetown school district is Tuesday, August 23. The Georgetown Police Department reminds drivers to slow down in school zones. As students go back to school, police will be monitoring school zones throughout the city.
Look for the school zones at most of these Georgetown ISD schools:
- Carver Elementary, 4901 Scenic Lake Drive
- Cooper Elementary, 1921 NE Inner Loop
- Ford Elementary, 210 Woodlake Drive
- Frost Elementary, 711 Lakeway Drive
- McCoy Elementary, 401 Bellaire Drive
- Mitchell Elementary, 1601 Rockride Lane
- Pickett Elementary, 1100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard
- Purl Elementary, 1700 Laurel Street
- Village Elementary, 400 Village Commons
- Williams Elementary, 507 E. University Avenue
- Benold Middle School, 3407 Northwest Boulevard
- Forbes Middle School, 1911 NE Inner Loop
- Tippit Middle School, 1601 Leander Road
- East View High School, 4490 E. University Avenue
- Georgetown High School, 2211 N. Austin Avenue
- Georgetown Alternative Program, 502 Patriot Way
- Richarte High School, 2295 N. Austin Avenue
- Williamson County Academy/Lott Juvenile Detention Center, 200 Wilco Way
School zone speed limits are in effect during the posted hours or when yellow lights are flashing. The fine for speeding in a school zone is $10 per mile over the limit, plus state court costs. This would mean a $229 fine for driving 30 mph in a 20 mph zone, for example.
State law prohibits the use of a wireless communication device in a school zone during the posted hours or when yellow lights are flashing.
Citizen Police Academy Fall Session
The Citizen Police Academy is a 10-week course to educate citizens about all aspects of the Georgetown Police Department. The fall 2016 academy is instructed by police officers, fire department personnel, and officers of the district and county court system. The deadline to apply is August 22.
Session topics include the history of policing, laws and code of criminal procedure, criminal and accident investigations, lethal and less-lethal weapons, crime scene investigations, officer safety, the court system, fire department response, and other community support services.
Weekly classes begin on Thursday, August 25 and finish with a graduation ceremony on Thursday, October 27. Each class starts promptly at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. The first class will be held in the training room of the Public Safety Operations and Training Center, 3500 D.B. Wood Road.
There is no charge to attend the academy, but seating is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are available at the Georgetown Police Department reception desk or by emailing a request to Linda.Lipscomb@georgetown.org.
A background check will be conducted on all applicants. No one under the age of 18 is eligible to apply. Persons with a prior felony conviction will not be accepted. All applicants will be notified of acceptance. For additional information or questions, please call (512) 930-2747.
Outdoor Seasonal Pool Closings
Most of Georgetown’s outdoor seasonal swimming pools will be closing for the summer in August.
The last day to swim at the River Ridge, Tennis Center, and Village pools is on Sunday, August 14.
The last day to swim at the outdoor pool at the Recreation Center is Monday, August 22.
The Williams Drive Pool will be open through Sunday, August 21, and then will be open again August 27 – 28 and September 3 – 5.
The outdoor splash pads at San Jose Park and downtown at Ninth and Main Streets will remain in operation through September 30.
The indoor pool at the Recreation Center remains open throughout the year.
For more information on aquatics programs, go to parks.georgetown.org/aquatics.
Parks and Roads Projects Key in 2017 Budget
As the fastest-growing city in the nation above 50,000 residents, the City of Georgetown is developing a budget for 2017 that responds to the demands of growth while keeping the property tax rate the second lowest in Central Texas. Hearings and City Council approval of the budget are scheduled for August and September.
The proposed budget includes a lower property tax rate of 42.4 cents, which is 1 cent lower than last year. Major parks and road projects approved by the voters are included in the budget, but due to increases in property values, the tax rate is reduced. Additionally, sales tax revenues are projected to grow 3.7 percent next year, which also helps to offset the property tax impact. City property taxes for the average home in Georgetown are projected to increase by $56.
Highlights of the 2017 budget include new parks and road projects, utility projects, and services to meet the demands of growth.
Southwest Bypass: This new arterial to be completed in 2018 will connect State Highway 29 with Leander Road on the west side of town. (Another segment will be built by Williamson County to connect Leander Road to I-35). The budget includes $10 million for this project that was approved by voters in the 2015 transportation bond.
Farm to Market Road 1460: This four-lane road that connects the medical and higher education corridor in north Round Rock with Georgetown started last year and continues in the current budget year. Funding includes federal, state, and local revenues.
Garey Park: Construction starts this fall on Garey Park, a 525-acre ranch on west Leander Road that is set to open as a park next year. Features of this park, a generous gift from Jack and Cammy Garey, will include hiking trails, camping areas, an equestrian center, and an event center. The budget includes $5.5 million for this new park, authorized by voters in 2008.
San Gabriel Park: The first phase of renovations to San Gabriel Park, a project approved by voters in 2008, is funded at $1 million in the current budget (see image at right). New pavilions and playgrounds along the San Gabriel River are included in phase 1.
Public Safety: Responding to growth in calls for service, three firefighter-paramedics and two emergency communication operators are included in the budget. In partnership with Georgetown ISD, a school resource officer will be added to provide an officer at each middle school.
Sidewalks: The budget includes $2.2 million in sidewalks and ADA ramps at intersections to increase pedestrian mobility and safety. This is the first of a multi-year program approved by voters in 2015.
Street Maintenance: Projects include segments of Sixth, Seventh, 10th, 11th, and 17th streets for rehabilitation, as well as sealant and asphalt overlay on many neighborhood streets. The total budget is $3.8 million for 2017, funded by the street maintenance sales tax and general fund revenues.
Water Utility: Capital projects funded by water utility revenue include a Lake Water Treatment Plant expansion ($5 million), the West Loop water main ($2.1 million) the Domel Pump Station ($4.5 million), County Road 255 water main replacement ($5.9 million), an elevated storage tank in Sun City ($3 million), and site development work for a new water treatment plant on the south shore of Lake Georgetown ($1 million).
Waste Water Utility: New capital projects funded by waste water utility revenue include the Berry Creek interceptor ($12 million), Pecan Branch Waste Water Treatment Plant expansion ($7.9 million), and San Gabriel Waste Water Treatment Plant equipment ($2.2 million). There is a $1.40 per month increase in the residential waste water rate to fund system improvements. A wastewater rate increase has not occurred since 2007. Georgetown continues to have the lowest waste water rates in the region.
Budget Schedule
Public hearings on proposed tax rate and budget are scheduled for August 9 and August 16. The first reading of the budget and tax ordinances is on August 23 and the second reading is on September 13. The hearings and ordinance readings are at City Council meetings that start at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 101 E. Seventh Street.
To see the proposed 2017 budget as well as summary documents, visit the City of Georgetown website at georgetown.org.
Lessons from Denton: Breakfast Bites on August 17
Lessons Learned from Denton is the topic for the next Breakfast Bites quarterly meeting on August 17. Breakfast Bites is a quarterly business development event sponsored by the Georgetown Main Street Program.
Julie Glover, economic development program administrator for the City of Denton, will talk about downtown revitalization in Denton at the meeting. Denton’s courthouse square and downtown district features local restaurants, vintage boutiques, an independent book store, an ice cream parlor, a coffee shop, art studios, taverns, and a dance hall. Downtown events include First Friday, the Twilight Tunes spring concert series, a community market event held on the second Saturday each month, and Arts and Autos, a fall festival with artwork and cars in its 17th year. Georgetown and Denton are the only two cities in Texas to win the Great American Main Street Award from the National Main Street Center. Georgetown won in 1997 and Denton won in 1998.
Glover is a past recipient of the Texas Historic Commission’s Anice B. Read Award of Excellence in Community Heritage Development, and was awarded the 2015 Texas Downtown Association’s Susan H. Campbell Award for Professional Excellence. She has spoken on downtown revitalization and preservation topics at the National Main Street Conference, Texas Downtown Association Conference, Texas Municipal League Conference, the Texas Historical Commission Conference, Colorado and Illinois Annual Main Street Conferences, and in numerous Main Street communities.
The event on Wednesday, August 17 is from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth Street. Breakfast snacks, coffee, and drinks will be provided. Networking starts at 8 a.m.
Attendees should pre-register by contacting Shelly Hargrove, Main Street manager, by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 15 at shelly.hargrove@georgetown.org or (512) 930-2027. Main Street is a program of the City of Georgetown.
Animal Shelter Seeks Garage Sale Vendors
For its 17th annual garage sale, the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter is doing things a little differently – hosting spots for other people to sell their treasures.
“Instead of taking donated items and selling them ourselves in the garage sale, we will be offering spots to people who want to sell their own items,” shelter manager Jackie Carey says. “We were struggling to find a place to store donated goods for the two months leading up to the garage sale, so we had to come up with an alternate plan.”
The shelter is selling up to 57 vendor spaces of varying size and location.
- 8’ x 8’, indoors, $50
- 8’ x 5’, indoors, $35
- 18’ x 6’ spot, outdoors shaded, $35
- 18’ x 6’ spot, outdoors unshaded, $25
There will be 46 indoor spots, most of them 8’ x 8’, and 11 outdoor spots. The outdoor spaces will be on the enclosed patio. Eight-foot tables may be rented for $10. Vendors will set up their spots on Thursday, September 22, the day preceding the two-day garage sale.
“I think it will be attractive to people to have a guaranteed spot in a secure, air-conditioned location, and benefit from the name recognition of the shelter’s garage sale,” Carey says.
The garage sale, a benefit organized by the Friends of the Georgetown Animal Shelter, will be held Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Community Center in San Gabriel Park. All proceeds benefit animals at the Georgetown Animal Shelter.
Contact the Animal Shelter by phone at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter is located at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Complex.
Notice of 2016 Proposed Property Tax Rate for City of Georgetown
A tax rate of $0.4240 per $100 valuation has been proposed for adoption by the governing body of the City of Georgetown. This rate exceeds the lower of the effective or rollback tax rate, and state law requires that two public hearings be held by the governing body before adopting the proposed tax rate. The governing body of the City of Georgetown proposes to use revenue attributable to the tax rate increase for the purpose of growth in demand for services in planning, public safety, recreation and transportation.
| Proposed Tax Rate | $0.4240 per $100 |
| Preceding Year’s Tax Rate | $0.4340 per $100 |
| Effective Tax Rate | $0.3941 per $100 |
| Rollback Tax Rate | $0.4284 per $100 |
The effective tax rate is the total tax rate needed to raise the same amount of property tax revenue for the City of Georgetown from the same properties in both the 2015 tax year and the 2016 tax year.
The rollback tax rate is the highest tax rate that the City of Georgetown may adopt before voters are entitled to petition for an election to limit the rate that may be approved to the rollback rate.
Your taxes owed under any of the above rates can be calculated as follows:
Property tax amount = (rate) x (taxable value of your property) / 100
For assistance or detailed information about tax calculations, please contact:
Deborah M. Hunt, CTA
Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector
904 S. Main Street
Georgetown, TX 78626
(512) 943-1603
propertytax@wilco.org
www.wilco.org
You are urged to attend and express your views at the following public hearings on proposed tax rate:
First Hearing
August 9, 2016 at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 101 E. Seventh Street, Georgetown, TX, 78626
Second Hearing
August 16, 2016 at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers, at 101 E. Seventh Street, Georgetown, TX, 78626
Go to the our financial reports section to view the FY2017 Proposed Budget to see a copy of the proposed City of Georgetown budget for the 2017 fiscal year, which starts on October 1, 2016.
Newspaper tax rate notices:
Water Use Up 70 Percent
With daytime high temperatures at or near 100 degrees every day in July, water use has jumped dramatically. Daily water consumption for Georgetown water customers has increased from 18 million gallons in early June to more than 30 million. That’s an increase of nearly 70 percent.
Electricity use also is up. Energy consumption increased about 18 percent from early June to early July.
Given these big jumps in water and electric use, most customers are likely to see a significant increase in their utility bills in the coming weeks.
“This is a pattern we see each summer,” says Leticia Zavala, customer care director for Georgetown Utility Systems. “Customers can look at their monthly bill and see the consumption period and the amount of water or electricity used during that time. When high temperatures hit the upper 90s or 100-degree mark, then utility bills reflect that a few weeks later.”
During the hottest summer months, about 75 percent of the drinking water produced each day is used for lawn irrigation.
Taking a few steps can help to moderate the increase in your monthly bill. Here are a few ways you can conserve water and electricity:
- Set your irrigation system to water only two days each week.
- Drop two or three minutes on the zone run times on your irrigation controller.
- Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher.
- Install a programmable thermostat that adjusts the temperature when you are not there.
For more ways to conserve water and electricity, go to gus.georgetown.org/conservation-programs. To see your regular watering days, go to water.georgetown.org.
Library Grant to Help Parents and Preschoolers
The library is a place for readers, but a new program at the Georgetown Public Library is focused on toddlers and infants who may be too young to hold a book. The Family Place Libraries program aims to make the Library a welcoming environment for preschoolers and their parents who can learn from experts about child development, nutrition, play, and learning.
The Family Place Libraries program is funded by a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, one of two grants that the Library has received this year. The aim of Family Place Libraries is to redesign the library environment to be welcoming and appropriate for children beginning at birth. The program also involves outreach to non-traditional library users and connecting parents with the resources, programs, and services offered at the library and other family service agencies. The program recognizes that good health, early learning, parental involvement, and supportive communities each play a critical role in young children’s growth and development.
“This grant is targeted to preschoolers because brain development from ages 0 to 3 is so fast and so important,” says Bethni King, children’s librarian at the Georgetown Public Library. “The grant will help us focus on our collection and focus on our space in the children’s area.”
In addition to toys, games, and books, King says starting next year, the Library is planning to host workshops with experts in child development, nutrition, and parenting. The Family Place Libraries program also includes an assessment and certification process to guide the implementation. Find out more at www.familyplacelibraries.org.
King and Library Director Eric Lashley will attend a three-day training program in Long Island, New York in November. The grant covers the cost of the training and provides $6,000 to implement programs following the Family Place Libraries model.
The Library has received a second grant from the Texas Book Festival for $2,270 for the Library’s Book Club in a Bag collection. The grant is funded by proceeds from the annual Texas Book Festival in Austin.
The Book Club in a Bag program allows one member of a book club to checkout ten copies of a particular title for the entire club. Discussion guides are included with the materials. The grant will allow the Library to expand the program with 25 new titles. A bag can be checked out for two months up to one year in advance.
The new Book Club in a Bag titles should be available by August 1. To find out more about the program or to check out a Book Club in a Bag, contact Sally Miculek, assistant library services director, at sally.miculek@georgetown.org or (512) 931-7620.
