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Traditional Irish Music with Aidan at Public Library Feb. 21
West Entrance to Wolf Ranch Closed Feb. 16 – 23
The west entrance to the Wolf Ranch shopping center on Wolf Ranch Parkway will be closed next week for utility work. All other entrances to the Wolf Ranch shopping center will be open and unaffected by the closure.
The west entrance on Wolf Ranch Parkway will be closed from February 16 through February 23. Look for signs in the area about the closure. The west entrance is near the Target store at Wolf Ranch.
City of Georgetown Energy Services crews will be trenching and extending conduit and new electric service lines across the west entrance to Wolf Ranch and along Wolf Ranch Parkway south of University Avenue. The new electric service line is for new businesses and apartments west of Wolf Ranch Parkway and south of University Avenue.
Wolf Ranch Parkway north of University Avenue will be open and unaffected by the closure.
Library 50th Anniversary Gala on March 5
The Georgetown Public Library celebrates a half-century of serving the community at a special event next month. The 50th Anniversary Gala is a ticketed, drinks-and-dancing evening social from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. The semiformal affair includes hors d’ oeuvres, a gift-basket raffle, and dancing to music by Cienfuegos, a Latin combo.
“There’s not going to be long-winded speeches at this event,” says Eric Lashley, director of the Georgetown Public Library. “We’re going to have fun. It’s a party.”
Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the first floor circulation desk. Semiformal attire is requested.
The gala marks the end of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary. Georgetown’s library has grown in every way since its humble beginnings as a shoe-string volunteer operation.
The first Public Library location opened in 1966 in a one-room storefront at 802 S. Main Street, just off the Courthouse Square in the KGTN radio building owned by Don and Clara Scarbrough. The nonprofit volunteer-run library depended on donated books to build the collection. In 1970, the library moved to a new building at the corner of Main and Seventh streets, which is the current City Council Chambers.
Verne Philpot became the first employee of the library in 1968. Mrs. Philpot, as she was known, was the first librarian and in her 20-year career, became the first director of the library.
In 1987, after a $1.5 million bond election, the Public Library moved again to a 17,000 square foot building at 808 Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. With the new facility in 1987, the building and library employees officially became a part of the City of Georgetown organization.
After a successful $9.8 million bond election in 2004, the Public Library moved in 2007 to its current 50,000 square foot facility at 402 W. Eighth Street. In addition to significant book, periodical, DVD, and online material collections, the Public Library has grown to include a large children’s area, a public computer cluster, community rooms, and a café. Programming includes the Summer Reading program, art exhibits, music concerts, and other events each week for children, teens, and adults. The library is open seven days each week with a staff of 23 employees and more than 100 volunteers.
The community is invited to join in the March 5 celebration of the Public Library’s 50th anniversary at the Gala. Tickets are on sale at the circulation desk. Find out more about the Georgetown Public Library at library.georgetown.org or visit at 402 W. Eighth Street in downtown Georgetown.
Charlie McNabb Named City Attorney
Charlie McNabb has been selected by the Georgetown City Council as city attorney for the City of Georgetown. He is expected to start February 18.
McNabb comes to Georgetown after serving a total of 27 years with the City of El Paso, Texas, including 10 years as city attorney. A municipal law pioneer, McNabb obtained one of the first municipal law certifications from the Texas Municipal League. He also created the first in-house state legislative affairs function. Additionally, he served as legal advisor to the elected commission presiding over the first complete El Paso city charter revision in 40 years. His record of innovative thinking and his ability to successfully navigate challenges were key factors in his selection.
McNabb was selected after a nationwide recruitment effort conducted by Strategic Government Resources, an executive search and training firm. He was selected from a field of more than 40 candidates.
Mayor Dale Ross said, “We are extremely fortunate to have recruited a city attorney who has the extensive knowledge, experience, and proven leadership skills that Charlie brings to the table. I am confident that he will help take the City Attorney’s Office to a new level of excellence.”
McNabb holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston Law Center, studied graduate law and history at Rice University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.
He is an active member of the legal community, serving as fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, founding fellow of the El Paso Bar Foundation, public policy fellow of the Texas Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution, and served as president of the Texas City Attorney’s Association.
Kathy Ragsdale Retires After 30 Year Career at Utility
When she started working for Georgetown’s utility in 1985, Kathy Ragsdale jokes that it wasn’t her computer or customer service skills that were key. “Their biggest concern was if I bowled or not,” says Ragsdale, who worked out on the City bowling team and went on to stay for the 30-year career with the utility department.
Her first position was as a cashier in the Utility Office, which was located on the Courthouse Square at 103 W. Seventh Street, current home of the Visitors Center. At that time Georgetown’s population was about 15,000 and billing was done by hand with deposits recorded in a book. By the early 1990s, the City was using an IBM main-frame computer with customer service representatives working at terminals to access account information.
The Utility Office moved to the old Post Office on Eighth Street in 1992. Ragsdale had become the manager of the Utility Office before it moved to the Georgetown Municipal Complex on Industrial Avenue in 2003.
One of the major innovations that Ragsdale helped to direct was the introduction of automated meter reading in 1998. Georgetown was one of the first utilities in the nation to implement the system that uses radio signals to transmit meter information. The move to the automated system limited the need for meter readers, but led to the creation of a technical staff to support the system.
After 26 years in the utility billing and customer support office, Ragsdale moved to a new position at the utility when she became the manager of Conservation Services. Since 2011, Ragsdale’s department managed the solid waste and recycling contract and enhanced programs in water and energy conservation. Two recent projects include the creation of a drought simulation structure and educational gardens at the new West Side Service Center to promote the use of drought-tolerant plants and low water-use landscapes.
Ragsdale says her most enduring legacy will be her work on a landscaping ordinance that was approved in 2014. The ordinance limits the irrigated turf area in the yards of new homes and requires six inches of top soil to promote wise water use. The new rules will have a big impact on the growth of irrigation water use for new homes built in Georgetown.
After serving 10 mayors and five city managers, Ragsdale retired from the City last month. She says retirement means spending more time with eight grandchildren at her home near Weir. And she and her husband will be planting spinach, radishes, squash, and egg plant in their vegetable garden with the help of their new green John Deere tractor.
GTX Residents: Free Spay/Neuter for Cats
The Georgetown Animal Shelter is again holding three free spay/neuter clinic for cats this spring – February 27, April 30, and June 25. The goal of the clinics is to reduce the cat population in Georgetown. This is the fifth year that the shelter has offered free spay/neuter clinics for cats, and it seems to be making a difference in the number of kittens ending up at the shelter.
Spay and neuter surgeries and a rabies vaccination will be provided at no charge. Other services available at the clinic include a combo test (feline AIDS/leukemia test) for $20, an FVRCP vaccine for $5, microchip for $10, e-collar for $10, pain medication for $5, or cat carrier for $5.
Appointments are required for the free clinics, which are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are not necessarily for low-income cat owners. Cats or kittens must be at least three months old.
The clinic is offered only for cats whose owners live in the Georgetown City Limits, so bring your driver’s license or other form of ID that shows your current address.
Additionally, the shelter continues to offer low-cost vaccine clinics every few months, which are walk-up clinics for vaccinations only, not spay/neuter surgeries. Dates for the shot clinics can be found here.
Call (512) 930-3592 to schedule your cat for surgery. All spay or neuter surgeries will be done by a licensed veterinarian.
The spay and neuter clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.
Candidates File for City Council Election in May
Three incumbents have filed to run in the City Council Election in Georgetown on May 7. John Hesser has filed to run for District 3, Steve Fought has filed for District 4, and Tommy Gonzalez has filed for District 7.
The filing period started on January 20 and ends on February 19. A packet of information for prospective candidates is available at City Hall at 113 E. Eighth Street. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To see maps of council districts, go to maps.georgetown.org.
Georgetown City Council members serve three-year terms representing one of seven single-member districts. A candidate for city council must be 21 years of age and a citizen and qualified voter of the state of Texas and the City of Georgetown. Candidates for council district seats must be a resident of the council district the member would be representing for a period of twelve months as of the last legal date for filing.
The last day to register to vote in the May election is April 7.
Early in-person voting is April 25 through May 3. In the Early Voting period, voters may cast ballots at any Early Voting location in Williamson County.
On Election Day, voters may cast ballots at any vote center location in Williamson County. Polling places, dates, and times are listed at wilco.org/elections.
For details about the city election, contact Shelley Nowling, city secretary for the City of Georgetown, at Shelley.Nowling@georgetown.org or (512) 930-3652.
Citizen Police Academy Spring Session
The Citizen Police Academy is a 12-week course to educate citizens about all aspects of the Georgetown Police Department. The spring 2016 academy is instructed by police officers, fire department personnel, and officers of the district and county court system. The deadline to apply is March 10.
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.
Classes are held on Thursdays from March 24 through June 9. Sessions are 6 to 8 p.m. in the training room at the Public Safety Operations and Training Center at 3500 DB Wood Road, which is next to Fire Station 5.
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 online at pd.georgetown.org/programs-services. Completed applications should be returned to the Georgetown Police Department as soon as possible to ensure acceptance into the class.
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 or (512) 930-2588.
Selma Film Showing and Black History Month Banquet
The 2014 film Selma will be shown in a public screening at the Georgetown Public Library at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 26. The film showing is free and open to the public.
The film tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the historic march on Selma, Alabama in 1965, which helped to galvanize the civil rights movement and fueled efforts to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year.
“Selma is not a manifesto, a battle cry or a history lesson. It’s a movie: warm, smart, generous and moving in two senses of the word,” says A.O. Scott in a New York Times review of the film. “It will call forth tears of grief, anger, gratitude and hope. And like those pilgrims on the road to Montgomery, it does not rest.”
Selma is rated PG-13 and is 128 minutes on length.
As part of Black History Month activities in Georgetown, the Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association will host the annual Black History Month Banquet at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 12. The banquet is at the McKinney Christian Ministry Center at First United Methodist Church, 410 E. University Avenue. For details, contact Paulette Taylor at ptofgt@aol.com.
The film showing and the banquet are part of a number of events happening in Georgetown in February to mark Black History Month. Other events include discussions of the book Just Mercy at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Georgetown Public Library and a series of four Courageous Conversations about Race at the Public Library.
Partner organizations co-sponsoring these events include the City of Georgetown, Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association, Georgetown Fellowship of Churches, Georgetown Fire Department, Georgetown Independent School District, Georgetown Ministerial Alliance, Getsemani Community Center Board, Georgetown Police Department, Georgetown Public Library, and Southwestern University.
Go to georgetown.org for details about these events.
Courageous Conversations about Race at the Library
Community discussions called Courageous Conversations about Race will explore four themes as they intersect with the topic of race. Each discussion will be at 7 p.m. in the Friends Room of the Georgetown Public Library at 402 W. Eighth Street. The public is invited to attend and participate in these facilitated discussions.
The conversations will be centered on four topics that serve as community cornerstones. Each discussion will include community leaders related to each topic:
Education: Thursday, February 4
Conversation Leaders: Georgetown ISD Trustee Fred Barhydt, GISD parents Amanda Day and Rick Vasquez, and Georgetown Partners in Education Executive Director Amy Brown
Healthcare: Thursday, February 11
Conversation Leaders: Scott Alarcon of Georgetown Health Foundation, Hugh Brown of St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, Rhonda Mundhenk of Lone Star Circle of Care, and Mary Faith Sterk of Georgetown Behavioral Health Hospital
Public Safety: Friday, February 19
Conversation Leaders: Travis County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Lamar Claypool, Georgetown Fire Department Lt. Jonathan Gilliam, Williamson County Juvenile Services Executive Director Scott Matthews, and Georgetown Police Chief Wayne Nero
Economic Development: Thursday, February 25
Conversation Leaders: Georgetown developer Bob Brent, Georgetown businessman Richard Glasco, Georgetown City Manager David Morgan, and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce CEO Karen Sheldon
Note that the topics that correspond to each date have been re-arranged from a list that was publicized in the February issue of the Reporter newsletter that is mailing out in customer utility bills in January.
These Courageous Conversations about Race are part of a number of events happening in Georgetown in February to mark Black History Month. Other events include discussions of the book Just Mercy at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Georgetown Public Library, a screening of the film Selma on February 26 at the Public Library, and a Black History Month Banquet sponsored by the Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association on February 12 at the McKinney Christian Ministry Center at First United Methodist Church.
Partner organizations co-sponsoring these events include the City of Georgetown, Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association, Georgetown Fellowship of Churches, Georgetown Fire Department, Georgetown Independent School District, Georgetown Ministerial Alliance, Getsemani Community Center Board, Georgetown Police Department, Georgetown Public Library, and Southwestern University.
Go to georgetown.org for details about these events.
