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Just Mercy Book Discussions at the Library
Just Mercy, a memoir and New York Times bestseller by Bryan Stevenson, will be the subject of book discussions at the Georgetown Public Library in February. The book discussions are free and open to the public.
In the book Stevenson, a Harvard Law graduate, exposes the continuing legacy of racial injustice in the U.S. criminal justice system. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South,” says reviewer John Grisham. “Though larger than life, Atticus exists only in fiction. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.”
Discussions of Just Mercy will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays on February 3, 10, 17, and 24 on the bridge on the second floor of the Georgetown Public Library at 402 W. Eighth Street.
The discussions of Just Mercy are part of a number of events happening in Georgetown in February to mark Black History Month. Other events include a series of four Courageous Conversations about Race at the 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.
Go to georgetown.org for details about these events.
Tamiro Plaza Phase 2 Features Residential and Retail
A new four-story project in downtown Georgetown with retail, office, and residential components was announced on Friday. Tamiro Plaza Phase 2, a 60,000 square foot structure, will be one of the largest mixed-use projects in Georgetown.
The project is adjacent to the four-story Tamiro Plaza phase 1 office and retail building that opened in 2008. The buildings at 501 S. Austin Avenue are one block north of the Courthouse Square.
Tamiro Plaza phase 2 will include 16,000 square feet of specialty shops and restaurants on the first floor and 43,000 square feet of professional offices and residential units on the upper floors, according to Francisco Choi, developer and architect for the project. Structured parking will be interior to the building and wrapped with residential and commercial space on the exterior.
Zhongyong Tang and Bee S Teo, Singapore-based investors in the project, visited Georgetown last week to meet with Choi, Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross, and City Manager David Morgan. “This is going to be a very good project,” said Tang. “I am looking forward to a very fruitful collaboration.”
Pictured in the photo are (left to right) Georgetown City Manager David Morgan, Francisco Choi, Mayor Dale Ross, Zhongyong Tang, and Bee S Teo.
The $10 million project is set to begin construction by the end of the year with a grand opening date in late 2017, according to Choi.
An architectural rendering of the project from Austin Avenue and Sixth Streets is shown above.
A rendering of the project depicting the Sixth Street elevation is shown at right.
Weapons Use Rules in City and ETJ
Given the changes in open carry of handguns that went into effect in Texas this month, the Georgetown Police Department would like to offer a reminder about other rules regarding the use weapons.
With a few exceptions, it is unlawful for a person to discharge any firearm, air-powered weapon, archery device, or other weapon for any reason, including, but not limited to, hunting, sporting, target practice, or competition, within the city limits or within the city’s extra-territorial jurisdiction, which extends up to 3.5 miles beyond city limits.
Prohibitions on the use of weapons are common in many cities. It may be less well known that the prohibition also applies to areas within Georgetown’s ETJ.
There are a few exceptions to the prohibition. Exceptions include a weapon discharged in a shooting gallery or gunsmith establishment, a discharge that occurs with a permit issued by the City of Georgetown, or a discharge that is allowed by state law or United States law.
In addition to these exceptions, there are also two more exceptions that are unique to larger tracts of land in the ETJ or within the city, if the land was annexed after September 1, 1981.
The first exception states that a shotgun, air rifle, air pistol, BB gun, or bow and arrow may be discharged on a tract of land of 10 acres or more, and more than 150 feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property.
The second exception states that a center-fire or rim-fire rifle or pistol of any caliber may be discharged on a tract of land 50 acres or more and more than 300 feet from a residence or occupied building located on another property. In both cases, the projectiles must be discharged in a manner not reasonably expected to cause the projectile to cross the boundary of the tract.
Click here to see a map of the Georgetown city limits and extra-territorial jurisdictions.
Leigh Wallace Named as Finance Director for Georgetown
Leigh Wallace, corporate budget manager for the City of Austin, has been selected as the new finance director for the City of Georgetown. After a nationwide search, Wallace was selected from a pool of 25 highly-qualified applicants from nine states. She will start in her new position February 8.
Wallace has more than eight years of local government finance and public water utility experience. She has served in the Budget Office for the City of Austin since 2009. As the corporate budget manager she develops and monitors Austin’s $3.5 billion annual operating budget. During her time in Austin, Wallace served as the team leader for the Leadership International City/County Management Association Class of 2012 for the Edmonton Capital Projects Consulting Team in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada.
“We are pleased to welcome Leigh to the City of Georgetown,” says City Manager David Morgan. “She has a wealth of experience in local government finance and will continue Georgetown’s traditional of financial reporting excellence and fiscal management. Leigh has a passion for public service and a collaborative management style that will be a tremendous asset to the organization.”
A graduate of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Wallace has a master’s degree of public affairs and was a Blodgett fellow in urban management. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Trinity University in San Antonio. Wallace is a member of both the International and Texas City/County Management Associations, a member of the TCMA Professional Development Committee, and a board member of the Trinity University Alumni Association, Austin Chapter.
As finance director for the City of Georgetown, Wallace will lead financial support areas and will direct the annual budget process for the organization.
Assistant City Manager to Lead Development for Georgetown
A deputy city manager from Centennial, Colorado, has been chosen as the new assistant city manager for the City of Georgetown. Wayne Reed will lead development-related departments in his new position with the City, which he will start on January 25. Reed was the top choice from a pool of 130 applicants from 27 states and Puerto Rico.
“Wayne has an extensive background in planning and community development that makes him an exceptional choice to help manage the tremendous growth that Georgetown is expected to experience over the next several years,” says City Manager David Morgan. “His innovative experience and leadership qualities will be instrumental in helping to guide and promote quality development as well as making Georgetown a smart place to invest.”
With more than 19 years of local government experience in both Colorado and Texas, Reed currently serves as the deputy city manager for the City of Centennial, Colorado. In that role, Reed oversees Community Development, Public Works, and the Office of Innovation for the growing Denver suburb with 107,000 residents. He previously served as Centennial’s community development director. Reed previously held the position of planning director for the Town of Berthoud, Colorado, and also served as a planner for the city of Arvada, Colorado, 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.
After he starts in Georgetown, one of Reed’s first projects will be to hire a new person to lead economic development efforts for the City. Reed joins two incumbent assistant city managers for Georgetown: Laurie Brewer and Jim Briggs.
Handguns and Open Carry at City Facilities
New Texas laws regarding the licensing of handguns take effect on January 1, 2016. Known as open carry, the new laws effectively eliminate a distinction between concealed carry and open carry. A license is still required for a handgun owner who wishes to carry the weapon in public.
A licensed handgun owner will have permission to carry openly or in a concealed manner. Those carrying a handgun in an open manner must have the weapon in shoulder or belt holster.
Under the new laws, the City cannot prohibit someone from carrying a handgun in a concealed or open manner in most City facilities or property. Places where licensed carry is allowed, as long as the handgun is concealed or holstered, includes most public areas such as:
- Public lobbies such those at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, City Hall, Animal Shelter, Public Safety Operations and Training Center, or Georgetown Municipal Airport Terminal
- Public facilities such as the Public Library, Recreation Center, Community Center, or Tennis Center
- Public parks such as San Gabriel Park, or the hike and bike trail
Open carry of a handgun is not permitted in the following places, except by a licensed peace officer. A sign about the prohibition will be placed at these meeting locations. Concealed carry is permitted and was previously permitted.
- City Council meetings at the City Council Chamber at 101 E. Seventh Street
- Boards and commission meetings and other open meetings subject to the Open Meetings Act at various locations
Open or concealed carry of a handgun is not permitted in the following places, except by a licensed peace officer. Open or concealed carry was previously not permitted.
- Courtroom for Municipal Court at 101 E. Seventh Street
- Polling places for City elections at various locations
Private businesses or places of worship or other private property may prohibit the open carry of handguns if required signs are posted in English and Spanish, oral notice is given, or a card with the prohibition is presented. Details on the wording of signs specified in the Texas Penal Code 30.07 are available on the Texas Department of Public Safety website at www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/legal/newlegislation.htm.
Open or concealed carry of a handgun is still not permitted at a public or private school or on school grounds or in a school transportation vehicle, except by a licensed peace officer.
An unlicensed handgun is permitted in a vehicle or watercraft, as long as it is not in plain view. A licensed handgun is permitted in a vehicle or watercraft, as long as it is not in plain view or if it is holstered.
Laws regarding the lawful carry of long guns, such as rifles, remain unchanged.
Residents with questions about the new laws regarding the licensing of handguns and open carry can find further information on the Texas Department of Public Safety website at www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/legal/newlegislation.htm, or contact the Georgetown Police Department non-emergency number at (512) 930-3510.
Council to Consider Voluntary Annexations
The City Council is holding public hearings for four voluntary annexations at the January 12th and January 26th meetings. Council will consider action on these items on February 9th and a second reading to be determined. Most of the described properties below are being annexed in anticipation of future development.
Below are the properties with a location map of each:
- Public Hearing for the voluntary annexation of 17.81 acres in the LJ Dyches Survey, located at 1000 FM 1460. Location Map
- Public Hearing for the voluntary annexation of various additions to the Williams Drive right-of-way as conveyed to the City from Williamson County, from DB Wood through the Jim Hogg intersection. Williams Dr ROW
- Public Hearing for the voluntary annexation of 207.147 acres in the Addison Survey, located at 2750 County Road 110. Location Map
- Public Hearing for the voluntary annexation of 10.058 acres in the Francis Hudson Survey, located at 555 Rabbit Hill Road. Location Map
For questions about these annexation proposals, please contact Jordan Maddox at 512-930-3575 or the Planning Department front desk. Service Plans for each area are available online and at the Planning Department office at 406 W. 8th Street.
PUC Approves Chisholm Trail Water District Consolidation
The Public Utility Commission of Texas voted on Thursday in a unanimous ruling to approve the transfer of the service area of the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District to the City of Georgetown. The transfer of the certificate of convenience and necessity or CCN to the City of Georgetown means that the City water utility now has the authority and obligation to serve water customers in the former Chisholm Trail SUD service area.
“With this approval, the regulatory process is now complete,” says Jim Briggs, general manager for utilities for the City of Georgetown. The PUC ruling follows two years of regulatory review by the PUC and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(Photo of Lake Georgetown, photo credit: Rudy Ximenez)
“This consolidation is a win for the citizens of Georgetown because it allows us to guide and manage quality development in a fast-growing area to the northwest,” says Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross. “It’s also a win for our new customers in the Chisholm Trail district because the City has the expertise and bonding capacity to improve the current infrastructure and allow for future growth. I want to thank Jim Briggs in particular for his efforts in managing this merger process.”
Board members of the Chisholm Trail SUD first approached the City of Georgetown in 2011 about the possibility of consolidating the two water utility districts. A feasibility study on the possible merger was conducted in 2012. A vote to consolidate was approved unanimously by the Chisholm Trail board in August 2013.
In 2014, the assets and liabilities of the Chisholm Trail district were transferred to the City of Georgetown and employees of the District became City of Georgetown employees. The City of Georgetown has been operating the Chisholm Trail SUD utility since September 2014.
Delton Robinson, president of the board of Chisholm Trail SUD, says, “This is a tremendous victory for all the customers involved. We wanted a consistent and reliable water supply for our customers. There are strategic advantages to a regional water supply system, managed by a competent, professional staff. This merger means that we join multiple water sources in one system and can more cost-effectively build infrastructure to serve all our customers.”
Water contracts and obligations were not affected by the transfer of CCN or service area from Chisholm Trail to the City of Georgetown.
“We are excited to officially welcome the Chisholm Trail customers into the Georgetown Utility Systems customer family and look forward to continuing to build solid relationships with our diverse customer base,” says Leticia Zavala, customer care director for Georgetown Utility Systems.
A challenge to the consolidation continues from a small number of customers through a lawsuit initiated within the last few months. The election of pro-consolidation candidates to the Chisholm Trail district board in November runs counter to the challenge.
“We can now move forward with our plans to fully consolidate the operation and build a much more robust system to serve the entire area,” says Wes Wright, systems engineering director for the City of Georgetown.
The City is planning to expand interconnections with other water systems, replace aging infrastructure, build additional storage, and obtain additional water resources to support the former Chisholm Trail district service area.
The City of Georgetown serves about 25,000 water accounts representing about 62,500 customers in a 70 square-mile service area that includes Georgetown and surrounding areas. The former Chisholm Trail district served about 8,700 water accounts representing about 21,750 customers in a 377 square-mile service area that extends northwest from Georgetown into Bell and Burnet counties. Most of the customers in the former Chisholm Trail district are in or near the City of Georgetown extra-territorial jurisdiction, which includes unincorporated areas up to 3.5 miles beyond city limits.
Recycling Christmas Trees and Boxes
City of Georgetown residents are encouraged to recycle Christmas trees, boxes and wrapping paper to reduce material going to the landfill. If you recycle your tree, please remove the tree stand and any garland, ornaments, or lights. Artificial trees cannot be recycled.
Curbside Pick-up
Texas Disposal Systems customers in the city limits of Georgetown can put Christmas trees on the curb for collection on your regular yard trimmings pickup day. Trees seven feet in length or less can be placed at the curb uncut. Longer trees should be cut into sections. All curbside-collected yard trimmings are brought to the City’s Collection Station and ground into mulch.
Collection Day Look-up
For Georgetown city residents, your yard trimmings collection day is on your first recycling day of the month. Look it up at recycle.georgetown.org. Select the “What Are My Collection Days?” link and you’ll have two options to find your service schedule. Use the interactive map, or use the Streets List and correlating schedule charts found on the webpage.
Boxes and Wrapping Paper
Cardboard boxes and wrapping paper are recyclable. If they won’t fit in your recycling cart, you can put wrapping paper and boxes in a larger box and set it next to your recycling cart so it can be recycled. Ribbons and bows are not recyclable. Cellophane wrap and plastic bags are recyclable if they are placed in a yellow bag-the-bag, tied, and placed inside the recycling cart. Note that no extra plastic bags next to your trash cart are permitted without a bag tag. Go to recycle.georgetown.org for a complete list of recyclables.
Christmas Tree Drop-off
From December 26 through January 30 at no charge, Christmas trees will be accepted at the City of Georgetown Collection Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive. Normal fees will apply to other items.
Collection Station
Mulch is available, year-round, free-of-charge to City residents at the Collection Station. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Collection Station closes at 12 p.m. on December 24, is closed on December 25 and January 1, and closes at 3 p.m. on December 26, December 31, and January 2. For details, contact Texas Disposal Systems at (512) 930-1715.
City Offices Move to Eighth and MLK Streets
The City of Georgetown Planning Department is moving to the historic Light and Water Works building at the corner of Eighth and MLK Jr. streets. The red brick building with the smoke stack that was built in 1911 was most recently home to the police department for 30 years. The Economic Development Department and some smaller departments moved to the building in November.
The Planning Department entrance is on the east side of the building addressed as 406 W. Eighth Street. The Planning Department will be closed December 30 – 31 and will open in the new location on January 4. The Permitting and Inspections Department is not moving, but will remain at 300-1 Industrial Avenue at the Georgetown Municipal Complex.
The Economic Development Department moved to the Light and Water Works building November 18 – 19. The department uses the west entrance to the building addressed as 809 MLK, Jr. Street. The Main Street Program, Housing Department, and Public Communications Department also moved to the new building in November.
The historic Light and Water Works building is part of the city building renovation project known as Downtown West. The project also includes converting the former library at 808 MLK, Jr. Street to a new City Hall and renovating the Communications and Technology Building at 510 W. Ninth Street to become the new Municipal Court and Council Chamber.
A programming plan for Downtown West, which determines uses that could fit in the buildings, was presented to the City Council on November 24 and adopted at the December 8 meeting. According to the programming plan, the two-story section of the Light and Water Works building would become open space with the interior second floor removed. This change would be part of a future phase of work not expected to begin until 2017 or later.
Design of the new City Hall and new Municipal Court and Council Chamber is scheduled for the first half of 2016 with construction to begin in the fall of 2016.
A new 144-space public parking lot on MLK, Jr. Street at Eighth Street is nearly complete and will open soon.
