$130 million bond package would fund new and expanded customer service, recreational, and animal shelter facilities with no expected tax rate increase

 The Georgetown City Council has called a Nov. 7 election for a $130 million bond package that would fund new and expanded customer service, animal shelter, and parks and recreation facilities.

Divided into four ballot propositions, the bond package is not expected to increase the City’s tax rate.

These projects would address space limitations in several of the most frequently visited departments and buildings, enabling the City to better serve residents of all ages (and pets of all kind!).

“The City of Georgetown’s population has more than doubled in the last 15 years, and many of our most visited facilities are undersized in relation to the number of residents we serve today,” said Mayor Josh Schroeder. “These projects would serve people of all ages in all parts of the community while also reducing operating costs and saving taxpayers money long-term.”

The 2023 Bond propositions are:

• Proposition A – Customer Service Center ($56 million): Funding for a new 80,000-square-foot Customer Service Center to consolidate numerous City services that are currently located in multiple offices throughout Georgetown. The new building would house services such as utility billing, fire inspection, customer care, planning, engineering, the City’s new 311 service, and other support services in one central location with ample parking.
• Proposition B – Parks and Recreation ($49 million): Funding for improvements to Georgetown Recreation Center on Austin Avenue. The 30,000- square-foot expansion would include a third gym and more dedicated space for organized programming, as well as increased parking and improvements to the indoor pool to accommodate more recreational uses.
• Proposition C – Animal Shelter ($15 million): Funding to expand the animal sheltering capacity either by entering into a partnership with other local governmental entities to expand the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter or by improving and expanding the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter.
• Proposition D – YMCA Partnership ($10 million): Allocating $10 million toward the construction of a new jointly-owned YMCA center on the west side of town. These funds would help the YMCA build a larger facility to accommodate more youth sports and childcare options. The YMCA would cover all operating costs and offer Georgetown residents discounted memberships.

For details about the four bond propositions and the election, go to georgetown.org.

Election Day is Nov. 7. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 10, and early voting runs from Oct. 23 through Nov. 3. Polling places, dates, and times are available at wilcotx.gov/elections.

City of Georgetown offices and facilities will be closed Monday, Sept. 4., for the Labor Day holiday. This includes these locations:

• 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.: The Recreation Center will be closed from Aug. 28-Sept. 4 for preventative maintenance.
• Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive
• Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St.

Facilities open

• Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Transfer Station, 250 W.L. Walden Drive, will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Labor Day pool and aquatics schedule

The Williams Drive Pool, 3201 Williams Drive, will be open 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 4. Find information at parks.georgetown.org/williams-drive-pool. Other outdoor, seasonal pools have closed for the summer season.

GoGeo paratransit bus service

There will be no service Monday, Sept. 4.

Recycling and solid waste

There will be regular recycling and solid waste collection for City of Georgetown customers on Monday, Sept. 4. Please place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day. For questions, call Texas Disposal Systems at 512-930-1715.

The transfer station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4.

The first day of classes for schools in Georgetown ISD is Thursday, Aug. 17. 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.

“The safety and security of our students is our No. 1 priority,” Superintendent Devin Padavil said. “We are excited to begin the year and we ask for your help by watching speed limits and being aware of your surroundings. The first week of school normally involves more traffic, so we thank you for your patience as everyone settles into their routines.”

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
• Purl Elementary, 1953 Maple St.
• Village Elementary, 400 Village Commons
• Williams Elementary, 4101 Southwestern Blvd.
• Wolf Ranch Elementary, 1201 Jay Wolf Drive
• Benold Middle School, 3407 Northwest Blvd.
• Forbes Middle School, 1911 NE Inner Loop
• Tippit Middle School, 1601 Leander Road
• Wagner Middle School, 1621 Rockride Lane
• East View High School, 4490 E. University Ave.
• Georgetown High School, 2211 N. Austin Ave.
• Georgetown Alternative Program, 502 Patriot Way
• Richarte High School, 2295 N. Austin Ave.
• S.T.E.P./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 school zones times are about 7-9 a.m. for before-school times and 2:30-4:30 p.m. for after-school hours. The fine for speeding in a school zone is $10 per mile over the limit, plus state court costs. This would mean a $100 fine plus $159 in state court costs 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.

The City of Georgetown, along with Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area and the Texas Veterans Commission, is hosting the annual Veterans Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 7 in the Georgetown Community Center, 445 E. Morrow St.

Businesses from Georgetown and the surrounding area will be on-site accepting applications and resumes. The first hour is open to veterans and their families. The last two hours of the event will be open to the public to attend.

Employers: Click here to request a reservation by Sept. 5. The event organizers will review reservation requests and email table confirmation. Having a confirmed table is required to participate.

Job seekers: Click here to register. Registration is highly encouraged but not required to attend.

For more information, email ecodev@georgetown.org.

This September we’re celebrating Love Where You Live Month with several ways to keep our city clean.

To show some love, check out these upcoming events and help pick up litter throughout Georgetown. Email us a photo of you and your family picking up litter to customercare@georgetown.org for your chance to win a prize.

Rivery Park clean-up

The City of Georgetown is hosting a riverbank cleanup event on Sept. 9 in Rivery Park, 1125 Woodlawn Ave. Free public parking is available in the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center garage, 1101 Woodlawn St.

Volunteers can check-in for the event beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sign-in is located at the white tent in the middle of the park near the playground. A safety briefing will be held at 7:55 a.m., and clean-up will go from 8-9 a.m. Volunteers must fill out this waiver to participate and may be complete at the event as well.

During the event, these items will be provided: Trash bags, gloves, light snacks, and drinks. Participants are asked to wear appropriate clothing such as long pants, hats, sunglasses, and comfortable closed-toe shoes.

Individuals interested in volunteering can email MS4Operator@georgetown.org. Participants can register or sign up online at transportation.georgetown.org/river-cleanup. The cleanup event may be canceled due to weather conditions. For updates, follow the city’s social media pages: facebook.com/cityofgeorgetown and https://twitter.com/georgetowntx

Household Hazardous Waste collection

The City will host a free household hazardous waste collection event from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.

The event will be available for up to 400 Georgetown solid waste customers who are serviced through Texas Disposal Systems. For participation, customers must contact Customer Care at 512-930-3640 or customercare@georgetown.org to have their names placed on the list. Please include your name, address, and utility account number when emailing customer care.

Residents must remain in their vehicles during the collection. Staff will unload items from the back seat or trunk of the vehicle.

All items dropped off must be in their marked original containers. Commercial disposal and trailers are not allowed.

For more information about what household items will be accepted, visit https://recycle.georgetown.org/residential-programs/household-hazardous-waste.

Community collection event

The City’s Public Works Department will host a community cleanup event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.

During the event, residents will be able to drop off paper for shredding, tires, mattresses, and electronics, including televisions, microwaves, computers, and cell phones. Individuals are limited to three boxes or sacks of paper for shredding and up to four tires per carload. There is no limit on electronic items. Household hazardous waste items will not be accepted.

If participating, please bring a donation to help support Georgetown Police Department’s Blue Santa program and volunteer park rangers.

Items needed include:

• Toys
• Board games
• Arts and crafts
• Soccer balls
• Headphones
• Legos
• Hair dryers
• Outdoor games

All items must be new and unwrapped. Clothing, bicycles, hula hoops, toiletries, makeup, nail polish, and toy weapons will not be accepted.

Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Project reserves water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer for future water service agreement

To address the long-term demands of population growth and secure additional raw-water supply, City Council on Aug. 9, 2023, entered an $11.8 million, two-year reservation agreement with EPCOR to reserve water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Robertson County while the parties negotiate a public-private partnership and a Water Supply Agreement. The partnership contemplates Georgetown receiving about 32 million to 55 million gallons per day of treated groundwater (39,399-70,000-acre feet), with initial delivery by 2030.

The reservation agreement will cost $5.9 million each year, for a total of $11.8 million. Costs will be shared by developer water service agreements as well as customers through rates. Water fund balances will pay for costs in the initial months while the City’s rate model is updated. Customers can expect to see costs reflected in rates as early as January 2024.

The pending Water Service Agreement will outline the details of delivering water to the City, including water leases and construction of the waterline. The City would pay for the water delivery, regardless of whether the City uses it. The City also will be meeting with regional partners to determine their water needs and possible interest in cooperation on the project.

“Having enough water to meet our demands is becoming increasingly challenging and important as Georgetown and our service area continue to grow exponentially,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “EPCOR’s strong track record and the many, professional consultants we have retained for this proposal only add to our confidence that this is the right decision for Georgetown’s future.”

The City’s Integrated Water Resources Plan (IWRP) identifies new water supply options and ensures long-term reliability under uncertain water resources and demand growth. The IWRP, which was presented to council in December 2022, projects the City adding an average of 6,700 new water connections each year from 2024 through 2042 – nearly three times the projected 2,500 new connections from the 2018 master plan. As such, the IWRP estimates the City will need to bring on new, raw-water supply by 2030 in order to keep up with demand.

“We are doing our best to plan for the future to meet everybody’s needs,” City Manager David Morgan said. “Securing additional, diverse, raw-water supplies is important for Georgetown’s future. This will set Georgetown up to meet our continually increasing demands for water in our large service area.”

The City will be negotiating with EPCOR during the next two years to develop the project and financing plans, as well as an operations and maintenance agreement. The reservation agreement provides EPCOR and the City the option for the City to secure up to an additional 30,601-acre feet if EPCOR secures additional contract rights. This would provide for a total of 70,000-acre feet.

EPCOR builds, owns, operates, and manages water, wastewater, power, and natural gas utilities across North America. In Central Texas, the company has experience building and operating several, large-scale water-delivery projects, including the 142-mile-long Vista Ridge Project and the 130 Pipeline. EPCOR is currently constructing the water-supply infrastructure and water-reclamation facilities to support the semiconductor fabrication plant in Taylor.

Find more information about the Carrizo-Wilcox waterline project, the integrated water resources plan, and more.