Georgetown Edition | May 2022

CITY& COUNTY

News from Georgetown & Williamson County

QUOTEOFNOTE

City selects site for rst downtown parking garage GEORGETOWN City Council selected Tamiro Plaza as the ocial site for the city’s rst downtown parking garage BY HUNTER TERRELL A LAND SWAP In order acquire Tamiro Plaza, Georgetown is trading two city-owned parking lots with it’s owner.

“INFRASTRUCTURE AND LONGRANGE PLANNING CONTINUE TOBE A TOP PRIORITY INORDER TOMEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ANDANTICIPATED

at its March 22 workshop. More recently, the council approved a professional services agreement contracting WGI Engineering Firm in the amount of $825,000 for the architectural design of the garage at its April 26 meeting. Tamiro Plaza is a privately owned lot between South Austin Avenue and Sixth Street. In order to acquire the site, two city-owned properties will have to be swapped. Both the city properties and Tamiro Plaza are approxi- mately 0.6 acres in size, according to the city. Jennifer Bettiol, Georgetown capital improvement projects manager, said Tamiro Plaza will house a four-level garage that will alleviate congestion on the Square. Two design proposals were presented to City Council at the workshop. One would bring 231 parking spaces and would include a 4,900-square-foot retail space. Three levels would be above ground, with a fourth level under- ground. The projected price is $14,422,295. The second option would also have four levels, all above ground. It would bring 292 spaces and a 6,300-square-foot retail space for $13,867,234. Other soft costs include replat- ting, a topographic survey and demolition. Funding will be provided by the remaining 2019 certi- cates of obligation, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

5TH ST.

TAMIRO PLAZA

GROWTH.” JOSH SCHROEDER, GEORGETOWN MAYOR

0.6605 ACRES

6TH ST.

0.49ACRES

CITYOWNED PARKING LOTS

HIGHLIGHTS WILLIAMSONCOUNTY

0.169 ACRES

Georgetown City Council Meets May 10 and 24 at 6 p.m. at 510 W. Ninth St., Georgetown. 512-931-7715. www.georgetown.org Williamson County Commissioners Court Meets May 10, 17, 24, 31 and June 7 at 9:30 a.m. at 710 S. Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1550. www.wilco.org MEETINGSWE COVER Georgetown issued an alert late April 25 asking residents to “immediately limit water use” due to a re at a transformer that caused the city’s largest water treatment plant’s pump station and intake pump to go down. The issue was resolved overnight, and the emergency request was lifted April 26. WILLIAMSONCOUNTY Samsung Austin Semiconductor donated $10,000 to the Williamson County Farm Bureau’s Rural Relief Fund, which aims to help rural residents recover from the recent tornadoes that hit the county. The fund was up to about $50,000 as of mid-April. The bureau is accepting applications through May 31, and funds will be distributed by the end of June. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of participating in a pilot program with Flock Group Inc. to install 25 rear license plate-reading cameras in an eort to reduce crime throughout the county. Sheri Mike Gleason said the yearlong pilot program is free to participate in. If Williamson County decides to keep the cameras at the end of the pilot, it will cost $68,750 to purchase and install them, according to county documents. While Williamson County did not provide exact locations where the Flock cameras will be installed, Gleason said they will be located in unincorporated areas and used to aid investigations. GEORGETOWN The city of

SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWNCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

and city tax revenue through the downtown tax increment reinvestment zone. No bond will be issued. The design process is expected to take six weeks; the plan review will last 10 weeks; and construction will take anywhere between 12 and 14 months. Completion is slated for spring 2024. WGI, based in Frisco, has completed over 2,000 park- ing-based projects nationwide. Georgetown began work with WGI in 2020.

2022 State of the City showcases high growth

Georgetown City Council approves pedicab ordinance

BY HUNTER TERRELL

GEORGETOWN During the annual State of the City address April 13, Mayor Josh Schroeder and City Manager David Morgan highlighted accomplishments from 2021 and previewed plans for 2022. In scal year 2020-21, George- town saw about 2,500 new housing developments within city limits, indicating more than 5,000 people moved to the city, Schroeder said. As a result, ocials said the city gained more than 5,200 water util- ity customers, demonstrating the need for the expansion of the North Lake water plant, the construction of the new South Lake treatment plant, and the importance of water and wastewater ordinances. Schroeder said Georgetown received more than $42 million in sales tax revenue, an $8 million increase from 2020. “We work hard to keep George- town’s cost of services as low as

GEORGETOWN An ordinance on the operation of pedicabs in George- town was approved on second reading at City Council’s April 12 meeting. There has been entrepreneurial interest expressed for pedicabs within the city limits for the past several years, city documents show. The new ordinance will provide licensing and regulation of the pedicab businesses, operators and the pedicabs themselves. Pedicab operators will have to pay a $20 nonrefundable annual licensing fee as well as provide proof of insurance, inspection and appropriate licenses. The Georgetown Police Department may deny or revoke permits at any time. The ordinance also addresses where pedicabs may lawfully be operated. A sunset clause has been added to the ordinance, so that it is set to expire April 13, 2023, at which time City Council may continue or modify it.

Mayor Josh Schroeder spoke April 13 at the 2022 State of the City.

COURTESY OF CITY OF GEORGETOWN

possible,” Schroeder said. Reports show Georgetown has a property tax rate of $0.401, the second lowest in the area behind Round Rock at $0.39. The nearby city of Taylor has a $0.77 property tax rate. Other talking points included the Georgetown Parks and Recre- ation Master Plan, transportation updates, utility needs and ongoing development projects. “Infrastructure and long-range planning continue to be a top priority in order to meet the needs of the community and anticipated growth,” Schroeder said. With the May 2021 bond provid- ing $120 million of transportation funding, Morgan said Georgetown will begin design on several proj- ects to break ground in 2023.

GEORGETOWN EDITION • MAY 2022