Georgetown Edition | February 2022

CITY& COUNTY

News from Georgetown & Williamson County

Georgetown City Council Next meets Feb. 22 and March 8 at 6 p.m. 101 E. Seventh St., Georgetown 512-931-7715 • www.georgetown.org Williamson County Commissioners Court Next meets Feb. 22 and March 1, 8, 15 at 9:30 a.m. 710 S. Main St., Georgetown 512-943-1550 • www.wilco.org MEETINGSWE COVER This reimbursement was processed as a water impact fee credit, which the city originally budgeted for in the 2018 Master Water Plan. This credit will be paid to Plazo Tierra LLC, Georgetown Patio Homes LLC, Aaronson Tierra LLC and Furman Tierra LLC. Applications are due March 10 and can be picked up at the GPD reception desk at 3500 D.B. Wood Road, Georgetown. GEORGETOWN The City Council approved major amendments to the Georgetown re code in a rst reading at its Feb. 8 meeting, including an amendment to the animal care facility code. The amendment was in direct response to a re that claimed the lives of 75 pets at the Ponderosa Pet Resort on Sept. 18. Included in the amendment are requirements regarding sprinkler systems, re alarms, smoke detectors and other measures depending on the size of the facility in question. A second and nal reading on the amendment will be held Feb. 22. GEORGETOWN City Council approved a partial reimbursement to several developers for the installation of a 24-inch water line at its Jan. 25 meeting. Located along Ronald Reagan Boulevard near Sun City and CR 245, the water line will provide water to residential and commercial properties over 377.6 acres. NUMBER TOKNOW Square miles of coverage area that Georgetown Water services 440 CITY HIGHLIGHTS GEORGETOWN The Police Department is now accepting applications for its 2022 Citizen Police Academy. According to a release, the free program is an eight-week, in-person course designed to inform residents about GPD protocols and daily activities. Topics will include laws and code of criminal procedure; criminal and accident investigations; and more. Classes will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, March 24-May 12.

Williamson County approves $250K formental health judge

Williamson County has seen an increase in mental health-related lings since 2014 as two psychiatric hospitals have opened. RISING CASES 2014 2021

+342%

BY CLAIRE SHOOP

318

+875% +420%

WILLIAMSON COUNTY To address an increase in mental health-related cases, Williamson County Com- missioners Court unanimously approved spending up to $250,000 for a visiting judge during its Jan. 18 meeting. The visiting master judge would be a contractual posi- tion with the county and work under the purview of Judge John B. McMaster in the County Court at Law No. 4, which handles civil mental health cases in the county. The approved funding, which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, would also cover expenses for a visiting court reporter, as needed, and information technology costs, Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey sad. According to county documents, Williamson County has seen an increase in mental health-related lings and proceedings since 2014 as two psychiatric hospitals have opened in the county since then. Additionally, county commissioners attributed some of the recent backlog to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. When compared to 2014, there was a 342% increase in applications for temporary mental health services in 2021 and an 875% increase in applications for forced medica- tion, including those for inmates at the Williamson County Jail, according to county data. During the same timeframe, Williamson County saw a 109% increase in protective cus- tody hearings and a 420% increase in nal commitment

+109%

Protective custody hearings 11 23

4 39

Applications for temporary mental health services

Applications for forced medication

Final commitment hearings

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

hearings, county data shows. These mental health cases were on top of McMaster’s normal docket of probate, civil and family cases, according to county documents. Due to the time-sensitive nature of mental health cases, county documents say McMaster often has to delay his normal docket to address mental health hearings in the time required by law. “This would help [McMaster] get his regular docket addressed as well as not delaying the mental health issues that we have in the county,” Covey said. County Judge Bill Gravell asked the court to be open to increasing the amount of money allocated to address the backlog if the $250,000 does not address the county’s needs. “I think [McMaster] is trying to be really scally respon- sible while dealing with the tsunami—the backlog—that’s in front of him,” Gravell said.

WilCo leaders ask for parity in letter toMobilityAuthority

BY CLAIRE SHOOP

throughout Travis and Williamson counties, according to its website. The agency broke ground on its 183 North expan- sion project Jan. 26. In addition to funding projects at an equal level, the letter requests the Mobility Authority aid in preserving the right of way for future projects and establish a cash reserve that would allow the agency to fund more local projects in William- son County. Precinct 2 Commis- sioner Cynthia Long said that although the Mobility Authority’s rst project, 183A Toll, was built in Williamson County, since then many projects have been in Travis County.

The cafe space at the Georgetown Public Library has been vacant since October 2020. (Hunter Terrell/Community Impact) Little Lemon cafe coming to GeorgetownPublic Library BY HUNTER TERRELL

WILLIAMSON COUNTY Commission- ers Court is asking the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to fund projects in Travis and Williamson counties at equal levels. This request was outlined in a Jan. 25 letter addressed to Mobility Authority Chair Bobby Jenkins. Williamson County Commissioners Court discussed its priorities for the Mobility Authority and authorized Judge Bill Gravell to sign the letter at its Jan. 25 meeting. The Mobility Authority is an independent gov- ernment agency created in 2002 with the goal of improving mobility

in November after nishing renovations to the cafe space. Miculek received interest from several ven- dors, but with the support of her sta and City Council, she elected to move forward with the team at Sweet Lemon. “We want people to be comfortable here, and part of being comfortable is having access to food and drink in a friendly space,” Miculek said. “Sweet Lemon is known for their quality of products, friendliness of sta, atten- tion to the little details.”

GEORGETOWN After a 15-month vacancy, the Georgetown Public Library will once again have a cafe. Georgetown City Council approved a partnership between Georgetown Public Library and Sweet Lemon Kitchen on Jan. 25. “We are really excited to be partnering with Rachel and Kevin Cummins to open Little Lemon at the Library,” Library Director Sally Miculek said. The library submitted a request for public proposals

GEORGETOWN EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022