Austin City Council Will meet July 20 and Aug. 31 at 10 a.m. at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin. 512-974-2250. www.austintexas.gov/department/ city-council Cedar Park City Council Will meet July 27 and Aug. 10, 24 at 450 Cypress Creek Road, Bldg. 4, MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS WILLIAMSON COUNTY The Commissioners Court approved a $100,000 grant and additional veterinary and volunteer services for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter at a June 6 meeting. AUSTIN The search for interim City Manager Jesús Garza’s permanent successor is set to kick off this summer and could get Austin’s next city manager in place before late 2024.
City starts rain barrel program for residents
SHIFTING STRATEGIES
As the Texas Department of Public Safety resumes operations in Austin, officers will now focus on the following:
Monitoring roadways with high rates of injury and fatal crashes
Focusing on areas with the highest reports of violent crime with input from APD
Supporting Austin Police Department patrol sectors with fewer APD officers
BY CHLOE YOUNG
CEDAR PARK Residents can now save money on their utility bills by harvesting rainwater through a new city program. The gist: The Rain Barrel Credits Program, which became effective June 1, encourages single-family residential water customers in Cedar Park to conserve water by purchasing rain barrels that collect and store rooftop runoff for a variety of uses. The impact: Customers can receive 50 cents in credit toward their utility account for each gallon of capacity purchased, earning up to $100 in credit total. Most rain barrels hold about 55 gallons and can save homeowners around 1,300 gallons during peak summer months, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
DPS patrols in Austin resume in July with updated approach
The data: APD leadership touted the early success of the program, pointing to a reduction of violent crimes in May compared to the year prior. However, city lead- ership and residents expressed concern that Black and Hispanic people were being disproportion- ately arrested. What’s changed?: The DPS will move away from its previous model of solely focusing on areas that saw high 911 call volumes and traffic. Under the new strategy, the DPS will monitor roads with high rates of fatal crashes and focus on areas with high numbers of violent crime reports.
BY DARCY SPRAGUE
AUSTIN Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety returned to patrolling Austin’s streets on July 2. The background: DPS and the city of Austin announced a partnership March 27, which was paused May 13 as troopers were temporarily relocated to the Mexican border.
Cedar Park. 512-401-5000. www.cedarparktexas.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court
Will meet July 25 and Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 at 9:30 a.m. at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org
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CEDAR PARK - FAR NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • JULY 2023
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