Georgetown Edition | March 2022

CITY& COUNTY

News from Georgetown & Williamson County

COMPILED BY HUNTER TERRELL

NUMBER TOKNOW The total number of candidates running for three seats—Places 1, 2 and 3—on the Georgetown ISD board of trustees. 8 HIGHLIGHTS GEORGETOWN The city received a write-in candidacy declaration Feb. 22 from Jaquita Wilson-Kirby for the District 7 seat on City Council, according to a release. Based on the declaration, an election will be held for the District 7 place on City Council during the May election, and candidates on the ballot will include Ben Stewart and a place for a write-in candidate. GEORGETOWN City Council seats for Districts 3 and 4 drew one candidate each and will run unopposed for the May election. District 3 will be represented by incumbent Mike Triggs, while District 4 incumbent Steve Fought is not seeking re-election, so the seat will go to Ron Garland, a former executive with the Boys Scouts of America. WILLIAMSONCOUNTY The rst countywide point-in-time count of the homeless population in the county since 2011 took place Feb. 24-25 according to a press release by San Antonio-based Endeavors, an organization that serves vulnerable populations. Results of the count are expected to be published in April. Georgetown City Council Next meets March. 22 and April 12 at 6 p.m. 101 E. Seventh St., Georgetown 512-931-7715 • www.georgetown.org Williamson County Commissioners Court Next meets March 22, 29, April 5 and 12 at 9:30 a.m. 710 S. Main St., Georgetown 512-943-1550 • www.wilco.org MEETINGSWE COVER

Georgetown City Council adopts amended re prevention code

UP TO CODE Under new amendments to the Georgetown re code, all existing facilities used for animal housing are to install a re alarm system within 18 months.

GEORGETOWN City Council made further amendments to the Fire Prevention Code in response to the Sept. 18 re at the Ponderosa Pet Resort that killed over 70 animals being boarded at the facility. “The code amendments the council approved [Feb. 22] make Georgetown one of the safest places to board your pet in the entire country,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said in a release. “These amendments represent a long-overdue change in how the re code protects these important members of our families. The features animal care facilities are now required to install will help prevent tragedies like the one we experienced here in September.” Under the approved amendments, all existing facilities used for the

temporary or permanent housing of animals are to install a re alarm system within 18 months of the codes going into eect March 9. This will give businesses until September 2023 to bring their facilities up to code. As of Feb. 23, there are 23 animal care facilities in the Georgetown Fire Department service area. Of those, 17 do not have re alarms. All newly constructed animal care facilities are required to have advanced re protection features that include a sprinkler system. “Many people, myself included, believe animals are extensions of our family,” Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan said. “As a direct result of this unspeakable loss for 59 of our Georgetown families, we took a hard look at our processes and our

34.8% are in compliance

52.2% are not in compliance

EXISTING FACILITIES 23

SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

13% are in progress

building codes and have taken critical steps to ensure we do better by our beloved pets. I wish I could turn back time and prevent this tragedy from happening in the rst place. I get some solace ... from knowing we have put measures in place to protect our four-legged family members.”

GeorgetownPoliceDepartment to build state-of-the-art ring range GEORGETOWN As part of the Public Safety Operations and Training Center’s master plan, the Georgetown Police Department will begin construction on a state-of-the-art ring range in the spring. Georgetown City Council and GPD have been working on PSOTC facilities since 2010. “In the original plan, we had a lot of dialogue with council about a rearms range,” said Assistant City Manager Wayne Nero, who was also formerly the city’s police chief. “We just were not sure we had enough money at the time to execute it.” After the approval of a bond in 2011 and a construction start in 2013, GPD moved in 2015 to its new campus, which

WILLIAMS DR.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

LAKE OVERLOOK RD.

The ring range construction will go out for bid in March.

RENDERING COURTESY CITY OF GEORGETOWN

houses the police headquarters, re administration, emergency operations, a communications center and several training components. Nero reported that the maximum cost for the range is $5 million, including $2.8 million for construction and $2.2 million for equipment with funds allocated by the city.

GEORGETOWN EDITION • MARCH 2022