Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Hutto o cials update special event permits The city of Hutto may start having more parades as a result of Hutto City Council approval of updates to city regulations related to special event permitting. In a nutshell Dan Thornton, Place 2 Hutto City Council member, said he brought the issue to the city manager for review after repeatedly hearing from residents. The city has limited the number of parades after the death of a middle school student during a parade in 2005. City Council members debated two ordi- nances related to special event permitting during a regular council meeting May 2 and made the nal approval of changes May 16. The updated city ordinances include a list of safety provisions that must be adhered to throughout these types of special events.
Wilcott o cially resigns from Hutto City Council Hutto City Council accepted the resignation of Place 5 council member Dana Wilcott May 16, after she forfeited the race against challenger Evan Porter eld in a runo election. What happened? In a letter written to Mayor Mike Snyder May 5, Wilcott informed him of her resignation and claimed, “Hutto is beyond redemption” under his leadership. Wilcott cited Snyder in a previous post on social media, saying he urged the community to harass her. She also stated she had a responsibil- ity to care for her children. Though Wilcott’s Facebook page has since been deleted, Snyder has responded to her claims online. “This is another in a long stream of false accu- sations,” Snyder said. “I think what’s inciting people is the fact that I’m done taking it and I share what happens. ...There comes a time when Allegiance to provide EMS for 4 more years P ugerville City Council approved a new contract with emergency services provider Allegiance Mobile Health May 28. The breakdown Narrowly passing in a 4-3 vote, Alle- giance won the $1.3 million annual contract for the next four years. The contract’s terms provide both emergency and nonemergency medical services, including ground ambulance transportation.
Evan Porter eld was sworn in as Place 5 Hutto City Council member May 16.
HALEY MCLEOD COMMUNITY IMPACT
people’s lies should be exposed.” City documents indicate Wilcott’s certi cate of withdrawal from the runo election was notarized May 13, while Porter eld was o cially sworn in during the May 16 city council meeting. What else? Prior to the meeting, council members dis- cussed priorities for future strategic planning in a work session. The group discussed plans to increase road maintenance funding, park lands and potentially bring a road bond to voters in coming years. Williamson County preps for wild re season Though recent rainfall is tracking above last year’s totals for this time of year, the threat of wild re remains a concern among county o cials as summertime conditions approach. A spokesperson for Texas A&M Forest Service, Kari Hines, said this year’s wild re outlook is predicted to be normal, meaning the area is expected to see wild res this year. What we know Central Texas has seen a total of 11.88 inches of rain this year, which is up 34% from rainfall totals within the same timeframe in 2023, according to National Weather Service data. However, with rain comes vegetation growth, ultimately becoming a “conduit for re” in the dry months, said Clay Shell, Williamson County assistant re chief. What else? The county has also developed wild re strike teams that have successfully navigated and
Georgetown Fire Captain Garey Jackson explained how the re department is able to use brush trucks to stop wild res from spreading.
HALEY MCLEOD COMMUNITY IMPACT
stopped res in Williamson County in recent years. “We’re glad that process was put into place,” Williamson County Fire Marshal Hank Jones said. “It allows us to get more resources quicker without stripping other parts of the county.” Last year, there were 7,530 wild res and 205,144 acres burned across the state, according to Texas A&M Forest Service data. So far, no res have been reported in William- son County or Central Texas in 2024. There are also no burn bans in e ect for the area.
Response times
10,170 calls 6,911 patients transported
6 min. 27 sec. Average response time 6 min. 2 sec. Average response time to high-priority calls
SOURCE: ALLEGIANCE MOBILE HEALTH COMMUNITY IMPACT
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PFLUGERVILLE HUTTO EDITION
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