Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutReporter July 2011© City of Georgetown, 2011 VOL. 9 • NO. 7 A Publication of the City of Georgetown July 2011 As of mid-May, most of Williamson County was in exceptional drought, which is the most severe drought category, accord- ing to U.S. Drought Monitor information. (See the latest information at drought.unl.edu/dm.) The exceptionally dry conditions have led to record demand for out- door irrigation water. In March, April, and May of this year, water demand in Georgetown exceeded demand for the same months in 2009 and 2010. Since January, the level of Lake Georgetown, our pri- mary supply for drinking water, has dropped from 790 feet above sea level to 781 feet. While demand for water is high this year, treatment capacity has been expand- ed since the exceptional drought of 2009. System improvements have increased treatment capacity by 2.2 million gallons per day, 5 million gallons additional storage capacity, Neither the possession nor the dis- charge of fireworks is legal in the City Limits or within the 5,000-foot buffer beyond City Limits. Violations can lead to fines of up to $500. To view a map showing the 5,000-foot boundary, go to http://files.georgetown.org/ fireworks-ban-map. Fireworks Prohibited and 7,500 gallons-per- minute in additional water pumping capacity. The pumping capacity also has been increased on the pipeline that draws untreated water into Lake Georgetown from Stillhouse Hollow in Bell County. Although these water system upgrades have increased the ability of the City to meet higher water demand, it remains critical that cus- tomers follow the mandatory water- ing guidelines in effect from May 1 through September 30. The outdoor watering schedule for irrigation systems and sprinklers is based on the last digit of your address number. Odd addresses can water on Tuesday and/or Thursday and/or Saturday. Even addresses can water on Wednesday and/or Friday and/or Sunday. Watering is not permitted during the day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or at any time on Monday. Watering with a hand-held hose or bucket can be done any time of day. Violations of these restrictions may result in fines. Go to water.georgetown.org for details or to sign up for AquaAlerts. July Events Farmers Markets Sun City Market, Tuesdays 9 a.m. to Noon, 2 Texas Drive at Social Center Georgetown Market, Thursdays 3:30 - 6:30 p.m., E. Morrow Street Details at www.gtfma.com The Palace Theater Wait Until Dark, June 24 – July 17 The Wizard of Oz, August 5 - September 4 Details at GeorgetownPalace.com, or call (512) 869-7469. First Friday, July 1 Downtown live music, shops and restaurants are open late. See the Downtown Georgetown Association website at TheGeorgetownSquare.com. Sertoma July 4Celebration Annual July 4 celebration in San Gabriel Park sponsored by the Georgetown Sertoma Club. Children’s parade with bikes and wagons starts at 11 a.m. by the low-water crossing. Entertainment at the gazebo starts at noon and lasts until the fireworks begin after dark. Visit craft vendors, a children’s area, and food vendors. Admission is free. Market Days, July 9 Handmade arts and crafts, food, and more on the Square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details at TheGeorgetownSquare.com. Outdoor watering limitsExceptionalDroughtConditions Independence Day Holiday City offices closed on Monday, July 4 Regular solid waste and recycling collection The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown PublicCommunications Department, P.O. Box 409, Georgetown, Texas, 78627. For questions or comments, contact KeithHutchinson, public communications director, at (512) 930-3690 or by email at keith.hutchinson@georgetown.org. By City of Georgetown ordinance, fireworks of any kind are not allowed in the City Limits of Georgetown or within 5,000 feet of the City Limits, unless they are used in a permitted display authorized by the Georgetown Fire Department. The relevant ordinance revision for this rule was enacted in 2006. Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org July means another month of fun at the library for children and teens from ages 4 to 18. Special events for children ages 4 through 12 are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Tweens ages 9 through 12 meet on Fridays at 1 p.m. On Friday, July 29, finales for both of these programs will take place. The musical All-Stars will entertain the 4 – 12 year-olds at 10:30 a.m., followed by the drawing for the reading prizes. Kids who reg- istered for the Texas Reading Club and reached their goals will be eligi- ble for the drawings. The tween party begins at 6 p.m. on July 29 and will feature a live band as well as electronic games. During the month of July, teens ages 12 to 18 will meet on Wednesday afternoons at 3 p.m. Teen activities in July include a yoga session, songwriting workshop, Lego robots, and a Japanese tea ceremony. Rounding out the summer calendar will be two craft sessions, an after- GTV is the name for the City’s new inte- grated web and cable broadcast platform. Georgetown city council meetings and workshops are now streamed live on GTV, available on the web at Georgetown.org and on cable television on Suddenlink channel 10. The city council regular meeting starts at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday and the fourth Tuesday of each month. Workshop sessions are held in the afternoon before each regular meeting and are also shown live on GTV. Workshops have vary- ing start times that are posted at Georgetown.org. Council meetings also will continue to be played on Suddenlink channel 10. Go to gtv.georgetown.org for listings. Council meetings and workshops also are available for replay on the City website on the morning follow- ing each meeting. Web users can watch the video segment for a par- noon with an Iron Chef, and an anime screening. All activities are free and you do not need to have a library card to partic- ipate. See the library’s website at library.georgetown.org for details on all programs. Looking to beat high gas prices and stay closer to home for a summer trip? Consider a stay-cation. For a romantic weekend, book two nights in a historic B&B, do wine tasting on the Square, and try local- ly-made artisan chocolate. A family adventure includes camping at Lake Georgetown, climbing at the Public Safety Facility Bonds Approved Garver, Hellmann, and Jonrowe win council seats Georgetown voters approved funding for a Public Safety Operations and Training Facility in the May 14 elec- tion. Bonds for the proposed $29.5 million facility on D.B. Wood Road were approved by 60 percent of those voting on Proposition 1. The 70,000 square-foot facility for the Police Department, Fire Department admin- istration offices, emergency communi- cations (9-1-1 operators), and a tacti- cal training building is projected to open in 2014. For details on the facili- ty, go to bonds.georgetown.org. Three city council races also were on the May 14 ballot in Georgetown. George Garver was re-elected to a sec- ond term as mayor with 71 percent of the vote over opponent John Marler. Rachael Jonrowe was elected to the District 6 council seat with 51 percent of the vote over incumbent Dale Ross, who served one term on the council. Troy Hellmann was unopposed for District 2 and replaces Gabe Sansing, who did not run for re-election after serving three terms. Election results were canvassed and new members took the oath of office on May 20 at a special council meeting. Patty Eason, council member for District 1, was elected by the city council to serve as mayor pro tem. ticular item on each agenda. Another new website feature allows users to sign up for email alerts for keywords that appear in council agendas such as development, downtown, parks, traffic, or Williams Drive. You can also request a new keyword for alerts. To sign up for email alerts, go to gtv.georgetown.org. Council Meetings on GTV Live broadcast and web video replays of council meetings are pos- sible through a new streaming serv- ice by Swagit Productions. This video production firm uses the Internet to remotely operate video cameras in the council chamber and provide live broadcasts and web replays. GTV also will be a platform for other video content from the City. Celebrate Parks on July 14 July is National Parks and Recreation Month! To celebrate, Georgetown Parks and Recreation will be offering free swimming at the outdoor splash pool, followed by a Movie in the Park on Thursday, July 14. From 4 to 8 p.m. that day, swim for free at the outdoor splash pool located at the Georgetown Recreation Center, then head to San Gabriel Park for the showing of Despicable Me (PG), which starts 10 minutes after sunset. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information, please con- tact Erin Ruyle at (512) 930-8459. Challenge Course, a Wild Cave tour at Inner Space Caverns, and dinner at the restaurant of your choice. A girls’ getaway package includes two nights in a fabulous suite, facials and manicures, an afternoon of boutique shopping, dinner on the Square, and tickets to the latest show at the Palace Theatre. For more stay-cation ideas, go to visit.georgetown.org Summer Stay-cations Summer at the Public Library