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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReporter July 09© City of Georgetown, 2009 VOL. 7 • NO. 7 A Publication of the City of Georgetown July 2009 The City of Georgetown vehicle service center was recently awarded Blue Seal of Excellence certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE is the industry-leading certifica- tion program for automotive professionals. The City’s vehicle service center is one of only two government or civil service Blue Seal recognized loca- tions in Central Texas. There are only 15 government or civil serv- ice Blue Seal Recognized locations in Texas and 192 in the U.S. To be considered for the ASE Blue Seal certification, at least 75 percent of technicians performing diagnosis and repairs must be ASE-certified, City Vehicle Service Center Earns ASE Blue Seal and at least one technician must be ASE-certified in each area of service offered. ASE reviews the status of each establishment annual to ensure that professional certifications remain current. ASE certification means that an indi- vidual has passed tough industry- developed exams and meets experi- Conservation and recycling are up to you and me ence requirements. ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Recognition goes a step further by identifying those estab- lishments that have a large percent- age of certified professionals and a certified professional in each area of service offered. To learn more about the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence cer- tification, go to http://www.ase.com. Vehicle Service Center employees include Denny Herrin, Tommy Braun, Supervisor Stan Hohman, Alan Brack, Dwayne Griswold, Alan Schneider. Farmers Markets Downtown Market,Thursdays 3:30 until 6:30 p.m. at 300 E. Morrow St. across from Bob’s Catfish ‘n More restaurant (new location) Sun City Market,Tuesdays 9 a.m. until noon at 2 Texas Drive The Palace Theater The Odd Couple, weekends June 12 to July 5 Big River, weekends July 17 to August 16 Details at georgetownpalace.com, or call (512) 869-7469. First Friday,July 3 A Yabkee Doodle Dandy, Downtown shops, galleries, and restaurants open late with live music and a summer street dance. For details, go to the Downtown Georgetown Assn. website at www.TheGeorgetownSquare.com. The Salon at Wildfire,July 8 Speaker is Dr. Ben Pierce, profes- sor of biology, Southwestern University. Hosted by The Williamson Museum at Wildfire restaurant, 812 S. Austin Avenue. Starts at 6:30 p.m. For details, go to www.williamsonmuseum.org or call (512) 943-1670. Market Days,July 11 Theme: Georgetown Heroes, Handmade arts and crafts, jewelry, woodcrafts, ironworks, food, and more on the Square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details atwww.TheGeorgetownSquare.com. July Events Water Conservation Rates in Effect July 4 Independence Day City offices closed Regular solid waste and recycling pickup To encourage wise water usage and as part of the City’s drought contin- gency plan, residential conservation water rates for the City of Georgetown are in effect in the summer months. As the July City Reporter goes to press, the city council is preparing to review changes to the water conservation rates, so go to www.georgetown.org for updates. Any changes will be publicized in a future issue of the City Reporter. Phone Books and Corrugated Cardboard Recycling Telephone books and corrugated cardboard are now accepted for recycling at the Collection Station, located at 250 W.L. Walden Drive. For residential City of Georgetown utility customers, there is no fee to drop off these items for recycling at the Collection Station. Phone books and corrugated cardboard are not currently accepted for recycling in curbside pickup bins. For details, con- tact Texas Disposal Systems at (512) 930-1715 Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown Public InformationOffice located in City Hall, 113 E. Eighth Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact KeithHutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org. 28 council meeting. “To get an upgrade in that environment speaks highly of the City’s finances,” said Kimball. The City will save about $200,000 on current debt issuances as a result of the upgrade, according to Kimball. Factors in the bond rating increase from S&P included the City’s diversification of the tax base, strong financial management poli- cies, and the City’s quick reaction to the recession last fall with the implementation of cost-cutting measures, said Kimball. The City of Georgetown has increased its credit score for the fourth year in a row, resulting in cost-savings for municipal bonds. In April, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services raised the City’s bond rat- ing to AA+, which is an upgrade from a rating of AA last year. Only 16 cities in Texas have a AA+ bond rating. Recognizing the current challenges in the credit markets, the City’s bond market representative Garry Kimball informed the city council of the bond rating increase at the April Georgetown Parks & Recreation Cool off at the Pool! The outdoor seasonal pools operat- ed by Georgetown Parks and Recreation are now open for the summer! Punch cards and unlimited summer passes are available for pur- chase for use at the following pools: River Ridge, Williams Drive, Village or the Tennis Center Pool. Pool rental is also available at these loca- tions. Stop by and check out the new Outdoor Splash Pool at the Georgetown Recreation Center! The Outdoor Splash Pool is available for use for Recreation Center members, or by paying the daily admission fee. For more information, please visit http://aquatics.georgetown.org. Host Your Next Party at the Recreation Center! The event room at the Georgetown Recreation Center is a great place to host your next party! Rental fees are $125 for Recreation Center mem- bers, $150 for Georgetown resi- dents, and $175 for nonresidents. A two-hour rental includes pool admission. There is a 20-person maximum occupancy for the event room. For more information, please call (512) 930-3596 Adult Soccer Registration Registration for men’s, women’s and co-rec adult soccer is coming soon! Registration for the women’s over- 25 league begins on July 20 with an individual fee of $30 for residents and $35 for nonresidents. This league plays on Sunday afternoons. Registration for both the men’s and co-rec leagues will run July 13- August 10 with a cost of $375 per team. Late registration will extend from August 11 to 17 with a cost of $415 per team. Games will be played on Mondays (men’s recre- ational league), Tuesdays (men’s open league) and Thursdays (co-rec league). Play is scheduled to begin August 24. Please register in person at the Recreation Center or by phone at (512) 930-3595 or (512) 930-3596. July 4 in San Gabriel Park Join the July 4 celebration at San Gabriel Park spon- sored by the Georgetown Sertoma club. A hometown parade starts at 11 a.m. at the low-water crossing in the park. Entertainment at the gazebo starts at 11:30 a.m. and lasts until the fireworks begin after dark. Visit more than 60 craft vendors, antique car show, kiddie rides, petting zoo, and food vendors. No alcohol is sold in the park. Admission is free. Donate Blood on July 10 You can help save lives in our com- munity! The Georgetown Recreation Center, in conjunction with the Scott and White Bloodmobile, will be hosting a blood drive on Friday, July 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be offer- ing free snacks and T-shirts, as well as the chance to win cool prizes! Please call (512) 930-3596 to donate.See http://parks.georgetown.org for eligibility requirements. City Bond Rating Raised to AA+ Good Neighbor Fund Assistance The Good Neighbor Fund helps families facing an unexpected finan- cial hardship like a big medical bill or job layoff. The fund pays up to one-half of a customer’s utility bill. The other half is paid by the cus- tomer or a local nonprofit, which is typically The Caring Place, a local assistance program. Each year, the need for utility bill assistance at The Caring Place far exceeds the available matching donations. The need for assistance is especially critical in the hot summer months when electricity and water use tends to be highest. The current economic slowdown has created financial challenges for many fami- lies in the area. By including the one dollar dona- tion on your utility bill each month, you can make a big difference to a local family in need.