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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReporter January 2014Mayor George Garver spoke at an event in October by the Georgetown Heritage Society to recognize a new national historic district in Georgetown.The Olive Street District was listed in August on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.The district includes 23 contributing properties on Olive Street and 15th Street, including several houses built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Many of the homes are currently or were formerly owned by Southwestern University faculty members.The Olive Street district is one of four National Register Historic Districts in Georgetown.For more information,go to historic.georgetown.org. Members of the city council and 4A and 4B corporations took a bus tour of key economic development sites this fall with Mark Thomas, the City’s eco- nomic devel- opment direc- tor,and City Manager Paul Brandenburg. Highlights included see- ing construc- tion on a 15,000 square-foot facility on Snead Drive for Radiation Detection Company,a manufacturer of medical radiation monitoring devices.Across the street,a 30,000 square-foot expansion of the Texas Life Sciences Collaboration Center is being built in two phases,the first of which will include clean-room space for the manufacture of biotech devices. Thomas also pointed to the nearby location on Snead Drive for a planned 80,000 square foot facility learned about biometric security sys- tems at Cracovia Stadium,visited a municipal police station in Cracow, and visited the National Police Academy in Katowice.Other trips included a discussion of border pro- tection coordination in Chotebuz, learning about firearms training and structures in Kielce,and learning about the regional court system, prisons,and prosecutors in other cities.McLean also attended a spe- cial 9/11 commemorative service in Kielce before returning to the U.S. ©City of Georgetown,2014 VOL.11 •NO.1 A Publication of the City of Georgetown January 2014 to house additional biotech firms. Other stops included the Summit at the Rivery site on Rivery Boulevard where roads and utility lines are under con- struction. The Summit will include a 225-room Sheraton hotel and conference cen- ter as well as retail and high-end apartments or condominiums. On Westinghouse Road,several property owners are working with the City on major infrastructure improvements for medical research and office space,in addition to retail and residential development.The Westinghouse Pointe apartment project with 250 units on 13 acres is currently under construction. Economic development update Biotech Sector Expands In September,Capt.Evelyn McLean of the Georgetown Police Department participated in a two- week police exchange to Poland. The trip was sponsored and paid for (except airfare)by the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.Capt.McLean was selected for the program since she is a com- mand-level officer and a graduate of LEMIT and the FBI National Academy. During the program,McLean Police Exchange Program in Poland Capt.McLean with officers and K-9 dogs in Poland. New National Register Historic District Olive Street District Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org The Georgetown Art Center,locat- ed in the first floor of the historic fire station and city hall at 816 S. Main Street had a grand opening in October.The Art Center includes a gallery,gift shop,and studio space for workshops and classes. At the opening,Jim Bob McMillan with the Texas Commission on the Arts presented a proclamation for the Downtown Georgetown Cultural District.The commission approved the new cultural district designation in September. The City of Georgetown still owns the historic firehouse building.The Art Center on the first floor will be City offices closed Jan.1:New Year’s Day Jan.20:MLK Day No solid waste or recycling pickup on Jan.1. For New Year’s week: Wednesday slides to Thursday Thursday slides to Friday Friday slides to Saturday Regular solid waste and recycling collection on MLK Day For a complete list of the gold,silver,and bronze winners in 50 categories,or to see photos of some of the winners,go to Bestof.Georgetown.org or Shop.Georgetown.org. Here’s a few of the gold (first-place)win- ners in the 2013 Best of Georgetown, Texas contest: Best Overall Restaurant:Dos Salsas Best Ethnic Food:Plaka Greek Cafe Best Vegetarian:Nancy’s Sky Garden Best Pizza:Manhattan Pie Company Best Spa:Novita Spa on the Square Best Gift Store:The Escape Best Vehicle Repair:Christian Brothers The City of Georgetown is accept- ing applications to fill vacant or expiring terms on the City’s boards or commissions.The deadline to apply for one of these volunteer positions is January 10.Terms begin in March.Information and applica- tions are available at www.george- town.org. Holiday Closings City Boards and Commissions Georgetown Art Center Opens New water rates for City of Georgetown customers go into effect on January 1 and will be included on all billings after February 1.The rate change was the result of a three-year rate review and efforts to correct an imbalance between the base charge and volumetric rate. The new monthly base charge for a standard in-city residential cus- tomer is $23.00,which is an increase from $18.50.For an out- of-city residential customer,the monthly base charge is $27.50,an increase from $23.80. The new residential water rates include a new lower rate of $1.75 per thousand gallons for those who use 10,000 gallons or less per month.The previous lowest rate was $2.25 per thousand for 18,000 gallons or less per month. Below are the new monthly resi- dential water rates.Water use is metered in 1,000-gallon incre- ments.The new rates for con- sumption,also called the volumet- ric rate,are the same for customers inside the city and those outside the city. Cost per Gallons used:thousand gallons: 0 –10,000 $1.75 11,000 –20,000 $2.40 21,000 –40,000 $4.00 41,000 –60,000 $6.50 Over 61,000 $8.50 The new rates also include a 30 percent low-income discount for customers who are on the Medicaid program. For more details on rates for non- residential users or users with meters larger than a standard three-quarter inch meter,go to billing.georgetown.org. Effective January 1 New Water Rates managed by Georgetown Art Works, a local arts nonprofit organization. An outdoor pocket park area next to the Art Center will include a splash pad water feature and a sculptural bench.The Georgetown Art Center and adjacent park were designed by Gary Wang,resident of Georgetown and principal of Wang Architects. The GeorgetownCity Reporter is a publicationoftheCity of Georgetown Public Communications Department, P.O.Box 409,Georgetown,Texas,78627. For questions or comments,contactKeith Hutchinson,publiccommunications manager,at (512)930-3690 or by email atkeith.hutchinson@georgetown.org. Winners Announced