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CENTURYPLAN Georgetown
IEEE &ASSUMPTIONS
POLICY
Future growth and development in Georgetown will be directed primarily by the
Ends prepared by the citizens of this community and included within the Policies
chapter of the Policy Plan. The determination of the original set of Ends statements
was based on the data compiled and analyzed in the nine Base Study Reports, as well
as the personal experiences and biases of the Century Plan Task Group members.
These original statements were changed through a periodic revision to the Policy Plan
approved on September 29, 1996- Even more fundamental to the formation of Ends,
however, are certain principles and assumptions which influence everyday life in
Georgetown. These principles and assumptions are described in this chapter because
they will continue to form the foundation of the Century Plan even as it is amended and
revised throughout the planning period.
CENTURY PLAN Georgetown POLICY PLAN
PRINCIPLES
The Century Plan was based on several beliefs and values which are even more
fundamental than the policies developed for this Plan. These are principles on which
everyday life in Georgetown, the State of Texas, and, in fact, the whole United States
is based. It has been assumed that everyone shares these basic principles and that they
will continue to be widely held throughout the planning period. In other words, there
will be no major change in the fundamental values of the community before the year
2010. If these principles were not so universal and enduring, the ends contained within
the Century Plan could not have been written by a group as diverse as that which made
up the Century Plan Task Groups.
The list of principles which follows is not necessarily all inclusive, it contains those
which were most often expressed during the public discussions which resulted in the
Century Plan. Furthermore, because the principles are all considered equally important
and fundamental, they are not listed in order of relative importance.
All people, within the boundaries of the law, are free to live as they choose. This
is one of the fundamental rights provided to residents of the United States. The
government is committed to allowing all persons the freedom to conduct their private
lives as they see fit. Certain laws are necessary, however, to ensure that one person's
right to live as they choose does not interfere with another person's right.
The government of the City of Georgetown shall operate in a democratic manner,
being representative of the people, and all persons shall have equal access to the
democratic process. The United States was founded as a democracy - a government of
the people, by the people, and for the people. The government therefore, must be
conducted in such a manner as to enable all persons to have the opportunity to input
their values, beliefs, needs, and desires into the public. process.
The opportunities and benefits of the Georgetown community shall be available to
all persons. The United States government is committed to ensuring that opportunities
for employment, housing, and all publicly funded programs be determined on the basis
of individual merit, rather than race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, or physical
capabilities. The benefits of the Century Plan will be distributed throughout the
community independent of the characteristics listed above. ,,
CENTURYPLAN
Georgetown
POLICY PLAN
The City recognizes the necessary interdependence between the built and the
natural environment. This acknowledges that in order to ensure that our limited
natural resources are available for future generations, it is necessary to manage their
use.
The fundamental purpose of government is to serve the community and to provide
basic services. It would not be possible to commit to many of the principles already
listed, or to the Ends contained in the Policy Plan, if the City did not ensure the
provision of certain basic services. Furthermore, without the assistance of the
government some people would not be able to meet some of their most basic needs.
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Georgetown
ASSUMPTIONS
POLICY PLAN
The Century Plan is also based on certain assumptions about conditions which will
continue to exist throughout the planning period. There are certain overriding
conditions which either cannot or should not be controlled by the City of Georgetown
or its residents. Although most people take many of these conditions for granted, they
must be considered when planning for the future of the City because they do affect the
need for facilities and services, infrastructure, housing, employment, and other
elements considered by the Century Plan. The following list of assumptions includes
as many of those overriding conditions which the members of the Century Plan
Steering Committee and Task Groups and the Planning Department could think of
during the process of developing the Century Plan. Again, they are not in order of
importance.
• Median age will continue to increase.
• The proportion of elderly (65 years and over) in the population will continue to
increase.
• Average family size will continue to decrease.
• Average family income will continue to increase.
• The number of women in the labor force will continue to increase.
• The number of two parent working households will continue to increase..
• Educational levels will continue to increase.
• Southwestern University will continue to be a major contributor to the economy
and cultural vitality of Georgetown.
• Georgetown's economy will continue to be dependent on the economy of the
Austin Metropolitan Area, as well as the economy of the State and the Nation.
• The Georgetown economy will become increasingly more urbanized.
• The number of new jobs will continue to out pace the growth in population in the
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Georgetown
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• The government sector (City, GISD, County, State, and U.S.) will continue to
play a major role in the Georgetown economy, and Georgetown will continue to
be the County seat.
• Single family homes will continue to be the preferred housing type.
• The automobile will continue to be the predominant form of transportation.
• The Austin Metropolitan Area and the whole Sunbelt will continue to grow.
• The majority of the population increase in Georgetown will come from migration.
• The need to protect and conserve all natural resources, including water, air,
energy, and land, will continue to be an important issue in Texas.
• Georgetown's locationl advantages will not decrease.
• political conditions at the international, national, state, and local levels will
continue their post World War II evolutionary path and undergo no drastic
changes.
• Existing significant natural and man-made conditions and features will not
drastically change.
• Georgetown's historical and natural character will continue to be a major asset in
attracting new business, development, and population.
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