The Williamson County Sun

Beginning in April, Georgetown residents will see an average increase of about $10.10 in their monthly water utility bills, and an additional increase will take place again in October. The increases are related to water reservation fees associated with the City of Georgetown’s EPCOR contract, which will provide groundwater to the city in the future.

As part of the continued discussion around building heights in the downtown area, Georgetown City Council provided city staff direction to raise the allowed building height in the outer parts of the nine block Square from 40 feet.

The results of the most recent Georgetown Resident Survey show that of the 1,213 responses the city received, 94 percent of the respondents rated Georgetown’s overall quality of life as either good or excellent. During the February 13 Georgetown City Council workshop, Dr. Thomas Longoria, the director of Texas State University’s Center for Research, Public Policy and Training, detailed the…

Short-term rental property owners will soon have to follow an ordinance from the City of Georgetown detailing rules property owners would have to follow in order to obtain a permit to serve guests. This ordinance has been in discussion since November 2022, when city council instructed staff to create a low-to-moderate regulation program for short-term rentals. A rough draft of the ordinance was.

Some of the efforts Georgetown Police Chief Cory Tchida is working toward to make GPD an inclusive and reputable department includes trying to diversify the force’s staff and regularly releasing its Racial Profiling Analysis for the year prior. Georgetown Police Department’s 2023 Racial Profiling Analysis was approved during the January 23 Georgetown City Council meeting in the council’s…

In an effort to more equitably recoup the expenses of the electric department, Georgetown officials are updating the Net Energy Metering program so that solar and non-solar users share the fixed costs of running the electric department. The NEM program pays solar installation owners for any surplus electricity their systems prod

Georgetown is working towards new rules that short-term rental property owners would have to follow in order to rent out their homes to guests. The conversation about managing and monitoring short-term rentals has been going on since November 2022, when city council directed staff to create a low-to-moderate regulation program that would focus on registration, communication between stakeholders…

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January is Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the Rotary Club of Georgetown is hosted a mobile exhibit on the Square from January 11-13. This is the first year the organization has put on the exhibit. They decided to take on the initiative because the passion for the topic was initially introduced by a former Rotary Club District Governor who was herself passionate about raising…

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Georgetown’s director of economic development Cameron Goodman discussed recent economic accomplishments January 9 and the strategies Georgetown is using to continue economic development within the industries that are growing in the area.

• The proposition for the 70 foot Right of Way promenade north of Eighth Street would require gaining control of county property to the west of Rock Street. (Rendering courtesy City of Georgetown)

As part of Georgetown’s ongoing discussions about the Downtown Master Plan, Georgetown City Council heard updates about a plan to create a Rock Street promenade that would include a large public walkway. The promenade will be built, but the features that will be available change depending on the prom

Earlier this year, Georgetown City Council worked to reserve future groundwater supply from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer through an agreement with international company EPCOR, and the city heard an update about the agreement during a December 12 workshop. The Water Reservation Agreement, which was approved by the council on August 9 and reserves the water with EPCOR while the Water Supply…

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As the City of Georgetown continues evaluating three proposed designs for a pedestrian bridge that would run parallel to the Austin Avenue bridge over the San Gabriel River, the city has learned a grant application to cover some of the project’s costs was rejected by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Although this grant was rejected — which could create financial constraints — Miguel Rosales, the bridge architect, encouraged the council at their November 28 workshop to keep applying to gr

At their November 28 meeting, Georgetown City Council heard an update on the Austin Avenue Corridor Study, which considers transportation needs to develop a vision and recommendations for areas between the Southeast Inner Loop and Northeast Inner Loop.

Since the last update the council received there has been future conditions modeling and build scenario modeling.

“I think we could do something really amazing if we could fix some of those right of way and access issues down [by Old Monument Ca

On May 19, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2038. The bill allows property owners of land inside a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to petition to leave or disannex from a city.

The ETJ is a designated buffer area just outside the city limits, according to the city. Properties within the ETJ may receive certain services from the city like water and electricity, and must follow certain city ordinances, but do not pay city taxes or vote in city elections. ETJ is designated to cities b

Changes are coming to Garey Park, which will add an amphitheater, group cabins, mountain bike trails and a disc golf course to the West Georgetown property. Georgetown City Council was presented with updates and plans for the Phase 2 portion of the parks renovations

Jeremy Tang Diaz, a 6-year-old Georgetown resident who was beaten inside his Teravista home with a baseball bat on September 11, died on Tuesday, November 14, as a result of his injuries. The alleged attacker was Daniel Steven Logan, one of Jeremy’s neighbors. He was arrested on September 11.

Results that came in on the night of Election Day, November 7, show Georgetown voters in support of all four proposed city bonds, totaling $135 million. The final unofficial results show 51.05 percent of voters supported Proposition A. Proposition B saw 58.97 percent of voters in favor and 67.13 percent of voters showed support for Prop C. Proposition D saw 51.46 percent of voters in favor. …

The Devil Dog Commemorative Air Force Squadron conducted a fly over for Georgetown’s Rotary Club’s Field of Honor on November 5. The Devil Dog Squadron is a volunteer organization

On October 26, new nonprofit Georgetown Pride held a “coming out block party” in the Georgetown Public Library parking lot to celebrate the organization's first public appearance. Georgetown Pride’s goal is to encourage the community to come together and to support LGBTQ+ individuals, allies and their families.

Despite the rapid growth of technological businesses in Williamson County, agriculture remains a top industry, providing jobs and food for both those in and outside of the county. According to the Farm Service Agency there are 291,000 acres of cropland in Williamson County. From that land, as of July 2023, there is 103,703 acres of corn, 6,443 acres

Georgetown City Council looked at redesign options for the areas in downtown Georgetown that would alter traffic flow, remove some parking spaces and create a flexible festival street on Main Street.

City council met in a special meeting on October 10 to discuss updates to the city’s downtown master plan and to determine which of two options for an updated Square they preferred.

To meet current demands, the expansion of the Georgetown Animal Shelter and/or a possible partnership with the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is set to appear on the November bond election ballot. The Georgetown Animal Shelter was originally built in 2005. Shelter Planners of America did an assessment of the shelter in 2016 and determined it would be at or above capacity in 2020. A…

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Three properties previously located within Georgetown’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, totaling 85.746 acres, were de-annexed and removed from the ETJ Tuesday, September 26, after City Council accepted a petition submitted by landowners. Upon request from Council Member Jake French, District 6, the agenda item relating to the disannexation

The City of Georgetown enters a new fiscal year Sunday, October 1, with a budget of $868 million, funded by a tax rate of 37.40 cents per $100 valuation. While the tax rate holds steady from last year’s tax rate, this year’s budget is $148 million more than last year’s, which was $722 million. The budget was adopted on its first reading August 22, and on second reading September 12. Despite…

Historic homes primarily in the Old Town and downtown areas doing certain outdoor repairs of $10,000 or more will receive a tax exemption starting at 25 percent. The program was approved on its first reading during the regular meeting of Georgetown City Council at its September 12 meeting. Council Member Mike Triggs, District 3, opposed the measure. The exemption was established to assist…

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Georgetown is pressing pause on creating industrial districts in its extraterritorial jurisdiction because of future guidance cities may receive from the state on creating such districts. The initiative to create an industrial district emerged from language seen in Senate Bill 2038. This bill gives property owners and residents of the ETJ the right to de-annex

September 1921 takes its place in Williamson County’s historic archives.

Fueled by a hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico, a wicked storm pummeled Williamson County September 8-10, lasting 35 hours.

During the past seven years, Georgetown and Williamson County residents have experienced the remnants of wind and rain from Hurricane Harvey, substantial power ou

• Charles Duval, third from left, the president of the Williamson County Deputies Association was joined by supporters as he spoke to the press on August 29. (Photo by Kaitlyn Wilkes)

The Williamson County Deputies Association spoke out against the Williamson County Commissioners Court during the Tuesday commissioners court meeting over the amount of funds the Sheriff’s Office will receive for the 2024 Fiscal Year budget. The association claimed the department is facing a shortage of deputies

To help fund the water department’s capital improvement plan and rising inflation costs, Georgetown City Council voted unanimously to raise the city’s water and wastewater rates 13 percent in Fiscal Year 2024. During the Tuesday August 22 council workshop, Matthew Garrett, managing partner at NewGen Strategies and Solution, presented an update on the 2022 water and wastewater cost of service…

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• The first bridge design features a lower railing for pedestrians and cyclists. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)
• The second bridge design takes inspiration from historic bridges. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)
• The third bridge design features one main structural tower. (Courtesy Rosales + Partners, Inc.)

The Georgetown City Council was presented with the three final bridge design ideas for the Austin Avenue pedestrian bridge that will help connect downtown to other parts of the ci

The sounds of Texas blues, country music, cover bands and rock n’ roll seep out of restaurants and bars in downtown Georgetown — like Barrel & Amps, Roots and Tejas Meat Supply — and street performers bring the Square to life each weekend. Nestled just 40 minutes from the Live Music Capital, the ra

Georgetown City Council has finalized its November bond package, and during a special meeting Tuesday, August 15, officially placed $130 million worth of projects on the November 7 ballot. Split into four propositions, if approved in the election by voters, the bond would fund a city partnership with the YMCA of Central Texas, the building of a new City administrative building, the r

For Fiscal Year 2024, Georgetown city staff projects the city’s revenue will be $97.59 million, a 9.3 percent decrease from the city’s 2023 budget. City Manager David Morgan gave an overview of the next fiscal year’s budget and received input and feedback from the council at a workshop August 8.This is the city council’s second presentation and feedback session about the 2024 budget. The…

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The City of Georgetown will work with a water utility company to secure a minimum of 35,000 and a maximum of 75,000 acre-feet of groundwater for the city. City council unanimously moved to work with EPCOR, which has a presence in Round Rock, on a future Groundwater Reservation Agreement at a special meeting Wednesday, August 9. The agreement would give the city access to the new water source. …

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As Georgetown City Council continues to look at projects to include in a possible $136 million November bond election, council members discussed removing Blue Hole Park improvements from a package in favor of using Certificate of Obligation to fund the work. The proposed Bond Proposition B, as of Tuesday, included $6 million for Blue Hole Park work and $49 million for the expansion and…

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The City of Georgetown further explained its decision to enact Stage 2 and Stage 3 water restrictions across the city and the stability of the city’s water system during a Tuesday, July 25, news conference. Due to excessive irrigation, water supply challenges and severe drought conditions, the City of Georgetown announced July 17 that Stage 3 water restrictions would be in effect through

Georgetown residents who live in historic homes in Old Town and the city’s downtown area will soon be eligible for funding to aid in rehabilitating their properties. Georgetown City Council was presented with details about the tax exemption program that the council last discussed in November 2022.

More details were shared Tuesday, July 25, about a future partnership between the city of Georgetown and the YMCA of Central Texas. Funding for the collaboration, which would build a new YMCA center to Georgetown on Williams Drive, would have to be approved by residents through a bond election in November . The city wo

Thirty-three feet underneath the constant flow of traffic on Interstate 35 lies a complex cave system that has seen the likes of the Columbian mammoth, saber tooth cat, prairie dogs and Texans alike. First discovered on accident...

The first of the 3D printed homes built by ICON and Lennar in Georgetown will be made available for public viewing on Saturday, July 22, with a welcome event from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. The neighborhood is located south of Highway 29 on the northside of Wolf Ranch Parkway at Legends Lane.

Georgetown six-year-old Brixton Wood has been a lifelong Cincinnati Bengals fan. When choosing what team to support, he looked to his dad, Brodie, who had been a Bengals fan for over 20 years.

The City of Georgetown issued a press release on Friday, July 14, stating due to high, sustained water use and system treatments nearing capacity, the city is temporarily enacting stage 3 water restrictions. The restrictions will last until Monday, July 17.

The plans for Georgetown’s Fiscal Year 2024 general fund as well as other funds for city departments were presented to city council members during a budget workshop Tuesday, July 11. The general fund is the primary source of money for Georgetown. Departments that are included in the fund are parks, safety, streets, city administration, water and electricity among others. “I do want to remind…

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Georgetown’s North Lake Water Treatment Plant expansion, which broke ground on construction two years ago, is expected to open in the next six to eight weeks, allowing the city to provide more residents with water as the local population continues to grow.

Council members showed preliminary support for a new Municipal Utility District and its proposed land use in Georgetown’s extraterritorial jurisdiction during a Tuesday, June 27, city council workshop.

Four years after Georgetown City Council approved initial plans to build a Costco at the northwest corner of Interstate 35 and Lakeway Drive, the membership warehouse store will open on July 14.

The 158,000-square-foot Georgetown Costco will employ 325 people, and will be the second new grocery option for Georgetown residents to open since the beginning of June, when Georgetown’s new H-E-B went online.

A new restaurant, the Palomino, is set to open next month inside what used to be Bob’s Catfish-N-More on East Morrow street near San Gabriel Park. Owned by Amber Kurkowski, co-owner of Kilwin’s on the Square, she said she decided to start her newest venture in restauranteering because she did not see many spots in Georgetown that had a wide selection of drinks for the adults

As the City of Georgetown works to update its Unified Development Code, the city is seeking suggestions and comments on a diagnostic report of the plan. According to the city, the diagnostic report assesses the existing Unified Development...

Georgetown, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County, is accepting applications for the City of Georgetown Home Repair Program. The website for the Home Repair program states it was established to “provide home repairs to homeowners who are residents of the City of Georgetown and have limited resources.” Those interested in the program must live within the city limits of…

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Some Georgetown City Council members expressed concern during a workshop Tuesday, June 13, about the scope of projects outlined in the city’s five-year Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Plan.

Jo Ivester’s experience with PFLAG began long before her experience as the president of Georgetown’s local chapter. Her mother had gone to a Pride parade to support...