[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6663415,"mediaKeyId","2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50","parentId",2391196,"title","City staff brief council on 2025 Texas legislative watch list and resident outreach on density bills","audioSeconds",1410,"startMs",4208210,"endMs",5618850,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50&start=4208&end=5618","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50/thumbnail_4208210.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6663415/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/City-staff-brief-council-on-2025-Texas-legislative-watch-list-and-resident-outreach-on-density-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663415-b31473147632ffe2305bcfa48308aa6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110815&Signature=dPEhbKuXxmQ26FCHUPzQbQHhFOxvisMhNP9qOGp383Lzh745dTi~Z16x3HS70zkVcWmK9IwuhUNM3zPMkfJOfK2qTM7DTUNp1yOspk88LmPPZmVIqbl158wMCHkylpB25hdfxf-qSAyrl82VDjqKdIuczJTzWPD8ue95kb-Yin3~9vZEC4Dyzk~PWIKlB2yRRdE9fzPT5muSU6uKcTDWeWZPBsUqkzwYusY0lQaq87ppZ6S3NtCO3yHFH6k~4u6Ab~YyfB5HCqWlFtlXpdbnEdNnxhxkZnO4VTyICqVGlsYmnz5NpxQjFIVgpQsNM3hxsN92zo~7b7zhLJMqjkdaRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgetown","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","City administrative staff updated council on key bills in the 2025 Texas legislative session that could affect local land‑use authority, taxation and municipal advocacy, and described citizen outreach results showing residents want the city to engage with state lawmakers on these issues.

Scope of legislative tracking: Leah (city staff managing legislative affairs) said the city is tracking roughly 1,000 bills and described several package priorities and bills on the city’s watch lists. She summarized bills under three broad pillars: preserving local control, planning for growth (lot sizes, accessory units, development standards) and functional priorities such as water, infrastructure and public health. Leah said the administration has met with the Georgetown delegation and with Senate staff on priority items.

Bills staff highlighted: the staff briefing listed several bills under different categories. Examples cited included measures that would restrict municipal use of public funds to hire lobbyists or nonprofit associations that hire lobbyists (Senate Bill 19 and related measures); proposals to shift local elections to the November general election date (Senate Bill 1209 referenced in staff discussion); bills proposing a two‑thirds voter requirement to approve tax or bond measures in some drafts (House Bill 2736 cited as an example discussed); and multiple filings that would constrain local regulation of lot sizes, accessory dwelling units, parking and zoning procedures (the presenter referenced prior session drafts and recently filed versions such as Senator Bettencourt’s and related bills often grouped as lot size/density bills).

Why staff flagged these bills: Leah said staff is concerned that several proposals would reduce municipal discretion to manage parking, traffic and service capacity, restrict parkland dedication and impact fees, or alter the timing and voter thresholds for bond and tax elections. Staff also flagged bills that would permit third‑party reviews or limit municipal timelines for plan review; those provisions raise liability and administrative workload concerns, Leah said. Staff noted some bills the city supports — for example, water‑related bills and an aquifer storage and recovery bill that moved through Senate water committee — and said the city will provide analysis and resident‑focused communications on other measures.

Resident outreach findings: staff presented FlashVote survey results the city ran with CAPE: respondents reported they prefer the city make development‑standard decisions (57% said city government), and 85% said development standards should focus on traffic, parking, water and service capacity. When asked who should pay for new growth infrastructure, 71% said the landowner or developer should pay impact fees. Residents also said they want more frequent city updates on legislative activity (about 81% wanted more frequent updates). Leah said the city will continue to use FlashVote and other outreach to inform members of the legislature about local impacts and to encourage resident engagement.

Next steps: staff said it will continue to track bills, prepare informational materials for residents, coordinate with CAPE and municipal associations, and bring specific policy proposals or council action items as needed. Council asked clarifying questions about particular bill language (for example, how a public funds restriction might define public funds and whether utility fund revenues would be affected); staff said some language is still being clarified and that legal analysis and follow‑up will be provided as bills move through committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Georgetown - Workshop - Feb 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff summarized bills the city is tracking in the 2025 Texas legislative session, highlighted concerns about several bills that would limit local control over land use and local lobbying, and presented FlashVote survey results showing residents want the city to engage the legislature and favor developer‑paid impact fees.","taxTitle","Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas","taxId",2823,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663420,"City launches Ask GTX consolidated customer service portal and 24/7 knowledge base",534,2976090,3510950,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50&start=2976&end=3510","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50/thumbnail_2976090.jpg","/articles/6663420/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/City-launches-Ask-GTX-consolidated-customer-service-portal-and-247-knowledge-base","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663420-7e6ee528d057da703021b1c0cb9f13e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110815&Signature=F2zcfyc~6VfaTTuo25F-CRSx1rGp03Y2tggZc6bfzjbx4Pkosnsiz7MamRoFfX-QFvwkA6yBbWfg9Lw8x~zLbYZ-x43iRz5-CI~Dy570DmNC5M7~AYac4cUWZn3KzsV3xrqPQFjLmRQ38jhcWD7MnEfXgFM42tsAkeyGm0OpqTPqLxuS5Gobdhomhf5iFU0c~2asdeb5AYf1M9fziAiCJfgetSwG47BvqNveoDhbwNsoA2Z~N1wt8tLfnJ2ZM159XSG3FXfGzS9gfClmlXlVc7romVOzC~5Y4oUB8X1kf~tl0DfgcoEWYu3HabxcJPUd5bAzJLSTv7KB1739Oy~N5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented the launch of Ask GTX, a consolidated customer service platform designed to centralize service requests, provide a searchable knowledge base and improve tracking and response for residents, visitors and departments.

Seth (city staff) described Ask GTX as a single platform that replaces multiple outreach channels for non‑emergency requests while preserving phone and email access. The system collects information tailored to each request type, routes submissions to the appropriate department, allows residents to attach photos or documents, and closes the feedback loop according to the customer’s preferred notification method (email, text or phone).

Operational features and rollout: staff said the city built a knowledge base of roughly 230 articles, trained an Ask GTX ambassador team to answer phone and email inquiries and completed a soft launch in November 2024. The public launch occurred recently; staff said upcoming enhancements include a mobile app (scheduled for May), two‑way text reporting and an AI chat‑bot evaluation. Staff said departments retain customized service request fields so units receive the information they need to process requests efficiently.

Metrics and outreach: Seth said the platform will provide reporting and metrics for city leaders to identify trends, resolution times and geographic clusters of requests. Staff described outreach plans that include social media, printed materials, presence at the State of the City and Red Poppy festival, and in‑person outreach at senior living communities and Southwestern University. Council asked about after‑hours messaging, IVR prompts and whether the city will share usage data with council; Seth said an IVR guides callers after hours, that staff will coordinate with the utilities phone system, and that the administration can provide usage metrics to council on an ongoing basis.

Data curation: Seth said knowledge‑base content combines human review and AI assistance; the city will also let residents rate articles and flag missing information. Staff emphasized Ask GTX is not a replacement for 911 and that the platform is intended for non‑emergency city services and information requests.","City staff unveiled Ask GTX, a consolidated citizen service platform with an online portal, knowledge base, phone ambassadors and an upcoming mobile app and texting capability; staff said the system centralizes service requests and offers tracking, routing and departmental metrics.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663425,"Georgetown Fire Department warns EMS demand rising; chiefs outline staffing, response and wildfire efforts",1645,754450,2400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50&start=754&end=2400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50/thumbnail_754450.jpg","/articles/6663425/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Georgetown-Fire-Department-warns-EMS-demand-rising-chiefs-outline-staffing-response-and-wildfire-efforts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663425-2192b239528f0a332f3a2bc3fd5fae6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110815&Signature=URrAmmM6Zy8K4bpQtMooSszKzJDsZgRYqg8x-dBG71xEFKu9Rmoyfnoz4QkSkcpoudKLg-Qxz1yOUwE~-ycn66V-lgrOGXqYYlVGFrE0M7bTUh4IRT6-WdUcGDgWr3M-NGro0cb~RZ-bzN58K4SozaP~SUAW3L4xxXYb0Y306C5D1Reoz~zaw91zMxh8BBjWdSbu0ZX8myYzE6nv-uE7eki2V1U1UU2KBrLHTgMq8o3jC9~R3ulGAgXt05PZ4mARh4htbce6yFaLT~s396eWQpxp7U0QJy1HF41qhv96culDk3mptyGTsops0jb7K2mtycI6l-CtM9p~bzrZFmdwqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Georgetown Fire Department leadership told the City Council workshop that emergency medical services (EMS) demand and overall calls for service have increased sharply in recent years, straining available ambulances and fire stations and prompting planning for station additions, schedule changes and regional coordination.

The chief summarized operational data showing call growth from about 11,000 calls in 2020 to roughly 16,000 calls in 2024 and described year‑over‑year EMS call growth of about 9 percent. The department said increases are driven by rapid population growth, higher concentrations of multifamily housing in some corridors, more long‑term care facilities and greater service demand across the city and its emergency service district (ESD).

Response performance and capacity: the chief described the department’s operational target as arriving within nine minutes for high‑priority incidents 90 percent of the time (the department’s “A” grade target). The chief said current 90th‑percentile times are closer to 14 minutes for city responses and about 17 minutes in the ESD, and that the department is meeting a nine‑minute response about 50 percent of the time. The chief also explained a utilization metric for ambulances where the department seeks to keep each unit busy no more than roughly 25–30 percent of the time; presenters said observed utilization frequently reached 40–45 percent and that probability models show the system can run out of ambulances between roughly 20 and 60 percent of the time depending on hour and day.

Staffing and workforce health: presenters described a workforce with a sizable share of relatively recent hires (about 50 percent of staff with less than 10 years’ experience; roughly 30 percent with less than 5) and noted that many supervisory personnel are becoming eligible for retirement in the next five years. The department reported hiring gains after adopting single‑role paramedic positions and a 48‑hour schedule, and said attrition remains a planning factor — particularly if the city shifts to more “green academy” hires with less prior experience.

Finance and operations: the chief presented revenue figures tied to patient transport reimbursement (citing an example increase from about $439 to $565 per transport on average) and noted that although revenue has increased, the department added only one additional ambulance since 2020 (a fifth ambulance when Station 7 opened in 2021). The chief said the November ESD election to approve a sales and use tax was favorable and is expected to begin delivering revenue in mid‑year; staff estimated the ESD tax could generate about $4.5–$5 million annually to help build out system capacity.

Wildfire mitigation and regional coordination: the department described wildfire risk in the region, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is collaborating on prescribed burns across tens of hundreds of acres (the chief cited 2,400 acres of federal property where prescribed burns and rehabilitation are planned), and said the department conducted a successful prescribed burn in December with another planned in March.

Next steps and planning: the department described near‑term items including a Station 1 remodel expected to begin construction in the summer, Station 8 planning, schedule changes to the workweek model and continued regional coordination with neighboring providers on shared resources (hazmat, transport, wall‑time at hospitals). The chief said the department is pursuing call‑avoidance strategies (community paramedicine, hospital coordination to reduce turnaround and wall time, partnerships with private ambulance providers) and intends to return to council with formal proposals as planning progresses.","The fire chief told council EMS and fire call volumes have risen sharply and that current ambulance and station capacity is strained; the department described response‑time goals, staffing trends, health screening results and regional wildfire mitigation work including prescribed burns on Army Corps land.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6663431,"Georgetown staff present CAMPO SS4A safety plan, ask council to adopt Vision Zero statement",131,22880,154340,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50&start=22&end=154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2391196-28576dc8c4582c418f1276919b4cee50/thumbnail_22880.jpg","/articles/6663431/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Georgetown-staff-present-CAMPO-SS4A-safety-plan-ask-council-to-adopt-Vision-Zero-statement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6663431-96b4ad85e9006d4d8a0a99e6663d81ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771110815&Signature=ivC8Nv9hItcsoJYvU00hs0ZGAVpxsElg-MrS02G8jBMVvbJTRFu29yOIwxNOPJFC6302zufeVlB5lgD~gRDuttmYh-VD-AYQtKebupEO76SRoBbsfwzJIju-XH7gT~5AJpndv~C7dB-cs9o0kt~KD4UY8jeMm2mthRcVB9CLgDBaBxjsxdHjuYBLYf7lkgCW3g~WUJEW2rLTjl0iei40gPm~YFNL3UYiWWt8gduAv8cCsSscsUzt2ji7b~pR9Fe5Uy~F4JnOQ0axu0A1TdMtJs72cThg1QAbaK-IkLzhu5luvl6otcVjq7tC-Eus2QDK70gNX-R6YzeaY2-3gmdknA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City transportation staff and CAMPO consultants briefed the City of Georgetown Council on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) regional Safe System for All (SS4A) planning grant and asked the council to adopt a Vision Zero statement at the council’s next meeting.

The presentation, led by Louis (city staff) with a contribution from Nick Samuel of Campbell, summarized the SS4A planning effort, the regionwide goal-setting and the public outreach now under way. Louis said the SS4A planning grant is a USDOT program intended to help regions prepare safety action plans that make them eligible for later implementation funding. “About a year and a half ago, CAMPO received a USDOT SS4A grant for planning,” Louis said, adding that the grant produced county-level chapters including one for Williamson County.

Why it matters: staff said a completed regional safety action plan will help local jurisdictions apply for larger SS4A implementation grants that have funded intersection and corridor safety projects elsewhere in Texas. The staff presentation cited the statewide Road to Zero goal referenced by TxDOT and noted CAMPO’s approach: set regional and county goals, analyze crash data to map a high‑injury network, and identify countermeasures and candidate corridors.

What staff recommended: Georgetown staff presented a drafted Vision Zero statement for council consideration, reading: “The City of Georgetown supports the goal of Vision 0 by implementing improved infrastructure and policies that foster a safer and sustainable future for all road users. The city will lead proactive engineering, planning, monitoring, education and enforcement. Alongside our community and partners, Georgetown aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries for all roadway users.” Lou (city staff) said staff intends to ask the council to adopt that statement at the next council meeting and to explore collaboration with Williamson County on an SS4A implementation application to compete for federal funds.

Analysis and public outreach: presenters showed maps of the high‑injury network in Williamson County — highlighting corridors and intersections such as I‑35, Williams Drive and parts of University 29 and areas in Georgetown — and a preliminary list of corridors for potential improvements (examples shown: Austin Avenue, Williams Drive, Shell Road and portions of University 29). The outreach period referenced in the presentation runs through March and includes an online open house (camporsap.com) and two pop‑up events per county; staff said the public engagement effort is being coordinated with the CAMPO 2050 long‑range plan outreach.

Examples of countermeasures mentioned included speed management, access management, improved intersection treatments, wider shoulders, pedestrian facilities and shared‑use paths. Presenters noted the plan draws on FHWA‑recognized countermeasures and that individual projects will require more detailed study to identify the precise treatments.

Next steps and questions from council: staff asked whether council supported adopting the Vision Zero statement and whether council had questions about the analysis or next steps. Council questions focused on funding: one councilmember asked whether the $2.3–$2.4 million amount discussed was for the CAMPO study across five counties (staff clarified the study funding is for the CAMPO effort and will prepare jurisdictions to compete for larger implementation grants in the $6–10 million range nationally). Staff said study funds cover planning and that implementation funding would be pursued separately.","City transportation staff and CAMPO consultants reviewed the regional SS4A safety action plan and proposed a Vision Zero statement for council adoption at a future meeting; staff said the plan will position Georgetown to compete for federal SS4A implementation grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff brief council on 2025 Texas legislative watch list and resident outreach on density bills

City launches Ask GTX consolidated customer service portal and 24/7 knowledge base

Georgetown Fire Department warns EMS demand rising; chiefs outline staffing, response and wildfire efforts

Georgetown staff present CAMPO SS4A safety plan, ask council to adopt Vision Zero statement