[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6531400,"mediaKeyId","3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1","parentId",3541693,"title","Georgetown Water Utilities recommends return to two-day-a-week irrigation on June 9 after South Lake plant phase I comes online","audioSeconds",2492,"startMs",2978445,"endMs",5471205,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1&start=2978&end=5471","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1/thumbnail_2978445.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6531400/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Georgetown-Water-Utilities-recommends-return-to-two-day-a-week-irrigation-on-June-9-after-South-Lake-plant-phase-I-comes-online","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531400-69533fbe5b29d2426c28a78d1bd40152/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185649&Signature=hCz~BXbafHydlgjPuoUdAAWXfpZ0s2duWuoX96K9yeaI6Gu~RnfIrW08nq0IJdLkU2q9wD3~lTcHP-iAW8-NwqJkUliiQIMmGih~c0-bPXv1yBrhcozvrKPDQNcp9pMMDRRcCP-GB7uHy8XHA-nvO3B7MOS8csk~Co9GUHFXw4eT3O9KqMsqT-d4zaiJ4cnf88ETgKPSonSCMSmVT7pj3em7ZdHXx6uHjr61~tsammxA8QIEarTaAPxztvW7C2aMiG14smOX0Ci6wTOrwrTIA-mUAksa2N830LQjw6G725er8wTQh-Pz3~MYkvvRHvpwge52O8MwEMhIjmnGSr~sAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgetown","date","2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","article","Chelsea Solomon, Georgetown's water utilities director, briefed the council on system capacity, ongoing projects and a staff recommendation to return to two-day-a-week outdoor watering for most customers starting June 9, contingent on the South Lake Water Treatment Plant Phase I coming online.

Solomon said recent capital work and interconnections give the city additional margin above expected 2025 peak demand. She listed completed and in-progress projects that increase supply or distribution flexibility: the North Lake expansion (online in 2024), rehabilitation of an existing 3.2 million-gallon plant, the Parkside interconnect with Round Rock (3 million gallons per day online in August 2024), and temporary pumps purchased to better move water across the system. South Lake WTP phase I is scheduled for substantial completion on June 2 and would add 22 million gallons per day; phase II is planned for 2026 and would add more capacity.

\"Our recommendation is to go back to 2 days a week watering on June 9,\" Solomon said, noting the extra week after June 2 would allow staff to confirm operations and work through punch-list items. She said the city would remain in drought contingency stage 1 because of regional lake levels but that the recommendation would give customers the option to water two days a week; customers are not required to change if they prefer a single-day schedule.

Other operational highlights Solomon presented:
- Projected capacity and demand: staff estimated system treatment capacity near 80.4 million gallons per day in 2025 and forecasted a max-day demand between 60 and 65 million gallons per day, leaving operational margin if projects finish on schedule.
- AMI rollout and conservation: the Western District AMI meter installation was reported about 50% complete and expected to finish by September; AMI enables leak detection, customer notifications and better enforcement of watering restrictions. Staff reported nearly 9,000 wrong-day watering notices issued so far this year.
- Ongoing construction: Solomon listed pipeline upgrades, Park wells and the Daniels Mountain pump station/transmission main (the latter expected late 2026 or early 2027 for Florence-area service); several wells are scheduled for rehab in June and July.
- Customer programs: the city has expanded rebates (commercial and multifamily rebates to start when third-party processing comes online) and distributed about $136,000 in rebates year to date.

Council members asked about outreach and customer messaging; Solomon said staff would coordinate with the city's public information office and planned targeted education so customers understand the new schedule and avoid wrong-day watering notices.

No formal action was taken at the workshop; staff sought council confirmation of the operational recommendation and said they will continue daily coordination on South Lake construction and AMI rollout ahead of the summer peak.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Georgetown - Workshop - May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Water Utilities Director Chelsea Solomon told council the city's system capacity will rise with South Lake phase I and other projects, and staff recommended resuming two-day watering on June 9 while continuing conservation and AMI meter rollouts.","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},6531405,"Georgetown staff propose UDC changes to boost tree preservation, adjust impervious-cover rules and add traffic-calming requirements",2781,2108075,4889519,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1&start=2108&end=4889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1/thumbnail_2108075.jpg","/articles/6531405/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Georgetown-staff-propose-UDC-changes-to-boost-tree-preservation-adjust-impervious-cover-rules-and-add-traffic-calming-requirements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531405-6e800f08d7f01f072d913afb8a40896c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185649&Signature=oWGPd9Oh2ZfEtbzbkxvQMpxIN~n~2sySoi113MNuCiyAlDnILtZmivf9SWV5~hA6ga7iJjeGW3hsu30gHTEOyPtRSCCYGdeVoZEc4ZGwI1DoDS8-2QUaJQdLX3a~r~G5Sa7exovagV0-v5K3xKSj3-IgPtj~uOTBFT3JT0z7gJLeN73Ygi~dmq0vDIhc2lY5jIuC00vxiaqY49rNKlJA9PAINFgPrPcew~Jt8TdjolBHZWpi98QJ7F9RBbU0vwvwf0y7M9s9hBF-jy7QbjYfSWYT2OAG5phgVqVwPwB07Lz01KzR2QTRYpjkz5TeGB-LvqP9QGmy0cHinl7FVgzzYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff presented a package of proposed Unified Development Code (UDC) amendments to the City Council steering committee and asked for council feedback on tree-preservation credits, impervious-cover standards and circulation requirements.

Sofia (UDC project lead) said the steering committee reviewed draft language over several meetings and recommended changes intended to increase incentives for preserving trees and to improve administrative clarity. \"The goals that we have been working towards have been to enhance incentives for retaining trees and planting new trees, improve readability and process associated with tree preservation,\" she said.

The measures under consideration and council questions included:

Tree preservation (Chapter 8)
- On-site credit trees: the draft raises the allowable mitigation credit for existing protected trees from 75% to 100% in some cases, letting preserved on-site trees count fully toward mitigation obligations.
- Heritage-tree credit: the draft proposes a 3:1 credit for heritage-tree inches preserved in excess of 50% of heritage inches on a site; the extra credit applies only when a site preserves more than half of its heritage tree inches.
- Planted-tree credit: trees planted from the city's approved plant list would count toward mitigation (the draft would no longer limit credit to only plantings above a residential minimum).
- Floodplain and invasive-species discussion: council members and developers debated whether trees in floodplain areas should receive full mitigation credit. Some developers argued that without credit they would remove floodplain trees during grading; some council members and staff suggested targeted removal of invasive species (e.g., cedar, mesquite) in low areas to protect valuable oaks and provide mitigation credit for that removal.
- Mitigation options: the steering committee recommended removing the strict rank order of mitigation steps so applicants could pursue the options most appropriate for a site (planting, structural protections, soil aeration, or, as last resort, payment in lieu). Steering-committee members and councilors emphasized that payment in lieu should remain a last resort because it is typically the most expensive option.

Impervious cover (Chapter 11)
- Pools: the steering committee recommended counting pool water surface area as 100% impervious surface for the purposes of lot-level impervious calculations (decking and patios around pools remain counted separately). Staff noted other nearby jurisdictions treat pools this way and cited practical problems that occur when homeowners have no remaining impervious capacity for a pool.
- Small-lot products: the draft increases impervious-cover allowances for some attached products (townhomes and duplexes) and proposes conditional higher allowances for certain multifamily urban products, with the higher allowance tied to adoption of corresponding multifamily development standards.
- Applicability: staff clarified that the changes apply to new development and that building permits for retrofits will still require lot-level impervious calculations.

Pedestrian and vehicle circulation (Chapter 12)
- Traffic calming: the draft specifies horizontal traffic-calming devices (curb extensions, bulb-outs, chicanes, roundabouts and similar features) and establishes block-length intervals that would trigger a requirement to provide some traffic-calming treatment as part of new development or when new local streets are created.
- Turn-lane and deceleration requirements: developments that add a driveway or street connection to a roadway shown on the future mobility plan would be required to provide deceleration or left-turn lanes as appropriate.
- School zones: new school developments would be required to provide signage, flashing beacons, crosswalks and sidewalk connectivity where applicable.

Council-level discussion
- School-district exemption: the steering committee did not reach consensus on whether Georgetown Independent School District (GISD) should be exempt from portions of the UDC. Committee votes split, and councilors debated two approaches: (1) include a code exemption for GISD (or for all ISDs in the city's jurisdiction), or (2) handle exemptions through an interlocal agreement (ILA) between the city and any exempting ISD. Several council members said an ILA would be a cleaner way to make specific arrangements with school districts while preserving the UDC for other users.
- Administrative clarity and enforcement: council members and staff discussed the need to streamline disagreement processes (for example, when an applicant's arborist and the city arborist disagree on whether a tree can be saved) so project timelines do not stall.

Staff said they will research two follow-ups requested by council: (1) adding mitigation credit for removing invasive species that threaten heritage trees and (2) comparing impervious-cover proposals to U.S. Green Building Council guidance. If council concurs, staff planned to advance the package for public hearings and formal ordinance drafting.","City planners presented draft amendments to the Unified Development Code covering tree preservation (chapter 8), impervious cover (chapter 11) and pedestrian/vehicle circulation (chapter 12), including new crediting rules, a debate over school-district exemptions and a proposal to allow pools to count as fully impervious surface.",{"_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},6531410,"Williamson Central Appraisal District outlines 2025 values, homestead audit process and state bills affecting Georgetown taxpayers",2070,25255,2095320,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1&start=25&end=2095","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3541693-746b8c8f206da48f7169ef642c5ccdb1/thumbnail_25255.jpg","/articles/6531410/Georgetown/Williamson-County/Texas/Williamson-Central-Appraisal-District-outlines-2025-values-homestead-audit-process-and-state-bills-affecting-Georgetown-taxpayers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531410-a8a5a2f6f81c9abad9b9548c2d58d3a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185649&Signature=kI2vMBL5-VgKsD5G-uE1wYZcBIW8tN47BGyBCpiynkW8faZf-H1WdgQn1ZFhw6idErvEWCEMYQ1f8DYqi5v7H6UV4iyPUIxNQn774ZRMPdi1ZtcX8jC~jAyikgB0PIXQvNlbGtfrreDea5GL5j-HV19r4fXJHCW-vLbaR9LYHpR7Yo1I0FqPJzA8tWxmDn7wbgG9N871AXdamIiiGX06AnAMXFGSXHcE0BnDivuEbivnuX~nQJPMQqc2HVvxmhYIarZ1UDkARAXpxW1JnWmeEWHzvYvhmJmMwyFPoW0eOO2eIEKBFKVTNndEzjwa1YXqW5wsh3sXuLA8VNvdZeKdDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alvin Lankford of the Williamson Central Appraisal District told the Georgetown City Council at a workshop presentation that WCAD's 2025 appraisal roll shows preliminary market and taxable values for the City of Georgetown and described how the district verifies homestead exemptions.

Lankford said the appraisal district's online tools now publish sales-comparison information and maps for each property and that WCAD sends new homestead applications only to properties it can reasonably flag for review. \"There was a law change, last session, that changed tax code 11.43 h dash 1,\" he said, describing the new five-year verification authority.

The presentation matters to Georgetown residents because the appraisal roll determines the taxable base for city services and schools and because state legislation Lankford described would change the size and recipients of some exemption programs. Lankford urged homeowners to file homestead exemptions themselves and described new transparency features on the WCAD website, including a QR code on the notice of appraised value and a public-facing sales-comparison grid.

Key points from the presentation:
- Homestead verification: Lankford said WCAD uses an external audit company and open government data to identify potential duplicate homesteads or conflicting addresses. He estimated WCAD sends a new application for verification on roughly 4% of homesteads, rather than mailing reapplications to all homestead accounts.

- Website transparency: Lankford demonstrated a new appraisal notice and an online sales-comparison grid that shows the subject property, comparables used, and adjustments. \"We're trying to get ahead of that and put that information right in the appraisal notice,\" he said.

- Assessed vs. market value: Lankford reminded the council that the homestead assessed value is capped at 10% annual increases until the assessed value reaches market value and said about 30% of Williamson County properties remain capped. He walked the council through Power BI dashboards showing that Georgetown's preliminary total market value rose to about $24.75 billion and that preliminary taxable value was roughly $21 billion (numbers listed as preliminary, before protests).

- Time adjustments and methodology: Lankford explained that sales are time-adjusted to a Jan. 1 valuation date and that WCAD uses different approaches for residential (sales comparison) and many commercial properties (income approach, NOI), noting commercial appraisal notices do not include the same sales-comparison grid.

- State legislation affecting taxpayers: Lankford cited several bills and proposals. He said one bill would increase the school homestead exemption ceiling from about $100,000 to $140,000 and is \"likely to pass\"; he described House Bill 9 as creating a $125,000 business personal property exemption and estimated that could remove roughly $1.5 billion from Williamson County's BPP tax roll. He also discussed the temporary circuit-breaker 20% cap on nonhomesteaded property (set to expire in 2026) and a bill that would let appraisal districts publish exterior sketches and higher-resolution aerial imagery online.

Council members asked technical questions about commercial appraisal notices, time-adjustment methodology for sales, and how WCAD classifies multifamily versus townhomes. Lankford said commercial valuations are governed by how the market values the property (income approach when buyers look at income) and described effective year-built and quality-class (R0 to R10) adjustments for residential valuations.

Lankford repeatedly encouraged taxpayers to file homestead exemptions themselves (\"it takes literally 3 to 5 minutes\"), described WCAD performance measures (property value study and MAP review), and summarized budget comparisons showing WCAD among the less expensive appraisal districts per capita and per levy.

The council did not take any formal action during the presentation; the material was presented for information and will inform future discussions about city budgeting and outreach to taxpayers. Lankford pointed council members to the WCAD website and the Power BI dashboards he used for the demonstration.

For more detail the appraisal notices, the sales-comparison grid and the homestead filing link are available on the Williamson Central Appraisal District website; Lankford said the figures shown were preliminary and will change after the protest period concludes.","Alvin Lankford of the Williamson Central Appraisal District reviewed 2025 preliminary market and taxable values for Georgetown, explained the district's homestead verification approach and highlighted state legislation that could change exemptions and business personal property treatment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Georgetown Water Utilities recommends return to two-day-a-week irrigation on June 9 after South Lake plant phase I comes online

Georgetown staff propose UDC changes to boost tree preservation, adjust impervious-cover rules and add traffic-calming requirements

Williamson Central Appraisal District outlines 2025 values, homestead audit process and state bills affecting Georgetown taxpayers