1. West Texas solar farm now sending power to Georgetown
Georgetown officials, including Mayor Dale Ross and City Manager David Morgan, joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for the 1,250-acre Buckthorn solar plant in Pecos County in West Texas. The plant began supplying solar-generated power to Georgetown on Sunday.
An agreement between Georgetown and NRG Energy Inc. will supply the city with solar power through 2041, according to the city.
The Buckthorn plant, which includes 1.7 million solar-power panels, was initially expected to start operations at the end of 2016 and begin supplying power to Georgetown in 2017. Those plans were delayed after SunEdison, the company previously working on the project, filed for bankruptcy. The facility today is owned by NRG Yield and operated by NRG renewables.
2. State releases spring semester STAAR testing results
School districts from throughout the state, including Georgetown ISD, have their first looks at the spring 2018 semester of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness testing results. Scores are particularly important for students in fifth and eighth grades as they prepare to go to middle school and high school, respectively, but are not a determining factor in that student’s grade movement, said Malinda Golden, GISD's assistant superintendent for teaching and learning. See GISD’s scores here.
3. Williamson County ending contract with Taylor immigration center
Commissioners voted last week to end the county’s involvement in a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CoreCivic Inc. to operate T. Don Hutto Residential Center, effective Jan. 31.
The center, located at 1001 Welch St., Taylor, currently houses women detained—including some 35 moms who were separated from their children—by federal officials at the U.S. border. The county commissioners’ vote to terminate the contract does not mean the facility will be closed as the federal government or private owners can keep the center open, county officials said.
More than 150 people filled the courtroom holding signs after marching around the courthouse in downtown Georgetown in favor of canceling the contract. Read more here.
4. City Council adopts mayor’s proposal for new city flag
The city’s logo will be front and center on a new municipal flag.
Georgetown City Council voted 4-2 last week to adopt Mayor Dale Ross’ proposal to use the logo on a white backdrop as a city flag to display at city buildings or other official functions.
Council members Anna Eby and Rachel Jonrowe, who cast the two opposing votes, questioned the need for the city to adopt an official flag. Other council members who voted in support of the mayor’s proposal said the matter likely did not need council input. Ross acknowledged that his idea could have been handled by city staff, but the mayor said he sought council approval out of courtesy to its elected members.
Georgetown’s logo—which was adopted by the city in 2005 and can be found today on city buildings, vehicles and even water towers—includes the letter G written in stylized script next to the city’s name and year of establishment written in block-letter text. The logo’s colors are gold and silver, officially Pantone 464 and Pantone 444, respectively. City staff will decide how to move forward with purchasing new flags and where to display them.
5. Fourth of July features celebrations, hot weather and city closures
The Fourth of July falls in the middle of the week this year, and celebrations are planned Wednesday in Georgetown and around the Austin area. Fireworks are not allowed within Georgetown city limits unless users receive authorization from the Georgetown Fire Department, according to the city. The recent hot weather in Central Texas should continue through the holiday. Various Georgetown city offices will see closures Wednesday and GoGeo buses will not be in service. More information on holiday-related closures is available from the city here.
