Catch up on some recent government news out of Georgetown City Council and Williamson County Commissioners Court, as reported by Community Impact.
1. Youth felony diversion program reduces arrests
A first-of-its-kind study of the Williamson County Transformative Justice Program shows a reduction in arrest rates and jail time, according to a county news release.
Researchers with the Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute presented the study and findings at a Feb. 3 Commissioners Court meeting, and commissioners authorized the district courts to apply for grant funding for the program for fiscal year 2026-27.
About the program
Launched in 2020, the Transformative Justice Program is a felony-diversion program for youth and emerging adults.
The program is geared toward 17-to-24-year-olds who have committed a felony, an age group that is overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
Using personalized support plans, the program seeks to address the risk factors that cause emerging adults to commit and recommit felonies.
The impact
The study shows emerging adults who graduated from the program were:
- 48% less likely to get arrested
- 61% less likely to be arrested for a felony
They also spent about 36 fewer days in jail on average, and 80% of graduates had fewer misdemeanors and felonies than nongraduates.
Those who participated in the program were 35% less likely to get arrested. Sixty percent of those who participated in the program graduated, and those who stayed through the first 200 days were more likely to graduate.
Before this program, 75% of emerging adults were rearrested within three years of their first arrest, Dick said.
2. City gets federal funding for waterline
A planned 3-mile waterline along CR 255 will help serve about 25,000 water customers in northwest Georgetown, officials announced at a Jan. 29 press conference.
The details
The CR 255 waterline project includes the construction of a 30-inch diameter line connecting to Georgetown’s Daniels Mountain water storage tank, and to tie into an existing 30-inch waterline on CR 289 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, according to Georgetown Communications Manager Keith Hutchinson.
U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, announced $3.5 million in federal funding will be dedicated to the $10.6 million waterline project. The city will pay for the remaining $7.1 million.
3. Fire Station No. 8 to improve response times
To address slowing response times and a rising call volume, the Georgetown Fire Department plans to construct Fire Station No. 8, remodel existing facilities and deploy more ambulances.
What’s happening
The city is plans to open Fire Station No. 8 in 2028, Fire Chief John Sullivan said. Its location on Westinghouse Road and FM 1460 will bring service to a “dense area with high need,” Sullivan said.
In the meantime, the city is working to remodel Fire Station No. 1 and construct a Logistics Facility to provide support for fire response operations.
To improve response times along the Hwy. 29 corridor, plans include adding ambulances during high-volume periods, Sullivan said.
The cause
The department had 1,129 more responses in 2025 than in 2024. This averaged out to about 80 responses per day last year. This demand has led to slower response times. In 2025, emergency response times averaged 10 minutes and 54 seconds in 90% of priority calls, which exceeds the department’s goal of nine minutes, Sullivan said.
4. Discounted rain barrels available
Georgetown water customers can purchase 50-gallon rain barrels for almost $100 off through March 15.
The specifics
Georgetown Water Utility partnered with Rain Water Solutions, a company focused on water quality and conservation, to offer customers rain barrels for $78.
Georgetown reserved 495 rain barrels—each valued at $170—through the partnership, and all purchased rain barrels must be picked up on March 28.
The why
Rain barrels allow residents to collect water from their roof or gutters and use it for their lawns and plants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
