At the City Council meeting April 11, council members voted against approving the final plans for the new goGeo bus system---moving the vote to the April 25 meeting---and unanimously for nearly doubling their compensation. Here are six other updates from the council meeting:

1. GPD seeks new hires, presents data

Chief Wayne F. Nero of the Georgetown Police Department presented a public safety update for FY17and FY18 at the City Council workshop Tuesday. The presentation included a request for future personnel. Nero said the department would like to hire six officers, including one sergeant to serve as a school resource officer assigned to Wagner Middle School. The cost for school resource officers is split with Georgetown ISD. Nero also presented some results from a uniform crime report, which showed that crime has stayed relatively flat despite population growth. He said the Crime in Georgetown Report should be released by the end of May. Georgetown police reported 844 crimes in 2011, compared to 862 in 2016. However, Nero said the number of police officers only increased 4 percent despite a population growth of 39 percent over the same period. Other statistics Nero mentioned include:

• 911 calls increased 466 percent between 2011 and 2016.
• The number of calls for service increased 26 percent.
• The number of reports taken increased 54 percent.
• The number of motor vehicle crashes increased 36 percent.
• Proactive policing, such as traffic stops, decreased 30 percent.

“My concern is that the increase their reactionary times takes away from their proactive time,” Nero said. The GPD is also looking to acquire case-management software for code enforcement and an administrative employee for the animal services department. Nero said the department has also signed its contract for the Best Practice Recognition Program with the Texas Police Chief Association, which provides accreditation to police departments based on their compliance with more than 165 best practices addressing 12 critical areas, including use of force. Nero said the program should be completed within the next six months. At the March 28 City Council meeting, Georgetown police presented on an agenda item requesting approval for a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that asked to pay off-duty GPD officers to patrol areas around the lake during the summer. A motion by council approving the collaboration carried 7-0.

2. City hears animal shelter study

Mike Bernard, president of Shelter Planners for America, presented the results of the city Animal Shelter Needs Assessment Study. Among his remarks, he said staff support areas should not be open to the public, which is unavoidable at the current location. “The surgery area is basically hallway,” Bernard said. “There is laundry equipment in the same room as the surgery equipment, which is unacceptable.” However, Bernard commended Georgetown for its “very high” return-to-owner ratio, appropriate amount of staff and having a volunteer veterinarian available on-site. Bernard said Georgetown will need to start making plans to expand its existing shelter or open a new facility by 2018 so it can be open by 2020—otherwise Georgetown will have to start euthanizing more pets. City Manager David Morgan said he hopes council will include finances in next year’s budget to use these recommendations to study whether the animal shelter should stay in its current location or move to another and begin early design work.

3. Berry Creek Interceptor, petroleum pipeline

At the end of the City Council meeting, Morgan provided an update on the Berry Creek Interceptor, a proposed wastewater pipeline expected to cut through a portion of Berry Springs Park and Preserve. The pipeline would connect an existing interceptor in Sun City to the Pecan Branch Wastewater Treatment Facility. Morgan said his comments were intended to address concerns from area residents who are contesting the pipeline’s creation. With his comments, Morgan projected a map of all existing wastewater gravity pipes in Georgetown. “The safest way is through gravity lines. Drainageways flow downhill, which is why we use them to install our gravity lines,” Morgan said. “The reason these gravity-fed lines are so important is to force the flow against gravity requires pumps.” Morgan said a mechanical failure by a pump would force an overflow from the pipeline into drainageways. He said funding for the project has been raised over the past several years. The Homestead residential development project, if approved, would provide a portion of the funding for that BCI. The second reading for the Homestead development is set for City Council approval in the next few months. But if the development is not approved, Morgan said the interceptor would still need to be approved. The consent agenda for the April 11 meeting, which passed 7-0, also included approvals for a revocable license by Houston-based Enterprise Crude Pipeline LLC to allow a petroleum pipeline to cross underneath and encroach 50 feet of the right of way of Rabbit Hill Road, 1,620 feet south of the intersection with Blue Springs Boulevard, and 40 feet of the right of way of Westinghouse Road near FM 1460.

4. ONCOR rate increase denied

Council unanimously voted to reject a petition from electricity distributor ONCOR to increase transmission rates. Chris Foster, manager of resource planning and integration for Georgetown, said ONCOR made the request to increase its transmission rates by $317 million statewide, or 7.5 percent, among other rate changes. The rates ONCOR requested would cost Georgetown’s electricity utility $148,000 annually, city staff said. ONCOR said it intends to appeal the decision to the Public Utilities Commission, where it will consolidate all cases related to the rate request.

5. City closer to annexing Wolf Lakes, Echo Park

City Council approved a petition and setting public hearing dates for the annexation of 113 acres located at the northwest corner of I-35 and Hwy. 29 for the Wolf Lakes development. Dates were also set for 12.23 acres at the intersection of Kelley Drive and Gateway Drive, along I-35, for the Echo Park development. City Council also held a public hearing for the annexation of those properties.

6. Proclamations

City Council recognized local toy store All Things Kids for recreating its play zone to include a 42-scoop ice cream bar and a 400-scoop candy bar. The store is licensing Beth Marie’s Ice Cream from Denton to sell at its store. In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, GPD presented a proclamation from City Council recognizing 911 call-takers and dispatch staff for their dedication to clear, quick and reliable communication during emergencies.