Date set for health care provider partnership meeting

Commissioners discussed the Medicaid 1115 Waiver and creating a regional health care partnership March 6. They approved a resolution recommending the Texas A&M University Health Science Center as the anchor for a district made up of nearby counties. A meeting is scheduled for March 20 at 2 p.m. to discuss the partnership with health care providers, local governments and hospitals at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center in Round Rock.

Law library committee established

A committee was formed to propose improvements to the county law library March 6. Tommy Coleman, an assistant district attorney, said some of the goals of the committee are to make the library more modern and accessible to the public.

Dam structural study approved

Williamson County commissioners authorized hiring an engineering firm Feb. 21 to study three dams within the county, two of which were damaged by flooding in recent years.

The $130,000 contract with Freese and Nichols Inc. will assess the damage and determine what can be done to repair Berry Springs Park Dam and the San Gabriel Ranch Road Dam.

The Berry Springs Park Dam, located in northeast Georgetown in Berry Springs Park and Preserve, was damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Hermine in September 2010.

Another dam that experienced erosion from flooding in the past several years is the San Gabriel Ranch Road Dam in Liberty Hill. In addition to designing repairs for this dam, the county is also creating an emergency action plan as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. A plan will also be developed for the Twin Lakes Dam in Cedar Park as a part of the contract, Williamson County Engineer Joe England said.

County plans to repair parking garage, hires engineering firm

After closing the Williamson County parking garage more than a year ago due to structural instability, the county is moving forward with designing repairs for the facility and hopes to reopen it in about one year.

On Feb. 14, Williamson County commissioners approved a contract with structural engineering firm Jose I. Guerra Inc. for $294,978 to design repairs for the parking garage, which is located between Third, Fourth and Rock streets in Georgetown.

Robert Daigh, senior director of infrastructure for the county, said design should take about three months, and then the project will be put out to bid. Construction is expected to take nine months.