Road bond and capital improvement projects top February meetings in Williamson County

Williamson County commissioners heard updates on road bond projects, allocated funds for capital improvements and adopted a flood protection plan during their February meetings. Read more on these five top stories.

1. Commissioners will discuss remaining $20 million in 2013 bond projects March 5.

County staffers provided an update on the 2013 Road Bond projects, for which $20 million remains unallocated as of Feb. 19. In 2013, county voters approved a $275 million road bond, in which the county listed 60 projects it promised to complete. Since then, all 60 projects plus additional projects have been completed or are currently in the works, Road Bond Program Manager Mike Weaver said. About $20 million remains to be spent on additional projects, he said. The court will hold a workshop March 5 to discuss which projects it would like to put the money toward. Read more here.

2. Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter receives a $900,000 grant from the Petco Foundation.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter received a $900,000 grant Feb. 13 from the Petco Foundation to fund shelter needs. The shelter, located at 1855 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown, takes in more than 8,000 animals each year and has been designated a no-kill shelter for eight years. WCRAS Animal Services Director Cheryl Schneider said during a Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting Feb. 26 that she was surprised by the grant amount after initially applying for a $99,000 grant. She said the Petco Foundation said it decided to give the shelter a larger donation after looking into the work it does. Read more here.

3. Commissioners allocate about half of the remaining capital improvement allotment for fiscal year 2018-19.

The court approved about $2.8 million in capital improvement projects, including a remodel of the Justice Center, on Feb. 12. The court had about $5.2 million in unallocated capital improvement funding to put toward maintenance and operation projects. About $2.5 million of the newly allocated $2.8 million will go toward renovations of the Justice Center, located at 405 Martin Luther King Jr. St., Georgetown. Read more here.

4. Commissioners looks to reduce risk with flood protection plan.

On Feb. 5, the court adopted the county’s flood protection plan to better prepare the county in an emergency. The plan will look to improve flood mitigation and is in collaboration with cities and districts within the county, Senior Director of Emergency Services Chris Connealy said. The plan looks to develop strategies on how to improve first-responder readiness; identify potential projects and tools to enhance preparedness; and reduce risks and hazards to residents, Connealy said. Read more here.

5. Disaster relief efforts end for the 2015 Memorial Day floods.

The Williamson County Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster and the Long Term Recovery Committee closed its 2015 Memorial Day floods project Feb. 26. During a Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting, VOAD chair Jeanne McClellan gave the court a final status report on the recovery efforts. Floods in May 2015 left many Williamson County roads damaged or closed as well as residents displaced from their homes. At that time, the county declared a state of disaster because of severe thunderstorms and flooding that began May 8 and extended through Memorial Day weekend. The floods caused $7 million in damage to county infrastructure and facilities, county officials said at the time. Read more here.