Council, Week Update

Council met in regular session Tuesday evening. Here is that agenda. In the "Citizens Participation", several folks spoke in approval of the City's action on the Rehab center issue of last week. Thank you for the support, it was a rough week (I was fired twice via email) and I think the City and Council have made some good decisions that will strengthen our ordinance to address issues like this in the future. Anita Cokins spoke again about her objection to the annexation of North Brooks Hollow.

An Ordinance was passed unanimously approving the General Election for the purpose of electing three Councilmembers. Dee Ann Burns-Farrel, Bruce Harris and Dave Taylor have all filed for re-election at this time. I will let you know if anyone else files - several packets have been picked up.

An Ordinance was approved authorizing the sale of Rebel and Sailfish Parks to adjacent property owners to be put on the ballot. These properties would be sold to adjacent property owners if approved by the voters.

Lakeway Highlands Section 7A was annexed at the request of the developer.

Item 8 was a request from the owners of Lago Acres to re-zone to R-6 from R-1. ZAPCO voted to not recommend this because of the R-1 properties around this property. Council agreed with this and voted unanimously to maintain the R-1 zoning.

Item 9 addressed issues with the existing Noise Regulations in the current ordinance. The changes allow for a requirement that commercial businesses obtain a Special Use Permit if there are complaints from citizens about any amplifed music or sound. This was also passed unanimously.

There was discussion about a proposed Hotel Occupancy Tax. I expect this will be discussed frequently in the next few months. The Chamber of Commerce and area Hotels are somewhat at odds on this and Council will be looking at ways to make this work and bring added value to our City. More to come on this soon.

Council went into Executive session to get a report on the lawsuit filed by Steve and Anita Cokins against the City regarding the annexation of North Brooks Hollow. As of this time, there was a hearing a few weeks ago where the judge dismissed the case. Since then, the City offered not to pursue requesting reimbursement for legal expenses from the Cokins if they agreed to not appeal the ruling. Since they decided to appeal, the City asked the judge to award legal fees - this was denied and the case is now going to the appellate court.

Chessie Blanchard-Zimmerman was appointed representative to the CAMPO Technical Advisory Committee - congratulations Chessie!

The CBC met on Feb. 23rd. Here is that agenda. I don't have all of the results and will try to post them later.
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There will be a City Council Workshop on Monday 2-27-2012. Here is that agenda. There will be no pubic input at this meeting but will be some interesting reports about issues your City leaders will eventually be addressing. Unfortunately, I will be in San Antonio and will be unable to attend.

Lakeway Municipal Court Wins Traffic Safety Award Again!

Presiding Judge Kevin R. Madison was notified on Friday, February 17, 2012, that the Lakeway Municipal Court will be receiving a Traffic Safety Initiatives Award from the Texas Municipal Courts Association. For more info click here!

Here is Andra Dearing's Parks and Rec. Weekly Report.

From Steve Jones:

Staff from Administration, BDS, Parks & Rec and Public Works met with Earl Foster, LMUD, and Debbie Gernes, WCID #17, to discuss current and expected water restrictions related to the ongoing drought. Both Districts are in the process of revising their restrictions and anticipate those revisions to be approved by their respective boards in March. As rainfall diminishes and the weather heats up, the Districts will likely cease permitting the filling of new pools, and the city can help by declining to grant permits for the construction of new pools during that time. Additional steps the city needs to take are to prioritize irrigation needs, review regulations regarding private wells and revise them if necessary, continue to educate the public about fire preparedness, and install rainwater collection systems for irrigation where possible.

Carrie Burns will begin meeting with neighborhood groups soon to inform them of ways to keep their homes and property safe from wildfire. She will be educating homeowner groups on a program promulgated by a consortium of national fire services known as Ready, Set, Go! This is the same program that is being promoted by City of Austin and Travis County fire and emergency management agencies. It teaches people about simple, but effective, things they can do to reduce their exposure to wildfire.

Andra Dearing passed her exam this week and is now recognized by the National Recreation and Parks Association as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional. This is the most prestigious certification in the parks and recreation profession. It is a great achievement for Andra, and a credit to the city.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend - it looks like a beautiful day!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Recovery Ways News - Press Release

The City of Lakeway (City Manager Steve Jones) has taken the appropriate action and has released the following press release as of today. Press Release

City of Lakeway Declines Building Permit

February 17, 2012 – LAKEWAY, TX –

Lakeway City Manager Steve Jones announced today that the City of Lakeway will not issue a building permit for Recovery Ways, an addiction rehabilitation facility proposed to be built on Lohmans Crossing Drive in Lakeway.

After further review of the proposed project, city staff determined that such projects are not allowed uses in the C-1 (Office/Retail) zoning district, the current zoning for the property where the project is proposed.

The site development permit previously issued for the project will be rescinded and the company will be advised to cease construction under that permit.
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City Council will meet in Special Session today at 4 PM. Here is that agenda.

Please note, there will be no public comment accepted at this session - it is only for Council to meet with our attorney for advice on the legal authority of the City to regulate land uses in Commercial zoning districts.

Editorial:

Please understand that the City Staff and Council are very concerned with the quality of life in Lakeway.

I for one have lived here for nearly 25 years and am very passionate about making sure our community continues to maintain the standard of living that we have all come to expect.

Staff and Council are working to modify the current ordinances in a way that will prohibit any issue like this in the future. We are always looking for problems and are trying to improve the system so these types of issues never happen. I would like to thank everyone for the constructive input I have received.

I and all of the other council members have spent many hours serving in different capacities for our City. No one receives any compensation for the time spent. We all do this because of the love of our community.

Thanks again for all of your support and input.

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Recovery Ways Info

As most of you know, there is an issue with a Facility that was permitted to be built at Lohmans and Rolling Green. Here is a letter I am sending to those that have contacted me:

Thank you for your input on this situation. First let me clear up a few misconceptions. The property in question at the corner of Lohmans and Rolling Green has been zoned for years as C-1 Commercial.

Our C-1 zoning regulates what type of business that can be put into this zoning. It has served us well for many years. What has happened with Recovery Ways was a permit was applied for through the normal channels and was passed through the system. Neither the Mayor or Council was involved in the process, it simply fit the zoning as it was written and simply did not require public hearings or other scrutiny.

I for one agree that this is not a good place for this facility and feel the process needs to be improved to keep this type of issue from happening again, especially with this proximity to a school and residential properties. We are currently looking at ways to improve the system to address these types of issues.

As far as the current Recovery Ways Center, be assured that we are reviewing all options to see what the City can do to correct or improve the current situation.

Thanks again for the input and support!

Joe Bain
Lakeway City Council

Special Update - Recovery Ways Meeting at Activity Center

Given the amount of attention that this project has received, we have scheduled an informational meeting for this Wednesday, February 15^th, at the Activity Center at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Maryann Rosenthal of Recovery Ways will give a presentation on the facility and be available for questions.

While this is short notice, it is apparent that both the Council and the concerned residents need more information on the services that Recovery Ways provides, and we didn’t want to wait until Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Wednesday’s meeting will provide an exclusive forum for providing this information and it will allow questions to be directed to the people who will actually be running the facility.

The Beat Goes On!

Council met in Special Session on Tuesday, Feb. 7th and approved issuance of General Bonds for the Lake Travis Community Library. This was a short 7 minute meeting and allows the Library to keep on schedule with the construction of the new Library. Prosperity Bank helped the Library and City with a VERY low rate of 2.15% - this was about half the rate expected. Thanks Prosperity!

At 7:00 PM that evening, the second public meeting on the Capital Improvement Plan was held at the activity center. It was well attended and several good questions were offered by citizens. Staff will be shortly putting together a web page that will include a list of proposed projects along with a "FAQ" section. When it's up, I'll post a link.

The City Building Commission met Thursday, here is that agenda. All items were approved and some requirements were added to item 5 at 105 Brooks Hollow Road. The height at 420 Malabar was put off until the height pole could be corrected.

Friday there was a ZAPCO workshop, here is that agenda. The major topics included coaching on meeting procedures, multifamily pros and cons, and updates on the Regional Medical Center Campus.

There is a new watering schedule, check www.lakewaymud.org for your day. Watering is only allowed once a week and it looks like it may get worse before it gets better.

Don't forget about the street closure of Flint Rock Trace at RR 620 begins Saturday, Feb. 11.

Another Big Band Bash comes up Monday, Feb. 13th at 8:00 PM at the Activity Center. Enjoy a free concert by the 17-piece Republic of Texas Big Band and dance to the tunes of yesteryear. Bring your own refreshments!

The Great Texas Warrant Roundup of 2012 begins Feb. 25th. Persons with warrants are urged to contact the Lakeway Municipal Court at 314-7560 or to contact the Lakeway Municipal Court Warrant Clerk Denise Carranco at 314-7566 immediately in order to dispose of their cases voluntarily and avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of arrest at home or at work in front of family, friends or co-workers.

The Lakeway Police Department is seeking applicants for its 10th Annual Citizens Police Academy, which begins March 7th, 2012. The program is a 72-hour block of instruction designed to give the public a working knowledge of law enforcement and the Lakeway Police Department’s policies and operational practices. For more information, visit the city website or e-mail Officer E. Barto at ericbarto@lakeway-tx.gov

Here is the Parks and Rec report with pictures! Many thanks to Parks Director Andra Dearing!

From Steve Jones:

Recovery Ways, a 24-bed addiction rehab. facility, has received a permit and is under construction at the intersecion of Lohmans Crossing and Rolling Green Dr. It will be staffed 24 hours a day and clients are not permitted to leave the facility unsupervised during their stay.

Building Services is scheduled to meet next week with HEB to talk about plans for the Serene Hills Project.

Lakeway Police are forming a Law Enforcement Explorer / Scout Program. They have also been doing a lot of work over there painting, carpeting and tiling common areas.

You might have seen a story on the news about resident Beth Ann Straley entering the home of a neighbor with the self described intention of killing the neighbors 5 year old son and both his parents. No won was injured, an arrest warrant was issued and will be served on her release from a mental health treatment facility.

Staff will meet with Earl Foster of LMUD to discuss current water restriction and changes anticipated when Stage 3 restrictions are imposed. This may impact some city operations and our goal is to be prepared beforehand.

Shannon Burk has sent out a revised Noise Ordinance for Council and Staff to look at. More on that as it surfaces.
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LTISD announced last week that they are spending $2 million on Sports facilities. It apparently is from interest from the 2006 Bond. In my mind it does bring up some questions on the validity of some of the claims made to get the bond passed.

That's all for now!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Lots Going On!

Back from a two week stint at Dallas and I have a lot to catch up on! First on the list is what's coming up this week.

First there is a Special Council Meeting Tuesday evening at 6:30 to address the General Bond sale for the Lake Travis Community Library. These bonds will allow for construction of the new library building on Lohmans Crossing. Prosperity Bank Made the best offer to purchase the library bonds at the exceptionally low rate of 2.15%! This was about half of the expected rate. Here is a link to that agenda!

Immediately after that the second Public Meeting on the Proposed Fifteen-Year Capital Improvement Plan will be held at 7 PM at the Activity Center.

CBC will meet on Feb. 9 at the Council Chambers, here is that agenda. It looks like they will be busy looking at rocks in the ROW, exposed foundations, and some trees in the ROW along with checking out some new height requests.

The portion of Flint Rock Trace between RR 620 and Wild Cherry Drive will be closed to through traffic beginning Saturday, February 11th. Construction work for a section of Flint Rock Road is set to begin and it is anticipated the road will be closed for approximately three (3) months, weather pending. Traffic will be detoured to the intersection of Lohmans Spur and RR 620.

On Friday, Feb. 10, there will be a ZAPCO workshop at 11 AM in Council Chambers. Here is that agenda.

The Great Texas Warrant Roundup of 2012 begins February 25th. If you have any outstanding tickets or warrants, now would be a good time to make arrangements to take care of them before someone knocks on your door! Here is the press release.

Now to catch up!

CBC met On Jan 26th, here is that agenda. Everything passed except a height on Dasher. It was postponed until the applicant could be present.

The burn ban for the City of Lakeway was lifted effective Feb. 1, 2012. However, City Ordinance prohibits most burning inside the City Limits.

ZAPCO met on Feb. 1, 2012 in regular session. Here is that agenda. Per Council Member Dennis Wallace, they approve all the signs and voted to not approve a request to rezone the Evans 13,6 acre tract to R-6 from R-1 zoning. Thanks Dennis!

Lakeway Police is now accepting applications for the Citizens Police Academy. Ever wondered what the police think about and how their day goes? It's a great experience and is well worth the time spent. For more info email Officer Eric Barto at ericbarto@lakeway-tx.gov.

From Steve Jones:

Plans have been submitted for the proposed Service King at 1403 RR 620 N. It will include a 17,000 sq. ft. shop and 2,000 sq. ft. office just South of Oak Grove Plaza.

Speed and traffic studies are being done on Bermuda and Sunfish Drives because of recent complaints. Plans include a followup speed study on Lakeway Blvd. to see if we have successfully slowed traffic there.

Phen-Ker has made application for a zoning change for the 15 acre Patel tract (between LRMC and the High School) to allow for a hotel and independent living facilities to be located South of the hospital.

Andra Dearing reports that progress continues with thinning the Ash Junipers at the upper level of City Park. This should allow the oaks to thrive and native grasses to be established.

The City had their first July 4th committee meeting. Based on the long range forecast and non-existent lake at City Park, the committee determined they would like to host the event at Swim Center Park again this year. Duck Soup has been booked, the marquee tent and dance floor are secured and food vendors and entertainment for kids are being reserved. Fireworks are pending; we are reluctant to enter into a contract for fireworks and risk losing the 50% upfront payment.

A staff meeting is planed with Earl Foster (Lakeway MUD) to review current and future water restrictions (Stage 3 expected in June). We anticipate no water to irrigate the boulevards and possibly having to close the swimming pool if restrictions are severe.

Rachel Wallace, with the help of other staff members, has done an incredible job updating our website. The new site, set to debut on February 24, will have a nice facelift, and information will be much easier to access. We are also adding new content with more information for our residents. I think you will be impressed.

That's all for now. Since I am working out of town a great deal now, the blog will become a little less regular. I will still try to post important items as they come up.

Thanks for the support!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us