The City's Secretary position has been filled! Donna Boyle, our current Administrative Assistant was promoted today to City Secretary pending Council approval. Congratulations Donna!
Get Ready! The July 4th parade is almost here! It will be on Saturday, July 3rd - regular route from the Live Oak Clubhouse to the Activity Center on Lakeway Dr. Starts at 8:30AM. The theme this year is "Military Service - A Family Affair". Following the parade is the pageant at the Activity Center at 10:30AM - Grand marshall Rosie Babin and her son CPL Alan "Doc" Babin, Jr. will be there to meet and greet you.
Other activities include the Lakeway Swim Center ($3 all day), skate park is open and free all day, activities start at the Lakeway City Park at 6PM. Shuttle service from Emmaus Catholic Church and Lakeway Elementary School begins at 6PM. Fireworks at 9:30PM. Enjoy the festivities!
A sign is up warning of construction on Lohmans from Lakeway Blvd. to Sailmaster - traffic will need to detour via Lakeway Dr. - expect delays!
Last but not least! Here is the data from the survey the City did on cell phone and texting - this link should take you to the data page!
Thanks for looking!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Emergency Services Day / Bike Rodeo
If you haven't been yet and even if you have, get over to the Emergency Services Day and Bike Rodeo going on at the Lake Travis Elementary School on RR 620! Lots going on, police, sheriff, Fire, ems, lcra - all are there and more. You can get etching done on your vehicle to stop theft and get a snack. The Police Academy and Emergency Services have booths also. Here are some pictures to enjoy!
Friday, June 25, 2010
MUD News
As promised, the result of the MUD meeting Thursday was to authorize their attorney to review the documents received from Mr. Eason.
I am told that he sent an undated and unsigned letter of resignation to the MUD Board that was tied to a severance package. There is some question as to whether he is entitled to the severance package as part of his employment contract - more as it unfolds.
I also learned that the lawsuit between Mr. Eason and Kay Andrews was settled today with $90,000 in actual damages and $1000 in punitive damages awarded to Mr. Eason.
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
I am told that he sent an undated and unsigned letter of resignation to the MUD Board that was tied to a severance package. There is some question as to whether he is entitled to the severance package as part of his employment contract - more as it unfolds.
I also learned that the lawsuit between Mr. Eason and Kay Andrews was settled today with $90,000 in actual damages and $1000 in punitive damages awarded to Mr. Eason.
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Breaking News!
Looks like the Lakeway Police force had had GREAT success - following is a report from Chief Todd Radford:
The most recent auto theft from the World of Tennis has been solved and it turns out that a young man in the community burglarized a condo and during that offense he stole a copy of the car key. When the car was discovered and returned to the owner, he would steal it again - this happened several times. The last time it was driven to Austin and the suspect was apprehended and confessed to the multiple auto thefts - he was put in jail Wednesday!
Three suspects in an Aggravated Sexual Assault case were indicted by a Grand Jury last week for an incident that occurred at the Lakeway Inn last year. This case is still pending, waiting on the soldiers involved to be returned to the States to face charges.
The suspect in the second Cristiani's theft was apprehended in Houston this week as a result of a fingerprint found at the scene of the crime. The finger print was identified by the DPS crime lab and the suspect was identified in a subsequent photo lineup.
An arrest was made in the theft of a jet ski on Lakeway Dr. Additional charges are pending for two juvenile associates.
Congratulations to Jeff Brinkman and Steve Adams on their promotion to Sergeant this week! Officer David Davis was promoted to Detective! GOOD JOB!
More soon!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
The most recent auto theft from the World of Tennis has been solved and it turns out that a young man in the community burglarized a condo and during that offense he stole a copy of the car key. When the car was discovered and returned to the owner, he would steal it again - this happened several times. The last time it was driven to Austin and the suspect was apprehended and confessed to the multiple auto thefts - he was put in jail Wednesday!
Three suspects in an Aggravated Sexual Assault case were indicted by a Grand Jury last week for an incident that occurred at the Lakeway Inn last year. This case is still pending, waiting on the soldiers involved to be returned to the States to face charges.
The suspect in the second Cristiani's theft was apprehended in Houston this week as a result of a fingerprint found at the scene of the crime. The finger print was identified by the DPS crime lab and the suspect was identified in a subsequent photo lineup.
An arrest was made in the theft of a jet ski on Lakeway Dr. Additional charges are pending for two juvenile associates.
Congratulations to Jeff Brinkman and Steve Adams on their promotion to Sergeant this week! Officer David Davis was promoted to Detective! GOOD JOB!
More soon!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Catching Up
Just returned from a trip to Santa Fe and Colorado - really nice up there!
Let's start with current events.
Don't forget the Emergency Services Day / Bike Rodeo tomorrow, Saturday, June 26. Click here for the flyer! It should be a real experience! I hear there will be several emergency service helicopters, boats, motorcycles and more!
Yesterday the Lakeway MUD held a special session to discuss independent counsel regarding employment issues with Richard Eason. Here is the agenda. I attended the meeting but it immediately went into special session and I don't have the results yet - I will pass those on as soon as I get them.
The CBC also met on Thursday with a short agenda. Here it is! I'm told they met, approved the minutes and immediately went to the field and approved all but one of the finals.
The City Council Met Monday evening. Here is that agenda. I was not present but I can report on some of the items.
The residential zoning change for Lakeway Airpark South was withdrawn.
The Safe Driving Ordinance was not adopted - it is my understanding that current laws are sufficient to address the issue.
A False Alarm Ordinance was adopted. The City has been getting multiple alarms from some customers and this will allow fines for multiple false alarms.
From Steve Jones Report last week:
The City has an intern that is working on an economic impact study of the new medical center. He has a model and is gathering data - a report is expected in August. It is possible this report can also be used to forecast sales tax revenue for next year.
Steve Jones has ordered a small traffic study to address increased traffic and speeding on Lakeway Blvd. Cut-through traffic from Highlands Blvd. will be addressed in this study.
Steve, Chessie and Julie are working on the FY10 budget amendment. Since we are under budget on court fees and interest income plus an unexpected $45K expense for police software some cuts in expenses will be required to end the year with a balanced budget.
And finally, I have learned that AT&T is pursuing pushing fiber out to most of the residences in Lakeway. I'm told that the project will be completed by the end of the year.
Thanks for looking! I will have more shortly!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Let's start with current events.
Don't forget the Emergency Services Day / Bike Rodeo tomorrow, Saturday, June 26. Click here for the flyer! It should be a real experience! I hear there will be several emergency service helicopters, boats, motorcycles and more!
Yesterday the Lakeway MUD held a special session to discuss independent counsel regarding employment issues with Richard Eason. Here is the agenda. I attended the meeting but it immediately went into special session and I don't have the results yet - I will pass those on as soon as I get them.
The CBC also met on Thursday with a short agenda. Here it is! I'm told they met, approved the minutes and immediately went to the field and approved all but one of the finals.
The City Council Met Monday evening. Here is that agenda. I was not present but I can report on some of the items.
The residential zoning change for Lakeway Airpark South was withdrawn.
The Safe Driving Ordinance was not adopted - it is my understanding that current laws are sufficient to address the issue.
A False Alarm Ordinance was adopted. The City has been getting multiple alarms from some customers and this will allow fines for multiple false alarms.
From Steve Jones Report last week:
The City has an intern that is working on an economic impact study of the new medical center. He has a model and is gathering data - a report is expected in August. It is possible this report can also be used to forecast sales tax revenue for next year.
Steve Jones has ordered a small traffic study to address increased traffic and speeding on Lakeway Blvd. Cut-through traffic from Highlands Blvd. will be addressed in this study.
Steve, Chessie and Julie are working on the FY10 budget amendment. Since we are under budget on court fees and interest income plus an unexpected $45K expense for police software some cuts in expenses will be required to end the year with a balanced budget.
And finally, I have learned that AT&T is pursuing pushing fiber out to most of the residences in Lakeway. I'm told that the project will be completed by the end of the year.
Thanks for looking! I will have more shortly!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week at a Glance!
Let's start with the City Building Commission meeting. They met on June 10th - click here for the agenda. All items were approved except a final for a model home in the Ryland area. It was a short day!
___________________________
From Steve Jones - City Manager
RBC Capital Markets (summarizes municipal bond markets) has published in their newsletter that the City of Lakeway has a better bond rating (Aa3) from Moody's than most of the bond insurance companies and equal to the best of them. This means the City currently doesn't have to buy insurance on any bonds issued!
The City Budget process is about to start! Here is a preliminary schedule - times to follow when I know:
August 9th - Work Session
August 16th - Adopt proposed tax rate and budget - regular Council Meeting.
August 30th - Work session and 1st public hearing
September 13th - Work session and second public hearing
September 20th - Adopt budget and tax rate (regular Council Mtg.)
The City is installing warning signs for the crosswalks at the intersection of Lakeway Blvd. and Highlands Blvd. The signs for the crosswalk on Lohmans Crossing at Sailmaster will be changed to make them more authoritative. Some drivers still seem to be confused about whether they must yield for pedestrians - the new signs will clear that up!
At last weeks ZAPCO meeting Chessie Blanchard (Assistant City Manager) presented an overview of the annexation process. She will conduct an ETJ tour as part of the next ZAPCO meeting. More to come on this I'm sure!
Officer Mike Pribble has returned to full duty from military leave - welcome back Mike and thanks for your service! - William Dolezal has filled the vacant dispatcher position.
The Lakeway Police Officers Association has decided to form a non-profit corporation - it will be a benevolent organization that can receive donations and distribute them in a specified manner to deserving police related causes and persons. This will address any confusion as to whether donations are tax deductible.
Blood Drive July 10th click for more info!
___________________________
From Steve Jones - City Manager
RBC Capital Markets (summarizes municipal bond markets) has published in their newsletter that the City of Lakeway has a better bond rating (Aa3) from Moody's than most of the bond insurance companies and equal to the best of them. This means the City currently doesn't have to buy insurance on any bonds issued!
The City Budget process is about to start! Here is a preliminary schedule - times to follow when I know:
August 9th - Work Session
August 16th - Adopt proposed tax rate and budget - regular Council Meeting.
August 30th - Work session and 1st public hearing
September 13th - Work session and second public hearing
September 20th - Adopt budget and tax rate (regular Council Mtg.)
The City is installing warning signs for the crosswalks at the intersection of Lakeway Blvd. and Highlands Blvd. The signs for the crosswalk on Lohmans Crossing at Sailmaster will be changed to make them more authoritative. Some drivers still seem to be confused about whether they must yield for pedestrians - the new signs will clear that up!
At last weeks ZAPCO meeting Chessie Blanchard (Assistant City Manager) presented an overview of the annexation process. She will conduct an ETJ tour as part of the next ZAPCO meeting. More to come on this I'm sure!
Officer Mike Pribble has returned to full duty from military leave - welcome back Mike and thanks for your service! - William Dolezal has filled the vacant dispatcher position.
The Lakeway Police Officers Association has decided to form a non-profit corporation - it will be a benevolent organization that can receive donations and distribute them in a specified manner to deserving police related causes and persons. This will address any confusion as to whether donations are tax deductible.
Blood Drive July 10th click for more info!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Quarter Century Club + LMUD Meeting
I was privileged and honored to attend the Quarter Century Club annual meeting Tuesday that was organized by the Heritage Commission and Peggy Point! What a turnout! There were well over a hundred RSVPs and I expect nearly that many turned out. One resident had lived here 46 years I think.
The Quarter Century Club is open to all those folks that have lived in Lakeway for 25 years or more. If you fall into that group, be sure to contact the Heritage Commission and let them know for next year. Hamburgers and refreshments are furnished for all those attending and the Mayor and City Council are usually there to help out along with all the City staff. GREAT job and thanks!
_________________________
The Lakeway Municipal Utility District had their regular monthly meeting Wednesday at 9:30 in their auditorium. Here is the agenda.
Items 4, 5, and 6 were passed unanimously, 7 was passed with a 3 to 2 vote, with Tom Priddy and Allan Hitchcock voting no. The Minutes were approved of the last meeting with corrections and items 9 and 10 were tabled. The General Managers report was given and $21k additional was noted for the W-3 building to procure furniture, computers, additional drywall, etc. Additional money was also noted for change orders on the WCID #17 Interconnect - LMUD's part being some $8K.
Mr. Eason requested an executive session and was denied, and was also denied permission to report on employment related issues that are scheduled for August.
The meeting adjourned about 11:40.
That's all for now!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
The Quarter Century Club is open to all those folks that have lived in Lakeway for 25 years or more. If you fall into that group, be sure to contact the Heritage Commission and let them know for next year. Hamburgers and refreshments are furnished for all those attending and the Mayor and City Council are usually there to help out along with all the City staff. GREAT job and thanks!
_________________________
The Lakeway Municipal Utility District had their regular monthly meeting Wednesday at 9:30 in their auditorium. Here is the agenda.
Items 4, 5, and 6 were passed unanimously, 7 was passed with a 3 to 2 vote, with Tom Priddy and Allan Hitchcock voting no. The Minutes were approved of the last meeting with corrections and items 9 and 10 were tabled. The General Managers report was given and $21k additional was noted for the W-3 building to procure furniture, computers, additional drywall, etc. Additional money was also noted for change orders on the WCID #17 Interconnect - LMUD's part being some $8K.
Mr. Eason requested an executive session and was denied, and was also denied permission to report on employment related issues that are scheduled for August.
The meeting adjourned about 11:40.
That's all for now!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Weekly News
Hi folks! It's another BEAUTIFUL day in Lakeway! Gonna get HOT!
Looks like Nate's Pub is going to reopen as Jasper's Big dog Saloon. Should be opening on June 6th.
Mark your calendars, Police Chief Todd Radford is going to hold a "Chief's Coffee" June 15th at the City Hall at 8:00AM. This will be an opportunity to better understand and communicate with the Chief about police issues in Lakeway. It should be an educational morning and I for one am looking forward to attending - see you there!
Here is a link to a flyer for the Lakewqay Emergency Services Day and Bike Rodeo for Saturday, June 26th - mark your calendars and plan to attend, it will be a GREAT event!
From Steve Jones Report (City Manager)
The City received two bids on the Lohmans Crossing rehabilitation project. The anticipated cost was $375K but some of the unknowns have driven the bids up. It will be on the next Council agenda.
The City met with IESI again regarding their request for a rate increase (waste collection). They are requesting a $1.23/month increase due to about a 64% increase in landfill costs. The City is also asking them to provide a cost for a "single-stream" recycling program. Look for more information in a couple of weeks!
I previously reported on the Mitchell vs. Lakeway lawsuit - the City is pursuing options and has received a request for discovery. More as it becomes available.
The Hills and LTISD have received complaints about traffic around Serene Hills Elementary during peat traffic times. The Hills has hired a traffic engineer to evaluate the intersection. Watch for new striping in response to his recommendations. The City will be doing some striping at the same time to Trophy lane to improve conditions there.
The City received an open records request from a Graveyard Point resident related to the Crosswater marina project - I expect to see more on this issue in the near future - there is a ruling from a judge expected shortly on some of the issues.
Last but not least - the City is scheduling a truck weights and check point operation for July 6th with the assistance of TCSO and DPS. This is an annual event to help keep overloaded and unsafe trucks of of our city streets.
Thanks for LOOKING - tell your friends!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Looks like Nate's Pub is going to reopen as Jasper's Big dog Saloon. Should be opening on June 6th.
Mark your calendars, Police Chief Todd Radford is going to hold a "Chief's Coffee" June 15th at the City Hall at 8:00AM. This will be an opportunity to better understand and communicate with the Chief about police issues in Lakeway. It should be an educational morning and I for one am looking forward to attending - see you there!
Here is a link to a flyer for the Lakewqay Emergency Services Day and Bike Rodeo for Saturday, June 26th - mark your calendars and plan to attend, it will be a GREAT event!
From Steve Jones Report (City Manager)
The City received two bids on the Lohmans Crossing rehabilitation project. The anticipated cost was $375K but some of the unknowns have driven the bids up. It will be on the next Council agenda.
The City met with IESI again regarding their request for a rate increase (waste collection). They are requesting a $1.23/month increase due to about a 64% increase in landfill costs. The City is also asking them to provide a cost for a "single-stream" recycling program. Look for more information in a couple of weeks!
I previously reported on the Mitchell vs. Lakeway lawsuit - the City is pursuing options and has received a request for discovery. More as it becomes available.
The Hills and LTISD have received complaints about traffic around Serene Hills Elementary during peat traffic times. The Hills has hired a traffic engineer to evaluate the intersection. Watch for new striping in response to his recommendations. The City will be doing some striping at the same time to Trophy lane to improve conditions there.
The City received an open records request from a Graveyard Point resident related to the Crosswater marina project - I expect to see more on this issue in the near future - there is a ruling from a judge expected shortly on some of the issues.
Last but not least - the City is scheduling a truck weights and check point operation for July 6th with the assistance of TCSO and DPS. This is an annual event to help keep overloaded and unsafe trucks of of our city streets.
Thanks for LOOKING - tell your friends!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Catch Up, News
Hi folks! Let me try to catch up from a week of absence!
Let's start with the big issue. It seems there has been a lot of press on the "Swingers Club" that is holding an event at the Lakeway Inn in conjunction with Aquapalooza. This group has held the same event for several years here and it has gathered attention because it was sensationalized by a local radio talk show.
This is a private event and the City or local police really have no say in it. The Police will monitor the event and will respond to any calls that do break the law. The events held in past years have been relatively uneventful. If there are any updates I will post them - if you wish to complain, it would be best to take the complaints to the local businesses that are supporting the event.
If you read the article in the Lake Travis View last week about the lawsuit settlement on the Graveyard Point Marina issue, be sure to tune in this week. It appears that some information given to the paper was less than accurate and the settlements were not involving the Marina group.
Steve Jones Report:
Our sales tax consultant, Sarah Mangham, has found 18 businesses that do not appear to be collecting and/ or remitting city sales tax. She is working with the State Comptroller to recover as much of the lost revenue as possible.
The steps and landings on the water slide at the swim center have been repaired and are ready to go! The repairs were done with concrete and should last indefinitely.
Paul Duncan, City Engineer, held a pre-bid conference for the Lohmans Crossing project last week. Four contractors attended and we will receive and open bids this week. If all goes well, construction will start July 6th.
The City is considering striping Trophy Drive to delineate parallel parking spaces on both sides of the road. This should help parking issues and promote safety in the area.
More as I catch up!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
Let's start with the big issue. It seems there has been a lot of press on the "Swingers Club" that is holding an event at the Lakeway Inn in conjunction with Aquapalooza. This group has held the same event for several years here and it has gathered attention because it was sensationalized by a local radio talk show.
This is a private event and the City or local police really have no say in it. The Police will monitor the event and will respond to any calls that do break the law. The events held in past years have been relatively uneventful. If there are any updates I will post them - if you wish to complain, it would be best to take the complaints to the local businesses that are supporting the event.
If you read the article in the Lake Travis View last week about the lawsuit settlement on the Graveyard Point Marina issue, be sure to tune in this week. It appears that some information given to the paper was less than accurate and the settlements were not involving the Marina group.
Steve Jones Report:
Our sales tax consultant, Sarah Mangham, has found 18 businesses that do not appear to be collecting and/ or remitting city sales tax. She is working with the State Comptroller to recover as much of the lost revenue as possible.
The steps and landings on the water slide at the swim center have been repaired and are ready to go! The repairs were done with concrete and should last indefinitely.
Paul Duncan, City Engineer, held a pre-bid conference for the Lohmans Crossing project last week. Four contractors attended and we will receive and open bids this week. If all goes well, construction will start July 6th.
The City is considering striping Trophy Drive to delineate parallel parking spaces on both sides of the road. This should help parking issues and promote safety in the area.
More as I catch up!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
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