Good Morning! Lets talk TRUCKS! DPS and Lakeway Police had a 5 hour program to inspect trucks in our City limits. The 5 hour program stopped and inspected 11 trucks revealing 76 violations and causing 4 trucks to be parked until serious safety issues can be addressed. One driver was arrested for outstanding warrants. The Police will be working with DPS to do another enforcement day soon!
The State Legislature permits only DPS to do these inspections and weight stops - local police do not have that ability.
We are also starting the enforcement of through trucks on Lakeway Blvd from 620 to Lohmans. City Staff is looking at more ways to discourage through trucks on more of our streets - these heavy trucks are very hard on our pavement and bridges and the expense of repairing them is very high!
On another traffic note - there was a major rollover collision Thursday evening in the 400 block of 620 (near Sandez) that had traffic backed up to Randalls. There were 3 injured and one transported by Star Flight, none of the injuries were life threatening.
You have probably heard some media reports on the toll road proposal to alleviate some of the traffic on 620. You probably have noticed that at certain times 620 fails and traffic is horrendous. There has been NO obvious plan so far by CAMPO and TXDot for a solution to our traffic issues. This plan would build an elevated limited access toll road East of 620 to connect the 45 toll road to make a substantial loop around Austin and would allow through traffic that now uses 620 (more than 50% of the traffic on 620 is through traffic) to bypass ours and other city's. The City of Lakeway thinks we should at least start talking about solutions to the issue - can you imagine what traffic will be like by 2040 with the current growth in the surrounding areas?
Please watch out for motorcycles this weekend! It is the annual Republic of Texas Rally and they are all over! It's a fun event and you might see large groups of motorcycles touring the area - so be careful! There has already been one fatal accident.
CBC met Thursday - here is that agenda. Most items were approved, more information was requested on item # 2.
Council will meet Monday evening in regular session - here is that agenda. It looks to be a really short meeting!
From Steve Jones:
The Mayor and Staff met with a representative of a luxury automobile dealership to discuss a proposed customer service center in the area. I'm told it was an eye-opening experience. Staff and Council will look further into this project to see if it would be a good fit for Lakeway. Mayor and Staff also attended the Village of the Hills Aldermen's meeting and shared information about the proposed downtown commercial project on the Glen Heather / Wunneberger properties. That project is moving forward full steam and the developer seems to want to build a project that will be an asset to the Lakeway residents.
Devin Monk attended his first Lakeway Visitors Commission meeting, helped Don Stevenson and Carrie Burns update their respective pages on the website, met with Chief Radford about developing a K-9 media kit, and facilitated the YNN interview with Mayor DeOme on the city’s proposed toll road. He sent out News Flashes encouraging people to take the Community Impact poll on the toll road and to attend Dive-In Movies this summer at the Swim Center. Devin also blogged about Lakeway’s Click It or Ticket results, Honor Flight Austin, DAR at Summit Lakeway, Lake Travis High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian, and Flag Day.
On Friday, Devin sent out a press release about the city’s Wildfire Awareness Town Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m. on June 26. Tell your friends and neighbors to attend to learn more about protecting their homes from the threat of wildfires. At the town hall meeting, the city will be recognized as the 900th Firewise Community. Devin created a photo gallery on the website of the Lakeway Quarter Century Club Luncheon that featured nearly 150 photos by Bill Hawkins and Patti Melton-Pieszchala.
Andra Dearing reported, “We are completing the four Sailmaster medians today, and have also dressed up the monument sign at the Police Department.” The new landscaping at Sailmaster Drive and Lohmans Crossing is a great improvement in the appearance of the intersection.
Police dispatcher Robert Collins has left the department to take a police recruit position with Abilene PD. Robert worked here for 4 years and his desire was to be a police officer. Having family in the Abilene area made this decision much easier for him. We wish him and his family well!
Patrol officers interrupted a burglary at the Live Oak Country Club. One officer chased on foot and caught the two primary suspects; two others were located later in the night at their home. These suspects have been linked to multiple burglaries of this establishment, starting around Memorial Day. CID is continuing the investigation and should forward the case for review soon.
Citizens Police Academy went to the central booking facility for their tour this week. The class reviews were very good, many positive comments.
Aaron Concrete is substantially complete with the Lakeway Boulevard culvert project, and all lanes of traffic are open. Striping of the road is scheduled for early next week.
LTISD has approached us about supporting them in an initiative to reduce the number of autos that pass stopped school buses. The program includes installing cameras on school busses that photograph cars as they pass a stopped bus. Civil citations are issued and mailed to the offending car owner. Since it is a civil process, the city must pass an ordinance to authorize the program. Normally, I do not favor enforcing traffic laws such as speeding or running traffic signals through a civil process. Such enforcement is usually perceived by the public as a revenue grab. However, I do support this effort to protect our schoolchildren. We are currently reviewing the proposed ordinance.
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It would be really nice to get a couple of showers this weekend. but it doesn't look too promising! The Lake is at 37% full and we are looking at further restrictions to water use soon.
Have a GREAT weekend - as always, send me an email at lakeway@bain.us if you would like to be added to my email list!
Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us
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