Happy New Year! ZAPCO, Activity Center, Police Report and More!

Last post of 2016, I hope all of you have had a wonderful year and are looking forward to 2017!  

It's been a slow week around the City.  We think we have solved the locked restroom mystery at Hamilton Greenbelt - it appears the cleaning crew was locking it up when they left.  You might notice the barricades are partially up again at the entrance - we found a couple of issues and the contractor will be working on them - use caution.  This project has been frustrating on time, cost is still on budget.  The good news is the two other restrooms we installed went without incident - on schedule and on time.

ZAPCO will meet in regular session January 4th.  Here is that agenda.  It appears it will be a short meeting!

The Lakeway Activity Center has been gearing up for the new year!  Here is a link to the current information.  Thanks Dallas!

From the Chief:
Patrol/CID/Animal Protection:

LPD Officers conducted 189 traffic stops, responded to 12 alarm calls, investigated 22 suspicious circumstance calls, responded to 9 vehicle crashes and handled 109 other types of calls for service for a total of 341.

Routine traffic stops resulted in the following charges;  Driving Under the Influence X 1, Out of Jurisdiction Warrants X 1, Lakeway Warrant X 1, Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor X 1, Possession of a Controlled Substance X 1, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia  X 5.

Officers responded to a Sailmaster address for a report of a suicidal subject. Upon arrival it was learned that a person was threatening to harm themselves with a knife. The subject was transported by EMS to the hospital where officers issued an emergency commitment order. 

Officers responded to a Medical Parkway address in reference to a theft. A report was taken about stolen items taken from a room on the premises. CID is investigating this case. 

Officers responded to a Troon St. address in reference to unwanted solicitors. Upon arrival officers found two subjects going door to door. While issuing warnings to the subjects for soliciting without a permit it was learned that one of the subjects had an active warrant from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The subject was arrested and transported to Travis County Jail. 

Officers responded to a Ringtail Stream address in reference to a suspicious person call. Upon arrival officers found two subjects trespassing on the property. The subjects claimed to be digging for arrowheads with permission from the owner of the property. While investigating the call, officers found the one subject in possession of a controlled substance; he was arrested and transported to Travis County Jail. The second subject was advised to leave the property and given a trespass warning and a citation for drug paraphernalia. 

Detectives were assigned to investigate a report of a Theft/Credit Card Abuse that occurred at The Harbor at Lakeway. According to the elderly victims, their credit/debit cards were stolen from their room and were used without their consent to rack up over $2,000.00 in charges. Detectives were able to track down the majority of the purchase locations/business and obtained video footage of a subject using the victim’s cards. Using the video footage, Detectives were able to positively identify the suspect as an employee of The Harbor at Lakeway. Detectives also learned the suspect was wanted on an unrelated charge of Robbery (APD). Detectives made contact with the suspect as she arrived for work and arrested her on the Robbery warrant. Detectives conducted an interview with the suspect, during which the suspect confessed to stealing the victims credit/debit cards and using them at various locations in the Austin area. The suspect was charged and arrested for Credit or Debit Card Abuse, a 3rd Degree Felony ($20,000.00 bond). An investigation is ongoing regarding other thefts and unauthorized credit/debit card purchases at The Harbor at Lakeway. 


The men and women of the Lakeway Police department want to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!
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That's all for today and this year!  I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!  Please be safe out there and enjoy the interesting weather pattern we seem to be in.  

If you would like to be added to my email list send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get you added.

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Council, Police Station, Lohmans Spur, Flint Rock Road and More!

Good Morning!  Happy Christmas Eve eve!  It is also the eve of Hanukkah - one of the few times that Hanukkah and Christmas Eve overlap.

 A few things happened this week of interest - Council met on Monday night - here is that agenda.  As you can see, there was really only one item on the agenda and it was postponed.  There was discussion on removing the World of Tennis from the Short Term Rental requirements and it was postponed until January.

December 20th was Deputy City Manager Chessie Zimmerman's last day with the City.  She resigned to take a position with a development company - we wish her all the best, she has made an impact in the quality of life we enjoy in Lakeway.  We had a small celebration in City Park where Chessie was presented with a tree in her honor.

Thursday we had a meeting of the Architectural Committee and worked on layout and positioning of the proposed Police Station.  Access and egress was also discussed.  Some preliminary pictures were presented and the project is moving forward quickly.  We will need to move ahead to get pricing and a final layout.  Council will meet in February to develop bond information for a May election.  At that point we will hold public meetings to get input from citizens.

The light at Lohmans Spur was turned on yesterday.  I've been through the intersection a couple of times already and it seems to be working as expected.

Traffic was moved to the new pavement on Flint Rock Road this week.  After a little delay the Flintrock Falls access was established.  Be patient, this is still all temporary and still a construction zone.  Just because the surface is better doesn't mean you should speed up - please observe the caution signs and slow down.  

Lots coming up in the new year!  The CAV's will be having a Parade of Champions celebrating their State Championship Win - Sunday January 8th at 2PM at the Hill Country Galleria.  

Baylor Scott and White will have an open house on Feb. 4th from 10 AM until 1 PM.  There will be hospital tours and a meet and greet.  STAR Flight will be there and the Lake Travis EMS.

The new Hamilton Greenbelt restrooms are now unlocked.  Enjoy!

January 9th join others at the Big Band Bash at the Activity Center. 

 The new schedule for the 2017 Brown Bag Lunch is available and starts on January 5th - here is a link to the schedule.

That's about it for this year - I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends.  If something big comes up I'll post it, otherwise this will be the last blog of the year.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

CAV's WIN!, It's Cold Out There!

Good Morning!  It's cold out there!  By my weather station https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KTXLAKEW14 it's 24.8 degrees - with the windy conditions it feels like 15 degrees!  This is the coldest weather we have seen for years.  If you haven't already, you need to wrap your outside faucets or drip them - you don't want a frozen pipe!


Congratulate our Lake Travis Cavaliers!  They are the State Champions - they defeated the Woodlands last night with a final score of 41-13 - this is their sixth title since 2007!  Coach Carter has done a GREAT job with our kids, GREAT job by all!

If you would like to be added to my email list send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get you added.

Have a GREAT Sunday, stay warm!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Council Meeting!

I was in such a rush last night to get the blog out I forgot one major item!

Council will meet in regular session Monday evening - here is that agenda.  There is only one item on the agenda and it is an update to the Short Term Rental ordinance.  

Should be a very short agenda!

If you would like to be added or removed from the email list, just drop a note to lakeway@bain.us.  Have a GREAT weekend!  Going to get COLD!

I'll try to post the results of the CAV's game this evening - GO CAVS!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Weather, Cavs, Hamilton Greenbelt, Flint Rock Road and More!

What a weather roller coaster!  Should be up to 80 degrees tomorrow and then the bottom falls out!  If you haven't heard, protect the plants and pipes - it's supposed to be in the 20's by Sunday morning and again Monday and Tuesday.  Along with that it's supposed to be windy and that means it will feel even colder!  Click this link to see the weather on my station, burrrrrr.

The Cav's are on the way to Dallas for the State Finals!  They had a big send off today and left town on 620 at 2PM.  Teh game will be televised Saturday evening from AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Fox Sports Southwest.  GO CAVS!

The Hamilton Greenbelt Parking lot is finally substantially finished. The barricades will come down and the rest rooms will be open, hopefully this weekend.  Thank everyone for their patience, check it out and enjoy!

I'm also told the light at Lohmans Spur will be put on flash next week and should be fully operational in about 2 weeks.

The Serene Hills Spelling Bee was held last Friday and I was honored to be the pronouncer.  The winner was third grade student Andrew Glaeser shown with Spelling Bee Coordinator Kathy Austrian in the photo on the right.  Congratulations Andrew!

Today Council Member Jean Hennagin, Doris Cline, Julie Oakley and I toured the Balcones Resources Recycling facility.  We all learned a lot about recycling and I plan to share it with you at a future date.  I was amazed at the speed at which some of the items were sorted - it was an interesting tour!


The Flint Rock Road contractor has completed one side of the new road and will transition traffic to the new side next week.  It will still be a construction zone and work will be continuing - it is scheduled to be complete about March or April.  We are looking at annexing that area in the near future - when this is done, Lakeway Police will be able to patrol the road.

CBC met in regular session Thursday - here is that agenda.  Her are the results complements of Council Member Keith Trecker:
1.  A height determination request for condominiums at 3211 RR S was disapproved for 40 ft., but was approved for 32 ft.
2.  A view blocking determination was approved for a new house on 805 Rough Hollow Dr.
3.  A waiver for landscaping requirements at 429 Seawind was approved.
4.  A waiver for fencing height and materials at 209 Bisset Ct. was approved with the condition of a requirement for plantings on the berm behind the sport court, which would be visible from Highlands Blvd. 

5.  Eight on site inspections were performed, and all were approved.

Springhill Suites is working on permits for a new hotel in the Lakeway Medical Village.  There is a possibility for a second hotel in the Village - more as I hear about it.

North Lakeway Village HOA has contacted staff about enforcing traffic laws on their private streets - we already do that for several other areas.  The HOA will have to present the request approved by their Board and Council will have to approve an ordinance.  

Here's a link to the BDS report for the week.  They are busy back there!

Wendy Askey reports that we currently have openings for a Police Officer, Police Tele-communicator, Lifeguard, Recreation Assistant, and Assistant City Manager.  Use the following link to read the complete job descriptions and apply, https://tx-lakeway.civicplushrms.com/careers/ 

From the Chief:
LPD Officers conducted 176 traffic stops, responded to 32 alarm calls, investigated 18 suspicious circumstance calls, responded to 12 vehicle crashes and handled 102 other types of calls for service for a total of 340.

Routine traffic stops resulted in the following charges; Out of Jurisdiction Warrants X 1, and Driving while Intoxicated X 1.  

Officers responded to a disturbance call at a Rolling Green address. Upon arrival it was learned that a person had taken a cab from Austin to Lakeway and did not want to pay for the service.  A report was taken for theft of service and a partial payment was made. 

Officers responded to a RR 620 S. business in reference to a theft call. An unknown person entered the business and stole a cell phone that was on display. A report was taken and no suspects are known at this time. 

Officers responded to a call about a special needs child who had walked out of a local business and could not be located by his parents. Officers began to search the area west of the Oaks of Lakeway. Officers requested assistance from Star flight as well to assist in the search. A short time later, Officer Stroud located the child near a creek southeast of Rolling Green; the child was recovered and returned home unharmed. 

Officers responded to a Porpoise Street address in reference to a disturbance. Officers were told by dispatch that two subjects were arguing in a vehicle. Officers arrived and found one subject in the vehicle and another walking down the street. It was learned that the subjects knew each other and that the third subject lived on Porpoise. The subjects were separated, one subject was arrested for outstanding warrants and transported to Travis County Jail, the others were released.  


While officers were out in the 800 block of RR 620 S. working a traffic accident, another vehicle traveling on RR 620 ran into a Lakeway patrol unit causing minor damage to the right front fender.  There were no injuries and the driver was issued a citation. As a reminder -- PLEASE be mindful of first responders who are working crashes.
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That's all for now, more as I find out.  If you would like to be added to the email list, send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get you added.  Have a GREAT weekend and stay warm!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us 

Special Edition - Cav's Going to State!

In case you haven't heard, Lake Travis beat Atascocita 63-21 Saturday in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio.  This means they will meet The Woodlands at 8PM Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

to be added to my email list send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get you added!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Transportation, Hamilton Greenbelt Status, Police and More!

Another week has rushed by - it seems like time has sped up!  It dropped to 31.8 degrees this morning, it was cold!  Especially for December.

Transportation:  Looks like the signal at Lohmans Spur is ready to go.  The ADA folks found a few issues that need to be corrected and the light is scheduled to go on flash on the 19th of December.  It will be fully operational a week or two after that.

The right turn arrow has been reinstalled at Lohmans Crossing and 620.  This was inadvertently removed when the signal work was done.  I was able to get it reinstalled - thanks to Victor Vargas at TxDOT.

Travis County Commissioner Court has decided my appointment is up on CAMPO at the end of this year.  I have asked to be re-appointed and now the court has decided to "Open a Call" for applications for the CAMPO appointment.  I will apply through this process and see what happens.  I will have more information as this progresses and may ask for letters to be sent to the court - stand by as I see where this goes - small cities representation is important to make sure we are heard in future planning.
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The parking lot at Hamilton Greenbelt is substantially complete.  We are waiting on striping and now have had a weather delay.  Although this project has had its issues no extra money has been spent by the city.  The contractor will absorb all the costs of errors and delays.  Know that the job will be the quality that is expected of our residents.

Today I was honored to be the "Pronouncer" at the Serene Hills Elementary School.  It is one one of the hardest things I get to do, this is my second year.  It is truly amazing what words are on this list - many of which I have never heard of, never used and are daunting to pronounce!  It is a GREAT event and I will try to post the winners picture next week - they are all winners!

ZAPCO met in regular session this week, signage was approved for a subdivision in Serene Hills and for the Grumpy Grouper and a waiver was approved for Hat Creek Burgers to use artificial turf on their playground area.  They also recommended approval for a SUP for a sales office at Tuscan Village and recommended approval of proposed amendments to the city's short term rental ordinance.

This week the Police Facility Committed held their 6th meeting with the architect.  they have substantially completed the site layout and are working on the design of the building.  Soon we will have information for publication and will have cost information.  

CBC will meet in regular session next week December 15th at 9:00 AM - here is a link to their agenda .

We are considering doing a study of the intersection of Lohmans Spur at 620.  The traffic movements there are really becoming a safety issue and we need to figure out what will really work here.

Ray Miller, BDS Director and his department have been busy.  Here is a link to a the City's building permit activity.  Residential starts have leveled off at about 250 a year but commercial starts are about double.

Public Works has been busy also.  They have laid out erosion matting on Lohmans Crossing where the power was installed, they planted two  trees on Lakeway Blvd. in the 1700 block and they worked a collection event at teh Household Hazardous Waste Recycle Center.

From the Chief:
LPD Officers conducted 153 traffic stops, responded to 9 alarm calls, investigated 8 suspicious circumstance calls, handled 21 animal calls, responded to 7 vehicle crashes and handled 146 other types of calls for service for a total of 344.

Routine traffic stops resulted in the following charges; Out of Jurisdiction Warrants X 1, Possession of Marijuana X 1, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia X 2, and Possession of a Controlled Substance X 2.  

Officers responded to a Paragon Court address in reference to a deceased person call. A resident had passed away after a prolonged illness and was in hospice care. 

Officers responded to a Maialina Cove address in reference to a theft call. It was learned upon arrival that an electrical box had been stolen from a house under construction. The suspect(s) had cut the wiring to the box to remove it causing damage to the wiring system of the house. Damage estimates are $20,000. This case is under investigation. 

Officers responded to a Nautilus address in reference to a missing person call. Officers were advised that a juvenile had run away from the residence and had not been seen for a couple of days. This subject was entered into the missing person’s data base. The subject was later located by officers and transported to Gardner Betts Juvenile Facility.   

Officers were dispatched to Baylor, Scott and White emergency room for a combative patient. This patient was brought in by TCSO for evaluation by their Crisis Intervention Team. After the TCSO team left, the subject began highly agitated and began to act aggressively toward staff. LPD officers responded to a 911 call from hospital staff and upon arrival, helped restrain the subject until he could be calmed by medication. The subject is awaiting transfer to a mental health facility. 

Detectives were assigned to investigate a Prescription Fraud case which was reported by a local doctor’s office. According to the complainant, they were contacted by a pharmacy in Austin regarding a suspicious prescription for controlled substances they received. It was determined that the prescription was forged and the suspects were identified. Due to the fraud taking place in Austin, the case will be forwarded to the Texas Department of Public Safety for investigation/prosecution.


Working with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Unit and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Detective Proctor and Crime Analyst Pagan designed an informational pamphlet for officers to provide to victims of assault by strangulation/suffocation. The pamphlet offers resources and information including information about the escalation of domestic violence, signs & symptoms, and the benefits of counseling. 
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That's all for now, stay warm, I hear it will be Spring Monday!  If you would like to be added to my email list send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get you added.

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us

Quick Update - Sing Along Today!

Don't forget the Sing Along Christmas show this afternoon.  Admission is an unwrapped toy and it will be a fun show!  This is sthe 14th annual family Christmas Show and is titled "The Light of Christmas".  Back to back performances will be held at 2PM and 4:30PM today, Sunday, December 4th.  There's a really good chance that Santa and Mrs. Claus will drop in!  No reservations necessary!

The Recycling Center will host it's last collection of the year from 9AM until noon on Wednesday December 7th at 3207 Neidhardt Dr. behind the Lake Travis Fire Station 601 off General Williamson Dr.  Here's a link to more information.

The Lakeway Activity Center is a busy place - here's a link giving you the scoop on many of the fun activities.

Lights On, Volunteer of the Year, Sergeant Promotion and More!

Looks like we are in for a wet weekend!  "Lights On" will go on as planned so far.  If it is just light rain or mist we will continue and possibly move Santa and Mrs. Claus into the foyer at City Hall.  If it turns out there is a heavy rain, we will have to call some of the activities off, but the lights will go on!  Hope to see you there, here is a link to more info!

I awarded two "Volunteer of the Year" awards last night at the Volunteer dinner.  Both Dave Taylor and Dave DeOme were honored.  Please congratulate them if you see them - it was a honor they both deserve and I was proud to make these awards!

I attended the Lakeway Women's Club meeting Monday morning as a possible sub for Gov. Rick Perry.  Luckily for the ladies he did show up and I thought did a wonderful presentation.  It was an honor to be at the meeting and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Today I was honored to attend the "Badge Pinning" for the promotion of Tony Rojas to Sergeant at the Lakeway Police Department.  I would like to congratulate Sergeant Rojas and I wish him all the luck in his new position!

ZAPCO will meet in regular session on December 7th in Council Chambers.  Here is a link to the Agenda.  I don't see any major issues so it will probably be an easy meeting.

CAMPO meets Monday next on December 12th at the Joe C. Thompson Center on the UT Campus.  I will be attending to assure our traffic issues are heard and to continue to push for improvements and planning for future roads in Travis County.  I was notified this week my term was up on CAMPO.  I will be applying for re-appointment and hopefully Judge Eckhardt will let me continue to represent the small cities in Travis County.  I will be attending the Commissioners Court meeting next Tuesday in case the Commissioners have any questions.

Wednesday I was able to attend the groundbreaking for he Gary Sinise Foundation's Specially Adapted Smart Home for U.S. Army Corporal Alan Babin, Jr. (Ret.).  Alan was injured when he ran towards fire to try and save an injured soldier.  The city has pretty much adopted Alan and now he and his family are moving to Lakeway.  I look forward to their arrival to their new home when it is finished!

On a sad note, we had another family devastated on Hwy. 71.  Santiago Vega and his mother Cynthia were killed in a collision on November 28th.  A fund was established to help with funeral expenses and has raised over $12K - it is good to see that our community pulls together during a tragedy.  Here's a link to the information.

I'll have more tomorrow, but right now I need to get to the "LIghts On" event!  If you would like to be added to my email list send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll add you!

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us