County representatives will discuss current and future road projects at this week’s city council meeting.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, city leaders will hear a presentation from John Peters, an area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, and Christen Eschberger, an engineer with HNTB, representing the Williamson County Road Bond Program.
Topics will include an overview of the repair, level up and overlay program along U.S. 79 from Second to Fourth streets, and the rehabilitation of and adding shoulders to Farm to Market 619 from FM 1331 and 79.
In addition, according to city documents, the engineers will also address concerns related to the traffic increase along FM 973, and share when signals will be installed, as well as discuss the safety of the intersection of 79 at County Road 101/FM 3349.
At the meeting, Taylor Public Library Director Karen Ellis will also discuss the institution’s acceptance of a new twoyear grant of $50,000 from the St. David’s Foundation to pay for mental wellness initiatives.
According to Ellis, the initiative will fund a peer-support specialist, as well as new programs and services, which could include yoga, healthy eating classes and more.
“The Taylor Public Library is thrilled to be part of this initiative,” she said. “The library director has already reached out to possible program providers and other Central Texas public libraries to learn from their successes.”
In other business, council members will:
• Consider an ordinance regulating camping in public areas in the city and instituting a policy for trespass warnings on city property.
• Consider applying for a grant through the United States Soccer Foundation to build a soccer mini pitch in Murphy Park.
• Receive an update on the sidewalk grant applications through TxDOT’s Transportation Alternative grants programs for East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Mallard Lane.
In addition, council will meet in executive session with the city attorney to look at a potential expansion of the Emergency Services District, to include Taylor’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Traditionally, this area has been served by Avery-Pickett Fire Department.
According to Texas law, cities have the authority based on population size to manage some aspects of their ETJ, which in Taylor’s case, is one mile out from the city limits, except for some additional areas that petitioned to be included.
The council regularly meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 400 Porter St. in Taylor. Agendas and live broadcasts are available at http://www.taylortx.gov.
