Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, May 3, e-edition of the Taylor Press.
The e-edition is emailed to subscribers and available at www.taylorpress.net.
TIME TO SHINE
Student scholars got a chance to shine April 29. The Rotary Club of Taylor honored the top 10% of graduates from local high schools and awarded its $6,000 Bunnell-Rotary Academic Scholarship to Eva White at the club’s annual scholars’ banquet May 1. This year, the club recognized 24 graduates and gave six other awards at the banquet. In addition, the club added the top graduate from St.
Mary’s Catholic School in Taylor to its list of honorees.
SUMMIT UNITES MANOR, ELGIN, TAYLOR COMMUNITIES
The first ever METT Summit, organized by the Taylor, Manor and Elgin chambers of commerce, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 18 at the Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N. State Highway 95.
The day will feature a luncheon, as well as a lineup of high-profile government and business leaders, including keynote speakers Adriana Cruz, who leads the Governor Greg Abbott’s Economic Development and Tourism Office, and Tucker Ferguson, the district engineer for the Austin District of the Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees thousands of miles of roadways and construction projects, including the largest reconstruction of Interstate 35 in more than 50 years.
Tickets are $100 for an individual, $1,000 for a table, $1,200 for a business sponsor and $2,500 for a summit sponsor, are going quickly.
HUTTO ISSUES BONDS FOR MEGASITE ROADWAY
HUTTO – The city has authorized the sale of $12 million in bonds to build a road running through the Hutto megasite parallel to State Highway 79. The funds are part of the amount approved in the 2018 bond election.
Financial advisor with Hilltop Securities Jim Sabonis said the city’s AA bond rating remained unchanged through a rating process assessment, but its management rating improved.
Sabonis also said the city is on track to be able to drop the I&S tax rate next year or keep it the same and have extra funding capacity.
The Megasite spans 79 from FM 3349 to County Road 132. City spokesperson Allison Strupeck said E/W Spine Road will enter well into the Megasite at FM 3349, but will not continue all the way through to 132 within the current scope.
Hutto Economic Development Corporation Director Bob Farley said the road will ultimately be paid for by the EDC.
HUTTO SCHOOLS ADD WEAPONS TECH HUTTO – Students at the Ninth Grade Center and Hutto High School will see increased safety measures starting on May 8.
Hutto Independent School District has installed walk-through weapons detection systems at those campuses and has been training staff on their use.
It scans for items such as guns, explosives and knives, but can also detect other contraband such as vape pens.
CITY WEIGHS LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR MORE FIRST RESPONDERS
At its regular meeting April 27, The Taylor City Council authorized
the Taylor Police Department to apply for a Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring grant, which is administered by the United States Department of Justice, to help fund five new police officers, potentially the first real staffing increase since 1999.
However, this is not the first time the department has applied for this grant, nor is it the first time asking for a personnel boost.
In addition, this application comes on the heels of Taylor Fire Department applying for a FEMA grant to fund nine new firefighters, which would cover 100% of the salaries and benefits for the first three years. However, during that period, the municipality would still be responsible for equipment and training costs.
Starting in year 4, the city would be on the hook for an additional $838,000 to fund all the positions, officials said.
