Little bits of big news
EDIE ZUVANICH Special to the Press
City discusses $1.8 million in unreserved money
HUTTO — The city has received $1,814,600 to date in Community Benefit Fee funds from the Durango Farms development, according to city documents. The money was the source of some wishlisting for council members at the Feb. 15 council meeting.
Mayor Mike Snyder made a motion to spend the money on a parks department headquarters and office building that would include community meeting space, a project proposed by city staff in 2023.
“I was impressed with it. This seemed very well thought out,” Snyder said of the project, adding that the parks department was currently using a trailer for its headquarters. “We need to get people out of trailers at some point. To me this was a good fit. It had a community meeting space, which checked off a big box. I’m just trying to earmark it over there so we don’t have to worry about anybody spending it.”
“I would love to improve Main and East streets and get rid of those traffic circles we put in,” Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon said. “We had talked about putting in sidewalks.”
Councilmember Dan Thornton reminded the council that the Durango Farms development impacted Old Town residents and felt that it was important to use the funds for a project that would benefit Old Town.
Councilmember Randal Clark remarked on the recent emergency repairs to County Road 137, which resulted in a reallocation of funds in the road maintenance budget and suggested some of the funds could be used to replenish those funds.
Councilmember Amberley Kolar commended City Manager James Earp for negotiating with the developer that the funds did not have to be used within the Durango Farms area.
Council directed staff to come up with proposals for the funds that would have community benefit and a plan for restoring the road maintenance fund. The discussion is scheduled to be taken up again at the March 21 council meeting.
Kids invited to play with city trucks
Kids and heavy equipment don’t normally mix, but once a year the city invites local youngsters to get up close and personal with its biggest machines.
“Touch-a-truck is an opportunity for kids and families to come out and interact with emergency service apparatus, public works apparatus so like back hoes and sewer machines and things kids would never really get to crawl on and play with,” City Manager James Earp said. “We do disinfect those things so don’t worry about that.”
Touch-a-Truck is free to the public. It will be held at Adam Orgain Park, 1001 County Road 137, March 13 from 10 a.m. until noon.
The event is hosted by Hutto Parks and Recreation department, which will also be hosting a spring break camp from March 11 to 15. This year’s camp includes field trips to a playground, a skate park and Sweet Eats Adventure Farm in Georgetown as well as the Touch-a-Truck event.
Internships available
Ladders for Leaders, a Round Rock-based company specializing in workplace readiness for students age 16 to 18, is accepting applications for paid summer internships until March 3.
“It is designed to connect students with companies that match their career aspirations or interests across various industries. It’s a paid opportunity ensuring that the students earn at least $12 an hour,” City Manager James Earp said.
The organization literature said it aims to ensure diverse students acquire workplace readiness skills and experience, thus becoming more competitive as they apply to colleges, scholarships, trade schools or enter the workforce.
The company says it is bridging the gap between education and industry, having placed 160 interns in over 100 companies and awarded $10,000 in scholarships.
Applications are online at laddersforleaders.org.
