Transportation town hall meeting to be March 20
HUTTO — As Mayor Mike Snyder often says, the residents of Hutto have three main concerns: roads, roads and roads. Next week, the city will host a town hall meeting to address transportation priorities and hear people’s thoughts.
“You don’t have to look to too many social media posts to understand that traffic is high on the list and this is an opportunity to come talk about where people see the biggest opportunity for improvement,” City Manager James Earp said.
Earp said the Master Mobility Plan will set the vision for the community’s transportation system for the next 20 years, though the city will update the plan every five years. The meeting will be formatted so that attendees can ask questions and have discussions.
“Through this process residents provide vital input to mapping the future of Hutto, literally,” the city manager said. “So, we want to hear from you about existing needs in Hutto’s transportation system for all modes of travel including walking, biking and driving.”
The Master Mobility Town Hall Meeting will be Wednesday, March 20 starting at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall (500 W. Live Oak St.).
Food truck rules amended
After a December City Council workshop and several subsequent meetings where the public voiced its support for food trucks, Hutto has adopted a less restrictive approach to vendors who sell food from a stationary location. These changes do not affect vendors who sell from a mobile unit at special events or markets.
Joseph Cortez, a local business owner who helps organize food truck events, said that the change in the rule restricting business hours gives the public more options for dining in the city.
“We are excited that Hutto is taking a step in the right direction. Giving businesses freedom to decide when and how they operate is the foundation of a free society and the ability to pursue the American dream,” he said.
The new ordinance removes the restriction that food trucks had to stop doing business by 8 p.m., mirroring business hours for restaurants and cafes.
If the food truck will be stationary, semi-permanently on a private lot and not selling food on the city’s right of way, approval from the Development Services Department will be required. Approvals are valid for one year.
To receive the approval, the city will require a notarized agreement from the property owner showing the truck has permission to operate on the site and that there is access to public restrooms, a site plan showing where on the property the truck will be, a contract for wastewater removal and a contract for waste grease recycling, among other health and safety conditions.
New emergency management director named
After cutting his teeth during a mostly mild winter, Jake Isbell is ready to take control of the city’s emergency services. Isbell was hired as assistant emergency management coordinator in December, under former director Bill Zito. Zito was named senior director of emergency services for Williamson County in December.
“Jake was handpicked by Bill Zito to succeed him,” City Manager James Earp said. “Jake then applied for the director position and was selected among a pretty resilient, robust candidate pool to take over the reins of our emergency management division.”
Isbell has experience as a voluntary agency liaison at the Texas Division of Emergency Management, where he supported over 30 counties in emergency efforts. He has helped respond to a wide varieties of emergencies and disasters, including heading response efforts for Jerrell when that community was struck by a pair of tornadoes several years back.
“I am incredibly excited to serve the residents of Hutto in this new role,” Isbell said. “I am eager to continue building the emergency management program here and enhance our community resiliency.”
As director of emergency management, Isbell coordinates all activities relating to the prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery within the city and serves as the city’s liaison for local, state and federal response agencies.
