HUTTO – City officials announced they are applying for a Texas Historical Commission designation as a Certified Local Government, a move that could strengthen preservation efforts including downtown.
That’s just one of the items discussed at a recent City Council meeting.
Leaders on the dais also considered rental fees for a farmers market, a mural project and noise concerns.
The CLG designation will aid Hutto in keeping its “hippo history” intact, officials said in a nod to the town’s official mascot.
“The (city’s) Historic Preservation Commission was very excited about the idea of pursuing this, in part because it does really help our entire historic district as well as the downtown, but our historic district is larger than just the downtown,” Ashley Bailey, development services director, said at the meeting.
The CLG program, which is administered by the THC, opens the door for local-statefederal partnerships that could give Hutto more access to grants, technical assistance and training, officials said.
Other CLG cities include Round Rock, Elgin, San Marcos and Fredericksburg.
There are several requirements the city will have to meet, including adopting a historic preservation ordinance and creating an inventory of important landmarks.
The city will also be required to hire someone to ensure compliance and perform annual reporting.
Though generally reluctant to add new positions under current city finances, council members directed staff to proceed with the application and add a full-time position to the Fiscal Year 2026 budget so that it can be discussed during future strategy sessions.
“I’m fine with it being an ask for next year. It’s a ways away, so I think we work towards it and flesh out everything this would entail and flesh out exactly what this would detail and incorporate other job duties into it,” said Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon. “I love that they could be able to justify their job by getting grants.”
Kristi Barnes, community and culture officer, said the employee could work on more than just the CLG requirements and could be tasked with oversight of other downtown issues and needs.
“Downtown coordination is a lot more than just the physical downtown that you see. That could potentially include things like any events that take place in the downtown area, downtown business coordination,” Barnes said. “There is a different slew depending on direction of council that we could umbrella that under.”
In other business, the city approved giving a financial break to certified farmers markets paying rent to use the historic Gin Building in The Hutto Co-op District.
The markets will pay an hourly rate of $25, plus a cleaning deposit. Higher rates apply to residents and nonresidents.
The former will pay $35 per hour and nonresidents pay $55 an hour to use the buildings. Half-day and full-day rentals are also available.
“You’re going to see a lot of people wanting to come here and see how important that building is,” said Mayor Mike Snyder.
Snyder expressed concern that the affordable fees might encourage people to abuse the facility by renting it and then subletting it out at higher rates. Council members discussed ways to ensure renters were the actual users rather than rerenting the facility for a profit.
“That’s not what we should be using that building for. We should be doing it to help people get started in their business, help get things going,” the mayor said.
The council also approved a $2,500 expenditure to fund a mural project using hoteloccupancy taxes during Hutto’s Community Resource Fair Feb. 14 in the Gin Building. The fair introduced nonprofit organizations to the community, allowing the agencies to provide information about resources, recruit volunteers and build relationships that lead to financial support.
Attendees helped paint the mural which, when finished, will be installed on city property near the East Street parking lot downtown.
City leaders also heard a $30,000 professional sound study has been completed after residents last year complained about noise from updates to the city’s Central Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Once the evaluations are finished, the company will bring its findings and proposals for noise abatement to the council.
“The sound study has been executed. The consultant that was awarded is expected to be engaging with the public that are affected over there, the ones that have reached out, and their program of work is expected to be turned around in about three weeks,” said City Manager James Earp.
