May Special City Council Meeting Wrap
City Council met in special session this past Monday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Here are a few highlights from that meeting:

EMC INTRODUCTION: The public was introduced to the new Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Lakeway, Bee Cave and Village of the Hills. Paul Harvey will work in coordination with the three cities to develop a comprehensive emergency preparedness program and help analyze and distribute information concerning natural and man-made emergencies, along with developing educational and community outreach strategies. Paul comes to the Lakeway area with over twenty-five (25) years of combined experience in law enforcement and emergency planning. Click here to learn more about Paul.

COVID-19 EMERGENCY ORDERS: The updated local Order related to COVID-19 was reviewed by City Council on Monday evening. The updated Order removes the option to accrue late fees through Solid Waste services, removes a section related to the option for residents to park RVs in driveways, and gives guidance on how city facilities can safely open to the public. Click here to read the updated Order.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN: City Council reviewed the updated draft of the Capital Improvement Plan, which outlines large projects that could be completed over the next several years. The draft plan includes projects such as traffic signals for Flint Rock Road and for a future Main Street extension, park design improvements, new trails, local road improvement projects and projects associated with the widening of RM 620. The plan will continue to be discussed in future City Council meetings as budget planning season approaches. Click here to see the full draft plan (starts on page 15).

If you would like to watch the meeting from Monday evening or review the agenda, click here.

Air Quality Awareness Week
This week is Air Quality Awareness Week, and it's an opportunity to increase air quality awareness and encourage people to check the Air Quality Index regularly to prevent exposure to harmful air pollution. Fine-particle matter and ground-level Ozone may exacerbate or cause respiratory and cardiovascular illness, especially in sensitive populations such as children and teenagers, older adults and adults who are active outdoors. This weekend for instance, the Air Quality Index indicates Ozone will be moderate in the area.

Besides fine-particle matter and ground-level Ozone, air pollution can also include wildfires, along with smoke from agricultural and trash burning. Smoke can irritate the eyes and nose and can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, including asthma. In Central Texas, 1 in 16 children have asthma and about 14 children per 10,000 are hospitalized annually because of asthma-related conditions. The average cost of an asthma hospitalization in 2016 was $23,726.

For the past two years, this region recorded multiple days when air pollution levels were considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups," which include people with asthma.

On Ozone Action Days, it is important to take precautions to limit exposure, including:

  • Reduce the amount of time you spend outside.
  • When you are outside, try not to exert yourself.
  • Make sure that your A/C filter is properly maintained.
  • Carpool or take other modes of transportation besides a motorized vehicle.
  • If you do use your vehicle, commute later in the morning (after 9 a.m.) to avoid adding your vehicle's emissions to the time of day that will have the highest impact on Ozone.
  • Avoid outdoor cooking.
  • Avoid using a portable generator.
  • Reschedule lawn care.

For more helpful air quality advice and tips, click here.
COVID-19 Update
As indicated above in the first story, a new local Order took effect today. The updated Order gives directions for how city facilities can safely open to the public, instructions for Municipal Court operations, how the City Building Commission can safely conduct site visits, and still strongly encourages residents to wear masks and practice the proper social distancing measures. Click here to review that updated Order.

If you still need a COVID-19 vaccine, Austin Public Health (APH) is offering another opportunity this weekend. No appointments will be necessary for another vaccine event happening today (Friday, May 7, 2021) and tomorrow (Saturday, May 8, 2021) at the Travis County Exposition Center located at 7311 Decker Lane. Anyone age 16 and above will qualify to get their free first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The event is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For those who received their first Pfizer vaccine four weeks ago at the Circuit of the Americas location, the second dose will be this Saturday at the Travis County Exposition Center as well. Click here for details

A total of 82,733 cases have been reported to date in Travis County. There have been a total of 2,654 cases in the Lakeway area (zip codes 78734, 78738 and 78669) since the start of the pandemic (up 7 cases from the same time last week). There are currently 766 active cases at this time in Travis County (down from 914 last week) and 117 individuals hospitalized in the region (down from 136 last week). Click here to review the COVID-19 case dashboard. Click here for more details on hospitalizations. Click here for helpful links on vaccinations.




NEW: Virtual Job Fair

Registration is open for a virtual job fair hosted by the Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Workforce Solutions. The virtual job fair will take place on Tuesday, May 18. This virtual fair will allow exhibitors to interact with potential candidates in a digital environment by letting businesses set up a virtual booth loaded with company content and a chat function accessible from any location and device. Click here if you're a business and would like to register to participate in this virtual job fair.
NEW: Fourth of July Event Plans

The City of Lakeway's Parks & Recreation Department is working now to plan the Fourth of July festivities in the new age of COVID-19. Unfortunately, the Pageantry of Flags Ceremony usually held at the Lakeway Activity Center will not be able to take place this year. However, a parade is being planned for the morning of Saturday, July 3, and fireworks on the evening of Friday, July 2. Expect more details in the coming weeks as the City prepares to celebrate our nation's birthday. Click here to keep track of celebration details.
Wednesday, May 12 @ 10 a.m.
Thursday, May 13 @ 9 a.m.