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THE BIG PICTURE
(City of Buda Weekly Newsletter)
Week of March 1, 2021
In this Issue:
  • Winter Storm Recovery Assistance
  • Governor Abbott, TDEM Urge
  • Texans to Submit Self Reporting Damage Survey
  • Helpful Resources for those Impacted by Winter Storm
  • Continued Use of Face Masks at City Facilities
  • COVID-19 Dashboard
  • Women's History Month
  • City of Buda Accepting Applications for Boards and Commissions
  • City of Buda Solid Waste Survey
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration
  • COVID-19 Enforcement Dashboard
  • How to Sign Up for A COVID-19 Vaccine in Texas
  • Beware of COVID-19 Vaccine Scams
  • Curative COVID-19 Testing Still Available in Buda and Hays County
  • Buda Travel + Lifestyle Magazine
  • Water Smart Customer Portal
  • Stage 1 Water Restrictions - Effective Monday, Aug. 24
  • COVID-19 Hays County Resources
  • COVID-19 Hotline
  • COVID-19 Updates on City of Buda Website
  • ๏ปฟOnline/Phone Options for Court Defendants
  • Pay By Phone Automated System
  • City of Buda E-Billing
  • City of Buda Job Opportunities
  • Upcoming Meetings
Winter Storm Recovery Assistance
In light of the recent winter storm and to help relieve the financial burden on residents and businesses, the City of Buda is offering winter storm recovery assistance.

๐‹๐ž๐š๐ค ๐€๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
If you had a water leak during the recent winter storm, the City has a program to help. We have provided two ways below to fill out the leak adjustment form:
Visit https://budatx.watersmart.com/Leak. If you do not have a Watersmart account please select the โ€œI donโ€™t have an accountโ€ button and then enter your contact information before preceding to the form.
Second Option: Please fill out and return this pdf document (http://www.ci.buda.tx.us/DocumentCenter/View/8755/Leak-Adjustment-Form). You can mail or email this document.

๐’๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ž ๐“๐ซ๐š๐๐ž ๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐…๐ž๐ž๐ฌ
The City is waiving single trade permit fees for repairs related to winter storm and sub-freezing temperatures for 60 days. If you are making plumbing, electrical or irrigation repairs related to damage caused by the winter storm, it is important that you apply for a permit. Permit fees will be waived for repair work only.

๐…๐ž๐ž๐ฌ ๐–๐š๐ข๐ฏ๐ž๐:
Residential Single Trade Inspections: $75
Or
Commercial Single Trade Inspections: $150
Online Permitting Fee: $10
Permit Processing Fee: $10

๐”๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐‹๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐…๐ž๐ž๐ฌ
Utility late fees will be waived and the City is suspending utility disconnections for 60 days.

๐…๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
The City will donate approximately $20,000 to local food banks and establish a contingency fund for additional relief related to the winter storm.

More on Winter Recovery Assistance: www.ci.buda.tx.us/BudaWinterRecovery
Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) are encouraging Texans to complete the Self Reporting Damage Survey (https://tdem.texas.gov/warming-center/) to help the state identify damages across Texas and help emergency management officials gain an understanding of damages that occurred during the recent winter weather. This data is also needed to provide information to FEMA and highlight the need for federal disaster assistance for individuals. 

The voluntary survey, available in both English and Spanish, can be accessed by visiting: www.TDEM.texas.gov/warm. Reporting damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management is a voluntary activity, is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance agency, and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.

For further information or assistance, call the FEMA Disaster Assistance Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. This number is also for users of 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS). TTY users can call 1-800-462-7585. Helpline services are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. If you are having technical issues, call FEMA's Internet Help Desk at 1-800-745-0243. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Winter Storm Recovery Resources
Need help after last week's winter storm? Resources may be available to assist. See the info below.

Please note: completing damage reports, e.g., on the TDEM website, is not a substitute for reporting damage to your home/auto insurance company and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.

Winter Shock Cleanup Hotline: 844-965-1386
Austin Disaster Relief Network: 512-806-0800
Crisis Cleanup: 800-329-8052
(For Bastrop, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties)

FEMA Texas Severe Winter Storms Disaster Page: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4586

Individuals/business owners in counties included in the Presidentโ€™s declaration who sustained losses: www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585

TX Individual Assistance Reporting Tool on TDEM website is accepting reports of damage across the state: https://tdem.texas.gov/warming-center/
In the interest of public health and safety of our employees, the City of Buda is requiring all employees, patrons, and visitors to wear masks on City of Buda property, including City Hall, Buda Public Library, Buda Police Department, etc. Masks are required at City of Buda owned parks if patrons are not able to maintain six feet of distance from other people who are not from the same household. The City is following the recommended guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of State Health Services.
โ€‹
This is not an ordinance and the City of Buda is not requiring the wearing of mask in businesses or other private or public property nor are we overruling the Governor's order. The Governors latest order specifically strongly encourages the wearing of masks.
โ€‹
Within the Executive Order (EO-GA-34) it states "Nothing in this executive order precludes businesses or other establishments from requiring employees or customers to follow additional hygiene measures, including the wearing of a face covering." 
COVID-19 Dashboard
Above is the updated COVID-19 Dashboard for February 2021. You can find it at www.ci.buda.tx.us/coronavirusinformation. This dashboard is updated monthly.
March is Women's History Month. During this week's City Council Meeting, Assistant City Manager Lauren Middleton-Pratt accepted the proclamation for Women's History Month on behalf of the women employed by the City of Buda.
The City of Buda is seeking applications from qualified individuals to serve on our various Boards and Commissions. A citizenโ€™s point of view provides valuable insight into the operations of the Cityโ€™s and Councilโ€™s decision-making process.

The link below contains a complete listing of our Boards and Commissions and their related duties:

The online application is available on our website at

You may also download and submit your application by mail to the City Clerk, 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, TX 78610, email [email protected], or fax at 512-641-5817.

2021 Upcoming Positions to be filled:

Construction Board of Appeals
4 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Dupre Local Government Corporation
2 positions (3 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Economic Development Corporation
3 positions (city residents or Hays County)

Historic Preservation Commission
3 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Library Commission
4 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Main Street Advisory Board
4 positions (3 own/operate business w/in city)

Parks & Recreation Commission
3 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ

Planning & Zoning Commission
3 positions (5 city residents;2 from ETJ)

Sustainability Commission
3 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Zoning Board of Adjustment
4 positions (5 city residents; 2 from ETJ)

Task Force on Aging
4 positions (city residents or ETJ)
The City of Buda is seeking feedback on its solid waste services including trash, recycling, green waste, and bulk pick-up. Please take 3 minutes to complete our survey to help us plan future services.

COVID-19 Vaccine Pre-Registration
A pre-registration sign-up is now available for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Please note, this is a waiting list, not an appointment sign-up.
To put your name on the waiting list, visit

How to Sign Up for a COVID-19 Vaccine in Texas
The information below regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is shared directly from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

๏ปฟAll Phase 1A and 1B individuals are eligible to receive a vaccine at designated hubs throughout Texas, regardless of where they reside.
  • Phase 1A: Front-line healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities
  • Phase 1B: People over 65 or with a chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVIDโ€‘19

Hays County is now a hub.

How to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas.

  1. Sign up with a vaccination hub: https://bit.ly/3qjZOMP
  2. Use the Texas COVID-19 vaccine provider map to sign up with a community provider: https://bit.ly/3oDhjHu

Please be patient as supply is limited. Hubs may have long waiting lists but more vaccine is coming.

More Texas COVID-19 vaccine information:
Beware of COVID-19 Vaccination Scams
Beware of COVID-19 vaccine scams! Scams come in all shapes and sizes. Sadly the COVID vaccine distribution is not immune. Please see attached flyer for tips on scams and agencies to report claims. When in doubt...don't let it out. Protect your personal information!
Curative COVID-19 Testing Still Available in Buda
By Appointment
COVID-19 testing is available in Buda through Curative! The testing kiosk is set up in the parking lot at Main Street and China Street near the public restrooms across from Main Street Dental. Curative is offering testing by appointment only until further notice. Curative is also now billing insurance but there is no out-of-pocket cost to the individual being tested. Testing continues to be free to anyone without insurance.


๐‚๐Ž๐•๐ˆ๐ƒ-๐Ÿ๐Ÿ— ๐Œ๐จ๐›๐ข๐ฅ๐ž ๐“๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐’๐ข๐ญ๐ž ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐š 
*๐๐š๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐š๐ญ ๐Œ๐š๐ข๐ง ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‚๐ก๐ข๐ง๐š ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ญ (๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐›๐ฅ๐ข๐œ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ) ๐š๐œ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐Œ๐š๐ข๐ง ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐ƒ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ฅ 
๐๐ฎ๐๐š 
๐Ÿ— ๐š.๐ฆ. - ๐Ÿ“ ๐ฉ.๐ฆ. - ๐Ÿ• ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐š ๐–๐ž๐ž๐ค!

For questions please reach out to Curative at 1-888-702-9042. You can also reach them by email at [email protected].
Buda Travel + Lifestyle Magazine
Calling all Buda Fanatics! Visit Buda, TX has released the first ever Buda Travel + Lifestyle Magazine! Check out the digital copy here https://adobe.ly/2NBGNqO or PM Visit Buda, TX a request for your own copy. 
๐‡๐จ๐ฐ ๐œ๐š๐ง ๐ˆ ๐ค๐ž๐ž๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ž๐š๐œ๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก?

You can register your account (for free) on the Water Smart Customer Portal. All you need is your account ID and your zip code. By signing up on the portal, you can set water usage alerts, leak alerts, keep up with your monthly usage and more!

Water Smart Customer Portal Instructional Video

Register Your Account on the Water Smart Customer Portal
Stage 1 Water Restrictions
Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020
Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, Stage 1 Water Restrictions will go into effect for City of Buda water customers in accordance with the Cityโ€™s adopted Water Resource Management and Drought Response Ordinance. This is due to the lack of consistent precipitation, and higher than normal demands on our water production system.

Under Stage 1, irrigation with hose-end (sprinkler attached to a hose) and automatic sprinkler systems is restricted to twice per week. Irrigation with handheld bucket, handheld hose, soaker hose, or drip irrigation system is allowed any day and at any time. Violation of the ordinance could result in a fine of up to $2,000 per offense and a surcharge on the customerโ€™s utility bill.

๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ž-๐ž๐ง๐ (๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐ž๐ซ ๐š๐ญ๐ญ๐š๐œ๐ก๐ž๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐š ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ž) ๐š๐ง๐ ๐š๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐œ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ฆ๐ฌ
Twice per week on designated day; prohibited between the hours of 10:00am and 7:00 pm
  • Odd-numbered residential: Wednesday and Saturday
  • Even-numbered residential: Thursday and Sunday
  • Commercial, mixed use and multi-family: Tuesday and Friday
  • It is recommended that outdoor watering be limited to one of the permitted watering days each week to promote conservation

๐ˆ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐š๐ง๐๐ก๐ž๐ฅ๐ ๐›๐ฎ๐œ๐ค๐ž๐ญ, ๐ก๐š๐ง๐๐ก๐ž๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ž, ๐ฌ๐จ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ž, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ฆ
  • Allowed any day and at any time

For more information on Stage 1 restrictions and water conservation tips please our website.๐Ÿ‘‡

Hays County has provided a list of resources for residents who have lost their jobs or need food, mental health support, or other assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hays County has a COVID-19 hotline. The number is 512-393-5525 and it is operational Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
(The information coming from Hays County will continue to change. Please follow Hays County at www.haysinformed.com)

An online dashboard provides the public with a current count and other statistics related to COVID-19 cases in Hays County in near real-time.

The data on the dashboard shows a snapshot of COVID-19 related information for the County, as well as the number of active and recovered cases per City.
 
For example, the public can see the current number of confirmed cases as of that day. The data includes the cases considered active or in recovery, along with the number of tests administered. The data is also available in map format.
 
County residents may visit

You can also find the dashboard on the City of Buda's website at www.ci.buda.tx.us/coronavirusinformation.
As a reminder, you can visit the City's website at www.ci.buda.tx.us/coronavirusinformation for the latest on COVID-19.
New Online/Phone Options for Court Defendants
The City has several new options for court defendants:


  • Online Case Resolution (InSite) โ€“ The City of Buda currently uses some of the options offered through Online Case Resolution, but this upgrade will allow the City to enable additional features like Court Dismissals and Court Scheduling. Basically, any service the City offers on-site will now also be offered online. 
  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) โ€“ Municipal Court defendants will be able to call 1-866-311-9322 to pay on citations over the phone. This is a new option being offered by the City.
  • Tyler Notify โ€“ The City has been using notifications by phone call for a while, and now we have the ability to use text messaging at no cost to the City.
Pay By Phone Automated System
The City of Buda has launched a way for customers to pay bills by phone. You will be able to call 1-866-279-0787 and pay through an automated system over the phone.

  • Save postage by paying your bill by phone.
  • Access your updated account instantly.
  • Hear real-time balances, payment amounts, and due dates
  • Enter your information securely through an automated system
City of Buda E-Billing
The City of Buda is giving you the option to go paperless with e-billing. You can sign up online at https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/budatx Check out the video above for instructions on how to sign up!
City of Buda
Job Opportunities
Interested in joining our team? Check out our latest employment opportunities.

Upcoming Meetings
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Sincerely,

City of Buda