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PFLUGERVILLE
PFLAG
The Pflugerville Pflag is the city's official
newspaper. It is the main vehicle for residents to keep apprised of what is going on in
the greater Pflugerville area and to learn about city news, event information, and legal
notices. To subscribe to get the full story, call 251-2220. Some articles or small
portions are reprinted here or on other Resources pages with permission from the publisher
of the Pflag. Stories and links on this page and other PfCONA pages (Justice Center, PISD,
Parks/Rec) are connected with PfCONA and issues and concerns impacting neighborhoods and
homeowners. Send your stories and input to the Pflag in order to help increase the flow of
timely neighborhood, school, church, business, organization, and community events and
information to readers.
Click here for 2001-2002
stories
2003 Stories
More newsbriefs to be added in future.]
(8/7/03) City Officials Shoot for
"Ideal Mix" -- In the second of three public hearings concerning the city's
comprehensive plan, the city of Pflugerville's planning department, in conjunction with
the Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Council and the Pflugerville Community
Development Corporation unveiled Tuesday their vision for land uses as well as a
transportation plan for access across state Highway 130. Angela Ploetz, Senior Planner for
the City of Pflugerville, presented interested residents with a map outlining proposed
land uses for the city's existing extra-territorial jurisdiction. Ploetz told those in
attendance that the map reflects the city's desired land use for the future and doesn't
necessarily reflect zones as they exist today. The point of map, Ploetz said, is to
"let developers understand what our idea is for the future development of
Pflugerville."
The map includes the creation of several districts within the city, including downtown,
commercial, shopping, tourism, employment, and residential districts. The map was drawn by
the planning department in an effort to establish an "ideal mix" of residential
and commercial land uses to minimize the impact on the city's tax rate and lower the
homeowners tax, Ploetz said. Economic Development Director Rick Murphy said that he was
very pleased with the schematic that the task force had developed, which focuses on retail
and commercial development centered around the city's arterial roadways. Murphy said he
has not seen opposition to the plan, just community members that don't understand that
this is not a zoning map--just a plan for development that the city would like to see.
The second half of Tuesday's public meeting focused on the thoroughfares that will be
required to meet travel demands created by future residential, commercial, and road
development. Will Smithson with Alliance-Texas Engineering Company, a transportation
consulting firm hired by the city to analyze the city's current traffic situation,
proposed two solutions to access problems that the city could face when SH 130 is built
and essentially splits the city in half. Residents are encourage to view the plans at the
city's web site at www.cityofpflugerville.com
and provide input to the planning department.
(7/17/03) $3.6 Million Contract Awarded
for City's Water Treatment Plant -- The Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously
Tuesday July 8 to award a contract to Zenon Company to provide membrane equipment for the
city's water treatment plant. The contract expected to total more than $7 million in
equipment and maintenance costs over 20 years, came after a three-month trial period in
which four different companies tested their systems in a pilot study for the city. HDR
Engineering Manager Kelly Kaatz said three out of the four companies tested were able to
run the plant up to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards. HDR made the
recommendation to hire Zenon based on price as well as proven reliability. Each membrane
system considered is proprietary equipment, Kaatz explained, meaning that each system is
slightly different in how it processes and filters water. Zenon's process includes a
series of panels made up of fibers that filter debris from the city's drinking water. The
system has been proven to take out all bacteria and most viruses from the water supply.
The only things not removed by the system, Kaatz said, were dissolved nickels. Now that
the contract has been awarded, HDR can begin designing the Water Treatment Plant.
(7/17/03) Lions Club Elects New Officers
-- The Pflugerville Lions Club installed its new officers and directors for the 2003-2004
club year at a catered dinner for members, spouses, and guests at the Lions Hall June 23.
David Sinclair was elected President in recognition of leadership skills exhibited while a
vice president of the organization. The other elected officials were: Ray Kaatz--1st VP;
Wayne Redd--2nd VP; Jim Hocker--3rd VP; David Garlick--Secretary; Harley
Saathoff--Treasurer; Scott Hickman--Tail Twister; Charles Shaw--Lion Tamer; Wally
Erickson--Dir. 1st Yr.; Guy Gebbia--Dir. 1st Yr.; Harold Eubanks--Dir. 2nd Yr.; Lee
Storey--Dir. 2nd Yr.; Joe Puente--Past Pres. in place of Ken Braud; and, Gary
Glass--Membership Chairman. Membership Chairman Mike Callahan was voted Lion of the Year
for the second time, in honor of his outstanding achievement.
(7/10/03) Safety of Kiosk Signs
Questioned: National Company's Sign Plaza Program in Full Spring -- New signs pointing
the way to subdivisions around town may look classy, but are they safe? The Pflugerville
City Council asked the company that administers the new sign kiosk program to examine
safety concerns raised by a resident at the June 24 (city council) meeting. "The
signs are going to be there because we have a contract with that company," said
Pflugerville citizen Jo Ann Van Burkleo. "But I think our safety is worth more than
the small percentage the city is getting for letting them put the signs up."
The City of Pflugerville signed a contract in February with National Sign Plazas to
eliminate the temporary, or bandit, signs that developers often place in the right-of-way
to direct potential buyers to their subdivisions. Currently, 36 signs have been placed
within Pflugerville's city limits and ETJ and 13 additional signs will go up in coming
weeks. The California company has contracts with 12 cities including Pflugerville, and
Round Rock signed a contract for the program last week. The company is in negotiations
with cities near Dallas and Houston, and representatives of National Sign Plazas have had
conversations with officials in Georgetown, Cedar Park, Hutto and Buda about their
interest in it.
Homebuilders pay $65 per month to have a panel on one of the kiosks. Ten dollars of that
is directed back to the City of Pflugerville, which incurs no cost for the sign program.
The signs will remain only until the subdivision is established. National Sign Plazas had
an independent engineering firm, Tipton Civil and Structural Engineering, assess the
safety of the kiosks. The conclusion of the firm's evaluation of the signs through a
mathematical model was that a breakaway treatment, such as drilling holes in the tubular
steel to provide a weakened base that would yield during a collision, was necessary.
National Sign Plazas has agreed to retrofit two of the signs located on high-speed
roadways. Company representatives plan to meet with TxDOT officials July 10 to ensure they
are in compliance with any safety regulations and they will address the city council again
July 24 regarding discussing any additional alterations to the signs that might be
necessary.
(6/12/03) Rotarians Giving their All to
Communities they Serve -- "We officially started in 1996," said Doy Freitag,
a founding member and former president of the Pflugerville Rotarians. "We first met
at a church in Wells Branch, then we moved to Charlie's and Charlie Jr. was a charter
member. Then we decided to go to a breakfast meeting. That didn't go over well, so we went
back to a lunch meeting." After stints at two other area restaurants the club has
come to roost at Charlie's. Every Wednesday at noon, members congregate to eat, talk, and
listen to one another and to guest speakers. The 7-year-old club is affiliated with Rotary
International and provides a variety of services to the Pflugerville community, as well as
the global community.
Annual fundraisers, including a booth at Deutschen Pfest and a golf tournament, help the
Rotarians generate money for the academic awards it gives to college-bound Pflugerville
ISD students every year. In addition to awarding scholarships, the group adopts a local
family at Christmas, participate in the annual bike rodeo, and are active in many
international endeavors. In past years, the group has provided equipment for a gym that
its sister club in Reynosa, Mexico built, according to Freitag. "We've also tried to
get involved with hospitals. We toured a hospital there. That was tough," he said.
(6/5/03) FM 685: Traveling the Road to
Controversy -- Pflugerville residents and city officials asked TxDOT once again to
reconsider installing a center median along FM 685 as part of its road improvement
project. In both public and private meetings held last Thursday, business and property
owners, the mayor and the city manager urged transportation engineers to compromise on the
final design of the roadway, which is already under construction and nearly 30-percent
complete, according to TxDot.
While at least 50 business and property owners were meeting in Pflugerville, Mayor Scott
Winton and City Manager Steve Jones were in Georgetown Thursday talking with Area TxDot
officials, seemingly to no avail. "They don't seem to be willing to compromise,"
Jones said after the meeting. "TxDot is going to have to get some political pressure;
they're not going to change on the city's request."
TxDot maintains the City of Pflugerville was involved in the early planning of the project
and was, at that time, amenable to the project as it is designed. "The city was in on
the development of this project from the beginning--this is the project the City agreed
to," said TxDot Public Information Officer John Hurt. Changes in the FM 685 project
would most likely cost taxpayers additional funds whether the center median was cut from
the project or not. Change-order fees would be charged if the median were to be taken out
of the design at this point in the construction. But, increasing population might make it
necessary to add a median at a later date, with the burden of cost once again on
taxpayers, according to Hurt. CAMPO envisions it as a six-lane highway one day in the not
too distant future. We are trying to balance a lot of different interests, and what we are
building is compatible with the future plans for this roadway.
TxDot officials said they notified business and property owners by letter before
construction began, but after a recent meeting with stakeholders, they did agree to review
the project and perhaps make the planned U-turn areas more accessible to delivery
vehicles. Mayor Winton said some business and property owners have approached House
District 50 Rep. Jack Stick, hoping to see more concessions in the near future.
(6/5/03) TxDot Awards Construction
Contract for SH45 North -- The Central Texas Turnpike Project moved a step closer to
reality with the approval by the Texas Transportation Commission of a $103-million
construction contract for the SH 45 North toll road. The contract--with incentives for
early completion--is for a two-mile segment of SH 45 North from County Road 172 (Quick
Hill Road) to County Road 170 in Williamson County. Construction will include a six-lane
roadway and multi-level interchange at I-35 and SH 45 North (current location of FM 1325
and I-35). The eastbound frontage roads also will be extended to CR 170. Construction on
this section of SH 45 North is expected to begin late this summer. It is scheduled to be
open by September 2007.
SH 45 North is part of the Central Texas Turnpike Project, which also includes the
extension of Loop 1 and the northern 49 miles of SH 130. The entire turnpike project is
scheduled for completion by December 2007.
(6/5/03) Drastic Changes Recommended for
City's Accounting Practices -- Results, from the city of Pflugerville's annual audit
could lead to sweeping changes in the city's accounting practices as a state mandated
Gatsby 34 auditing system begins phasing in next year. City Manager Steve Jones said the
city has a plan in place to help prepare to comply with the more stringent requirements
including a planned software update and city accounting staff has attended classes on the
subject. Gatsby 3 will be phased in over several years, with the main difference that the
city will see in the next year is the need to provide itemized summaries of all capital
assets--including roads and bridges. Eventually it will provide the city with a more
efficient system of seeing their costs incurred by department.
(5/29/03) Council Hopefuls Enter Final
Leg of Runoff Race -- The Pflugerville City Council runoff election may be more
popular with residents than the original one held May 3, as nearly 73-percent more people
have taken advantage of early voting in that election. As of Tuesday morning, 166
residents had cast their ballots. City Secretary Karen Thompson reported that 96 voters
turned out for early voting in the May 3 election. Early voting numbers in the runoff may
be higher than expected, but voter turnout is still low. The last election saw only
4.5-percent of the city's 10,836 registered voters cast a ballot.
(5/22/03) Business Make Plea to City
Council to Stop the Wall -- The Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously May 13 to
lend support to Pflugerville business owners in their quest to stop the Texas Department
of Transportation's plan to add a center median to FM 685 from Pecan Street to Pfenning
Lane. Business owners along the approximately one mile stretch of road running through the
heart of Pflugerville, approached the city council during their regular meeting with a
plea to halt TxDot's plans to build a center median down 685, saying the median would
cause problems in accessing their businesses. Fliers were distributed proclaiming efforts
to "stop the Wall."
When asked how TxDOT would proceed with the city's request, TxDOT Public Affairs Officer
John Hurt said that they are open to hearing the city's concerns. However, he was
concerned that the city would change their minds halfway into the project and costs that
would be encountered by accommodating the city's request.
Pflugerville Mayor Scott Winton said that a letter had been sent to TxDOT by the council
requesting the change, and the city expects to hear back from TxDOT within the next week.
Hurt said that the lane was included in the improvement plan from the beginning at the
city's request in order to provide a safer road. By eliminating a center turn lane, the
risk of accidents causes by those turning left is decreased, Hurt said.
City manager Steve Jones said that the city did not request the median and more or less
acquiesced to TxDot's plans for a center median. "When I originally made a phone call
to speak about the plans for 685, TDot already had plans for a median. We had drawn plans
for a median north of Pfenning Lane to help protect the undeveloped areas and the
school," Jones said. Jones admits that the city didn't really know what to do with
the area south of Pfenning Lane to Pecan Road. He said the city agreed to TDot's plans for
a center median provided that public notice was given to business owners along the road.
The Pflugerville Pflag published a front page story (October 2002) accurately laying out
the plans for the road. However, according to Jones, the Austin American Statesman ran a
press release from TxDot incorrectly laying out a center turn lane for the road in their
Oct. 27 edition. In a further effort to educate people about the future of the road,
TxDot, at the city's request, sent letters to business owners along the Farm and Market
Road, alerting them to the median. Jones and Winton said that they received calls from
concerned business owners at the time, and directed the calls to TxDot. Since they did not
hear back of any problems, both assumed the problem was worked out.
When business owners approached the council last week, Council member Pat McCord assured
them that the council was unaware of the problem and agreed that the center median could
pose problems for both business owners and city emergency vehicles trying to gain access
to the properties. Winton and Jones said that the council did have prior knowledge of the
plans for a center median, but to their knowledge, did not know of the business owners
concern. "At this point, it doesn't matter who said what--it's what can be done from
this point on that matters," Jones said.
Click here for 2001-2002
stories
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The Pflugerville Pflag
Address:
PO Box 447
200 W. Main St., Suite 200
Pflugerville, TX 78691-0447
Phone:
512- 251-2220
Fax:
512-251-6221
E-mail:
news@
pflugervillepflag.com
Publisher/Editor:
Sandy Flora
PfCONA stories: article
3, article 4, article 5, article 6
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