What is going on in Lakeway?
Lake Travis Community Library hosts summer camps
Through June and July, the library is hosting camps for elementary-aged kids, who will read aloud or listen to stories and participate in activities including crafts, creative writing projects, cooking, science experiments, and more. Limited to 16 participants per camp. Pick up your Library Camp pass at the circulation desk 30 minutes prior to the start of your camp. Schedule: Tuesdays at 2pm: kids entering 4th grade and up; Wednesdays at 2pm: kids entering 2nd and 3rd grade; Thursdays at 2pm: kids entering 1st grade; and Fridays at 2pm: kids entering Kindergarten. Call 512-263-2885 for info.
Parks Town Hall
City Manager Julie Oakley’s next Town Hall will take place on Thursday, June 30, 5:30PM, at City Hall. This one covers our current parks, plus plans for the city’s parks system. After a brief introduction, participants can visit different stations for more info.
To view videos from previous Town Halls on Building and Development and on Transportation, go here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1979/Town-Hall-Series
Summer movies in the park
Fun family entertainment continues on Friday, July 1, with a showing of Captain America: The First Avenger at 6PM in City Park (502 Hurst Creek). Bring blankets and folding chairs to get comfy on the lawn. No pets or alcohol allowed at this FREE event, with treats, music and yard games provided. A movie is also planned for the first Friday in August.
4th of July Parade and Celebration
Brush Recycling Offered 1st Thursday of Every Month
City of Lakeway offers free yard waste drop off for Lakeway residents the first Thursday of every month, at the Public Works Department (3303 Serene Hills Drive) 7AM-3:30PM. Limit is one pickup truck load of yard waste or up to one 8’X5′ pile. Go here for details, including what is accepted: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=1584
Mayor Kilgore’s June 16 Facebook Update
Go here to watch the mayor’s 10-minute update on city matters. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=search&v=1040293066873053
RESULTS: Council’s June 6 Transportation Work Session/Committee Work Session
Transportation Work Session.
All the projects were explained and discussed, with road expansion in The Preserve and in Serene Hills generating over an hour of Citizen Participation comments (all negative). From discussion on the dais, it sounds like the priority items as of now include repaving Lohmans, LW Drive and LW Blvd; pedestrian work on LW Drive and LW Blvd; connecting Birrell to Lohmans Spur; the 620 right of way charge; and some form of relief in The Preserve and in Serene Hills. However; the Mayor asked Councilmembers to prioritize all the items, from must have down to maybe later. Also, staff was asked to gather additional info on many items, to facilitate further consideration of these projects and decision-making during the summer budget process.
Committee Work Session.
Duties were discussed for the city’s various advisory committees—Arts, Economic Development, Heritage, Parks and Rec, and Wildlife. (The other committees are statutory, with duties defined by ordinance.) After discussion, Parks and Rec was disbanded, as related functions are currently handled by city staff and a consultant. It was noted that Heritage and Wildlife need Councilmembers to volunteer to be liaisons.
Go here to watch the meeting online: https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/175033
To view the Meeting packet, click the link, scroll down to City Council Meeting Packets, and click on June 6. https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Tuesday, June 21, Lakeway City Council Meeting, 6:30PM at City Hall
Council will discuss revising ordinances on home businesses, accessory structures, and golf carts, plus several other items. Consequential Agenda items include:
ITEM 8: Financial Report.
ITEM 9: Citizens Participation.
ITEM 11: Preliminary Plan approval for Enclave at Yaupon, a residential development at 314 Clubhouse Drive for 16 single family homes on 6.36 acres, per terms of a development agreement.
ITEM 12: Preliminary Plan approval for Eastside Landing, a residential development at 17301 Flintrock Road for 30 single family homes on 19.667 acres, per terms of a development agreement.
ITEM 13: Preliminary Plan revision approval for Serene Hills/WCID 17 re: effluent storage tanks, pump station and irrigation fields on 23 acres east of Serene Hills Drive and north of Hwy. 71.
ITEM 15: Revising the ordinances re: accessory structures on residential lots.
ITEM 16: Revising the ordinances re: administrative timeline for land development requests/plan and plat approvals by ZAPCO and Council in order to comply with new state law (HB 3167, effective on September 1, 2019 and commonly known as the Shot Clock Law).
ITEM 17: Revising the ordinances re: Home Occupation/operating a business from a residence. Proposed changes include:
–Allow a home occupation permit holder to utilize a contractor/temporary employee in the case of an absence;
— Prohibit retail sales or outside display/storage of products at the residence;
–Prohibit commercial signage, including vehicular signage;
–Remove redundant criteria;
–Remove the requirement that the home occupation “effectively be undetectable”;
–Allow customers to visit the home so long as there is no unreasonable increase in traffic or parking issues; and
–Allow the home occupation to occur outside the home and in accessory structures.
ITEM 18: Discussion of ordinance changes re: operation of golf carts on public streets. Staff has drafted possible changes based on rules in other cities, including:
–City registration permit issued by the Police Department;
–Geographic restriction to designated areas;
–Prohibition of operation on streets with a speed limit greater than 30 mph;
–Prohibition of operation on sidewalks and trails other than those designated for golf cart use;
–State-mandated safety equipment, such as headlights, tail lights, horn, mirrors, etc.
–Display of a slow-moving vehicle emblem;
–No towing of trailers; and
–No lap riding.
The Meeting Packet is here: https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Go here to watch the Council meeting online (live or later): https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1062/Videos—Meetings-Events
Daring Mighty Things
From the International Space Station last week, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins captured a gorgeous shot of the moon floating just above Earth’s atmosphere.
The interstellar Webb telescope is wrapping up its extensive set-up phase and is still scheduled to release the first quality images by July 12, despite being repeatedly hit by micrometeoroids. James Webb Space Telescope hit by micrometeoroid just months into flight 6/8/22 https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-suffers-micrometeoroid-impacts
Elon Musk got some good news—his company can continue operations at Starbase, SpaceX’s facility near Brownsville, TX, without the strict and time-consuming review of an environmental impact statement. The facility is now prepping the huge Starship vehicle for its first orbital test flight. The FAA’s ruling does require SpaceX take over 75 actions to reduce environmental impact on the area, which includes privately owned homes and the Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge. SpaceX’s Starship rocket project can continue in South Texas, FAA review finds 6/13/22 https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-faa-environmental-review-approval
Back to me….
Even for summer in Texas, things have been hot, hot, hot, with no end–AND NO RAIN–in sight. Remember to hydrate, and watch out for pets; don’t walk dogs on scorching hot sidewalks or pavement during the day, and NEVER leave a pet in the car.
FAWNS ARE ALL OVER LAKEWAY! PLEASE slow down and drive carefully. Social media posts indicate speeding/careless drivers are killing new fawns and/or mama does in greater numbers than usually happens this time of year. Lakeway Blvd., Lakeway Drive, Lohmans Crossing and Hurst Creek Road are high danger areas, but our herd and its most vulnerable members are all over Old Lakeway. SLOW DOWN! If you see a doe, assume there is a fawn with her; if you see one fawn, watch for another.
Here are some recent photos I took recently of precious new additions to our herd.
The Coronavirus
Worldwide, 12 billion shots have been given, with 61% of the planet’s population fully vaccinated.
In early June, China eased a month-long shutdown and started dropping Covid restrictions in Beijing, allowing eat-in dining and gradually opening schools and businesses. Everyone still had to wear a mask, have their temperature checked, and take PCR tests for everyday activities like riding the subway or going to work. This came a couple weeks after Shanghai’s severe lockdown was eased. Then, on June 10, the tide turned. In response to an uptick in new Covid cases, high alert was again declared and both Shanghai and Beijing were hit with new lockdowns, shutdowns, and mass testing drives. Per the Chinese leadership: “Persistence is victory.”
In the US, in the last 2 weeks, the new case rate remained stable, hospitalizations rose 6%, and deaths increased 20%. We are averaging 102,000 new cases per day. 30,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid, and an average of 316 people die each day. The national testing positivity rate is 13%.
Cases and hospitalizations continue to decline in the midwest and northeast, but states in the south and the west report rising numbers. Wyoming, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas all report sharp increases in cases and hospitalizations.
Still, most experts see the spring surge as plateauing at this point. Some warn that the new variants are as yet not well understood and could trigger a sharper surge this summer.
Omicron’s recent subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 are expected to take over as the dominant strains in the US this month. Currently, BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 account for nearly all our cases. To date, each new strain is somewhat more contagious than the last, indicating better ability to evade immunities. So far, no Omicron variant has caused infections of higher severity.
From the start of the pandemic, Latino and Black Americans had higher death rates than white Americans. In 2020 and early 2021, Latinos and Blacks were more than twice as likely to die of Covid. This was explained as due to whites being more prosperous, with better health care, fewer complicating diseases, and better living conditions; plus, minorities were initially more suspicious of betting vaccinated. However, in the last year vaccination rates for minorities have soared, (largely due to grassroots programs). As a result, these statistics have reversed, and the Covid death rate for white Americans is 14% higher than for Blacks and 72% higher than for Latinos, per the CDC.
The US dropped its testing requirement for people entering the country on international flights, as of June 12. The rule dates from early 2021 and was rescinded in light of vaccinations and treatment options now available.
On June 15, Dr. Anthony Fauci tested positive for Covid-19, reporting mild symptoms. At age 81, he is fully vaccinated and boosted, and he is being treated with the antiviral medication Paxlovid.
As for vaccinations in the US, 67% of the entire population is fully vaccinated No change in the last 2 weeks). Over 104 million booster shots have been given. Average shots administered per day rose to 304,000.
The CDC ion June 18 approved Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines for children under 5. The FDA did so last week. 49 states pre-ordered millions of doses from the federal government this month. However, Florida not only failed to order vaccine for state agencies, until June 17 it also blocked pediatricians there–eager to vaccinate their youngest patients–from ordering; due to Florida’s delay, orders will arrive there up to 2 weeks later than in the other 49 states, where White House officials say shots could roll out as early June 21. Moderna’s regimen is for 2 shots, while Pfizer’s regimen is for 3 shots. A psychological milestone in Covid-19 becoming normalized in our society, this means everyone in the U.S. can get vaccinated. (Infants under 6 months will need to wait, as is the norm with vaccines.)
In Texas, the positivity test rate continues to rise–currently 21%. In the last 2 weeks, new cases increased 25%, hospitalizations rose 37%, and deaths jumped 55%. We are averaging 7,000 new cases, and an average of 8 people die each day. As of now, there are 2,000 Texans hospitalized for Covid-19.
The newest Omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5, were detected in Texas AND in Travis County as of early June.
Due to an increase in the spread of coronavirus locally, the CDC on June 9 moved Travis County from low to medium status for COVID-19. This happens when an area’s transmission rate rises to more than 200. Travis County on June 9 reported 202.99 new cases per 100,000 people.
Only 62% of all Texas residents are fully vaccinated (no change in the last 2 weeks).
Recent Covid articles I recommend
C.D.C. recommends vaccinations of young children. 6/18/22 https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0618-children-vaccine.html
The Case for Vaccinating Kids Under 5 6/15/22 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/15/opinion/moderna-pfizer-under-5-vaccine-covid.html
How Long Does Covid Immunity Last? Will a Second Illness Be Worse? How Can I Prepare? 6/11/22 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/11/well/live/covid-reinfection.html
Moderna says new trial results show that a revised vaccine works better against Omicron. 6/8/22 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/us/politics/moderna-vaccine-booster-omicron-variant.html
My Family Got Covid. So Why Did We Test Negative? 6/6/22 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/well/live/covid-testing-household-transmission.html
New COVID-19 omicron variants show up in Travis County as cases rise 6/6/22 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/healthcare/2022/06/06/austin-tx-omicron-covid-cases-travis-county/7530098001/
Reporting Home Covid Test Results Can Be Confusing. Here’s How to Do It. 6/4/22 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/04/well/at-home-covid-test-results-report.html