Mayor George Haehn gave the State of the City Address at the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on March 11, 2020. We have included a video link and power point of the presentation below.
Mayor Haehn State of the City 2020 VIDEO
Mayor Heahn State of the City Power Point Presentation
At one point during the presentation we had to switch out the memory card in the camera.While slides are included in the presentation video, the Mayor is not heard speaking under them. We have included the information below for those three slides.
Transportation
Updated Transportation and Mobility Master Plan: The City of Buda is developing a Transportation and Mobility Master Plan to identify transportation needs, develop solutions, and prioritize improvements to allow the transportation system to keep pace with desired growth and development. Community input is a critical and important part of this process. In the fall of 2019, the City put out a Transportation and Mobility Master Plan survey to get citizen feedback. Last month (February), the City held an open house to present some of the input received from the survey, along with a map of recommended roadway improvements and recommended bike and pedestrian improvements. A second community survey was also launched at that time.
Upcoming important dates for Transportation and Mobility Master Plan:
March 3rd - City Council Workshop
March/April - P&Z Commission - TMMP Report Presentation, seeking recommendations
April 17th - Complete TMMP Report transmitted to City staff
Early May - Draft Final report prepared for City Council
Late May - Final report delivered
Facility Re-Use
Former Buda Public Library: The former Buda Public Library will be transformed into a Visitor’s Center. It will house offices for the Main Street and Tourism Departments, and for community meeting space. Remodeling is expected to begin this year.
Utilities
Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR): In September 2018, City Council approved the site of an Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) pilot well. The pilot well will be drilled this month (March) and is estimated to be finished this summer. The City of Buda began looking into ASR a few years ago and hired a consultant to conduct an ASR Feasibility Study in 2016.
Senate Bill 483, sponsored by Senator Donna Campbell and Representative Erin Zwiener, was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2019. The bill modifies outdated rules that state that only native Edwards Aquifer water to pass through the Edwards Aquifer for storage in another aquifer formation. The new legislation would permit all sources of potable water to pass through the Edwards Aquifer for storage in the Trinity formation. Buda hopes to become one of the few cities in Texas to utilize Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) to store excess water underground during low water usage times for use during droughts. The bill expands the amount of water that Buda will be able to store in the aquifer, enabling the City to better meet its growing water needs.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion (Under Construction): The expansion project will double the plant’s capacity from being able to treat 1.75 million gallons per day of wastewater to 3.5 million gallons per day of wastewater. Estimated completion is set for September 2021.
Alliance Regional Water Authority (ARWA) Water Supply – Phase 1A Segment B Pipeline Project (Under Construction): In December 2019, the Alliance Regional Water Authority (Alliance Water) and its contractor, Smith Contracting, began the Phase 1A Segment B Pipeline construction project in Buda. The project includes the installation of a 24-inch diameter pipeline from Alliance Water’s Booster Pump Station on FM 2770 (Jack C. Hays Trail) to the City of Buda’s Delivery Point at the intersection of FM 1626 and Old Black Colony Road.
The project includes approximately 18,000 linear feet of ductile iron pipeline, gate valves and tunnels under FM 2770 and Onion Creek. Erosion and sedimentation best management practices will be followed along with traffic control for the work in the vicinity of Old Black Colony Road and Cole Springs Road.
The project is a vital aspect of Alliance Water’s overall effort to deliver a new water supply to all our customers. Initially the pipeline will be used as part of Alliance Water’s established water sharing agreement and will eventually be utilized to deliver treated Carrizo-Wilcox groundwater to the City of Buda.
Smith Contracting will start at the southern end of the project and work to the north. The project is expected to be complete at the end of 2020.
Water Meter System Replacement (Done): The City of Buda’s water meters were replaced. Installation began in March 2019. In December 2018, the City Council approved an agreement with Siemens Industry, Inc., to install and replace the City’s water meter system. The new system enables customers to see their consumption data in real-time as opposed to having to request their consumption data from the City. It also gived citizens control over their consumption by enabling customers to set usage alerts and leak warnings.
