HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_HOUAB_10.19.2020City of Georgetown, Texas
Housing Advisory Board
Minutes
October 19, 2020, at 3:30 p.m.
Teleconference: https://bit.ly/32zfvgo
The regular meeting convened at 3:30PM on October 19, 2020 via teleconference at
https:Hl)it.ly/32zfvgo. Webinar ID: 955-8310-4911. To participate by phone: Call -In number:
(312)626-6799 or Toll -Free 833-548-0282. Password: 667440. Public Comment was allowed via
the teleconference option; no in -person input was allowed.
Board Members present: Lou Snead, Chair; Mary Calixtro; Wendy Cash; Linda Sloan; Charles
Collins
Board Members absent. Nikki Brennan; Grayson Smith
Staff present in -person: Susan Watkins, AICP, Housing Coordinator; Nat Waggoner, AICP, Long
Range Planning Manager; Sofia Nelson, Planning Director; Mirna Garcia, Management Analyst
The Meeting was opened by Chair Snead at 3:32 p.m.
Regular Session
A. Discussion on how the Housing Advisory Board virtual conference will be conducted, to
include options for public comments and how they public may address the Commission - Sofia
Nelson, Planning Director
Public Wishing to Address the Board
B. As of the deadline, no persons were signed up to speak on items other than those posted on the agenda.
Legislative Regular Agenda
C. Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes from the September 21, 2020
meeting. - Mirna Garcia, Management Analyst
Motion to approve Item C as presented by Calixtro. Second by Collins. Approved (5-0).
D. Update from the Housing Advisory Board Chair. - Lou Snead, Chairperson.
No updates at this time.
E. Presentation and discussion on neighborhood association programs. - Susan Watkins, Housing
Coordinator
Watkins updated the Board; there will not be a meeting held in December due to the holidays,
but there will be a meeting in November.
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Minutes October 19, 2020
Staff provided the Board background and the purpose of developing a program to support
interested neighborhoods in developing a neighborhood association. The Board reviewed
examples of neighborhood association programs from several cities in Texas, including Bryan,
Amarillo, Plano and San Antonio.
Feedback requested from the Board is:
1. What is the most important service we can provide to neighborhoods interested in
establishing an association?
2. Do you have additional ideas for how City can support establishment of neighborhood
associations?
3. Are there neighborhoods you can identify that would benefit from creation of a
neighborhood association?
The Board stated that communication was the most important service the City can provide to
neighborhood associations. The Board stated it was important to get information to
neighborhoods not only through the website, but also through direct outreach to residents. The
Board asked if there were funds for covering costs for creating flyers or sending mailers.
The Board noted the importance of highlighting the differences between Neighborhood
Associations and Homeowner's Associations since some residents in older neighborhoods are
not interested in a mandatory association that can regulate property and that some residents
purposefully move into neighborhoods without that type of regulation. The Board
recommended talking to established neighborhood associations to learn what has worked well.
The Board discussed language on the current Housing.Georgetown.org website regarding the
benefits of neighborhood associations and asked that more specificity and possibly examples be
provided for the listed benefits.
The Board also asked questions about the neighborhood association notification process, and
asked staff to explain how residents are notified of projects. Waggoner explained the notification
process, including notification to residents that live within the 300-foot boundary of proposed
projects.
F. Presentation and discussion of planning activities for the San Jose and Track Ridge
Grasshopper neighborhood plans — Nat Waggoner, PMP, AICP Long Range Planning
Manager and Susan Watkins, AICP, Housing Coordinator
Staff provided an overview of the presentation given at the October 1311, City Council
Workshop where the Council was updated on the outreach and project plan activities
completed with neighborhood representatives since the August 1111, workshop.
Neighborhood representatives partnered with City staff to survey both the San Jose and
Track Ridge Grasshopper (TRG) neighborhoods to gather resident concerns and
expectations for a neighborhood plan. Survey results for each neighborhood were reviewed
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Minutes October 19, 2020
with the Boards. The resident input was used to develop objective statements for each
neighborhood and inform the plan scope. The proposed scope was reviewed by the
neighborhood leader core teams.
The San Jose Neighborhood Plan Scope includes the following objectives:
- Preserve and promote San Jose as a safe, quiet neighborhood with caring neighbors,
through information sharing and intentional engagement
- Celebrate San Jose as a place of culture and history
- Support access to homes, San Jose Park and Annie Purl Elementary through improve
traffic, parking and sidewalk solutions
- Enable San Jose residents to stay in the neighborhood and promote compatible
development and investments in rehabilitation and infrastructure
TRG Neighborhood Plan Scope includes the following objectives:
- Protect TRG long term residents by reducing and removing challenges to staying within
the neighborhood
- Identify and preserve the key character defining components of the neighborhood and
ensuring compatible new development
- Improve mobility including transportation and parking, sidewalks and streetlights
- Maintain and promote TRG as a place of culture and history
- Maintain and promote TRG as a safe place to live
- Maintain public space and infrastructure
Based on preliminary discussions with planning professionals, it is estimated that a budget of
$60-90k per plan would address the outlined objectives with a qualified team and complete the
planning activities below:
- Engagement of neighborhood
- Document existing conditions
- Evaluate alternatives
- Develop a layered implementation plan
- Implementation of high impact, short term recommendations
Council gave direction for staff to move forward with a Request for Proposals for both plans
and return to Council on December 8, 2020.
Adjournment
Motion to Adjourn by Collins. Second by Snead. Approved (5-0). The meeting was adjourned at
4:55 p.m.
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Approved, Lou Snead, Chair
Housing Advisory Board
Minutes October 19, 2020
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