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THE BIG PICTURE
(City of Buda Weekly Newsletter)
Week of April 6, 2020
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In this Issue:
- Still Budaful Stimlus Plan
- Food Truck Fees, Credit Card Transaction Fees, Utility Late Fees/Utility Disconnects, and Inspired Minds Art Center
- Paying It Forward: Deep Eddy Vodka
- Buda Area Chamber Launches Two Times (2X) for Buda Campaign
- Good Friday Holiday
- Home for the Holidays
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- COVID-19 Hotline
- COVID-19 Dashboard
- City of Buda Conducting Business Virtually
- COVID-19 Updates on City of Buda Website
- City of Buda Receives Clean Audit
- Buda Counts: 2020 Census
- Boards and Commissions Application Extended
- City of Buda Water Smart Portal
- City of Buda Job Opportunities
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Still Budaful Stimulus Plan
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In response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the Buda City Council authorized the "Still Budaful Stimulus Program" to assist businesses negatively affected by the pandemic.The total contributions between the City of Buda and Buda EDC amount to $380,000, allowing eligible businesses to apply for the following assistance programs:
- Still Budaful Stimulus Grant
- Hotel Occupancy Tax Payment Emergency Deferral + Forgiveness Program
- Buda Emergency Co-Marketing Grant
The people behind the Still Budaful Stimulus Plan have a few words to share with our small business community. Take advantage of the Still Budaful Stimulus Plan, because without you Buda isn't budaful.
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Food Truck Fees, Credit Card Transaction Fees, Utility Late Fees/Utility Disconnects, and Inspired Minds Art Center
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Buda City Council voted to waive food truck fees for the 2nd quarter. City Council also waived credit card transaction fees, utility late fees and utility disconnects for two months, and gave Inspired Minds Art Center a two-month waiver of license fees.
Utility Late Fees/Utility Disconnects Suspended for Two Months:
As initially discussed at the March 20 City Council meeting, utility late fees and disconnects will be waived for the months of April and May. An ordinance was passed at the April 7 meeting to ratify the suspension of utility late fees and waive all utility disconnects for two months.
Credit Card Transaction Fees Waived:
All in person or over the phone City-processed credit card transaction fees will be waived for two months beginning on April 8, 2020. The City processes and charges a $2.75 credit card transaction fee only on credit card transactions paid in person or over the phone. The City does not charge a transaction fee for online payments. However, the City's financial software provider, Tyler Technologies, Inc., which hosts the website for city residents and businesses to make online payments, does collect its own online transaction fees.
Mobile Food Vendor Fee Waived for One Quarter (April Through June 2020):
In order to provide relief to the City's mobile food vendors, the mobile food vendor fee paid by vendors who operate in Buda will be waived for April, May, and June. There is a quarterly $55 “hot fee” for mobile food vendors who operate or sell hot food for human consumption and a quarterly $45 “cold fee” for mobile food vendors who operate or sell cold food for human consumption.
Inspired Minds Art Center (IMAC):
At the March 20, 2020 Special Called City Council meeting, staff presented a request from the Inspired Minds Art Center to suspend the monthly license use fee due to the cancellation of classes because of COVID-19. The Inspired Minds Art Center opened in January 2020 after the City solicited requests for proposals to reuse the former City of Buda city hall located at 121 Main Street in downtown Buda. A public-private partnership was created with Inspired Minds, LLC. to assist with the City's arts program. The Inspired Minds Art Center followed the City's lead for city-sponsored events and suspended activity in mid-March because of COVID-19. On April 7, 2020, the City Council approved a two-month waiver of license use fees in the amount of $8,000.
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Paying it Forward is A Budaful Thing:
Deep Eddy Vodka
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In times of need the Buda community always steps up! In the City's latest "Paying it Forward is A Budaful Thing" segment we are profiling Deep Eddy Vodka. The Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery in Buda has converted part of their facility to make hand sanitizer for first responders to help in the COVID-19 pandemic. A big thank you to Deep Eddy! If you have any "Paying it Forward" story ideas, please send them to Communications Director David Marino at
dmarino@ci.buda.tx.us
.
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Buda Area Chamber of Commerce Launches
Two Times (2X) for Buda Campaign
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The
Buda Area Chamber of Commerce
has launched its "Two Times (2X) for Buda Campaign"! The web- and social-media-based campaign encourages area residents to buy from local restaurants at least two times week. Let's support our local businesses!
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City of Buda offices will be closed on Friday, April 10 in observance of Good Friday. The City will continue to share any pertinent information related to COVID-19. Hays County COVID-19 hotline operators will continue to answer calls from residents who have questions about prevention, symptoms, and the need for testing. The hotline number is
512-393-5525
.
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The Easter Weekend is upon us and we ask that you keep all of your family safe. There's no place like home for the holidays! Please do not congregate at area parks, avoid large groups, egg hunts, and parties. As a reminder, all sports fields, bathrooms, playscapes, basketball courts, skateparks, water fountains and other facilities are closed to the public until further notice.The same rules apply for HOA managed and private parks facilities
.
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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
.
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(The information coming from Hays County will continue to change. Please follow Hays County at
www.haysinformed.com
)
An online dashboard created by City of San Marcos 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.
“This dashboard provides our local residents with an updated and accurate picture of the spread of the virus in Hays County,” Ingle said. “It’s also important to note the number of individuals who have recovered from the virus in each city.”
The dashboard was created by City of San Marcos GIS staff in cooperation with emergency operations and the communications team. It will be updated daily by officials with the Hays County Local Health Department.
The online tool, along with other important information about the City’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, is available on our website
:
www.sanmarcostx.gov/covid19info
.
County residents may visit
Good hygiene practices are essential:
Prevention Tips:
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds several times a day, including between your fingers and underneath your nails. Handwashing is considered the best way to remove germs and dirt, and hand sanitizers should be used only when handwashing is not available. The hand sanitizers should be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective.
- Avoid handshaking and high-fives
- Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Stay home when you feel sick
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue then put the tissue in the trash, or use the crook of your elbow if a tissue isn’t available
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household disinfectant cleaning spray or wipe. Clean cell and desk phones, computer keyboards, door handles, and work surfaces often.
- Face masks are not considered an effective way to prevent someone from catching a virus unless you have close, frequent contact with a sick person; however, they are an option for sick people to use to keep from spreading the virus.
- Avoid travel to areas that have been designated high-risk areas because of multiple verified cases of Corona
- Individuals are encouraged to avoid large gatherings. This includes, but is not limited to concerts, plays, sporting events, gymnasiums, dances, and restaurants. Recreation activities that can be practiced in private are encouraged. This virus spreads by person-to-person transmission just like the flu, so limiting human contact can help prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
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City of Buda Conducting Business Virtually
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To follow the social distancing guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDD), all City offices will be conducting business virtually. This means there will be no walk-ins, with all business being done via telephone and computer
.
You can contact City Departments directly at the numbers below:
Public Works (512-312-2876)
Buda Police Department - Non-Emergency - (512-393-7896)
Parks and Recreation (512-523-1081)
Utility Billing - (512-295-8845)
Municipal Court - (512-295-2562)
Library - (512-295-5899)
Planning, Permitting, and Engineering - (512-312-5745)
Utility billing and municipal court payments may be paid online here:
https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/budatx
. Additional ways to make utility payments include online through your bank, over the phone at 512-295-8845, and by mail to 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, Texas. Customers can also utilize the utility payment drop boxes at the front entrance of the building and near the library book drop. The Utility Billing e-mail that residents should use to communicate with Utilities is
utilitybilling@ci.buda.tx.us
.
Municipal Court:
Buda Municipal Court will be closed to the public starting March 20th. The decision is made in an effort limit the number of individuals gathering in a confined space to reduce the risks to public health. Although operations are closed to the public, individuals may still contact the Court by phone and email to get information and handle their cases; many options are available that do not require a personal appearance.
All court dockets are cancelled. Cases that are set on dockets will be rescheduled to a date after May 8th; individuals will be notified by mail of their new court date.
All individuals are encouraged to call 512-295-2562 or email the Court
budamunicipalcourt@ci.buda.tx.us
in lieu of making personal appearances to take care of their court business.
Park rentals, library programs and all City-sponsored events are suspended until further notice.
Additional online resources:
Licenses, Permits and Fees:
You can view City Council meetings online here:
For more information on Buda Library Services:
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As a reminder, you can visit the City's website at
www.ci.buda.tx.us/coronavirusinformation
for the latest on COVID-19. This page includes the Governor's Order, Hays County Order, and Mayor George Haehn order. We have also embedded the COVID-19 Dashboard from Hays County with the latest number of cases.
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The City of Buda’s Fiscal Year 2018-19 annual audit of the City’s financial reports has been completed by the City’s external audit firm Whitley Penn, LLP. We are pleased to announce that the City has received an unmodified, or “clean”, opinion on the audit. Having an unmodified, or “clean”, opinion on the audit means the City’s financial records have been determined by the audit firm to be free of any material misrepresentations, and it is the highest level of assurance that can be given on a set of financial statements.
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Buda Counts: Census Questionnaire Online
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You can now take the census questionnaire online by visiting the Census 2020 website at
https://2020census.gov/
. From March 12 to March 20 homes will receive official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond. You can respond online, by phone, or by mail. Computers are available at the Buda Public Library and staff will help you get started! Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year.
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City of Buda Accepting Applications
For Boards and Commissions
Deadline Extended
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A citizen’s point of view provides valuable insight into the operations of the City’s and Council's decision-making process. The job of Board and Commission members is crucial to the success of Buda's representative government. The Buda City Council is accepting completed application forms from City of Buda citizens interested in serving on one of our various boards and commissions. Deadline to apply has been extended.
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City of Buda WaterSmart Customer Portal Open
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Minor water leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of wasted water each year
.
Sign up for leak alerts.
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City of Buda
Job Opportunities
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Interested in joining our team? Check out our latest employment opportunities.
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Thank you for subscribing to "The Big Picture" weekly newsletter! It's a "Budaful" way to keep up with the latest City news.
Sincerely,
City of Buda
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405. E Loop St., Building 100
Buda, TX 78610
512-312-0084
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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