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THE BIG PICTURE
(City of Buda Weekly Newsletter)
Week of April 27, 2020
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In this Issue:
- Governor Abbott Issues Executive Orders to Reopen Texas - Phase 1 Begins May 1
- City of Buda Continues to Operate Virtually
- Buda Public Library Curbside Service
- Buda Public Library Online Resources
- Hays County Offers Free COVID-19 Testing for Uninsured, Underinsured, and Indigent Residents
- Still Budaful Stimulus Plan Still Accepting Applications
- Work Safe, Breathe Easy Videos
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- Aquifer Storage Recovery Pilot Well Update
- Autism Awareness Month Profile - Zach Weber
- Boards and Commissions Application Deadline Extended - May 31
- COVID-19 Hays County Resources
- COVID-19 Hotline
- COVID-19 Dashboard
- COVID-19 Updates on City of Buda Website
- Buda Counts: 2020 Census
- City of Buda Water Smart Portal
- City of Buda Job Opportunities
- Upcoming Meetings
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The City of Buda will continue operating virtually until further notice. (Buda Public Library will continue with curbside service on Monday and Thursday, along with providing online resources. Information on other City online resources and phone communications directly follows this item in the newsletter.)
Governor Greg Abbott announced new Executive Orders this week (Monday, April 27) outlining his plan on reopening Texas in phases. The first phase goes into effect on Friday, May 1.
All retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls can open. Occupancy must be limited to 25%. Museums and libraries can open at 25% occupancy, but no interactive exhibits are allowed. Within shopping malls, the food-court dining areas, play areas, and interactive displays and settings must remain closed.
Outdoor sports are allowed to resume so long as no more than four participants are playing together at one time. Certain social distancing practices must also be followed.
Public swimming pools, bars, gyms, cosmetology salons, massage establishments, interactive amusement venues, such as bowling alleys and video arcades, and tattoo and piercing studios will remain closed through Phase I.
While masks are not required, they are highly recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Persons at high risk or who are 65 years of age and older are encouraged to stay home. It is still recommended to avoid intermingling with people outside of your household.
The City of Buda will continue operating virtually until further notice.
Restrictions remain in place for City of Buda public and private parks. All sports fields, bathrooms, playscapes, basketball courts, skateparks, water fountains and other facilities are closed to the public until further notice. Trails and green spaces remain open, but please practice social distancing guidelines and keep six feet of space between yourself and others who do not live in your same household.
Phase 2 - Possibly Mid-May
More businesses openings could be announced by May 18.
Before phase two begins, Gov. Abbott wants two weeks of data showing that the COVID-19 is continuing to be contained.
Governor Abbott Executive Orders
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City of Buda Continues to Operate Virtually
Until Further Notice
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The City of Buda will continue conducting business virtually until further notice. 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 is closed. 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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Buda Public Library Curbside Service
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Get books and other library materials delivered straight to your vehicle! Place books on reserve on our online catalog. After you're notified that they are ready, park in the parking lot during designated hours and call us at 512-295-5899. Learn more about how to put items on hold here:
https://www.budalibrary.org/281/Buda-Library-at-Home
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Buda Public Library Online Resources
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While you are at home, the Buda Public Library is here for you! Library members can access our digital services, including checking out eBooks, downloading audio books, participating in a free online class, reading digital newspapers or magazines, or learning a new language!
Anyone can join us online for something fun to do, like watch a storytime with your children, learn to watercolor, plant a seed, and more!
We are here to take your calls at 512-295-5899 and can answer questions, set you up with a new library card, and update your existing account so you can access all our digital resources.
Find out everything you can do with “Buda Library at Home here:
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Hays County has partnered with two Live Oak medical facilities to offer free COVID-19 testing for individuals with symptoms who are uninsured, underinsured, or indigent.
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Still Budaful Stimulus Plan
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REMINDER: Applications are still being accepted for the Still Budaful Stimulus Program. 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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Our essential staff is taking all of the necessary precautions to work safe during this time. Below we've included several videos showing how City employees are staying safe.
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While drilling through the Edwards formation, the City of Buda shut down operation of Well #5 near the Garlic Creek Booster Station. The Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) pilot well has been completed through the Edwards formation and sealed off to allow us to safely put Well #5 back in to operation while the crew continues to drill down into the Trinity formation. In order to place Well #5 back online, the City needed to flush the well to remove any sediment disturbed during drilling operations. A combination of air and water have been used throughout the drilling operation. No chemicals have been used to drill the ASR well. Due to the porous nature of the Edwards formation, a large amount of sediment has been removed via flushing operations and deposited behind silt fences placed around the work site. City crews have installed a secondary silt fence to contain as much sediment as possible from the flushing operations of Well #5. As soon as the well is safely brought back into use within the water system, sediment deposited from the flushing operations can be removed from the site.
More information on Aquifer Storage Recovery
A few years ago, the City of Buda started exploring Aquifer Storage Recovery as a viable water storage option. A feasibility study was completed in 2016 and the Buda City Council later approved the drilling of an ASR pilot well near the Garlic Creek Booster Station and Well No. 5. Drilling of the well started this week.
Aquifer Storage and Recovery is where you store water from one source into a different aquifer formation. The City will take water from Well No. 5 which is an Edwards Aquifer well and we are going to store it in the Trinity Aquifer.
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Autism Awareness Month Profile - Zach Weber
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April was Autism Awareness Month. Before the quarantine, Communications Director David Marino sat down with Zach Weber and his family to learn more about autism and to talk about the misconceptions around it. Zach and his brother were both born autistic. By the way, Zach and his mom Lisa graduated from our most recent Buda Citizens' Academy. They were awesome students!
For more information on autism please visit
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The deadline has been extended to May 31, 2020 for citizens interested in applying for the City’s boards and commissions. City Council is currently accepting completed application forms. Several of our boards and commissions accept residents living in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).
The link below contains a complete listing of our Boards and Commissions and their related duties:
You can also download a copy of the application:
Submit application by mail: City of Buda, c/o City Clerk, 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, TX 78610
Again, the deadline to submit a completed application is May 31, 2020. For additional information, contact the City Clerk at 512-312-0084.
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Hays County has provided a list of resources for residents who have lost their jobs or need food, mental health support, or other assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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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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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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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 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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City Council
May 5, 2020
5:30 PM
Virtual Meeting
Main Street Advisory Board
May 13, 2020
6:00 PM
Virtual Meeting
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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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