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THE BIG PICTURE
(City of Buda Weekly Newsletter)
Week of Nov. 23, 2020
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In this Issue:
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Thanksgiving Holiday - Thursday, Nov. 26 & Friday, Nov. 27
- Stay Budaful & Mask Up
- Curative COVID-19 Testing Kiosk
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Buda Turkey Trot - Thursday, Nov. 26
- Buda Looks to Boost Business This Holiday Season
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Downtown Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Saturday, Nov. 28
- Budafest Holiday Tour - Dec. 4 - 12
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Buda Trail of Lights - Dec. 5 & 6, 10-13,17-20
- Stagecoach Park Closed to Vehicular Traffic
- Four-Way Stop Installed at Intersection of Old San Antonio Road and Cabelas Drive
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- ๏ปฟCity of Buda Approves New Five-Year Franchise Agreement with Pedernales Electric Cooperative
- New Online/Phone Options for Court Defendants
- City of Buda In-Person and Online Services
- Water Smart Customer Portal
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Stage 1 Water Restrictions - Effective Monday, Aug. 24
- COVID-19 Hays County Resources
- COVID-19 Hotline
- COVID-19 Dashboard
- COVID-19 Updates on City of Buda Website
- Pay By Phone Automated System
- City of Buda E-Billing
- City of Buda Job Opportunities
- Upcoming Meetings
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All city offices, including the Buda Public Library, are closed on Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27 in observance of Thanksgiving. The library will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 |
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Happy Thanksgiving! We wish you a safe and happy holiday. Please continue to mask up in public and take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy. We are seeing an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in Hays County and Buda. Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.
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Free COVID-19 Testing in Buda |
REMINDER: Free COVID-19 testing is available in Buda through Curative! Curative is set up in the parking lot at Main Street and China Street near the public restrooms across from Main Street Dental.
This testing is available for ANYONE. You do not have to be experiencing symptoms. All testing is provided by Curative; they're using non-invasive oral swab tests.
๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐
*๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ (๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ) ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ
๐๐ฎ๐๐
๐ ๐.๐ฆ. - ๐ ๐ฉ.๐ฆ. - ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค!
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Due to construction on Main St., this year's Turkey Trot event has been moved to the Sunfield Lazy River Amenity Center. We have provided a map of the route below. This will happen on Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26). So please keep this in mind if you are driving in that area on Thanksgiving morning.
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Buda Looks to Boost Local Business
This Holiday Season
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Shop our historic downtown Buda businesses in person or online all day on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday has been a long-standing tradition in Buda, kicking-off the holiday shopping season for gift-givers. Each year, the community shows their support for local businesses, neighbors, and friends by shopping with Buda businesses and attending festive events complete with hot cocoa, Santa, and lights. While the big events will not be taking place this year, residents still have plenty of opportunity to support local business on November 28-30 with Small Business Saturday, Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Artists Sunday, Cyber Monday, and throughout the holiday season.
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Downtown Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony |
The City is having a Downtown Tree Lighting that we will broadcast on Facebook Live Saturday, November 28 starting at 5:45 p.m. Families can enjoy the sights, sounds, and cocoa from the comfort of their own home. Live music will fill the screen and Santa, along with newly elected Mayor, Lee Urbanovsky, will countdown to lighting the Christmas tree in Greenbelt Park at exactly 6:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to dawn their holiday jammies at home, and sip on the cocoa they received while shopping.
Tree Lighting Schedule:
- 5:45PM Live Stream Begins with Musical Performance
- 5:50PM Mayor's Speech
- 5:55PM Santa's Sing-A-Long
- 6:00PM Lights Turn On & More Musical Performances
- 6:15PM Live Stream Ends
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A 2020 Spin-Off of Budafest:
The Budafest Holiday Tour
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Budafest is back! While this yearโs festivities will look a little different in light of COVID-19, we are honoring the long-time holiday tradition in 2020 form with โThe Budafest Holiday Tourโ. We have holiday activities scheduled all over town for 9 days straight! From holiday movies at Docโs Drive In, video chats with Santa, to Budafest Restaurant Week at your favorite restaurants, we have something for everyone to join in on the holiday fun!
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Buda Trail of Lights Drive-Thru |
A holiday tradition in Buda is just around the corner. The City is gearing up for the 12th Annual Trail of Lights event! As with all City events in 2020, things will look a little different this year. In an effort to limit the gathering of large crowds and to keep our staff safe, we are hosting a drive-thru experience for this yearโs Trail of Lights! You will get to experience all of the fun displays and lights from the safety of your vehicle. THIS IS A FREE EVENT.
๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ
๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ & ๐, ๐๐-๐๐, ๐๐-๐๐
๐:๐๐ ๐๐ - ๐๐:๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ค
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We have included a map of this yearโs route below. The route begins on Hawk Lane at the entrance to Stagecoach Park & Visitorโs Center and winds its way around to Loop Street where motorists will exit back on to Main Street. Keep in mind that this is the traffic flow map and not the display map. Displays may not line the entire route. To ensure safe entry into the park, traffic will only be allowed to enter from the westbound lanes of Main. Eastbound traffic will not have a turning lane into the park. Buda PD will be on hand to direct traffic. |
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Stagecoach Park Closed to Vehicular Traffic
For Trail of Lights Setup
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Stagecoach Park is closed to vehicular traffic due to the Trail of Lights setup. The park is still open to pedestrian traffic. Therefore you can still walk/run on the trail. We will share more on this year's Trail of Lights event soon! We will be hosting a drive-thru experience for this year's event in order to limit large crowds of people gathering. |
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In your preparation for the holiday season, Buda is here to help you recycle any of your old, broken, or unused holiday lights! From November 30th to January 10th, stop by the Buda Public Library to drop off your holiday lights. Please remove all clips, cardboard or any other material so that you are only turning in the string of lights. No compact fluorescent or other light bulbs can be accepted through this program.
You may drop the lights at a bin located near the outdoor book drop on the side of City Hall. The lights will be recycled through a vendor for proper disposal.
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Permanent Four-Way Stop Installed
At Intersection of Old San Antonio Road & Cabelas Drive
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A permanent four-way stop is now up at the intersection of Old San Antonio Road and Cabelas Drive. Please keep this in mind when driving through the intersection. |
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The Buda City Council recently approved a new five-year franchise agreement with Pedernales Elective Cooperative (PEC). Under the new agreement, PEC will pay a higher franchise fee to operate within the Cityโs right of way and other public places.
Buda will now receive a 4.5% franchise fee from PEC. The Cityโs last agreement was a 50 year agreement approved in 1970 that locked us into a 2% fee, below what other cities are able to collect. The 4.5% franchise fee is in line with surrounding cities that have negotiated new agreements in the last ten years.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐?
A franchise fee is intended to reimburse the public for a private use of public space. In this case, PEC uses cityโs road and locates assets in the cityโs right-of-way to distribute electricity. The new franchise agreement with PEC will increase revenue to the Cityโs General Fund and allow the City to recover costs for the private use of public right of way. Cities also charge franchise fees to solid waste companies and telecommunication companies. This is one of the ways the City diversifies its revenue to safeguard against economic fluctuations.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ?
PEC will send a notice to Buda customers next week, notifying them of the franchise rate change. For a residential customer with a PEC bill of $150 per month, their bill will increase roughly $3.75 for the additional franchise fee. The new franchise fee will be implemented on January 1, 2021. Customers will see it on their February 2021 bills for the January 2021 usage.
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New Online/Phone Options for Court Defendants |
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The City has several new options for court defendants:
- Online Case Resolution (InSite) โ The City of Buda currently uses some of the options offered through Online Case Resolution, but this upgrade will allow the City to enable additional features like Court Dismissals and Court Scheduling. Basically, any service the City offers on-site will now also be offered online.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) โ Municipal Court defendants will be able to call 1-866-311-9322 to pay on citations over the phone. This is a new option being offered by the City.
- Tyler Notify โ The City has been using notifications by phone call for a while, and now we have the ability to use text messaging at no cost to the City.
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On Monday, Sept. 28, the City of Buda reopened most public facilities. Although the number of COVID-19 cases are declining in Hays County, it is still important to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing to keep the community safe. Phone and online methods of communication are still encouraged.
City of Buda Employees are following strict social distancing practices and will be wearing masks or face coverings to provide protection for co-workers and the public.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐
Per Governor Abbottโs Executive Order, face coverings are required wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.
- City-sponsored public meetings may resume with strict social distancing practices in place and room capacity is limited to 25%. City Council and Boards and Commissions meetings may resume in-person meetings or virtual meetings.
- No rental of indoor public spaces.
- Daily disinfection cleaning.
- Stay home if you are sick.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ
- The Library will reopen with limited hours at 25% capacity with a maximum of 30 patrons at a time for โgrab and goโ service. Library hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Library will continue to offer curbside pickup service. Buda Public Library Curbside Service will be Mondays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. People who canโt pick up during those times can email librarian@budalibrary.org to arrange another pick-up time.
- No in-person library programming.
- No study rooms.
- Use of Library public computers is by appointment only for one hour blocks for card holders. Computer pods will be disinfected after each use.
- Daily disinfection cleaning
- Stay home if you are sick.
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ (๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐)
๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ
- Notary Public Services are provided at the front reception desk. For additional questions, please call 512-312-0084.
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ:
City of Buda Main Number (Reception) - 512-312-0084
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)
Visitorโs Center (512-295-7170)
๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ payments may be paid online at https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/budatx or through the automated phone system at 1-866-279-0787. Additional ways to make utility payments include online through your bank, by mail to 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, Texas, or by utilizing the utility payment drop boxes at the front entrance of the building and near the library book drop. Customers can contact utility billing staff directly by email at utilitybilling@ci.buda.tx.us or over the phone at 512-295-8845.
๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ:
You can view City Council meetings online here:
For more information on Buda Library Services:
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๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก?
You can register your account (for free) on the Water Smart Customer Portal. All you need is your account ID and your zip code. By signing up on the portal, you can set water usage alerts, leak alerts, keep up with your monthly usage and more!
Water Smart Customer Portal Instructional Video
Register Your Account on the Water Smart Customer Portal
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Stage 1 Water Restrictions
Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020
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Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, Stage 1 Water Restrictions will go into effect for City of Buda water customers in accordance with the Cityโs adopted Water Resource Management and Drought Response Ordinance. This is due to the lack of consistent precipitation, and higher than normal demands on our water production system.
Under Stage 1, irrigation with hose-end (sprinkler attached to a hose) and automatic sprinkler systems is restricted to twice per week. Irrigation with handheld bucket, handheld hose, soaker hose, or drip irrigation system is allowed any day and at any time. Violation of the ordinance could result in a fine of up to $2,000 per offense and a surcharge on the customerโs utility bill.
๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐-๐๐ง๐ (๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐) ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ
Twice per week on designated day; prohibited between the hours of 10:00am and 7:00 pm
- Odd-numbered residential: Wednesday and Saturday
- Even-numbered residential: Thursday and Sunday
- Commercial, mixed use and multi-family: Tuesday and Friday
- It is recommended that outdoor watering be limited to one of the permitted watering days each week to promote conservation
๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ค๐๐ญ, ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐, ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ
- Allowed any day and at any time
For more information on Stage 1 restrictions and water conservation tips please our website.๐
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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.
County residents may visit
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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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Pay By Phone Automated System |
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The City of Buda has launched a new way for customers to pay bills by phone. You will be able to call 1-866-279-0787 and pay through an automated system over the phone.
- Save postage by paying your bill by phone.
- Access your updated account instantly.
- Hear real-time balances, payment amounts, and due dates
- Enter your information securely through an automated system
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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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