November Regular City Council Meeting Recap: New City Manager Appointed

The regular City Council meeting was held on Monday, Nov. 21 starting at 6 p.m. Here is a brief recap covering the highlights of that meeting (Mayor Pro Tem Vance attended remotely through video conference and Councilmember Szimanski was not present): 

NEW CITY MANAGER

Joseph Molis was officially appointed by City Council (6-0) as Lakeway City Manager at the meeting Monday night. He was serving as Interim City Manager since the resignation of Julie Oakley in early September. He previously served as Assistant City Manager, and has been with Lakeway since late 2020. There were more than 20 applicants for the position, and a subcommittee of councilmembers narrowed those down to seven in September. The full City Council along with other Lake Travis leaders interviewed four finalists in October, and City Council further interviewed the final two finalists in early November. CLICK HERE to learn more about Joseph. 

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY PROCLAMATION

Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karen Shultz was present to accept a proclamation by Mayor Kilgore announcing Nov. 26, 2022 as Small Business Saturday. 

FINANCIAL REPORT

Lakeway Finance Director Aaron Daigle gave an update on the latest as it relates to the City's finances for the first full month of the FY 2023 budget, which started Oct. 1, 2022. Revenue is ahead of projected expectations by $139,729, and expenditures are reported to be under budgeted expectations by $12,295. 

TRANSPORTATION BOND RESULTS

City Council approved (6-0) the final election results for City of Lakeway Proposition A, which showed approval of the transportation bond with 6,828 voters FOR (66.71%), and 3,407 AGAINST (33.29%). Adoption of the ordinance canvassing the election returns is the next step in the issuance of bonds up to $17,500,000, with the required taxes imposed, for streets, sidewalks, pathways, along with bike and pedestrian system improvements. CLICK HERE for more information on the bond that passed, including the 11 expected projects. 

620 AGREEMENT

City Council approved (6-0) an agreement to contribute right of way funds to support TxDOT's future plans for improvements to RM 620. TxDOT's future widening project for RM 620 requires a contribution from the City of Lakeway of 10% of the total estimated costs of the project, which comes out to be $3,222,096.70.

COUNCIL TIME CHANGE

City Council voted (5-1) to change the start of the Lakeway City Council meetings to begin at 6:30 p.m. instead of the new 6 p.m. time that council voted on a few months ago in order to give residents and those working a better chance to attend meetings. The December meetings will still take place starting at 6 p.m., with the revised 6:30 p.m. start time beginning in January. 

CLICK HERE to view the full agenda and city council meeting from Monday evening. 

Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

The holiday shopping season has arrived, and the Lakeway Police Department wants you to be sure to have a safe experience whether shopping in person or online. Here are some important tips to keep in mind if you're shopping in-person this year: 

• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
• Park in well-lit areas, and be sure to lock the car, close your windows, and hide all gifts and shopping bags in the trunk.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Carry your purse close to your body and put your wallet in an inside pocket or front pants pocket.
• Lock your doors immediately upon entering your vehicle.
• When shopping with the kids, teach them to go to a store clerk or security guard if you get separated, and don’t allow your kids to go off by themselves.

CLICK HERE for important tips on safe online shopping and preventing package theft this holiday season. 

Upcoming Holiday Events

There are several holiday events planned in the coming weeks that are FREE and open to the public:

LIGHTS ON! & TRAIL OF LIGHTS

The Lakeway Parks & Recreation Department invites the community to the popular annual Lights On! Ceremony that will take place next Friday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Lakeway City Hall parking lot. There will be plenty of holiday treats, live music and a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus, who will also be present to turn on the Trail of Lights. The Trail of Lights will be lit every evening on the trails directly behind City Hall through early January. CLICK HERE for more details. 

LAKEWAY SING ALONG CHRISTMAS SHOW

Get ready for the holiday season with this popular kid-friendly event taking place at the Lakeway Activity Center on Sunday, Dec. 4. Lakeway Sing Along returns with "Once Upon a December," featuring kid-friendly popular songs from animated movies. Showtimes are 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. with FREE admission. Organizers just ask that you bring an unwrapped gift (especially sports equipment and dolls) for a child up to the age of 17 . Those gifts will be distributed to qualified area families by LTlov's Green Santa Program.   CLICK HERE for more details or reach out to the Lakeway Activity Center at (512) 261-1010.  

POLAR EXPRESS EXPERIENCE

Join the Parks & Recreation team for another magical holiday event on Friday, Dec. 9 with a showing of "The Polar Express" movie at 6 p.m. in the City Hall parking lot. There will be plenty of holiday treats, a trackless train to ride, and a chance to also check out the Trail of Lights after the movie. Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs and blankets to this FREE holiday event. CLICK HERE for more details. 

MENORAH LIGHTING

A menorah will once again be in place in front of City Hall to celebrate Hanukkah. Local Jewish families will light the menorah each of the eight nights around 5:30 p.m. starting on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. The community is welcome to join us each of those nights, or feel free to email us at [email protected] if you'd like to participate.  

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE

Prepare for 2023 with Lakeway's Polar Bear Plunge taking place on Friday, Dec. 30  from 9 a.m. through 10 a.m. at the Lakeway Swim Center. Travel down the water slide, warmup with some hot chocolate and take some pictures with the Lakeway Polar Bear! This event is FREE and open to the public. The first 20 participants will also receive a free Lakeway towel. CLICK HERE for more details. 

Symphony Performance 

As you're out shopping on Black Friday and through the holiday shopping weekend, don't forget to save some of your cash for tickets to give as a gift to a special performance taking place early next year.  "A Night with the Austin Symphony Orchestra" returns for the third Lake Travis area performance on Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Lake Travis Performing Arts Center, and will once again feature a collaborative performance between members of the Austin Symphony Orchestra and talented Lake Travis High School musicians. Tickets go on sale Dec. 16, 2022. It will be the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones! CLICK HERE for more details.  

TexARTS: 'The Nutcracker' 

Tickets are now on sale for a holiday favorite right here in Lakeway! TexARTS Youth Ballet Theatre presents 'The Nutcracker,' with several performances taking place Dec. 2-4, 2022 at the Kam and James Morris Theatre located at 2300 Lohman's Spur. Bring the whole family and be swept off your feet as the young dancers bring this glorious holiday favorite to life, featuring music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. CLICK HERE for more details and to purchase your tickets to this holiday favorite.