COUNTY BRIEFS
Groundbreaking for Country Road 366
Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles and the Texas Department of Transportation held a groundbreaking ceremony November 2 for a Country Road 366 bond project.
This project will upgrade the existing two lane roadway to a three lanes with a continuous center turn lane and shoulders from Chandler Road to north of Carlos G. Parker Boulevard Northwest. The intersection with Carlos G. Parker Boulevard Northwest will be realigned to eliminate the existing curve and upgraded to five lanes including turn lanes, shoulders and a traffic signal.
The design engineer for the project is Garver and the contractor is James Construction Group. Construction could be completed in spring 2024. The $17.6 million project is funded through the voter-approved 2019 Road Bond.
Justice Center extension
A 90-day extension was given to Justice Center construction, with no cost change to the county. The request was made by Vaughn Construction, which is handling work on the court renovations in the center. This change order will add 90 calendar days for a new substantial completion date of January 5, 2023.
Public safety technology director selected
Janessa Stephens will lead Williamson County’s new Public Safety Division of Technology Services as the public safety technology director. Williamson County Commissioners announced the appointment October 27.
With the partnership of Williamson County Emergency Services and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, this division of Technology Services was created to prioritize and improve technology support for first responders. This included reorganizing existing teams such as the Wireless Communications Department, which manages the county’s radio network, as well as public safety application support staff and support and logistics staff from Emergency Communications.
Ms. Stephens has 12 years of experience in supporting public safety technology systems. She attended Purdue University before starting with Williamson County in 2010, where she was instrumental in implementing a new law enforcement records management system and computer-aided dispatch system. Since 2018, she has been the manager of applications critical to the operations of over 35 public safety agencies.
Commissioners also approved a capital improvement project of $4 million to start a multi-year project to improve the technology used by 911, law enforcement, EMS and fire departments. The new Public Safety Technology Division will be responsible for coordinating the upgrade or replacement of the current public safety technology systems.
New executive director of Wilco EDP
The county announced David Porter as the first executive director for the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership.
Mr. Porter served as senior vice president of economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce and developed Opportunity Austin, a regional effort to grow and diversify the Central Texas economy. He also served as the senior vice president for business development for the Orlando Economic Partnership and, most recently, Porter formed his own economic development consulting business. As a consultant, he worked with the Wilco EDP to create a strategic plan for the organization.
'I'm extremely excited to be coming back to Central Texas. Williamson County offers such a diverse menu of options for new and expanding companies,” he said in a press release. “The potential for even greater success is evident by the close working relationship between the partner cities and the county.”
The Wilco EDP was created in 2014 as a partnership between Williamson County and city economic development leaders to market and promote economic development in Williamson County. Its board of directors are made up of representatives from each of the contributing governmental entities including Williamson County, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Jarrell, Leander, Liberty Hill, Round Rock and Taylor.