Leander City Council Meeting Canceled

LEANDER, TX — After officially declaring commercial and residential construction as "essential business" exempt from work stoppage due to coronavirus, the mayor on Thursday was expected to take further action related to protocol brought about by the spread of illness.

Mayor Troy Hill on March 26 declared construction as local critical infrastrucure, relaxing rules related to physical distancing that is seen as the most effective way to blunt the spread of the COVID-19 virus that causes respiratory illness. In tandem, Hill reduced the city's sign regulations rleated to advertising in the construction industry.

"Our city spans two counties, so it's important that we establish consistent policies for the people who live and work here," Hill said in a prepared statement in taking the action. "Today's order is an all-of-community approach in support of essential businesses and workers in Leander who want to protect public health and still keep their critical operations alive."

View the mayor's order here

As a result of the mayoral order, signs used in Leander to advertise an essential business, as defined by the current stay-at-home orders of either Williamson County or Travis County, will not require a local permit during the period of this order if they comply with the limited restrictions, Hill said.

"These actions should allow more flexibility in the promotion of essential business services, especially for our restaurants," Hill continued. "But we also have to do more. I am considering a variety of other actions as well."

In neighboring Austin, municipal stay-at-home orders have stalled all but "essential" businesses such as grocery stores from operating. The now-stilled construction industry in the booming capital city was halted as a result given the parameters of physical distancing among people to mitigate the potential spread of respiratory illness.

“Our concern was interior construction when workers could be in groups in tight spaces and close quarters,” Dr. Jason Pickett, the Austin-Travis County Alternate Health Authority, said at a press conference on March 26 explaining the restrictions. “We decided that infrastructure work such as building roads and some city projects did not pose a significant risk because they are more spaced out and in not close confines.”

The loosened rules for the construction industry in Leander represent something of an extension to Hill's philosophy in running for mayor two years ago under the theme "Building a Better Leander — with You." In his campaign website, the former city council member cited his "...vision for managed growth and development to the forefront" while on the stump. Hel was elected mayor of Leander in June 2018 after a runoff election when he secured 61 percent of the vote.

Hill and Leander City Council members were scheduled to consider further related actions at the regular council meeting scheduled on Thursday, April 2 before the meeting was canceled due to unspecified "technical reasons," as alerted in the municipal website. The planned teleconference gathering was to take place in Pat Bryson Municipal Hall located at 201 N. Brushy St. before its cancellation. The next city council meeting is scheduled on April 16.

Ahead of the meeting, city officials advised members of the public wishing to listen or make comments on an agenda item during the meeting to call 1-408-418-9388 and enter access code 621 021 893 up to 15 minutes prior to the meeting.

In the alternative, officials added, written comments on agenda items will be accepted, read aloud by the mayor, and added to the meeting record. Up to 15 minutes prior to the meeting, written comments may be submitted using the Public Comments Request form at https://leandertx.gov/comments, via email to the City Secretary at dcrabtree@leandertx.gov(link sends e-mail), or from the Utilities drive-thru window during normal business hours.

The meeting audio will be live streamed from the city’s website at https://leandertx.gov/video.