Hello Bastrop,
We had a quorum for city council this week, but we were missing our statesman, Council Member Bill Peterson. The Petersons lost their son, James Edward, on January 5th. We had a moment of silence to send our thoughts, prayers, and condolences to the entire family.
Bastrop Christian Church Pastor Dustin Bartee delivered the invocation and included the Peterson and Holberg families. Jeff Holberg, former City Manager of Bastrop, passed away in late December. These losses remind each of us to make the most of each day, treat everyone with respect, and cherish family.
The Red Rock Interplanetary Space Exploration (RISE) club led the pledges for us. Special thanks to the club’s creator Katie Fehlker (Assistant Principal) and Kelly Hubley (Principal). These fourth graders did a great job.

Presentations included the recognition of MLK Day. It is Bastrop’s turn to serve as host for this county-wide event. Please join us at Paul Quinn AME at 10 am on Monday, January 17th for the historic walk through Bastrop. Streaming of the virtual program will begin at 11:30 am. Information about how to watch the Virtual Program can be found here.
The City of Bastrop is the Title Sponsor for the Bastrop Chamber Annual Gala this year. The Chamber is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary and will have festivities throughout the year.
We all enjoyed the Lighted Christmas Parade and winners for the parade were recognized during the council meeting. Categories included everything from Best Reason for the Season to Most Creative.
Overall Best LPC Entry:
Commercial - Air Brush Tan
Non- Commercial - Bastrop Honor Choir
Most Beautiful Lighted Float
40 Bastrop & Buescher State Park
Best Pedestrian Group
Cedar Creek Dance Team
Most Original Entry
Bastrop Opera House
Best Marching Band
Cedar Creek High School
Most Festive Automobile
BC Sheriff Dept
Most Festive Group Riders
Friends and Family of Texas Stars
Best Group Entry
Central Texas Jeeps & Lower Colorado Jeeps
Best Emergency Vehicle
Heart of the Pines VFD
Best Cyclist Decoration
American Legion Post 533
Best Reason for the Season
Primera Baptist Church
Council unanimously approved the Letter of Intent between Emile Multicultural Center/Recreation Complex, Bastrop Independent School District, and City of Bastrop to establish a partnership toward the acquisition, construction, and operation of a community recreation center. Charles Washington, Jr., representing the Emile Multicultural organization presented the idea of having a recreation center on the site of the Emile School that served the black community from 1892 to 1969. The proposed center would include a large multipurpose gymnasium, classrooms, and a museum. The museum would preserve the rich history of the Emile school and its graduates and staff. A large number of local pickleball players and enthusiasts came out and Gary Moss spoke, representing their group’s enthusiastic support of the project. This was a significant first step in the project, however, it is important to note the letter of intent is not complete until Bastrop ISD approves. City council has agreed to operate and maintain the building along with construction of roads that would support the building and mitigate the school traffic issue that currently exists.
Faun Cullens, Chief Appraiser, presented the much-needed improvements for the Bastrop County Appraisal District building. Per State Law she needs approval from eight of the ten main taxing entities before the project can be started. City Council unanimously approved the request.
Council approved a contract with Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station for Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Many of us use our smart phones to navigate unfamiliar territory and we have grown to expect warnings on construction delays, suggested routes to avoid accidents, and fastest routes. This information is available because of GIS systems. The city uses GIS to identify utility lines and even property corners. Currently, critical information is stored across multiple formats and systems. This project will bring all the data to a single database and made accessible to residents, public works, and contractors.
Wastewater Treatment Plant #3 construction is well underway and part of the project is taking Wastewater Treatment Plants #1 and #2 offline. For this to occur, a transfer lift station will be installed. Fabiola De Carvalho, Director of Engineering, presented a revised route for the force main from the transfer lift station to the new plant that will save the overall project $2 million. For the new route to be completed, additional engineering calculations and designs are required. Council unanimously approved a task order for $200K to save $2M.
Early voting for the special election started on January 12th. If you have not already voted please make your plans to vote early or on election day, January 29th.
Every vote counts!
Mayor Schroeder