County promotes need for organ donations, child abuse awareness
The Hays County Commissioners Court officially proclaimed April as the month to promote the health and wellbeing of county residents, especially those who may be in line for life-saving transplants and for those who are on the autism spectrum.
During its regular meeting earlier this month, the court set April 2023 as National Donate Life Month. Speaking before the commissioners on behalf of some of the associations that support organ, eye and tissue donations in the county, Sherman Lemuel Bradshaw said, “14.3 million Texans have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors in the state, and 80 percent of this very county are registered.”
According to Bradshaw, whether a donor’s organs go immediately to someone in need or not, there is a way for the donation to be of use to the community. He said if donated organs are too damaged for life-saving use, the organ is sent along the health pipeline for research “to forward the science of donation.” Donate Life Texas is the name of the registry where the public can sign up to donate and find additional information.
April 2023 was also proclaimed Child Abuse Awareness Month by the commissioners. Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center CEO Melissa Rodriguez said that the center runs Roxanne’s House which, according to the organization's website, is a non-residential and childfriendly facility where abused children come to heal.
“Protecting children is paramount in the work that we do at the center. It drives every program that we have,'' Rodriguez said.
The women’s center is sponsoring a fundraiser on April 29 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center. Rodriguez urged the public to attend.
“It’s one small way that people can give back to the kids in our community,” she said.
“Blue is the color to draw awareness to child abuse prevention and neglect,” Executive Director of the Greater San Marcos Youth Council Julia Ramsay said. Ramsay also encouraged everyone attending to wear the color sometime this month.
April is also designated as World Autism Awareness Month in the county, based on action taken by the court.
In addition, the court highlighted the work done daily by those first responders and law enforcement staff who form the core of the telecommunications network in the county, setting the week of April 9–15 as National Telecommunicators Week. This week celebrated those individuals who are on the front lines to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance.
In other business,tThe court was updated on the Tax Incremental Zones 1 and 2 in Dripping Springs by David Edwards, zone chair. He said due to population growth and property value increases, the two zone’s financial status has increased, allowing these areas to consider additional projects.
Keenan Smith, the project manager for TIRZ 1 and 2, said that they have increased the number of projects underway from three to six. The projects and locations include the following: improvements on Old Fitzhugh Road, the Civic Center, the historic Stephenson Building, the downtown parking lot, downtown drainage roadways and sidewalks and downtown restrooms.
The court approved a service agreement with Burgess & Niple, Inc., to provide engineering services in Wimberley to cost no more than $545,000 for the RM 2325 sidewalk project.
This project is “a sidewalk from Danforth Junior High in Wimberley down to 2325 then from 2325 to the HEB at the intersection of 3237 and 2325,” Hays County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Lon Shell said.
The court also approved an advance of $701,000 to be fully refunded by the Texas Department of Transportation to begin construction on the RM12 intersection at Skyline and Mountain Crest. These intersections are “currently not aligned. It’s a very dangerous intersection at the top of a curve as you head toward Dripping Springs out of the city of Wimberley,” Shell said.