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While Steiner Ranch has much to offer to its residents, including a number of wonderful amenities and beautiful homes, the location of the community is one of its biggest draws. Thanks to the community’s proximity to the capital city of Austin, residents enjoy easy access to a wide variety of dining and shopping opportunities as well as a number of attractions such as museums and live venues. Still, it is the employment opportunities that Austin has to offer that serve as the main draw for those who consider purchasing a home in the Steiner Ranch.

Unfortunately, just as with the rest of the country, the job market in Austin was affected by the country’s recent economic troubles. On the other hand, Austin hasn’t been affected as harshly as many of the other cities and metro areas around the country. In fact, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Austin was one of only 14 markets to experience just a relatively mild decline in employment when comparing the unemployment rates from February 2009 to February of this year.

In order to be considered one of the areas in the country to have experienced a “relatively low” decline in employment, the area had to experience a decline of less than 2%. With Austin experiencing a 1% decline, the area posted the fourth smallest decline within the nation’s top 100 markets. Overall, the area reported 5,900 fewer private-sector jobs in February 2010 than it posted in February 2009.

The 14 areas to have a loss of less than 2% include

· Augusta, Georgia – a drop of 0.36%
· McAllen-Edinburg, Texas – a drop of 0.92%
· New Orleans, Louisiana – a drop of 0.96%
· Austin, Texas – a drop of 1.00%
· Charleston, South Carolina – a drop of 1.02%
· Columbia, South Carolina – a drop of 1.16%
· New Haven, Connecticut – a drop of 1.33%
· Buffalo, New York – a drop of 1.51%
· Washington – a drop of 1.58%
· Honolulu, Hawaii – a drop of 1.69%
· Baton Rouge, Louisiana – a drop of 1.71%
· Virginia Beach-Norfolk – a drop of 1.80%
· Syracuse, New York – a drop of 1.91%
· Poughkeepsie, New York – a drop of 1.97%

On the other end of the spectrum, Wichita, Kansas came in at the bottom of the list with a loss of 16,700 jobs, which amounted to a 6.49% drop in the area’s unemployment rate. Akron, Ohio; Las Vegas, Nevada; Riverside-San Bernardino, California; and Birmingham, Alabama round out the bottom five.

As many Steiner Ranch residents know, one of the advantages to living near to Austin is the number of jobs the area has to offer. In fact, the Austin-Round Rock area is considered by many to be one of the best places to live for those who are interested in employment within the technology sector. Even with the current economic conditions, Austin has still managed to maintain a far more favorable unemployment rate than the national average. Furthermore, in terms of potential earnings, the average hourly earnings for employees in the area is continuing to move in an upward direction.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the unemployment rate in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area increased to 7.6% during the month of January, but it fell to 7.2% in February. Although this is still high when compared to February of 2009, which the unemployment rate was 6.6%, it is still low when compared to the rest of the state as well as the national average. In fact, the statewide unemployment rate was 8.2% in February while the national unemployment rate sat at 9.7%.

In the Austin area, the transportation, trade and utilities sectors lost about 4,000 jobs when compared year-to-year, making it the industry where the greatest number of non-agriculture jobs was lost. The manufacturing industry, on the other hand, lost 2,900 jobs while the leisure and hospitality industry added the most jobs with a growth of 5,000 positions.

In addition to enjoying a lower unemployment rate when compared to the rest of the state and the nation, Steiner Ranch residents are also seeing their incomes increase despite the current economic troubles. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who lived in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area earned an average of $20.59 during the month of May 2009. In May 2008, the average hourly income for residents came in at $19.92. Those who worked on a full-time basis earned an average of $22.02 while part-time workers averaged $10.45 per hour. When broken down by industry, workers earned the following wages:

· Health care practitioners and technical occupations – $29.13 per hour
· Office and administrative support personnel – $15.98 per hour
· Food preparers and servers – $8.55 per hour
· Restaurant cooks – $9.93 per hour

The Bureau also found that those who worked for companies that employed 1-99 employees earned an average of $17.15, while those who were employed by companies with 100-499 workers earned $18.18 per hour and those who worked for companies that employed 500 people or more earned an average of $26.67 per hour.

The city of Austin is well known around the country for its dedication to implementing eco-friendly policies. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a much of a surprise to learn that the state recently awarded the city with $3.3 million to fund four renewable energy projects throughout the city. Although the projects do not directly involve the community of Steiner Ranch, many of Steiner Ranch’s residents will indirectly enjoy the benefits that these grants are providing.

The grant money, which is being provided through the first round of the state’s $52 million grant program, is being distributed through the State Energy Conservation Office. Each grant is meant to help Austin achieve its goal of increasing its renewable energy production to 10,000 megawatts by 2025.

Throughout the state, 32 public schools, governmental entities, public hospitals, universities, public colleges and government-owned utilities received funding through the competitive grant program. The Austin organizations that received funding include:

· Austin Community College – received $1,594,370 in funding, which will be used to install two grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems at the Eastview Campus and the Northridge Campus. Photovoltaic systems are capable of converting solar radiation into direct current electricity. The new system will help the college save a significant amount of money in terms of energy cost.
· Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – the Austin headquarters for the department received $986,986, which will be used to install a 92 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. The agency estimates the new system will help the department save about $17,500 per year in energy costs while also significantly reducing the number of megawatts used by the headquarters each year.
· Department of Texas Military Forces – the Camp Mabry facility in Austin received about $1 million to install solar panels on a carport that is located next to the camp headquarters.

The nearby city of Sunset Valley also received funding through the competitive grant program. In fact, the city received $141,000 to go toward the installation of solar panels in the city hall building.

The commitment to eco-friendly design and showcasing the beauty of nature is nothing new to Steiner Ranch residents. In fact, Steiner Ranch received “Best Master-Planned Community” honors from Austin Business Journal in 2004 due to its commitment to maintaining its natural surroundings. With the homes designed to make full use out of the natural light, residents can keep their energy costs low while still enjoying the many amenities the community and its homes have to offer.

As Texas residents rejoice that the two-year drought seems to be finally over, the Lower Colorado River Authority is struggling with trying to determine how to best use the water that the recent rains have brought with them. After all, it is up to the Lower Colorado River Authority to determine how to use the water in the way that will best serve the needs of the residents of Texas as well as its businesses and industries.

Determining how the water will be distributed its an issue of great importance to residents of Steiner Ranch. After all, the Travis County Water Control District No. 17 is one of the customers of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Not only does the Travis County Water Control District No. 17 service the water and wastewater needs of Steiner Ranch, it also services the communities of Serene Hills, Apache Shores, River Ridge and Flintrock.

Providing water to the residents of various communities throughout Central Texas isn’t the only concern of the Lower Colorado River Authority, as the authority is also charged with ensuring there is plenty of water to be used for recreational purposes throughout the Lake Travis area.

“We do get a lot of comments from people. A lot of people who move out on the lake feel like they should see a lake and it should be full all the time,” said James Kowis, LCRA’s manager of water supply planning. “We also get comments from people … about levels coming up. No one is going to be happy all of the time. It requires us to have a lot of patience.”

Some residents are so concerned about maintaining a certain quality of life that lawsuits have even been brought against the authority regarding how it chooses to distribute the water. In addition to providing water to residents for household use and to the lakes for recreational use, the Lower Colorado River Authority must also find ways to provide water for agricultural use as well. Although the authority can curtail the amount of water that it provides for this purpose, finding a healthy balance of distribution can be a challenge at times.

With the recent influx of water, finding ways to distribute the water effectively has certainly become easier for the authority. In addition, if the population continues to grow at the same rate it has over the past several years, the authority may very well need to start looking for ways to develop additional water sources. Still, the authority is confident it can provide plenty of water to Steiner Ranch residents while also fulfilling other water needs for many years to come.

The Longhorn Village retirement community, which is located in Steiner Ranch, was recently awarded with a three-star rating from the Austin Energy Green Building Program.

“I promised that we would get at least one star,” said George Stacy, who is the senior project manager of CRSA, which is the company that developed Longhorn Village. “We qualified for three. I was totally surprised. We met with Austin Energy every two to three months throughout the 18 months of construction and made modifications. I’m very excited about it. We are the first if not only retirement community to earn this rating.”

The Longhorn Village development, which was just completed in 2009, achieved its rating due to the fact that its construction allows for reduced water and energy usage while also reducing operation and maintenance costs. Some of the features of the facility that helped it earn its rating include:

· Installation of efficient lighting, appliances, water, heating and air conditioning systems
· Implementation of a recycling program
· Use of eco-friendly insulation and recycled construction materials
· Utilization of native vegetation and plants that require little water
· Installation of an efficient irrigation system
· Close proximity to hiking and biking trails

Of course, these eco-friendly features aren’t the only attractive amenities that Longhorn Village has to offer to its resident. Some of the other amenities enjoyed by residents include:

· Arts and Crafts Studio
· Auditorium/Multi-Purpose Room
· Beauty/Barber Shop
· Business Center
· Chapel/Meditation Room
· Clinic
· Club Rooms/Card Room
· Concierge Services
· Convenience Store/Gift Shop
· Enclosed and Heated Swimming Pool
· Fitness Center
· Guest Room Accommodations
· Internet Cafe
· Library/Living Room Area
· Mail/Communications Center
· On-Site Banking
· Spa Center
· Storage Area
· Walking Trails and Paths
· Wellness Center

Located on 56 acres of land within Steiner Ranch and near to beautiful Lake Travis, residents also enjoy easy access to a number of recreational opportunities outside of the community. In fact, the nearby Lake Travis and Lake Austin offer ample opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing and picnicking. Ten golf courses, 19 marinas and 8 boat launches are also within minutes from the community. Residents also enjoy easy access to downtown Austin, where they can enjoy dining at a wide variety of restaurants or they can enjoy the arts or visit a number of different live music venues.

Thanks to its eco-friendly atmosphere and close proximity to a variety of recreational and cultural opportunities, it is easy to see why Longhorn Village is one of Austin’s premiere retirement communities.

Parents in the Austin area will soon be able to rest easy in knowing that their children are a little bit safer. At least, those who take advantage of the free car seat fitting initiative taking place at the Steiner Ranch Fire State will be able to after February 10.

According to The Statesman, the Hudson Bend Fire Department will be hosting a free car seat clinic at the Steiner Ranch Fire Station located at 3048 Steiner Ranch Boulevard. The clinic is made possible through a partnership between the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas in Motion and the Austin-Travis County EMS, with the intention of educating parents and caregivers on how to properly install child passenger safety seats. Inspections will also be conducted for free, though an appointment needs to be made in order to obtain an inspection.

The free car seat inspection clinic will start at 10:00 a.m. on February 10 and will continue until 1:00 p.m. Those who are interested in obtaining a free inspection can call (512) 854-3248 or (512) 854-7786 to set up an appointment.

Research has shown time and time again that the improper use of child passenger restraints – or the failure to use restrains at all – can lead to serious injury or death. In most cases, these restraint devices are installed incorrectly simply because the caregiver does not how to properly install the car seats, boosters and other devices that are meant to keep children safe. In fact, consider these facts:

· 80% of child restraints are used incorrectly (NHTSA)
· Nearly 1/3 of children use restraints that are wrong for their age and size (National SAFE KIDS Campaign)
· Children who are inappropriately restrained are almost 3½ times as likely to be seriously injured than those who are properly restrained (National SAFE KIDS Campaign)
· Car seats reduce the risk of death by 54% for children between the ages of 1 and 4 and by 71% for infants (National SAFE KIDS Campaign)
· Approximately 88% of children who are killed by passenger air bags were either improperly restrained or were not restrained at all (National SAFE KIDS Campaign)
· Only 19% of children who should be restrained in a booster seat actually are (National SAFE KIDS Campaign)

To those who live in Steiner Ranch, the fact that this free clinic is being brought to the community is no surprise. The Steiner Ranch has long been regarded as a close-knit community that places an emphasis on the safety of its residents and its children. Events such as this child restraint clinic are a common sight throughout the community as members and government officials regularly band together to provide valuable services to those living in Steiner Ranch and the surrounding area.

For more information about this event of about child passenger safety in general, contact Deputy Kimberly Orts at (51) 854-3428.

The city of Austin and its residents have long been known for being both eco-conscious and giving toward the community and others. These qualities are witnessed on by Steiner Ranch residents on a regular basis as they interact with one another and participate at the community Welcome Center, but the good-heartedness of Austin’s residents expands well beyond the boundaries of individual communities or even the boundaries of the state itself.

Even before the devastating earthquake struck the country of Haiti, numerous Austin residents had taken time to visit the country in order to conduct missionary work or to simply provide the people with much needed medical care and other assistance. After the earthquake struck, however, some of Austin’s residents found themselves worrying about more than just the people who call Haiti home. In fact, family and friends waiting anxiously to here from three Austin residents who had been missing for three days since the earthquake struck.

One of these people, Lynn Selby, was a University of Texas student who was conducting doctoral research and volunteer work at Port-au-Prince. Amazingly, Selby suffered only minor injuries and managed to find her way to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti on Thursday. Reportedly, Selby has told embassy workers that she wants to assist with search and rescue efforts until she can be evacuated.

“We don’t know how she got from her house to the embassy and what transpired during those 48 hours,” said Selby’s sister, Leigh Selby. “But we feel really, really lucky to know she’s fine.”

John and Suzi Parker, two missionaries from Austin who have been conducting missionary work in Haiti since 2003, were also ultimately found at a nursing school located about 20 miles west of Port-au-Prince in the town of Leogane. Ironically, John Parker had served as the construction manager of the nursing school when it was erected in 2003. When the earthquake struck, the couple had been working at a guesthouse that had been set up for visiting doctors and they now plan to remain in Haiti in order to assist with the rescue effort.

“We’re sure relieve that they seem to be OK, but of course there is a lot of concern for the people of Haiti,” said Rev. San Williams, who is the couples’ pastor at University Presbyterian Church.

Numerous companies throughout the city of Austin are also donating funds to the cause, including H-E-B, which recently announced its intentions to donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross for the Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

Aside from the beautiful homes and incredible amenities found within the Steiner Ranch community, another benefit to living in this planned community is the fact that its residents get to enjoy all of the benefits that the city of Austin has to offer. Among these benefits is the fact that the capital city has a relatively low unemployment rate when compared to the national unemployment rate.

While the U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that approximately 22,000 less people filed claims for initial unemployment last week, the news is even better for Austin residents. In fact, Austin Biz Journals reports that the unemployment rate in Austin fell from 7.2% in October to 6.9% in November. While this is still well above the rate of unemployment within the city a year ago, which is estimated to have been at around 4.9%, it is still better than the national rate. Furthermore, it is better than the rate for the state of Texas on a whole, which dropped from 8.3% in October to 8% in November.

When it comes to new unemployment claims, the state of Texas continues to fare better than the rest of the country. Not only has the state enjoyed a decline in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, it has actually added nearly 70,000 jobs over the past two months.

For Steiner Ranch residents, remaining ahead of the national curb is just one more reason to enjoy living in the area. With so many jobs located in the state capital, including numerous positions for those with specialized technical skills, the area is predicted to continue to remain one of the cities with the strongest economies in the country. That’s good news for residents of the community, as Steiner Ranch residents certainly enjoy being able to enjoy the finer things in life – and having a great job that is only a short commute away is key to making certain these amenities remain accessible!

The community of Steiner Ranch has much to offer to its residents. Not only is the community in a great location, which makes it possible to easily enjoy the amenities of downtown Austin while also being able to take advantage of the area’s natural beauty, but the level of safety and security that residents enjoy is one more reason why the community is such an attractive place to live. In fact, according to a study that was recently conducted by Farmer Insurance Group of Companies, the Austin-Round Rock area is actually the most secure large metropolitan area in the country.

The survey, which included 379 large metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more, placed the Austin-Round Rock area in the number one position of the “Most Secure U.S. Places to Live” in its recent survey based on all of the following factors:

· Air quality
· Crime Statistics
· Environmental hazards
· Extreme weather conditions
· Foreclosure
· Housing depreciation
· Job loss
· Life expectancy
· Risk of natural disasters
· Terrorist threats

When looking more specifically at just the nearby city of Round Rock, the FBI recently listed the city as the number one safest city to live in the United States with a population of 100,000 or more and in the number 18 position when considering cities with populations of 75,000 or more. Of course, this isn’t the first time the city of Round Rock has been included on this list. In fact, in terms of cities with populations of 75,000 or more, Round Rock came in the number 19 position in 2008, number 13 in 2007 and 2006 and number 8 in 2005.

For Steiner Ranch residents, living next to the city of Round Rock and within the city of Austin, both of which enjoy high rankings in terms of safety and security, certainly provides peace of mind. Pair this fact with the fact that the children of Steiner Ranch enjoy excellent educational opportunities and plenty of activities to choose from throughout the community and it is easy to understand why so many are proud to call Steiner Ranch home.

Although the community of Steiner Ranch has much to offer to its residents in terms of amenities and location, there is one more benefit to living in this area that certainly cannot be overlooked: educational opportunities.

The bottom line is that children and teenagers who grow up in Steiner Ranch have the opportunity to work toward obtaining an excellent education. In fact, all of the schools that serve the Steiner Ranch community are part of the acclaimed Leander Independent School District. The Leander Independent School District has consistently performed well on standardized tests and has regularly ranked near the top of all of the school districts in Texas. This is largely due to the fact that the Leander Independent School District strives to do all of the following:

· “continually improving world-class curriculum”
· put “a focus on teaching and modeling ethical behavior”
· provide “encouragement of parent and community involvement”

Elementary-aged students who live in the Steiner Ranch community will attend either Laura Welch Bush Elementary or Steiner Ranch Elementary, while middle school students attend Canyon Ridge Middle School. All three of these schools are located on-site. High school students, on the other hand, attend either Vandegrift High School or Cedar Park High School, both of which are just a few minutes away from Steiner Ranch. Of course, there are also plenty of private schools available in the area as well.

When considering moving to Steiner Ranch, it is a good idea to visit each of these schools in order to get a better idea of what each one has to offer. Not only do all of these schools have a solid reputation for academic excellence, the facilities are also quite beautiful. Furthermore, the fact that the elementary and middle schools are located within the community means students can easily walk to and from school while also enjoying a true sense of neighborhood.

In addition to the numerous educational opportunities available to the children and teenagers who live in the Steiner Ranch community, there are also plenty of higher education opportunities available to adults in the community as well. Some of the colleges and universities that are located nearby include The University of Texas, St. Edward’s University, Austin Community College, Texas State University, Concordia University, Southwestern University and Husto-Tillotson College.

Whether looking to get a good start in the world of education or looking to pursue a higher education certificate or degree, Steiner Ranch residents have plenty of excellent opportunities to select from.