H.R. No. 1489 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Hutto are gathering in Austin on May 9, 2017, to celebrate Hutto Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Situated on the rich blackland soils of southeastern Williamson County, the Hutto area was settled in 1855 by James E. Hutto, a Swedish pioneer, and Adam Orgain, a freed slave; the town, which was founded in 1876 around a depot of the International-Great Northern Railroad, soon became a center for cotton farming, and it was incorporated in 1911; and WHEREAS, More than a century later, Hutto benefits from its location at the intersection of two major highways, US 79 and SH 130, and its proximity to the NAFTA corridor along I-35; the city's population has soared from 1,450 in 2000 to an estimated 23,000 today, and its welcoming environment for business has earned it recognition from Southern Business and Development magazine as one of the Top 10 Edge Markets and one of the Top 100 Best Places in the South to Locate Your Company; in 2016, Hutto was named the Seventh Fastest Growing Small City in America by Zippia, the Second Best City to Live in Texas by Best Places Now, and the Second Safest City in Texas by Wide Open Country; and WHEREAS, The Hutto Independent School District is one of the fastest growing districts in Texas, and the district's school board was honored for its contributions to education in 2014, when it was named the Region 13 Honor Board by the Texas Association of School Administrators; the city is also increasing opportunities for adult students, and the 57-acre campus of the East Williamson County Higher Education Center, a partnership between Temple College, Texas State Technical College, and Texas A&M University--Central Texas, has continued to expand its course offerings since opening in 2013; in addition, Hutto residents approved funding for the creation of a park system and the 35,000-square-foot Hutto Family YMCA facility, which opened in January 2014; and WHEREAS, Home to an educated workforce, a motivated city government, and a healthy business climate, Hutto is building on its rich, small-town heritage of hard work and neighborliness to prepare itself for a dynamic future as a smart place to live, work, and prosper; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 9, 2017, as Hutto Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit to Austin. Gonzales of Williamson ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1489 was adopted by the House on May 4, 2017, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House