COMPILED BY JARRETT WHITENER
QUOTEOFNOTE
Universal City begins talks of $30Mbond election
Schertz City Council will meet May 10 and 24, and June 4 at 6 p.m. 1400 Schertz Parkway, Bldg. 4, Schertz. 201-619-1030. MEETINGSWE COVER SANANTONIO On April 13, San Antonio Water System officials declared Stage 2 Water Conservation rules due to a drop in aquifer levels. For information, visit www.saws.org or www.universalcitytexas.com. at 6:30 p.m. 200 S. Main St., Cibolo. 210-658-9900. www.cibolo.gov Universal City City Council will meet May 17 and June 7 at 6:30 p.m. 2150 Universal City Blvd., Universal City. 210-659-0333. www.universalcitytexas.com Garden Ridge City Council will meet June 2 at 6 p.m. 9400 Municipal Parkway, Garden Ridge. 210-651-6632. www.ci.garden-ridge.tx.us Live Oak City Council will meet May 31 and June 7 at 7 p.m. 8001 Shin Oak Drive, Live Oak. 210-653-9140. www.liveoaktx.net Selma City Council will meet May 12 at 6:30 p.m. 9375 Corporate Drive, Selma. 210-651-6661. www.ci.selma.tx.us www.schertz.com Cibolo City Council will meet May 24 and June 4 “WE ARE GROWING TOO FAST. OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THERE TO KEEP UPWITHANY OF THIS, AND THIS IS JUST ONEWAY TO SLOW IT DOWN.” CIBOLO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER STEVEN QUINN ON ELIMINATING SF5 ZONING, OR MEDIUM TO HIGH DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY HOME ZONE, WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. CITY HIGHLIGHTS CIBOLO During the April 12 City Council meeting, Darren Schauer, CEO and general manager of the Guadalupe Valley Electric Company, discussed issues related to Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 and ensured the GVEC was taking preventative measures in the event of another weather emergency. SELMA City Council on April 20 approved certificates of obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $10 million. These funds are planned for the purchase of a new ladder truck, to construct a public safety facility and to make road improvements. The certificates will not affect the tax rate.
UNIVERSAL CITY City Council on April 19 discussed a potential bond election to be held in November. According to City Manager Kim Turner, this bond would be used for road repairs around the city, with more details on specific road considerations being announced at a later date. In discussion of the amount Universal City can afford, city financial advisers showed a scenario of the city pulling $30 million in debt and how that debt could affect tax rates. Based on data provided to council, the interest and sinking tax rate would have an estimated increase of $0.02-$0.04 per $100 valuation, depending on how often the bonds are sold. In this scenario, a $250,000 home at a $0.02 increase would pay an estimated $50 more in taxes, while a $0.04 increase would result in an additional $100. City officials noted those with a homestead tax exemp- tion—homeowners who are age 65 and older or disabled— would not see an increase to their tax rate should the city issue another bond during the time of the tax freeze. Mayor John Williams said the streets around the city are in need of repairs, and ultimately, whether a bond is the tool used to make those repairs will be left in the hands of voters. “The potential of having a bond in the future is very important,” Williams said. “We know we need massive work on our streets, so the council will decide if this is
“THE POTENTIAL OF HAVINGA BOND IN THE FUTURE IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE KNOWWE NEED MASSIVEWORKONOUR STREETS, SO THE COUNCILWILL
DECIDE IF THIS IS THEWAYWE WANT TOGO, AND ITWILL BE UP TO THE VOTERS.” JOHN WILLIAMS, UNIVERSAL CITY MAYOR
the way we want to go, and it will be up to the voters.” Council discussion on the bond was preliminary and does not guarantee Universal City will pursue another bond this year. According to Turner, another discussion will be held around July for newly elected council members to review and consider. Should the council decide to call for a bond election, that decision would need to be made in August to be put on the November ballot.
County officials to allocateARPA funds GUADALUPE COUNTY Commis- sioners court on April 5 approved an order to advertise a request for proposals, or RFP, for grant adminis- tration professional services. This approval allows the county to have a professional third-party service assist in the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds. The second half of the county’s ARPA funding, $32.5 million, is scheduled to arrive in the fall, County Judge Kyle Kutscher said. With funds to allocate before the Dec. 31, 2024, deadline, Guadalupe County commissioners approved the RFP as a way to get the ball rolling on funding projects while remaining within federal guidelines for ARPA spending.
Schertzweighs development code changes
SCHERTZ City Council on April 26 approved five amendments to the city’s Unified Development Code. One of the amendments will address off-street parking for extended periods of time, which has been creating challenges on Main Street for businesses. In particular, auto repair businesses have been parking cars waiting to be serviced on the street. To help mitigate the issues, Assistant City Manager Brian James recommended working with local businesses on getting those cars off the street. “Particular to Main Street, we have said that if you are an auto repair-related use, light or heavy, the parking has to occur on the lot,” James said. “Too many cars are spilling over onto other properties, creating issues there.” According to James, this provision is not an immediate enforcement, but rather a way to address businesses and their parking issues.
This is among one of the many issues that the Main Street Committee faces with code enforcement. “We have got some other issues that we are going to work with business owners on going for- ward,” James said. Other amendments affect city development codes that govern tree preservation and mitigation; commercial and residential zoning districts; outdoor displays and storage; and the permit applica- tion process. MANAGINGMAIN STREET Changes to the Schertz Unified Development Code could help manage cars parked on Main Street.
Typically, the county would get guidance from the auditor’s office, but the challenge with this grant is the scale of $32.5 million and the federal guidelines and restrictions, Kutscher said. NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO METROCOM EDITION • MAY 2022
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