New Braunfels | September 2023

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New Braunfels Edition VOLUME 6, ISSUE 10 SEPT. 6OCT. 10, 2023

Extreme heat persists

is the amount ow rates of the Comal Springs decreased by over a period of 30 days in July and August, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This data is dependent on USGS approval. 36.63%

BY SIERRA MARTIN & KATY MCAFEE

South Central Texas was hit with a double threat this summer: record-breaking high heat and little rainfall. The region has seen tem- peratures over 100 degrees nearly every day since July 8, causing the evaporation of local water reser- voirs and increased wildre risk. On Aug. 11, Comal County Judge Sherman Krause issued a disaster declaration for Comal County in response to the excessive heat and critical re weather conditions. Comal County Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said the Keetch-Byram Drought Index has risen about 5 points a day. It is used to determine wildre potential. On a scale of 0-800, Comal County’s KBDI was 740 as of Aug. 29. “With the continued heat wave and worsening drought conditions, wildres are a real danger in Comal County,” Emergency Management Coordinator Je Kelley said in a news release. “We have a burn ban in place and the extreme conditions have to be taken seriously. There is no relief in sight.”

Fly sherman John Torres visits Landa Park from Houston and attempts to catch a sh.

CONTINUED ON 18

SIERRA MARTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Also in this issue

Impacts: Westside Library Branch to hold grand opening (Page 7)

Government: Newproperty tax laws explained (Page 11)

Education: School districts to add campus resource ocers (Page 13)

Business: Comal Iron & Metals keep business in family (Page 22)

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Impacts

Coming soon

306

337

1101

CREEKSIDE CROSSING

ELIZABETH AVE.

N. LIBERTY AVE.

LANDA PARK

3 The I35 MarketPlace Animal Hospital The I35 MarketPlace Animal Hospital provides veterinary services including general and routine medical care alongside urgent care services for all small companion animals. The hospital includes an in-house pharmacy, laboratory services and more. • Opened Aug. 24 • 651 N. Business 35, Ste. 1310, New Braunfels • www.i35.site 4 Great Clips A new Great Clips has joined the Shops at Clear Springs. The business will provide haircuts for men, women, kids and seniors. • Opened Aug. 17 • 1761 S. State Hwy. 46 N., New Braunfels 2 Pet Supplies Plus Pet Supplies Plus of New Braunfels plans to soft open its new location in early October. The business will oer amenities for large and small pets including food and supplies, online ordering, full-service grooming and self-service pet washing stations. This location is owned and operated by Air Force Veteran Joe Petergal and his daughter Brenda Engman. • Opening in October • 2736 Loop 337, Ste. 102, New Braunfels • www.petsuppliesplus.com

LANDA PARK DR.

337

758

LAKE DUNLAP

VILLAGE SPRINGS

725

1044

MAP NOT TO SCALE

health, oral surgery and Invisalign. The business will also feature state-of-the-art technology and provide emergency dental care to patients. • Opened Aug. 29 • 237 FM 306, Ste. 103, New Braunfels • www.creeksidedentalcaretx.com

Now open

1 Creekside Dental Care Creekside Dental Care provides dental services to patients including teeth whitening, dental imaging, oral

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BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN & SIERRA MARTIN

Coming soon

Expansion

5 Schatze’s Storybrook Park The Bow Wow Blaster, a new attraction Schlitterbahn cites as the “world’s rst water coaster for kids,” is coming to the New Braunfels park in 2024. The new water coaster will be part of Schatze’s Storybrook Park, a new area that will include water slides, over 70 interactive water features, spray toys, splash pads and a 1,200-gallon tipping water bucket. • Opening in 2024 • 400 N. Liberty Ave., New Braunfels • www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels

8 Westside Library Branch The community is invited to an event celebrating the grand opening of the Westside Branch of the New Braunfels Public Library. The 8,800-square-foot library branch will open Sept. 16. The $5.5 million project was passed by voters in the 2019 bond. The

ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. A performance by Ballet Folklorico will take place at noon, and a foam cannon party will begin at 1 p.m.

• Grand opening Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • 2910 I-35 Frontage Road, New Braunfels • www.newbraunfels.gov/library

• www.greatclips.com

psychology and cognitive behavioral approaches, by appointment only. • Opened June 1 • 457 Landa St., New Braunfels • www.savannahwellness-usa.com

• Opening in September • 173 E. San Antonio St., New Braunfels • www.drifthomecollection.com

6 Jersey Mike’s A new Jersey Mike’s has opened in New Braunfels. The business serves cold and hot subs and also oers catering. The sub shop opened its rst location in 1956 and serves customers freshly sliced meat and cheese on bread that is baked daily. • Opened Aug. 16 • 237 FM 306, Ste. 102, New Braunfels • www.jerseymikes.com 7 Savannah Wellness Savannah Wellness, a life and health coaching practice, opened June 1 by practitioner Kelly Jo Eikel. Savannah Wellness serves women ages 40-65 through positive

Closings

Coming soon

10 TJ’s Burgers & More TJ’s Burgers & More closed after announcing the sale of its property via Facebook. “It has been an absolute pleasure serving the community of [New Braunfels]. We appreciate your years of support,” the Facebook post said. TJ’s Burgers & More was known for its burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and more. • Closed July 30 • 259 Loop 337, New Braunfels • www.tjsburgers.com

9 Drift Home & Interiors Drift Home Collection began as an online venture in 2017, specializing in handmade Moroccan rugs and other home decor items; now it’s opening a brick-and-mortar location called Drift Home & Interiors and will have a variety of handmade, high-quality home decor items including lighting, rugs, blankets, pillows, ceramics. The shop will also oer interior design services.

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Government

BY ZARA FLORES, SIERRA MARTIN & JARRETT WHITENER

Proposed budget to have lower tax rate New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno presented the proposed scal year 2023-24 budget to City Council on Aug. 7 along with the new tax rate. The breakdown The proposed tax rate for FY 2023-24 is the fourth consecutive year with a property tax decrease, Camareno said. The total tax rate is $0.4089, lower than last year’s $0.4139. The maintenance and operations portion of the rate is $0.20, and the interest and sinking portion of the rate is $0.2089. The operations portion goes directly to the city’s general fund, while the interest portion goes toward debt service. Camareno added this year’s proposal is a balanced budget with equal revenue and expenditures, both slated at $419.55 million with a 19.1% increase in revenue from last year. The revenues are broken down as follows: • Revenue: $198.07 million • Beginning capital reserves: $151.25 million • Beginning fund reserves: $70.23 million For budgeted expenditures, the largest portions would go toward capital improve- ment projects and public safety. What’s next? There will be public hearings Sept. 7 and 11 with adoption Sept. 11.

Restoring railroad horns The following 10 railroad crossings in New Braunfels have resumed sounding train horns, eective Aug. 4, by Union Pacic Railroad.

1 Bridge St.

337

2 Mill St.

San Antonio St.

4 Coll St.

5 Jahn St.

6 Elm St.

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

7 Castell Ave. 8 Comal Ave.

9 Rusk St.

Church Hill Dr.

ELM ST.

SOURCE: CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Train horns at multiple railroad crossings to resume Eective Aug. 4, Union Pacic Railroad tempo- rarily resumed sounding train horns at 10 railroad crossings in New Braunfels, according to a city news release. quiet zones. Those guidelines are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration.

“City sta will work diligently to restore quiet zones at those crossings as soon as possible,” the news release states. “Train horns will remain in eect until the crossings meet compliance.” Updates on railroad quiet zones and trac alerts for roads throughout the city can be found at www.newbraunfels.gov/tracalerts.

Recent inspections have identied the railroad crossings listed below are out of compliance with federal regulations that allow a municipality to designate crossings as safe for no train horn to reduce urban noise. City ocials have contracted a specialist and are developing a plan to restore all crossings to the compliance level that allows for

Guadalupe County Veterans Outreach Center to serve over 17K area veterans

contract was awarded to The Koehler Co. in March 2022 for a bid of $4.3 million. Guadalupe County will now provide services to all veterans in the area, including those who do not live within the county. Services will assist veterans with accessing Veterans Aairs benets, providing guidance and referrals for employment, education, health care and other services that veterans and families of veterans may need.

A new Veterans Outreach Center opened in Guadalupe County on Aug. 9. The center is located at 205 E. Weinert St., Seguin, and will provide services to over 17,000 veterans living in the Guadalupe County area, according to an Aug. 9 news release. The project The idea for the center started around 2017; the project design was presented to the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court in 2021; and a

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Government

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas lawmakers passed a sweeping plan to cut property taxes on the average home by over $1,200 per year. The July 13 passage of Senate Bills 2 and 3 closed out the second special legislative session of the year and brought an end to seven months of negotiations. $18B tax relief package passed

THE EQUATION

The $18 billion plan includes two bills and a constitutional amendment. For the tax cuts to show up on the 2023 tax bill, Texans must approve the constitutional amendment during the Nov. 7 general election. The constitutional amendment will appear on all ballots as Proposition 4. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the legislation July 22. SB 2 will become law if the constitutional amendment is approved, while SB 3 goes into effect Jan. 1. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the bills would save the average homeowner $1,250-$1,450 on their 2023 tax bill. The average home in Texas is valued at $331,000.

A home’s value—the appraised value minus any exemptions—varies by taxing entity.

Taxable value

Including school district, city, county, utility district, etc.

Local tax rate*

The money owed to taxing agencies.

Tax bill

*If the rate is expressed per $100,000 of valuation, divide the tax bill by 100

SOURCES: TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Homestead exemption

Nonhomestead appraisal cap

Current

Tax exemption (Value that cannot be taxed)

Average home value in Texas

Taxable value

The tax relief package also limits how much certain properties can increase in value annually. • The value of property worth 5 million or less cannot increase by more than 20% year-over-year • The cap applies to all nonhomestead property , including second homes and commercial property • Approximately 13 million properties will qualify The cap goes into effect in 2024 and runs through 2026, at which point lawmakers can choose to extend, modify or stop the program.

Texas homeowners can apply for a $40,000 exemption from school property taxes on their primary home. Seniors and people with disabilities are eligible for an additional $10,000 exemption. Under SB 2, homeowners can receive a $100,000 exemption , with $110,000 for seniors and people with disabilities. Additionally, people whose homes are worth $100,000 or less will not pay any property taxes to their local school districts. This will largely impact homeowners in rural areas. Since school districts receive most of their revenue from property taxes, the state is expected to spend $5.3 billion to reimburse schools for the increased exemptions.

$331,000 $40,000 $291,000

New

Tax exemption (Value that cannot be taxed)

Average home value in Texas

Taxable value

$331,000 $100,000 $231,000

SOURCES: TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

School district tax rate compression

Business franchise tax exemption

rates fall. However, overall school funding will not change. Democrats from both chambers of the Leg- islature unsuccessfully proposed amendments July 13 to send more money to schools and give teachers a one-time bonus. “Without question, the members in the Sen- ate and House want to give the teachers their pay raise,” Patrick said. “We will have time in the fall, I believe, to give them a permanent raise, and not just a one-time raise.” Lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol for a third special session in Septem- ber or October. They will likely discuss school funding, teacher pay and how to provide stu- dents with the best educational opportunities.

Lawmakers set aside $12.7 billion to “com- press,” or reduce, school district maintenance and operations taxes, which make up the majority of a homeowner’s tax bill, by 10.7 cents for the 2023-24 school year. This is in addition to 10.98 cents of com- pression included in the state budget. • Savings will vary by school districts, but taxes are expected to decrease by 23.8% on average • For example, on a $300,000 home , trimming the school district tax rate by 10.7 cents would cut the average tax bill by $321 per year Schools will receive money from the state to ensure they do not lose revenue as local tax

Texas’ franchise tax is calculated based on businesses’ individual circumstances. • Businesses that make less than $2.47 million annually will no longer have to pay the tax or submit a “no tax due” form • Roughly 67,000 small and midsize businesses will be exempt from the tax • Collectively, qualifying businesses are expected to save around $300,000 per year

SOURCES: TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Education

BY SIERRA MARTIN

More school resource ocers slated for NBISD The New Braunfels ISD board of trustees approved safety and security standards for district campuses, including the addition of nine school resource ocers at the Aug. 14 board meeting. The backstory The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3 this spring, which requires districts to have an armed security ocer at every campus. According to NBISD, to comply with HB 3 the district will partner with local law enforcement agencies to ll the nine SRO positions as stang becomes available. “It is our utmost priority to protect the safety and well-being of our students and sta,” NBISD Board President Eric Bergquist said. The district said its SROs work to establish healthy relationships and be a positive presence at schools by working as a team with students, parents and school sta.

CISD aims for more ocer presence Comal ISD trustees announced on July 26 the hiring of additional school resource ocers for the 2023-24 school year with the intention of having an armed law enforce- ment presence at each campus, including all 20 of its elementary schools. The gist According to the district, the commitment to have a school resource ocer, or SRO, on each campus was made by the Comal ISD board of trustees after their meeting April 27. “Throughout the previous year, we heard from parents and sta about their desire to have armed personnel dedicated to each of our elementary campuses,” Comal ISD Board President Russ Garner said. In May, the Texas Legislature passed a bill that now requires the district’s decision.

Adding ocers For the 2023-24 school year, NBISD has committed funding to allow one armed law enforcement ocer to be posted at each of the 15 campuses in the district. With $1 million in new funding, district ocials will provide: additional SROs total SROs including the six currently staed Ocers from the New Braunfels Police Department, Guadalupe County Sheri’s Oce 9 15

SOURCE: NBISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

“We are safer today than we have ever been in the past,” Director of Safety and Security Stephen Brown said. “NBISD has rigorous safety standards in place now, and our safety and security team continues to improve protocols within our district and on every campus.” A closer look For the 2023-24 school year, NBISD has commit- ted over $1 million in funding to allow one armed law enforcement ocer to be posted at each of the 15 campuses in the district.

Campus honors two New Braunfels fallen marines Comal ISD hosted a dedication ceremony on Aug. 15 for Farias-Spitzer Elementary, which will welcome students from pre-kindergarten to fth grade in the 2023-24 school year. The backstory Farias-Spitzer Elementary was built on the Marine Lance Cpl. John Farias, who were killed in action in Afghanistan. The 96,000-square-foot campus features out- door courtyards, play areas, indoor gyms and large classrooms for students among other amenities.

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to have this opportunity to open a beautiful new campus in Comal ISD,” Janelle Hardin, Principal of Farias- Spitzer Elementary said.

foundations of the legacy left behind by former CISD students Marine Sgt. Thomas Spitzer and

A ribbon-cutting was held for the opening of the new elementary campus.

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Transportation

COMPILED BY KATY MCAFEE & ERIC WEILBACHER

Upcoming projects

Austin-area drivers will notice billions of dollars worth of improvements along I-35 over the next decade. While many projects are still in the planning stages, drivers are already seeing the traffic impact to their commute as TxDOT adds lanes, reconstructs bridges and makes mobility improvements to over 100 miles of road from Georgetown to San Antonio.

1 I-35 Capital Express Central project Project: This Central Austin project received environmental clearance Aug. 21 and is expected to break ground in mid-2024. Update: The project will add two high-occupancy vehicle lanes in each direction on the inner sections of the highway and widen the corridor from a range of 11-18 lanes in either direction to 17-22 lanes when accounting for frontage, bypass and auxiliary roads, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Timeline: mid-2024-32 Cost: $4.5 billion Funding source: TxDOT

Georgetown

183

Round Rock

281

130

290

Johnson City

Austin

130

Ongoing projects

290

2 Williams Drive diverging diamond Project: Crews are adding a diverging diamond intersection, or DDI, on the Williams Drive bridge over I-35 in Georgetown. Update: The south portion of Williams Drive bridge is closed and will reopen when construction is complete by the end of 2023. Timeline: October 2020-end of 2023 Cost: TBD Funding source: TxDOT 3 I-35 southbound project Project: The project will add an auxiliary lane on the southbound I-35 main lanes between Hwy. 79 and Hesters Crossing in Round Rock. Update: TxDOT is in the final stages of the project and is installing new lighting. Timeline: March 2022-fall 2023 Cost: $8.4 million Funding source: TxDOT 4 I-35 Capital Express North project Project: This will add one high-occupancy vehicle lane in each direction between SH 45 N and Hwy. 290 East, reconstruct several bridges, add a DDI at Wells Branch Parkway, and add pedestrian and bicycle paths. Update: Crews are in the early stages and working on paving frontage roads, utilities and drainage. Timeline: March 2023-26 Cost: $606 million Funding source: TxDOT 5 I-35 Capital Express South project Project: This involves the reconstruction of bridges, relocation of ramps and the addition of two HOV- managed lanes in each direction between Hwy. 71/Ben White Boulevard and SH 45 SE. Update: Crews are working on building elevated HOV- managed lanes in the median south of Ben White. A long-term traffic shift is in effect south of Ben White near Stassney Lane. Timeline: November 2022-28 Cost: $548 million

183

Buda

281

San Marcos

130

New Braunfels

123

377

1604

Seguin

San Antonio

410

123

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

Funding source: TxDOT

retaining wall design and the contractor. Timeline: June 2022-March 2024 Cost: $6 million Funding source: Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 8 I-35 Northeast Expansion Central Project Project: Crews closed the left lane of the southbound frontage road from Arcadia Drive to the bridge of Olympia Parkway to build elevated structures. Update: During the construction, the right lane will remain open. Timeline: May 2022-TBD Cost: $1.5 billion Funding source: TxDOT

6 I-35 at Hwy. 123 Project: TxDOT is widening the I-35 bridge over Hwy. 123. Update: TxDOT is also working on reversing and relocating several ramps along the main lanes and frontage roads between Hwy. 80 and RR 12. Timeline: August 2021-early 2025 Cost: $107 million Funding source: TxDOT 7 FM 725 turnaround at I-35 Project: TxDOT is in the process of making operational improvements at the intersection of FM 725 and I-35. Update: The original completion date was in September, but it was pushed back to March due to changes in the

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Real estate

BY ERIC WEILBACHER

Number of homes sold

Sophienburg Hill, 78130 The historic home of Johann Jakob von Coll—including the original 1845 section of the home that was built the same year the city of New Braunfels was founded—is one home up for sale in the Sophienburg Hill area. The large corner lot sits on more than an acre of land at 624 W. Coll St. and includes several other structures, such as a rental property with three units. • Square footage: 2,710 • Homes on market: 11 • School district: New Braunfels ISD • Amenities: Near downtown New Braunfels’ shopping, dining and entertainment 1 The property also has a cabin with a kitchenette and living quarters. The central neighborhood is just blocks from downtown New Braunfels. NEIGHBORHOOD DATA PROVIDED BY MEGAN O’BRIEN/PHYLLIS BROWNING CO. 448 S. SEGUIN AVE., NEW BRAUNFELS. 830-302-2199. WWW.PHYLLISBROWNING.COM

July 2022

July 2023

Residential market data

78130

New Braunfels saw mixed results for home sales in July, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors. The 78132 ZIP code in New Braunfels saw nearly quadruple the amount of home sales. By comparison, the 78130 ZIP code experienced a slight decrease in the number of homes sold.

-8.3%

78132

+280%

Median home sales price

2022

78130

2023

78130

78132

-4%

$360K

$375K

MARKET DATA PROVIDED BY AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS 512-454-7636 • WWW.ABOR.COM

78132

+62.52%

$670K

$412.25K

CREEKSIDE TOWN CENTER 263 Creekside Crossing (830) 608-1969

NEW BRAUNFELS 1671 IH-35 S (830) 629-0434

LIVE OAK 14623 IH-35 N (210) 651-1911

From the cover

Extreme heat persists

Diving in deeper

Two-minute impact

and CEO Darrell Nichols said. “One Water New Braunfels breaks through these barriers, creating a partnership with the resources and expertise necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the water supply for this region.” Matthew Hoyt, director of District 9 of the EAA and owner of river outfitting company Corner Tubes, said he thinks the One Water initiative will help ensure spring flow persists in the future. “Where One Water comes in is providing that some level of sustainability and predictability for folks when they come here every year,” Hoyt said.

On Aug. 15, the city of New Braunfels, NBU and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority launched One Water New Braunfels, a collaborative water management initiative. The One Water New Braunfels Roadmap defines goals for long- term water conservation. These include continuing to be a destina- tion for river tourism, conserving environmentally sensitive areas and resource conservation in public infrastructure. “Water management typically takes place in silos even though our water resources are intercon- nected,” GBRA General Manager

feet of water. And so there’s plenty of water to last us out into the 2060 decade if we continue to implement these conservation measures and meet our [water usage] goals.” By Aug. 29, Canyon Lake dropped to 68.4% capacity, or 892.59 feet above mean sea level, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Canyon Lake is considered full at 909 feet, and the lowest the lake has been until now was in September 2009, when the lake dropped to 892.7 feet, according to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.

South Central Texans are surviving one of the hottest summers recorded with blazing grass fires and extreme drought conditions. Although water levels at reservoirs have reached staggering lows, Ryan Kelso, interim CEO of New Braunfels Utilities, said New Braunfels is not in danger of running out of water. “We’ve diversified our water supply portfolio; we now have seven different supply sources that total nearly 50,000 acre-feet of total supply,” Kelso said. “For context, last year, we used just under 20,000 acre

Exceptional drought —or Level D4 drought—is the most intense drought category on the U.S. drought monitor and occurs when the region experiences 98% dryness.

New Braunfels water usage New Braunfels’ overall water usage hikes up in the summer months. However, June and July 2022 recorded a higher use of water than in June and July of 2023. 2022 2023 Average water usage (Jan. 2022-July 2023)

Percentage of county in exceptional drought conditions Comal County 100% Guadalupe County 66.27% Percentage of county in extreme drought conditions Guadalupe County 33.73% Extreme drought Exceptional drought

600

COMAL COUNTY

500

400

GUADALUPE COUNTY

300

200

100

AS OF AUG. 22 SOURCE: DROUGHT.GOV/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: NEW BRAUNFELS UTILITIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Providing Dermatology services to New Braunfels and the Hill Country area since 1991!

Dr. Tieman is pleased to welcome Erika Kelso, FNP-C to his practice in September. Erika has 7 years experience in Dermatology and is seeing new patients. Call 830-609-4700 for an appointment 1584 Common St. New Braunfels, TX

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY SIERRA MARTIN & KATY MCAFEE

Drought stages Drought restrictions in New Braunfels are based on total water supply, demand and capacity of water treatment plants.

The framework

On May 29, New Braunfels moved from Stage 3 to Stage 2 drought restrictions. In Stage 2 restrictions, watering one day a week with a sprinkler or irrigation system is permitted on a designated watering day, according to NBU. With the excessive heat warnings residents have been experiencing, the trigger to move back to Stage 3 drought restrictions was reached June 28, but city officials made the decision to remain in Stage 2 due to NBU having a diverse water portfo- lio, according to NBU. “We have a forecasting model that shows even under current conditions,

we can still meet that reduction requirement without going into a more strict stage,” Kelso said. “And so the idea is to stay in Stage 2 because we’ve diversified our water supply so much, we’re able to bring these other supply sources in, which reduces our dependence on the Edwards [Aquifer].” On Aug. 13, the Edwards Aquifer Authority declared Stage 4 of its Critical Management Plan, which was developed by the EAA as part of its Habitat Conservation Plan. The HCP works to ensure the springs do not dry out again as was seen during the historic drought of 2014.

New Braunfels Utilities

Watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system is allowed one day per week biweekly based on the last digit of one's address. It must occur before 10:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m.

Mon. 0 or 1

Tues. 2 or 3

Wed. 4 or 5

Thu. 6 or 7

Fri. 8 or 9

Stage 2

Edwards Aquifer Authority

On Aug. 13, the EAA declared Stage 4 of the Critical Management Plan, which enforces a 40% reduction on permit holders pumping water out of the aquifer.

Stage 4

SOURCES: NEW BRAUNFELS UTILITIES, EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Water conservation tips The average family can waste 180 gallons per week—9,400 gallons of water annually—from household leaks.

What’s next?

Some of the water conservation measures recommended by NBU include planting drought-resistant plants when landscaping, harvesting rain using a rain barrel, and ensuring sprinklers are watering the lawn and not sidewalks or roadways. “[Water conservation efforts are] necessary to sustain the aquatic life, the endangered species that live in those spring systems,” Kelso said. “But it is significant. And it is very serious.”

Central Texas will need to see weeks of heavy rainfall, specifically near Fredericksburg to refill water basins, to end drought conditions, said Aaron Abel, water services manager for the Brazos River Authority. “That’s what we’re hoping for, but in the meantime, we’ve got to do what we can to extend the last of the water supply in these reservoirs, and that’s by enacting our drought contingency plans and trying to reduce water use,” Abel said.

Only run the dishwasher when it is full.

Do not use toilets to dispose of trash.

Water before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Evaporation losses are up to 60% higher during the day. Use drought-tolerant plants that are adapted to this area to reduce outdoor water use by 20-50%. One-half to 1 inch of water per week will keep most lawns healthy.

SOURCES: BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY, NEW BRAUNFELS UTILITIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Family owned and operated in New Braunfels, TX SPECIALIZING IN PHOTOS, FINE ART, DIPLOMAS, JERSEYS, AND MORE!

10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE Must present this coupon. Limit one per customer. Expires 10/10/23

830.660.1015 • 3630 HUNTER RD. NEW BRAUNFELS, TX 78132 • WWW.HUNTERROADCUSTOMFRAMING.COM

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

NOW OPEN! Grand Opening Sept. 16th @ 11 am

CUSTOM FURNITURE, CABINETS, BUILT-INS & MORE

Your Local Toyota & Lexus Specialists!

830-609-9022 • 533 River City Dr.

CALL 512-289-9805 TODAY!

VETERAN OWNED & OPERATED

WEDNESDAY, September 27th NIGHT IN OLD NEW BRAUNFELS CROSSROADS DJ 6:00–10:30pm SATURDAY, September 23rd BBQ KICKOFF, ANTIQUE TRACTOR PULL, RODEO QUEENS CONTEST ... PLUS MANY FUN EVENTS FOR THE KIDS

THURSDAY, September 28th COUNTY LINE & MONTE GOOD AND JUKEBOX DELUXE 7:30-11:30pm

SATURDAY, September 30th GARY GLENN AND THE 20X BAND OPENING AND CLOSING FOR GENE WATSON 5:00pm–1:00am SUNDAY, October 1st JEREMY RICHARDS BAND 6:00–10:00pm *with paid gate admission FREE * ADMISSION TO ALL CORRAL ENTERTAINMENT!

PRCA Rodeo performances 7:30pm nightly Thurs.-Sat. Open bull riding Sunday 2pm Livestock Show · Interesting Exhibits · Delicious Food and Drinks!

Heart of america shows CARNIVAL

FRIDAY, September 29th

For info and advance tickets go to www.comalcountyfair.org ZACH EDWARDS OPENING FOR MICKY AND THE MOTORCARS 7:30pm–12:00am

New Braunfels, TX Sept. 27 - Oct. 1

prca RODEO

512-232-5000 EdServices@austin.utexas.edu highschool.utexas.edu

Consumption Use Alerts

Customers can set up hourly, daily, or even weekly consumption use alerts. Consumption use alerts notify customers when their electric and water usage exceeds a customer-selected threshold. The notifications give customers actionable information to manage high usage before it continues. To sign-up for consumption use alerts, customers must have a smart meter installed and be in the New Braunfels Utilities electric and water service areas.

Full-Time Virtual High School Free for Texans! Enroll now for fall 2023!

Summer online courses available for purchase to catch up or get ahead!

Honors and Advanced Placement® subjects available

Learn how to set up alerts at nbutexas.com/conservation or call 830.629.8400 .

@UTHSnation

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Events

BY SIERRA MARTIN

Comal County Fair & Rodeo The 130th annual Comal County Fair & Rodeo will feature multiple events, including a barbecue cook-off, food vendors, commercial exhibits and a livestock show. Classic fair attractions, including carnival rides and a rodeo, will also take place. The parade will occur Sept. 29 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in

Gruene Music & Wine Festival Live music, silent auctions, and wine and craft beer tastings will fill the streets of Gruene during the annual festival. The festival will raise funds for the United Way of Comal County, a nonprofit with a mission to improve the quality of life for local residents.

• Oct. 5-8, times vary • Ticket prices vary • Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels • www.gruenemusicandwinefest.org

downtown New Braunfels. • Sept. 27-Oct. 1, times vary

• $5 (children), $10-$300 (adults) • 701 E. Common St., New Braunfels • www.comalcountyfair.org

for Two Rivers Plein Air will take place. • Oct. 9-14, times vary • $25 (artist registration fee) • New Braunfels Art League, 239 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels • www.thenewbraunfelsartleague.com Hollydays Market Attendees can get ready for the holiday season by shopping from vendors at the Hollydays Market. Santa will also be at the market for photos. • Oct. 12, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Oct. 13-14, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; • Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. • $6-$10 • New Braunfels Civic Center, 375 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels • www.homefortheholidaysgiftmarket.com

September

October

River Revival 2023 A collaboration between Splice Records and Saint Arnold Brewing Co., the annual camping and independent music festival on the Guadalupe River will feature live music from all over Texas. Night Drive, Urban Heat and The Black Angels are among the artists that will be playing at the festival. • Sept. 28-Oct. 1, times vary • Tickets start at $295 • KL Ranch Camp, 5455 River Road, New Braunfels • www.riverrevival.net

Ballet Texas presents: ‘Dracula’ Get into the spooky spirit by watching a ballet about Count Dracula, his brides and Transylvania from New Braunfels-based Ballet Texas. • Oct. 7, 7 p.m. • $30-60 • Brauntex Theatre, 290 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels • www.brauntex.org Two Rivers Plein Air Artists from across the country will gather in New Braunfels to create artwork that emphasizes the historical and natural beauty of the city. Multiple events

NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION

Business

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Andres Lopez cuts heavy iron with a torch. Some materials require a torch cutter when they are too thick.

Comal Iron & Metals uses a crane to place metals into their bailer. These metals are then crushed into bales weighing anywhere between 8001,200 lbs and are put through a giant shredder that separates nonferrous and ferrous metals.

PHOTOS BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Recycling is a family tradition at Comal Iron & Metals Pasqual Rodriguez founded Comal Iron & Metals in 1969 after stepping away from a job where the owner refused to increase his pay to $1 an hour. The backstory Rodriguez drove his truck across South Texas the family’s legacy, and they did. A closer look

From left, Johnnie Jr., Marcela and Roger Rodriguez stand together at the recycling site.

Comal Iron & Metals specializes in recycling ferrous and nonferrous metals that do not go in the blue bin. “For example, if your washing machine stops working, it ends up at a recycling center like us. So washing machines, dryers, water heaters, vehi- cles—anything that’s metal—we can recycle,” CEO Marcela Rodriguez said. While others see scraps of metal, the Rodriguez family sees hope, possibility and new beginnings. “All metal is recyclable; just because it’s not of use to you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value,” Marcela said.

collecting metal while his wife, Rosie, worked in a small building in front of their home buying metal and raising their kids. Three years later Rodriguez died, and Rosie asked her eldest son Johnnie if he wanted to run the business. Johnnie and his soon-to-be wife, MaryAnn, joined and helped move the company forward. In 2005, MaryAnn died of cancer and history repeated itself—Johnnie asked their two sons, Johnnie Jr. and Roger, if they wanted to continue

1102

306

830-625-4920 www.comalironandmetals.com

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Dining

BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN

Pick 2 ($22) includes two items from Lazy J Cajun’s new fried menu with fries and hushpuppies.

Big Couillon ($47) includes two snow crab clusters and 1 pound of jumbo shrimp.

PHOTOS BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWENCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Eatery Lazy J Cajun oers more than just crawsh

From left, owners Josh and Adam Smith stand in front of Lazy J Cajun.

The brothers recently expanded Lazy J Cajun’s menu, adding fried alligator, frog legs, oysters, shrimp, catsh, boudin balls and hush puppies. Josh emphasized that Lazy J Cajun’s crawsh are always live and never frozen. “A lot of people out here are like, ‘Are they fro- zen?’,” Josh said. “We almost threw away $4,000 worth of crawsh during the freeze because we thought they were frozen,” Adam said. What’s special about it? The brothers said Lazy J Cajun’s hospitality, authenticity and ambience makes them stand out from other Cajun restaurants in the area. “We make you feel like you’re in your neighbor’s backyard,” Adam said.

Josh and Adam Smith, two brothers from Southeast Texas wanted to bring the Cajun avors they grew up with to the Texas Hill Country. In April 2021, they opened Lazy J Cajun, a fam- ily- and pet-friendly outdoor restaurant located at 6390 FM 1102 in New Braunfels. On the menu Year-round, Lazy J Cajun oers what they call “TexMeCa” foods, which is a blend of Texan-, Mexican- and Cajun-inuenced food, including pulled pork nachos, Cajunized elote, po-boys, hamburgers, seasonal gumbos, crawsh and more. Although crawsh is seasonal, the Smith brothers are determined to be the “rst and the last” to oer crawsh each season.

1102

6390 FM 1102, New Braunfels www.lazyjcajun.com

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