Government
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL & SIENNA WIGHT
Tenants in San Marcos gain more protections San Marcos residents have additional rights fol‑ lowing city council’s approval of a right to organize at an Oct. 21 meeting. Digging in The protections build on the Texas Property Code, which allows civil penalties for landlords who interfere with tenant organizing. Now, San Marcos landlords who interfere with tenants forming rental advocacy groups can face a misde‑ meanor charge. In a nutshell First proposed to council by the San Marcos Civ‑ ics Club in August, the ordinance protects tenants’ ability to organize and share information. It bars landlords from using no-solicitation policies to limit on-site communication and prevents them from interrupting meetings without an invitation.
Kyle OK’s $285K emergency drones Kyle residents may soon see drones at emergency scenes after city council approved a $285,000 contract with Flock Safety. Mayor Pro‑Tem Bear Heiser dissented. What you need to know The Drone as a First Responder program, or DFR, allows Kyle Police Department to deploy drones to emergency scenes before officers arrive, which will provide photos and video to assist officers, guide ground crews and more. Kyle Police Chief Jeff Bar‑ nett said the program will be mission-spe‑ cific as the drones will not replace patrols. Looking ahead A formal policy will be proposed to coun‑ cil before the drones are deployed.
Zooming in Tenants are now protected from landlord retaliation for advocating for their rights on the property in which the tenants live.
Talk with other tenants about organizing
Post information on bulletin boards online or in person
Distribute information to neighbors
Meet with tenants or tenant advocate groups on-site
Invite renter protection groups to help as long as a tenant is present
Take steps to form or run a tenant protection group
SOURCE: CITY OF SAN MARCOS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Hays County ends license plate reader contract Hays County Commissioners Court terminated a contract at an Oct. 14 meeting with Flock Safety—a
August 2022: Flock Safety contract approved
July 2025: Commissioners discuss again due to a clerical error, table item
be able to make a profile on someone based on vehicle and travel data. What’s next Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito said the contract requires a 30-day notice for termination, after which Flock representatives will deactivate and remove the equipment.
2022
2025
company that creates automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, and manages vehicle data. A closer look Flock’s technology tracks license plates and identifiable vehicle details. The ALPRs do not have facial recognition software, but one Flock tool may
February 2025: More equipment approved for purchase
October 14, 2025: Contract terminated
SOURCE: HAYS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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