BY JARRETT WHITENER
The process
What they’re saying
After being registered as an easement, the property could be sold, but valued at around 40% of the total property value, Busby said. Starting with an application submitted by landowners or by conservation organi- zations, the property moves through the process of getting the easement approved. Following committee deliberations, the property proposal moves to an executive session agenda for county commissioners before being placed on a future agenda for a public hearing. The public hearing is held to gather input from county residents before county commissioners approve the property. Once the conservation easement is finalized, it will be maintained by the orga- nization that agreed to oversee the property, which is typically the land trust selected by property owners. Since the committee’s inception, the process has been refined to focus on specific properties and areas within the county rather than target every possible easement. While there is no minimum size for an easement, the committee generally consid- ers properties around or above 50 acres in size. “The process has smoothed out as we have become more knowledgeable about what properties we are looking for,” Busby said. Aside from conservation easements, the county is looking at land for public use. Current Prop A parkland includes purchases near the James Kiehl Natural Area and the city of Comfort.
During the course of the bond, Prop A has seen a mix of pushback and support from the community. Kendall County property owner Maxie Zinsmeis- ter on Nov. 25 said the process of getting a conser- vation easement is expensive, with costs around $20,000 or higher that may be recouped through payment from the county, but those costs are not guaranteed. Zinsmeister said if the county pursues Prop A again in the future, there needs to be a way for the county to facilitate and accommodate property owners who may not have the funds to move through the process. “I know people that are property rich, but cash poor,” he said. “They may want to preserve their property, but they don’t have the upfront pay- ments to make it happen.”
“I think a lot of people expected parks, and some residents feel cheated that the land isn’t public.” MICHAEL ETHRIDGE, KENDALL COUNTY RESIDENT
“We have some great parks in Kendall County, and by the end of this, we will have even more open spaces.” RUSTY BUSBY, PROP A COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
Moving forward
Kendall County must spend 85% of the $20 million from the Prop A fund by June. Busby said larger properties are coming through the process that could absorb a significant portion of that cost. While these conservation initiatives are not formally approved, Busby said he is confident the county will meet the requirement by the deadline, meaning the county is expected to spend around $14 million over the next six months on conservation projects. “We are going to have to do some large deals in order to make our deadline,” Busby said.
Prop A since 2022
2,320 acres preserved through conservation easements
48.25 acres dedicated to parks
$1.36M for park acquisition
SOURCE: KENDALL COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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BOERNE - FAIR OAKS RANCH EDITION
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