CITY& COUNTY
News from Cibolo, Live Oak & Schertz
COMPILED BY JARRETT WHITENER
QUOTEOFNOTE “WEWANT AN INSTRUMENT, A TOOL, ARESOURCE FOROUROFFICERS THAT ALLOWS THEMTO ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE ACCORDINGLY.” BRYAN HUGGHINS, CIBOLO CHIEF OF POLICE ON BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF THE CITY’S NOISE ORDINANCE. CITY HIGHLIGHTS CIBOLO Cibolo will hold a special election May 7 to fill the position of District 2 Council Member, currently held by Steve Quinn. Applications for the election must be filed by Feb. 18. For questions or the application, visit www.cibolotx. gov/142/Election-Information or call 210-566-6111. SCHERTZ City Council on Jan. 25 extended City Manager Bark Browne’s contract for two more years. This extension followed annual evaluations, including Brown’s and includes a 2% pay increase. SCHERTZ Through American Rescue Plan Act Funds, Schertz City Council approved 22 business applicants for aid. The total amount of funds provided to these 22 applicants was $302,500. Another 30 applicants remain under review until the Feb. 8 council meeting. SCHERTZ The Historical Preservation Committee invites Schertz City Council will meet Feb. 22, March 1 and March 8 at 6 p.m. 1400 Schertz Parkway Bldg. 4, Schertz. 201-619-1030. www.schertz.com Cibolo City Council will meet Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. 200 S. Main St., Cibolo. 210-658-9900. www.cibolo.gov Universal City City Council will meet Feb. 15 and March 1 at 6:30 p.m. 2150 Universal City Blvd., Universal City. 210-659-0333. www.universalcitytexas.com Live Oak City Council will meet Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. 8001 Shin Oak Drive, Live Oak. 210.653.9140. www.liveoaktx.net MEETINGSWE COVER residents to add to a city of Schertz Time Capsule, which will include items from 2020 to 2022 and will be opened in 2032. Email weirtz1@ yahoo.com for more information. LIVE OAK City Council on Jan. 25 approved the mayor hiring Glen Martel, as the new city manager.
Cibolo City Council discusses redistricting process CIBOLO City Council on Jan. 11 discussed the redistricting process for Cibolo and the steps needed before the city makes district changes. REDISTRICTING TIMELINE Cibolo redistricting will not affect 2022 elections. The council will shift to four single-member districts, with the first set of new district positions being elected in 2024.
During the November election, voters approved a proposition allowing the city to transition from seven single-member districts to four, with the mayor and remaining three districts being at-large. According to City Attorney Frank Garza, the reason for the redistricting is to ensure districts contain roughly equal populations, and the new districts will help divide the population growth. Liza Gonzalez, assistant director of planning and engi- neering, said the population in the city has risen nearly 1,000% since 2000, moving from around 3,000 people to around 30,000, with projections of surpassing 50,000 in the next 10 to 15 years. Those running in this year’s elections will not be affected by redistricting changes and elections will move forward as usual until 2024, Garza said. “In November of 2024 will be the very first time elec- tions for the newly-created districts 1 and 4, and at-large districts 5 and 6 will take place,” Garza said. “And then, in November of 2025, elections for the newly-created districts 2 and 3, and at-large District 7 and mayor will take place.” According to Garza, this timeline will give the city enough time to draw the new maps and receive public input and feedback before finalizing any changes.
May 7 Special election November 8 General election February
2022
2023
Residents will be invited to participate in the process by providing input at public hearings
2024
November First elections for newly-created districts 1 and 4, and at-large districts 5 and 6 November First elections for newly-created districts 2 and 3, at-large District 7 and mayor
2025
2026
SOURCE: CITY OF CIBOLO/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Work on redistricting will begin with contracting a demographer, which the city plans to award near the end of 2022. Public hearings and other opportunities to receive additional community input are estimated to happen around February 2023.
Cibolomay update noise ordinance CIBOLO City Council on Jan. 25 dis- cussed a noise ordinance stakeholder engagement plan that would take community input into consideration when updating the noise ordinance. With many residents having complaints about noise and requests for more enforcement heard during council meetings, Chief of Police Bryan Hugghins said enforcement is not the issue. “This department does enforce what we have right now,” Hugghins said. “We still hear concerns that the noise level is too loud, which is why this whole process got started. We want an instrument, a tool, a resource for our officers that allows them to enforce the ordinance accordingly.” The council urged Hugghins to work it out with homeowners and businesses through discussion. The council also plans to rewrite the ordi- nance lowering the decibel maximum from the current 85.
Schertz discusses widening project’s power poles SCHERTZ During a Jan.11 City Council meeting, the discussion focused on purchasing steel poles for FM 1518’s widening project. As part of the Texas Department of Transportation project, CPS Energy and city utilities have to relocate overhead power along FM 1518 from FM 78 to I-10, said Scott McClelland, assistant director of public works. According to the Schertz Unified Development Code, overhead power must be on steel poles. “CPS [Energy] approached us about how they were unwilling to do steel poles for that entire stretch,” McClelland said. “But they would reimburse us for the wood pole amount.” The council voted 4-3 in favor of Option 2, for KBS Electrical Distributors to install steel poles for $505,411, paid from city reserves.
PLANNING FOR POWER
Schertz City Council discussed three power pole options to run alongside the widening of FM 1518.
Final cost to Schertz Wood pole reimbursement Approved Denied
Option 1 CPS Energy’s total project cost for steel poles: $1,995,803
$1,247,733
$748,070
Option 2 KBS Electrical's total cost for steel poles: $1,253,511
$505,411
$748,070
Option 3 CPS Energy’s total project cost for wood poles: $748,070 $748,070
SOURCE: CITY OF SCHERTZ/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO METROCOM EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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