Government
BY PARKS KUGLE
City o cials to phase out horse-drawn carriages San Antonio City Council approved an ordinance to phase out horse-drawn carriages over a ve- year period during its Dec. 12 meeting. The full story Due to concerns over animal abuse, exploitation and tra c congestion, the original ordinance would have authorized a three-year plan to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages by Jan. 1, 2028. The ordinance also creates a plan for an annual reduction of operating hours. Some council members disagreed with the original ordinance, claiming that it is unnecessary and a ects small businesses and a part of San Antonio’s historical culture. “These are lives that have a value to our society, [and] a majority of people don’t necessarily want to have [horse-drawn carriages] disappear,” Courage said. City bans vaping in public venues In accordance with the updated new smoking ordinance passed in October by the San Antonio City Council, the use of electric smoking devices, such as electronic ciga- rettes and vape pens, are now prohibited in all venues throughout the city, starting Jan. 1. What you need to know The revised amendment to the municipal code includes three changes related to electronic smoking devices and one change due to updated state law, and bans vaping in the same places where smoking is restricted. Four changes to the ordinance include: • Add the de inition of electronic smoking devices to the municipal code • Include electronic smoking devices in the de inition of smoking in the municipal code • Establishments must include electronic smoking devices on signage • Remove local language on the increase of the age of sale for tobacco products
Council updates ARPA-funded projects Shavano Park City Council received a brie ng on the American Rescue Plan Act funded projects Nov. 25. The overview According to city o cials, Shavano Park received $750,000 in ARPA funds from the Bexar County Commissioners Court on June 20, 2023. Between June 2023 and October 2024, city o cials completed eight projects, including: Northwest Military Highway and Fawn Drive, End Gate Lane, Shavano Drive and other projects. According to city o cials, the remaining ARPA water funds will be used to o set other project requirements, including to pay down the $900,000 Texas Department of Transportation loan incurred to relocate water mains.
The ordinance authorizes a ve-year plan to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages by Jan. 1, 2030.
COURTESY THE SHOPS AT HIGHLAND VILLAGE
In a counter o er to provide more time for the transition, District 10 council member Marc Whyte made a motion to extend the period from three years to ve years. The main motion to phase out horse-drawn carriages over a ve-year period passed 10-0. As of Dec. 12, no new permits to operate horse- drawn carriages will be issued, and the Animal Care Services Department will not license new horses to be used for horse-drawn carriages. County o cials discuss plans for former San Antonio State Hospital New life could come to the former San Antonio State Hospital grounds. During a Dec. 10 Bexar County Commissioners Court meeting, o cials pre- sented recommendations which includes multiple options for mental health services at the site. The overview Located at 6711 S. New Braunfels Ave., the former hospital was rebuilt by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission into a new $357 mil- lion facility and reopened for use on April 9, 2024. According to state documents, the three-story, 454,000-square-foot facility includes a 300-bed nonmaximum security unit. Since reopening the hospital, county and state o cials have been in discussions on how to repurpose the remaining vacated buildings and surrounding properties. The Adaptive Reuse Study o ers multiple options on how best to utilize the additional space. This includes breaking the campus into a forensic psychiatric hospital with surrounding buildings and a low-acuity recovery village.
Renovation cost per building
The cost breakdown for each building includes: Security requirements improvements: $2.2M Contractor fee and overhead: $1.5M
Plumbing, electrical and related upgrades: $1.5M Recommended improvements: $1.2M Misc. costs: $747,984 Design allowance: $498,656 Additional items per new 48 bed layout: $121,425
Total cost: $7.7M
SOURCE: BEXAR COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
What are the options? Other options include renovating seven existing plaza buildings, with 48 beds per building and an approximate cost of $8 million per building; and the construction of a new 227-bed psychiatric center for adults, adolescents and children. The study also recommends the county fund expansions at various locations outside of the detention center as well as the potential for a diver- sion center outside of the jail to serve as a transition and a pathway for community based care.
SOURCE: CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY IMPACT
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