CITY& COUNTY
News from Hollywood Park, San Antonio and Shavano Park
City seeks federal funds to fixDeZavala Road
DEZAVALA ROAD REPAIRS Shavano Park is working to secure federal funds toward envisioned improvements to the city’s portion of DeZavala Road between Northwest Military Highway and Lockhill Selma Road.
SHAVANO PARK City Council on March 28 authorized city staff to submit paperwork to secure federal monies to support proposed improvements on DeZavala Road. City Manager Bill Hill said the city will ask U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, to include a request for up to $5 million in Community Project Funding, which is available in fiscal year 2022-23 federal budget appropriations. Shavano Park’s pitch, Hill said, involves lever- aging the $10 million road improvement bond that the city proposed and voters passed with 81% of the vote May 7 to fix the city’s portion of DeZavala Road. The bond is designed to fund repairs to 14 roads and cul-de-sacs, and be used to leverage federal funds to fix part of DeZavala Road. The city proposes repaving DeZavala and adding
a bicycle lane, sidewalks and drainage upgrades between Northwest Military Highway and Lockh- ill-Selma Road. If approved as part of the federal government’s FY 2022-23 budget appropriations process, the $5 million would support the construction work on DeZavala, local officials said. The council also authorized the city applying with the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program. Curtis Leeth, assistant to the city manager, said the new $7.5 billion grant program is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Congress passed in November. In a memo, Leeth said the RAISE program provides funding for “road, rail, transit and other surface transportation of local and/or regional significance.”
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The city is submitting the DeZavala improve- ment project for up to $5 million in RAISE grant funding, local officials said. “This is going to be a very competitive grant piece. It’s very complicated. We’ll have to provide a cost-benefit analysis,” Hill said.
HollywoodPark adopts ethics code
Citymulls how to fill council vacancy HOLLYWOOD PARK City Council has taken up discussion about how to fill the Place 1 seat after Council Member Sean Moore became the lone mayoral applicant in the May 7 municipal election. He replaces Oscar Villarreal, who did not file for a full term as mayor. The council April 19 voted 3-2 to urge residents to file for the vacancy after they had a lack of participation from residents who could apply for the position by May 10. Under the leadership of Moore, the council will have to decide whether to extend the application period of appoint someone. The term for the Place 1 seat expires in May 2023.
ETHICS VIOLATIONS Possible penalties for a city official found violating Hollywood Park’s ethics code could include: Censure and formal
HOLLYWOOD PARK City Council on April 19 unanimously approved an ethics code to guide elected city officials and appointed members of city boards, commis- sions and committees. Among other things, the 16-page document says city officials and employees may own a business or have clients unrelated to the city position in which they serve. However, a potential conflict may arise if a city official or employee is compensated for work performed for an “outside” client—a business or some other venture—within the last 12 months, according to the new code. The ethics code requires an elected official or appointee to be
recused from deliberating or voting on something with which they may have a conflict of interest. The code also requires city offi- cials to report having accepted gifts of food, lodging, transportation or entertainment to the city secretary within 90 days of receiving a gift valued at $100 or more. In the event of an ethics complaint filed against a city official, the mayor may do an initial investigation to determine whether further investigation is needed. However, the mayor may not dismiss the complaint without first getting council approval or obtaining an agreement that spells out a proposed penalty or correc- tive action.
public reprimand Ouster if allowed by state law
Creating a corrective action plan to prevent future violations Reassignment and/ or revising duties/ responsibilities Requiring the official to undergo specific training, education or counseling Any combination of the above
SOURCE: CITY OF HOLLYWOOD PARK/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Mayor gives State of the City address SANANTONIO Mayor Ron Nirenberg delivered his annual State of the City address April 26 at the Tech Port Center and Arena, commending local residents and businesses in their efforts to overcome obstacles such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects, inflation and rising home appraisals. Nirenberg pledged the city will explore property tax relief and continue to pur- sue workforce, economic development and affordable housing initiatives to help residents whose lives were affected by COVID and other socioeconomic challenges. “City staff is already poring over the numbers, and City Council will consider proposals for moving forward with tax relief this fall,” Nirenberg said. He also commended the 170-plus area employers who opted to participate in SA Ready toWork, which he said has seen more than 1,500 trainees get jobs.
“CITY STAFF IS ALREADY PORING OVER THE NUMBERS, AND CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER PROPOSALS FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH TAX RELIEF THIS FALL." RON NIRENBERG, SAN ANTONIO MAYOR
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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