Kyle City Council accepted City Attorney Ken Johnson's resignation March 3, ending his year-long stint with the city.

The council voted 6-0 in favor of accepting Johnson's resignation. After reviewing performance criteria for the city attorney and municipal court judge for three hours in closed session, City Council took the action without discussion.

Mayor Todd Webster declined comment after the meeting as he said he does not speak publicly on personnel matters. City Council hired Johnson in January 2014.

Bunton Creek PID

Also among the items on the closed session agenda was litigation between the city of Kyle and PID Holdings, which had been involved in the assessment collection in connection with a public improvement district in the southeast Kyle subdivision Bunton Creek Village. A public improvement district is a funding mechanism developers can use to purchase and construct infrastructure for neighborhoods, such as utility lines.

But the city has said PID Holdings was not authorized to collect the assessments and adopted an ordinance in July claiming they were excessive and invalid. The ordinance also released Bunton Creek Village homeowners from liens placed on homes in connection with the assessment collection.

During the executive session portion of the March 3 meeting,City Council unanimously hired the McKinney Law Firm, based in San Antonio, as outside counsel in the two lawsuits connected to the matter.

Mid-rise buildings

An ordinance allowing buildings as tall as 150 feet in areas zoned for retail services was approved on first reading at the meeting. The item was prompted after a hotel voiced interest in building higher than 45 feet, the maximum height allowed in the retail services district. Areas zoned for retail services largely lie along I-35 and major corridors.

The ordinance was unanimously recommended for approval by the Kyle Planning & Zoning Commission. Commissioners, however, recommended a maximum height of 100 feet.

Mayor Todd Webster said increasing the height to 150 feet would open opportunities for more economic development. At nine stories tall, Seton Medical Center Hays stands as the tallest building in the city. A height of 150 feet is roughly equivalent to 13 stories.

Webster said the ordinance change has the potential to significantly increase tax revenue for the city.

Lets not limit ourselves, Councilman David Wilson said. Projects will come in at 80 feet and 60 feet and 45 feet lots of them is my guess. By setting the 150 feet, were telling them were open to bigger projects. I want the bigger projects looking at us.

By making mid-rise buildings a conditional use, the ordinance allows the city to look at projects on a case-by-case basis. P&Z commissioners said the measure allows taller buildings in the interim while drafting a longer-term solution.