The city of New Braunfels continues to build its brand for the new recreation center scheduled to open in summer 2018. The center is named Das Rec, where “Das,” the German word for “The,” pays homage to the city’s rich German heritage. The City Council approved one of several logos presented at the Nov. 13 meeting that incorporates bold uses of orange, blue and green circles. The bright colors and circle theme will be carried out on signage throughout the center. Council considers funding for Hurricane Harvey damages The council also revisited damage from Hurricane Harvey. As a result of the storm, New Braunfels received eight inches of rain in three days, and the police department and airport terminal and tower sustained damage from high winds and flooding. While the airport is still functional, the police department will not be operable until repairs are completed, and operations were moved to New Braunfels City Hall. Assistant City Manager Bryan Woods recommended the council approve $499,125 in funding to repair damages sustained at the police department, $250,000 of which would come from the fiscal year 2017-18 budget that is already approved for municipal court renovation. Woods also asked for $156,920 to repair airport damages. The council plans to take action on these items at its next meeting on Nov. 27. New Braunfels Assistant Fire Chief Patrick O’Connell identified some of the city’s successes regarding the hurricane response, as well as areas that need improvement. O’Connell commended city staffers for good communication, the city’s staffing model, collaboration with New Braunfels Utilities and the liaison with Comal County. He said areas for improvement include record keeping, building capacity, debris management and the continuity of operations planning. “Over all, you should be very proud of city staff on this,” O’Connell told the council. Other takeaways The council voted to approve the fiscal year 2018 Street Improvement Plan. The plan allocates $1.8 million to address streets throughout New Braunfels that need repairs, preventative maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The council also directed planning and zoning staff to work on possible code amendments regarding special use permits and changes to neighborhood business districts. The proposed amendments will be presented to the Council at a later meeting following a public input process.