Buda city officials including City Manager Kenneth Williams, Chance Sparks, Todd Ruge and Meredith Johnson accepted the TxAPA Community of the Year Award in October.[/caption]
The cities of Buda and San Marcos took home awards at the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association’s annual conference in October.
The city of Buda won the 2015 Community of the Year Award, which honors cities that represent best practices in city planning.
Buda Planning Director Chance Sparks said Buda is the smallest city to have ever received the award.
The judges cited the city’s public engagement efforts in planning and implementation of plans. The city was also commended for the level of commitment elected officials and the city administration show in long-term and short-term decision-making.
“I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but I was really excited that we got recognized for this,” Sparks said. “It’s such a great team effort to get it. That’s an award in the state of Texas that pretty much every planning director wants. It felt good to get that.”
Sparks said the city’s bond program, approved by voters in 2014, is a good example of the kind of planning the city was recognized for. Included in the $55 million bond are improvements to drainage and road infrastructure throughout the city as well as new city facilities and parks and trails upgrades.
“All of the projects in the bond are directly linked back to some plan that had been done by the city,” he said.
The city of San Marcos also took home the Current Planning Award for the recently adopted Parklets, Sidewalk Cafes and Special Uses of Public Rights-of-Way Ordinance and Pilot Program. The program launched in August 2015.
“This program streamlines the process for creation of new sidewalk cafes,
parklets and gateway features, most of which are placed in unused or underutilized space,” San Marcos Planning Director Shannon Mattingly said in a news release. “The beauty of this project lies in the amount of support and enthusiasm generated within the community for these enhancement efforts.”
Buda city officials including City Manager Kenneth Williams, Chance Sparks, Todd Ruge and Meredith Johnson accepted the TxAPA Community of the Year Award in October.[/caption]
The cities of Buda and San Marcos took home awards at the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association’s annual conference in October.
The city of Buda won the 2015 Community of the Year Award, which honors cities that represent best practices in city planning.
Buda Planning Director Chance Sparks said Buda is the smallest city to have ever received the award.
The judges cited the city’s public engagement efforts in planning and implementation of plans. The city was also commended for the level of commitment elected officials and the city administration show in long-term and short-term decision-making.
“I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but I was really excited that we got recognized for this,” Sparks said. “It’s such a great team effort to get it. That’s an award in the state of Texas that pretty much every planning director wants. It felt good to get that.”
Sparks said the city’s bond program, approved by voters in 2014, is a good example of the kind of planning the city was recognized for. Included in the $55 million bond are improvements to drainage and road infrastructure throughout the city as well as new city facilities and parks and trails upgrades.
“All of the projects in the bond are directly linked back to some plan that had been done by the city,” he said.
The city of San Marcos also took home the Current Planning Award for the recently adopted Parklets, Sidewalk Cafes and Special Uses of Public Rights-of-Way Ordinance and Pilot Program. The program launched in August 2015.
“This program streamlines the process for creation of new sidewalk cafes, parklets and gateway features, most of which are placed in unused or underutilized space,” San Marcos Planning Director Shannon Mattingly said in a news release. “The beauty of this project lies in the amount of support and enthusiasm generated within the community for these enhancement efforts.”
