The city of Kyle placed Police Chief Jeff Barnett on administrative leave May 5 and appointed an acting chief as the Kyle Police Department awaits a judgment in connection with a civil service complaint.

Barnett was not placed on paid leave as a result of disciplinary action, however. Because the department head must make any personnel decisions necessitated by the civil service process, City Manager Scott Sellers decided to place Barnett on leave.

“In order to ensure full and complete impartiality, the city manager has placed Chief Barnett on leave due to an ongoing civil service matter for which Chief Barnett is not the subject,” a Kyle news release states.

Kyle City Council unanimously approved May 5 the nomination of Charles Edge, who formerly headed the Waxahachie Police Department. Edge will be in charge of daily operations of the police department until the investigation wraps up. He will adjudicate the civil service matter, according to the release.

"[Barnett] is not the subject of the investigation, but he is involved in the investigation," Kyle spokesman Jerry Hendrix said. "He could not enact the disciplinary action if that became necessary."

Apartment complex

The developers of a planned apartment complex encompassing a 6.24-acre area were denied a rezoning request at the May 5 council meeting.

Kyle City Council voted unanimously to deny the request despite approval by the city's planning and zoning commission at its April 30 meeting. The commission voted 4-1 in favor of recommending the zoning change.

The property, located at 22557 I-35, is within walking distance to downtown Kyle on the east side of I-35. Discussion focused on whether an apartment complex would be appropriate for the area.

A member of the development team for Center Street Village, which would consist of three stories and no more than 28 units per buildable acre, said he was “baffled” by the resistance the project was met with.

A zoning change from retail services to multifamily residential was being requested, but council members said they would like to see more retail and commercial development in that area.

Mayor Todd Webster said the decision to deny the request was not “anti-development” but, rather, about waiting for the “right development.”