Kendall County Commissioners discuss Proposition A property uses
Kendall County staff and commissioners are in the early stages of utilizing land purchased through the Proposition A Committee, which is a voter approved committee designed to conserve land around the county.
Commissioners on April 22 began early conversations regarding the use of a property in Comfort near the Guadalupe River that could potentially be used for a park featuring sport fields and a walking trail. While no action was taken on the item and all planning is preliminary, commissioners showed support for the creation of a space with fields, whether it be the Comfort property or another county property.
Commissioner Chad Carpenter said the property would be beneficial to the county, since organizations and residents have to use the fields in the city of Boerne. This leads to stress on the city when it comes to maintaining and managing parks.
Judge Shane Stolarczyk was in favor of exploring options for Proposition A properties, but said discussions should be encompassing of all properties rather than trying to piecemeal individual plans.
Fair Oaks Ranch City Council reviews 5-year financial plan
Fair Oaks Ranch City Council and staff are in the process of five-year planning for the city budget and finances.
Director of Finance Summer Fleming on May 1 presented financing scenarios to city council to receive direction on preparing the plan. While the plan cannot perfectly predict the future state of finances for the city, the modeling helps city leadership plan a baseline for future budget processes that can be modified when those budgets are created.
With the direction from City Council to try a model where reserves were used to fund projects while the tax rate balanced revenue and expenses, the plan will be revisited at a future city council meeting. City Manager Scott Huizenga said the goal is to have the plan approved by June 5, which is when the city would need to submit a notice of intent to issue debt and prepare for the next budget cycle.
Fair Oaks Ranch Utility Services Agreement approved for Ralph Fair Road development
A Utility Service Agreement between the city of Fair Oaks Ranch and AD Acquisitions, LLC was approved on May 1, providing water and wastewater services for a new residential development off Ralph Fair Road.
The 80.69-acre parcel is a portion of a 160-acre undeveloped tract within the city, and the agreement was for the first half of the development. The city will provide service for 139 units.
While the development is not expected to break ground soon, the term of the agreement is seven years, and will be extended to 15 years if construction begins within that timeframe. Upon full completion, the development will include town homes, single family residential and homes designed for senior living.
Community feedback requested for Boerne Library services
Boerne residents have the opportunity to provide feedback on the Patrick Heath Public Library.
An online survey is available for library users, focusing questions on community library use, languages spoken and library services.
The survey is designed to help the library improve services, programs and resources to better meet the needs of the community, according to the survey.
All responses to the survey are confidential and do not share any identifying information from respondents. Surveys can be found on the city’s website.
Fair Oaks Ranch in early stages of Strategic Action Plan update
Moving into the budget cycle, the city of Fair Oaks Ranch staff and leadership is considering a list of projects and goals over the next five years. The Strategic Action Plan helps guide city staff when considering line items in the city budget, and planning long-term projects that need to be accomplished in the near future.
Assistant City Manager Jim Williams told City Council on April 17 that when the plan was established in 2019, it highlighted five pillars or categories of city priorities, including:
- Financial resilience and responsibility
- Reliable and sustainable infrastructure
- Public health and safety
- Responsible growth management
- Operational excellence
Challenges such as COVID-19, Winter Storm Uri, inflation and global chip shortages have changed processes, costs and ideologies in the planning process.
