Category: yearly summary

Happy August, everyone! It’s that time of year where I like to organize everything that’s happened over the last 12 months. A little dry, but Council resumes normal shenanigans next week.

Note: Council has not posted minutes for meetings since May 2022! (This may finally get fixed by next year.)

August 2024

First meeting:

• CDBG money handed out
• Smart/Axis asks for a road through the eastern part of their gigantic site. (Just a discussion)

Second meeting:

• Grand jury declines to press charges against the officer who killed Malachi Williams. (Big turnout at citizen comment)
• Budget details are discussed
• $800K to Southside from ARPA money to implement the Homelessness plan

September 2024

First meeting:

• Tax rate and budget debate, part 1
• SMART/Axis gets its road approved. (Yes: Jude Prather, Jane Hughson, Mark Gleason, Matthew Mendoza. No: Shane Scott, Alyssa Garza, Saul Gonzales)
• School Resource Officer Contracts increased to two years long
• First discussion of steering committee for the new City Hall
• Update on channel and hike/bike path that will connect Purgatory Creek to Rio Vista
• First discussion on Utility Assistance Program

Second meeting:

• More discussion on steering committee for the new City Hall
• Sturgeon street bans non-resident parking on their street.
• Tax rate and budget discussion, part 3
• Extreme damage to the river during Summer 2024

October 2024

First meeting:

• VisionSMTX discussion of final draft
• Update on Quail Creek Park

Second meeting:

• Endorsements and coverage of city council candidates
• Final vote to approve VisionSMTX
• Gateways sign design is approved
• Extend TDS contract through 2030
• New HEB coming to McCarty and I-35!
• ARWA water updates
• Renaming downtown alleys
• Mitchell Center going to the Calaboose museum

November 2024

First meeting:

• Amanda Rodriguez elected to Place 6, run-off for Place 5
• Riverside Drive gets their non-resident weekend parking ban
• New HEB deal is officially approved
• Final list for steering committee of the new City Hall. (DEI recommendations were ignored, and their recommendations ended up being out-of-sync with what the public wants.)
• Last bit of ARPA money redirected for rental assistance

Second meeting:

• Tantra Coffee Shop gets its alcohol CUP back
• Paid parking coming to the Lion’s Club
• Acquiring Five Mile Dam parks from the county
• Presentation on Rent by the Bedroom exploitative rental practices
• Presentation on LIHTC projects

December 2024

First meeting:

• Rezoning natural area around Hays County Government Center, in exchange for securing land for the hike-and-bike trail from Rio Vista to Purgatory Creek.
• mailing parking tickets at City Park
• SMPD buying seven new Tahoes
• SMPD establishing a motor vehicle crime prevention unit
• Shane Scott wants to double the councilmember travel budget from $12K to $24K.
• Presentation on future growth of Texas State

Second meeting:

• Lorenzo Gonzalez elected to Place 5 (by 9 votes!)
• $50K of ARPA money to Evoke Wellness, for a substance abuse treatment program
• New flood maps are coming, affecting 800 acres of San Marcos
• First discussion of HSAB funding
• Topics for lobbying the state legislature
• Presentation on the mess over the waitlist at the San Marcos Housing Authority in September 2024.

January 2025

First meeting:

• HSAB funding is approved
• SMPD gets their total bullet containment system
• Suggestions for Charter Review Commission, and appointing of the commission

Second meeting:

• Blanco Gardens Area Plan
• Bike lanes on Sessom
• Presentation on the San Marcos water supply

February 2025

First meeting:

• Townhomes on Post Road
• Flock License Plate Reader cameras, first discussion
• Transit Equity Cabinet recommendations

Second meeting:

• Bystander footage of Malachi William’s death is released
• First discussion of Data Center proposal
• Council discusses doubling their travel budget and stipend
• Strategic Plan for the FY 2026 budget
• Utility Payment Assistance workshop discussion
• Update on ARPA money

March 2025

First meeting:

• HUD grant money plan updates
• Riverbend Ranch gets cut-and-fill approved
• Discussion of SMCISD stormwater fee waiver
• Second discussion of council compensation
• Presentation by Evoke Wellness on their in-patient treatment program
• SMPD presentation summarizing what Chief Standridge has implemented over the past four years

Second meeting:

• Budget Policy Statement discussion
• Third discussion of council compensation – whole thing goes down the tubes
• SMCISD stormwater fee voucher approved, in exchange for help building a detention pond at Mendez Elementary
• Council sends a letter to Guadalupe County about the septic issues in Redwood
• Cape’s Dam backstory and feasibility study
• Update on Downtown plan
• Privacy policy on SMPD License Plate scanners

April 2025

First meeting:

• Update from the Charter Review Commission
• Flock License Plate Cameras briefly discussed, but original postponement continues until June
• Housing development approved down by Trace
• Presentation on our Bicycle Friendly status
• Spin Scooters expand region of service
• Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan

Second meeting:

• New student housing complex by mini-Target, downtown
• Speed Limits in the Wallace Addition
• First Discussion of a Gaza ceasefire resolution
• Controversy over whether or not to move City Hall and overshadow the skate park

May 2025

First meeting:

• Discussion and vote on the resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. (Does not pass)

Second meeting:

• Presentation on Homeless 2025 point-in-time count
• Charter Review Commission submits their recommendations
• Modifying downtown TIRZ
• Staffing study for SMPD
• SMPD police station improvements and grant applications
• Fiscal update and budget planning
• River parks update: fencing off the river but not charging admission

June 2025

Only one meeting:

• Budget and sidewalks update
• More street parking non-resident bans
• CDBG funding
• Discussion of Data Center proposal (no vote)
• Flock License Plate Reader Cameras are voted down (just the proposed new ones)
• Spin Scooters are leaving San Marcos
• Presentation on Capital Improvement Projects
• Presentation on SMPD vehicle policies

July 2025

Only one meeting:

• University proposes boutique hotel across from mini-Target
• Veterans funding discussion
• Gary Job corps contingency plans in case of shutdown

Hello everyone! Council is back from summer vacation and gearing up for their first meeting on Tuesday. [Edit: First meeting is actually tomorrow, on Monday.] In the meantime, this is an organizational timeline post of Fall 23-Spring 24. So a little dull? Next week we’ll be back to normal.

Some notes:

1. As far as I can tell, Council hasn’t posted meeting minutes in two years, since May 2022. What’s up with that?!

2. Election season is ramping up! There are three positions up for election:

Mayor: Jane Hughson is the current mayor, running for re-election for her fourth term. She’s got one candidate running against her so far, a guy named Bill Miller. I don’t know anything about him yet, except that I’m pretty sure he’s not the barbecue restaurant Bill Miller.)

Seat 5: Mark Gleason has decided not to run again. So this is an open seat. So far, Griffen Spell has filed to run.

Seat 6: Jude Prather has also decided not to run again! Another open seat. Maraya Dunn has filed to run.

The last day for candidates to register is Monday, August 19th, so there’s plenty of time for anyone mulling it over. I’ll be covering the debates and other election-related shenanigans here.

One last thing: never forget that San Marcos city council elections are problematic! We structure things in an especially crappy way.

…

Onto the yearly recap!

August 2023

First meeting

• CBDG money is awarded out.
• City curfew officially killed dead, by state regulations
• New zoning: “Business Park”
• Contaminants from old dry cleaners on S. Guadalupe Street

Second meeting

• Interlocal Transit agreement with Texas State to share busses

September 2023

First meeting

• Tax rate and budget debate, part 1
• Full implementation of Trap/Neuter/Release for cats (ending the five day hold)

Second meeting

• Tax rate debate and final vote on the budget
• The gutted version of VisionSMTX comes up for a the first reading
• San Marcos sells Edwards Aquifer water to Kyle
• Updates to the Land Development Code; Matthew Mendoza reopens the fight to limit housing to two unrelated people.
• SPMD body cams
• First mention of a can ban.

October 2023

First meeting

• Airport zonings to prevent tall buildings around flightpaths
• Land Development Code updates: keeping occupancy restrictions at 3 people instead of 2 barely squeaks by.
  • For: Shane Scott, Alyssa Garza, Jude Prather, Mark Gleason
  • Against: Jane Hughson, Matthew Mendoza, Saul Gonzales
• Lindsay Street Apartments floated for the first time.
• First mention of CM Allen parks debate

Second meeting

• Biden Bus lawsuit settled
• First vote on VisionSMTX++
• Downtown area plan heats up with the CM Allen district debate – should we expand the parks towards downtown?
• Candidate debates summary

November 2023

First meeting

• Little retirement village out on 123 and Wonderworld
• VisionSMTX++ gets postponed. (Still has not come up for a final vote.)
• Downtown Plan: controversial CM Allen part gets carved off, noncotroversial part is passed.
• Police get BolaWraps
• Program to give vacant buildings a facelift
• Workshop on tourism and overuse of the river

Second meeting

• Purgatory Creek Flood Control project
• Reduction of LIHTC housing requirements from 25% to 15%
• Compensation study for city staff

December 2023

First meeting

• Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB) money is allocated to out to local nonprofits
• Can Ban discussion

Second meeting

• Flood mitigation projects
• Human Services Advisory Board (HSAB) funding policy

January 2024

First Meeting

• Gateway signs
• Decision to have a community feedback survey for VisionSMTX++
• Hammering out details of the can ban

Second Meeting

• parking fees updated
• Updating short-term rental rules
• My cheatsheet for the VisionSMTX++ survey

February 2024

First meeting

• New gas station near the high school
• First vote on can ban in river parks
• PDDs are being brought back

Second meeting

• Dunbar/Heritage area plans get split into separate plans
• LIHTC project in Blanco Gardens
• First vote on Buccee’s
• Final vote on the can ban

March 2024

First meeting

• Final vote on Buccee’s
• P&Z partially approves Lindsey Street apartments

Second meeting

• Annexing Quail Creek
• Fake-low income housing by the high school
• Lindsey street apartments get major conversation, but no votes
• Discussion on new Short Term Rental regulations

April 2024

First meeting

• Citizen comments on resolution for Gaza ceasefire starts ramping up
• Five hours of discussion on Lindsay Street Apartments, and some of the votes
• New drought stages are proposed

Second meeting

• New short-term rental regulations approved
• New drought stages approved
• Another 3 hours of Lindsay Street Apartment discussions, and eventual approval

May 2024

First meeting

• Extensive citizen comments on killing of Malachi Williams and Gaza ceasefire resolution
• Selling water to Kyle again, until ARWA water comes online
• Speed cushions in Blanco Gardens
• Larger region for scooter rentals

Second meeting

• Two more LIHTC projects
• Chapter 380 agreement for Project Snapdragon
• Clean up after May 9th storm
• Our budget is not doing well

June 2024

Only one meeting

• Large number of speakers on Malachi Williams and the ceasefire resolution again
• CBDG grants, first reading

July 2024

Only one meeting

• Citizen comment focuses on Malachi Williams, including a response from the city manager
• One more LIHTC project
• SMART/Axis is coming back around, somewhat
• Council has discussion on whether there are too many LIHTC projects now.
• Presentation on the path forward for a new city hall building

I’m trying something different with this year’s retrospective: I picture it functioning like a table of contents, to help organize the past year into a coherent timeline. (Find last year’s retrospective here.)

It’s really dry, boring reading. Sorry! Tune in next week, when our courageous city council members return to their normal shenanigans, on the 23-24 season premier of the San Marcos City Council.

One more thing: Election season is coming up! Two city council seats are up for election:
Seat 3: Alyssa Garza (our noble, lonely progressive representative)
Seat 4: Shane Scott (loves small government and business interests)

Currently, Griffin Spell has filed to run against Alyssa Garza. I have lots of thoughts, but I’ll save them for the future.

No one has filed yet to run against Shane Scott. The last day to file is August 21st.

I am not plugged in enough to know if anyone is thinking about challenging Shane Scott. But I’m hoping!

Yearly Summary

Caveat:
– Many items show up at multiple meetings. I’m usually listing an item at the meeting that you’d want to consult if you went back to look up details.
– when relevant, I’ll include how each person voted
– San Marcos is 15 months behind on posting the minutes to city council meetings. The most recent is May, 2022. What’s up with that?

August 2022:

1st meeting:

• Four separate zoning cases near the Outlet Malls and Amazon
• Zoning for housing sprawl approved waaaaaay south, absolutely in the middle of nowhere, near the Hays power plant
• Decriminalizing weed makes it on the ballot, due to Mano Amiga’s petition
• Form a committee to talk about a San Marcos GRACE act, which has never come back around again
• Quail Creek Park is purchased

2nd meeting:

• San Marcos elections are problematic
• Riverbend Ranch tries to put exemptions on the industrial part, upstream of Redwood
• School Resource Officers are renewed.
  • Yes: Mayor Hughson, Shane Scott, Mark Gleason, Saul Gonzalez
  • No: Alyssa Garza, Max Baker
• Shane brings 3 oz of weed to a city council meeting
• The Lobbying ordinance dies
  • Yes: Alyssa Garza, Max Baker
  • No: Mayor Hughson, Shane Scott, Mark Gleason, Saul Gonzalez, and Jude Prather

September 2022

1st meeting:

• Budget and property tax rate discussions
• Tax credits for a giant tract of sprawl out behind the outlet malls
• New firestation approved downtown
• Meet and Confer with SMPOA is approved

2nd meeting:

• Election discussion
• Property tax rate set at 60.3 cents, 7 extra police/fire fighters are funded
• Boyhood Alley renamed
• Library Fines go away
• Loquat Street is traded to the University for undisclosed purposes that make me nervous.

October 2022

1st meeting:

• Noise ordinance and alcohol subcommittee formed. Has not come back around yet.
• Eviction delay sustained

November Election: my city council candidate recommendations

2nd meeting:

• EDSM conflicts of interest with GSMP
• Workshop on the Edwards Aquifer and purple pipe

November 2022

1st meeting:

• Election results
• Zoning some new apartments near 5 mile dam
• Rehousing a few people from the 2015 floods into Sunset Acres
• The pick-a-pet problem

2nd meeting:

• Curfews (recently outlawed at the state level!)
• Puppy mill discussion paused on the second reading.

December 2022

1st meeting:

• Curfew ordinance is approved. There are two votes:
• Voters have approved marijuana decriminalization

2nd meeting:

• Free electric cabs approved downtown
• Curfew is approved.  (May now be illegal). In theory, CJR committee is studying the issue
• Very first discussion of SMART Terminal: should 660 acres be moved from the Cotton Center to the SMART Terminal? 
• Campaign funding and ERC review

January 2023

1st meeting:

• More apartments on near the intersection of Rattler Road and McCarty
• Trace gets rid of some of its commercial zonings

2nd meeting:

• SMART Terminal development agreement is updated. It gets the mushiest, least critical treatment from council. 
  • Yes: Mayor Hughson, Saul Gonzalez, Jude Prather, Mark Gleason, Matthew Mendoza
  • No: Alyssa Garza
    That vote aged poorly!
• Fire department codes updated
• Riverbend Ranch subcommittee formed to support Redwood
• Paid parking at Lion’s Club
• Human Services Advisory Board grant money new guidelines

February 2023

1st meeting:

• Repeal of Meet & Confer agreement, re-entry into renegotiations with SMPD
  • Repeal: Alyssa Gara, Saul Gonzalez, Shane Scott, Jude Proather
  • Deny the petition: Mayor Hughson, Mark Gleason, Matthew Mendoza
• Some townhomes in Trace
• Preserving land next to Ringtail Ridge park
• Tiny houses out on Post Road
• SMART officially approved in an extraordinarily brief discussion (Alyssa is the only no vote)

2nd meeting:

• Stephanie Reyes is promoted
• P&Z appointments 
• Bike lanes on Craddock and sessom

March 2023

1st meeting:

• Rezone a bit between I35 and the Saddlebrook mobile home community as Heavy Commercial
• Got rid of some commercial zoning in Cottonwood Creek, despite residents writing letters wanting it to stay commercial
  • Rezone/Tote water for developer: Mayor Hughson, Mark Gleason, Saul Gonzales, Shane Scott, Matthew Mendoza, Jude Prather
  • Keep commercial/listen to residents: Alyssa Garza
• HSAB grant money finally parcelled out
• Puppy mills are banned! (Final vote is unanimous)

2nd meeting:

• Citizens protesting SMART are ramping up
• McCoys will be building a new headquarters campus in town
• New murals!
• Committee-on-committees is formed. Alyssa, Matthew, Mark
• Vacancy taxes are floated by Max in public Q&A. Will hopefully come back around

April 2023:

1st meeting:

• P&Z approves the Heavy Industrial zoning for SMART Terminal
• Little square behind Embassy Suites is officially denied Light Industrial zoning.
  • Deny: Mayor Hughson, Alyssa Garza, Matthew Mendoza, Mark Gleason
  • Approve: Shane Scott, Jude Prather

2nd meeting: 

• SMART Terminal zoning ends up with Council agreeing to revisit the development agreement, due to community outcry
• More apartments by the high school, along 123.

May 2023:

1st meeting:

• Presentation on the new Meet & Confer agreement
• Clubhouse style apartments across from the Outlet Malls
• The SMART development agreement is re-opened
• The city can boot cars with too many unpaid parking tickets

2nd meeting:

• P&Z members rewrite their own Comp Plan, I am annoyed 
• Satanic Temple leads the council in prayer
• Remove 104 acres of commercial from Riverbend Ranch, because why not let developers build 1200 acres endless uninterrupted sprawl like they want?
• Meet & Confer comes back around.  Negligible changes were made. Council did not bring the Hartmann reforms to the negotiation table in any meaningful sense.
  The vote:
  • Yes: Mayor Hughson, Jude Prather, Shane Scott, Mark Gleason, Matthew Mendoza, Saul Gonzalez
  • No: Alyssa Garza
• Eviction delay is set to end
• Ending the General Contractor testing requirement to pull permits

June 2023
Only 1 meeting:

• CBDG money delegated
• 4 hour parking in limited locations downtown
• The last $3 million of ARP dollars is parceled out
• New art installation in Ramon Lucio Park

July 2023
Only 1 meeting:

• SMART Terminal/Axis Logistics withdraws its zoning request
• La Cinema land is annexed and zoned
• P&Z has an extremely frustrating workshop on the new Comp Plan.
• Homeless action plan workshop

This is the first time I’ve attempted a retrospective summary post, and it is very rocky.  I went back through my notes, but I can guarantee that I missed things. I wasn’t even consistently taking good notes! Life’s a dance you learn as you go, right?

Here are my three categories:

1. Major legislation from the past year, and how each councilmember voted

Oh god this was hard to carry out.  Full set of caveats at the link.

2.   Unfinished business.  Lots of things feel like they got accomplished, but haven’t been formally turned into policy and can still stall out. For example:
   – Ending the ban on more than two unrelated people living together
   – Banning sales of pets from puppy mills
   Both of these were discussed, but not yet implemented.

Again, my list is super spotty and incomplete! It’s also possible some of these did wrap up, and I missed it. 

3. Developments that have been approved, but who knows how long until they materialize. This list is also very incomplete.

God I feel so apologetic about this whole entry! My goal is to get better at this kind of thing over time.

Anyway, city council meets next on Tuesday. Regular city council coverage will resume!