Well, it’s already 6:50, so I missed the first chunk. What’s on the menu today?
Currently:
- ID#20-231 Receive status reports and updates on response to COVID-19 pandemic; hold council discussion, and provide direction to Staff.
CDBG grants, I think.
2-6: Consent agenda meh. Ed abstained from something to do with getting his salary from Texas State.
A speed limit thing: 30 mph to 25 mph. Harvey street between North Street and Blanco Street. A tow away zone. Another speed limit thing. An agreement between Texas State and the city. Tax stuff. Anti-computer-virus stuff.
11. 50K from the Asset forfeiture program to an employee wellness program.
Max: civil forfeiture: can we explain this to the public? It’s like 150K. Can you explain for people where this comes from?
Presenter: Proceeds of felonious activity. Drug seizure. Money that’s along
I love that Max is asking him to explain this.
Passes quickly.
12. Revising and updates some public records. Meh. Passes unanimously.
13. Prohibiting motor-assistend scooters owned by commercial scooter companies.
Backstory: this is the compromise version. I was personally opposed to the first version. I even wrote a letter. Originally it was really extreme and banned all motorized scooters. This seems fine. I don’t totally know the motivation.
Presentation: This has been going on for 6 months, with vagueness.
None of those motorized rental scooters, like our motorized bikes. Users and companies will both get in trouble. Private scooters okay. City can carve out exceptions in the future. End of presentation.
Melissa: Do we really need to penalize the users? We get new students to town constantly.
Answer: These are big and require credit cards.
Melissa: yeah but that’s not my question. Is it legally required?
Answer: I’m not answering. I’m wandering around it and talking about intent.
Melissa, tightlipped: thank you.
Mayor Jane: I agree with Melissa. How would a kid know about city ordinances? But it’s pretty piddling. Only up to $100. They could give warnings.
Bert: The companies try this! They have dumped a bunch of scooters or bikes without permission, before! We end up finding out really quickly and wouldn’t fine the individual. We’d just confiscate them.
[The San Marxist: Civil forfeiture!]
Mayor Jane: Do we want to deal with sidewalk width?
There’s a back and forth. Who gets to ride ad walk where, etc. I’m just asking. You guys can take care of that.
Bert will look into it.
Max: I also had the width question! Got another. When they dump a bunch of scooters on us, can we raise the max fine?
Answer: We can’t go higher than 2K on any safety thing. That’s a city ordinance that $2K is the max.
Max: Is that per instance?
Answer: It’s per dump, not per vehicle. Also the vehicles can be impounded and there’s a per-scooter $50 impoundment fee.
Ed: I just like to agree with what other people said.
Constantino: There is already a city ordinance about lots of other things with wheels in the Central Business Area, ie downtown. Like roller skates and skateboards and bikes. Anywhere else, things with wheels have to give right of way to elsewhere. Been the way ’round these ordinances since the 1970s.
Mayor Jane: Is that a real hand, Ed?
Ed: I forgot to lower my hand. [In all fairness, these are zoom-hands.]
They lowered the fine to $250? Not sure, I missed stuff to chat with our little neighbor.
Anyway, it’s unanimously passed.
14. The delay for fees associated with food permits, etc. They discussed this last week. A covid relief thing for small businesses. Skip a payment and divide the rest into thirds, and spread fees over 6 months. By request.
15. Some covid stuff. Parklets for downtown? Savings clause?
Temporary licenses for parklets. To reactivate downtown.
Oh, this is nice: businesses can use little parking spaces as extra outdoor seating. Sidewalk cafes, etc. They already can, but they have to get approval, etc. from city council. This is going to expedite it and make it more pro-forma, waive application fee, and it would all be temporary and end when the students get back, mid-August. Food, retail, etc. Use the space.
[The San Marxist: This is a very good idea! More things need to be outside during Covid. Use the natural outdoor ventilation! Avoid congregating indoors!]
Should there be alcohol allowed? Council could explore that.
Mayor Jane: TABC wouldn’t hold outside their business perimeter, would it?
Shannon: Not normally, no. In Covid-times? With the take out, etc? Maybe.
Mayor Jane: I’m not staking any side. I’m just saying it may be moot.
Shannon: Yes ma’am.
More presentation: For this, we streamlined the parklet manual. Delete delete delete. Kept ADA. Durable plates, etc. Gotta keep it clean. Insurance, liscense. Max of 2 parklets per block, and a parklet is two parking spaces.
Per block? or per block face? Council, you get to pick! I mean, you still want to have parking spaces. You know how testy everyone gets about parking.
[The San Marxist: Parklet is just the cutest word. Sparkly parklets.]
Mainstreet is into this, as well. Wants to promote it and make more of these.
Melissa: With social distancing, two spaces seems small. And can they do this with the private parking in the back? If it’s not in a public right of way?
Shannon: if they’re serving food…thinks it through…should be okay?
[Back parking lot parklets seem really hot and parking-lot-ish. I’m picturing the pavement just exuding massive amounts of heat, and the soles of my shoes getting sticky, and feeling immensely uncomfortable. No breeze. Etc.]
Blocks vs. block faces? “Yer a block face,” quips my spouse. “Specially that guy.”
Mayor Jane is counting angled parking spots out on Google Maps: Angled spaces don’t seem like they’d be as useful as parallel.
Melissa: Something about coffee to go. And what about courthouse lawn? Grab and go food?
[I missed some stuff. Some darling friends cookie-bombed us and ran.]
Melissa: I want to make an amendment – two per block face.
Max: Abbott requires everything disposable, to go. What’s up here?
Shannon: If it’s an extension of your restaurant, I’m not sure you’d have to do Abbot’s thing.
Max: what’s this about ADA?
Shannon: we usually don’t remove ADA details.
No smoking in the parklets.
Max: What if there’s competition for these? First come, first serve?
Shannon: yes. So far, no one’s ever wanted one.
Ed: Shouldn’t it say something about emergencies?
Constantino: yeah, maybe!
Ed: Yeah well can you put that in there?
Melissa: This parking space bit about two spaces isn’t in here anywhere.
Shannon: It’s on page 4 of the manual.
Mayor Jane: but we’re not approving the manual.
Shannon: yes you are.
Melissa: Two per block face, please. I’m making an amendment.
Saul: I don’t like the alcohol. I don’t like the courthouse lawn.
Mayor Jane: Alcohol wouldn’t be allowed. The courthouse part isn’t in this ordinance.
Saul: ty.
Max: Is there a distance-to-door thing? Can parklets be adjacent? That seems bad for social distancing.
Shannon: already on it.
Bert: we’d stop it.
Amendment passes unanimously.
Jane: Ok, social distancing. Remember how Abbott tied our hands on keeping people 6 feet apart? Let’s interject somewhere here and make it tie parklets to a 6 feet distancing. Make the restaurant uphold it. Just tie it to the parklet permit.
Ed: I only want it to apply in the parklet.
[The San Marxist: Make it everywhere! Mayor Jane is right.]
Melissa: I just don’t want police officers sticking their heads in restaurants to check.
Mayor Jane: It’d be complaint-driven. But if you all just want in the parklet…
Saul: Inside and outside.
Max: Inside and outside.
Joca: Samesies.
Markeymoore: Samesies.
Melissa: I mean, I’m not going to die on this hill. Inside and out is fine.
What about using the parking hub? Doesn’t require extra language. It’s city property. Just let people wander over with their to-go food.
Max: I think they should have to notify their neighbors. I think we should require hand sanitizer.
Both sort of loosely agreed on. Emergency measure stuff to account for it being approved on a first reading.
Saul: What if a neighbor is opposed?
Shannon: Since these are temporary, a neighbor does not have veto power.
Unanimous!
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16. There’s going to be an Executive Session after this, and then they come back and talk about their Executive Secrets. The topic is “acquisition of property in Downtown San Marcos for public use”. My guess is…parking garage??
I don’t know how much stamina I have for this sort of thing – it’s 8:40. If they don’t return soon, I might just post this and watch the last bit later this week.
The San Marxist 