Mayor Martha Herden called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. on April 14 with council members: Mayor Pro Tem Martin Sauceda, Matt Lewis, Keith McClellan, and Martha Gosnell present. Council member Tony Vela was absent due to illness. The meeting was broadcasted live on the city’s Facebook page.
Blanco Police Chief Mike Ritchey presented the Life Saving Award to Officer Marcus Gonzalez for his selfless actions on Oct. 21, 2019. This award is “issued to anyone who performed extraordinary actions to save the life of a person that would have likely died if not for that action,” according to the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s website. Chief Ritchey explained the Life Saving Award has only been given twice during his time as an officer.
Talking about COVID-19, Herden told the council that citizens are doing well at wearing masks when in public and keeping a safe distance from others. Appreciation was expressed towards the local distilleries and breweries for their hand sanitizer donations and the code enforcement officer, Will Daves, for helping the businesses operate safely. Lowe’s Market and other businesses were also praised for their safety efforts.
A concern about the city’s budget was also discussed during this time. The classic car show has been canceled. Lavender Festival is still planned to take place in June, but the committee plans to meet and review the situation in early May.
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently approved the recent loan to the city for the water treatment plant. There will be a very low interest rate for the long-term loan. The city cannot fix the infrastructure on their budget alone.
“This is a very big step for the city. We’ve needed to update this water treatment plant for a very long time,” said Herden.
Gosnell moved to approve the ordinance “authorizing the issuance of $3,400,000 city of Blanco, Texas combination tax and revenue certificates of obligation, series 2020; and other related matters.” Sauceda seconded the motion and it carried.
Certificates of obligations can be used by local governments to borrow money for public works without public approval, according to the Texas Comptroller’s website. According to the website, “COs often are associated with emergency spending, but their use isn’t restricted to such purposes. They can be used to fund public works as part of standard local government operations.”
Next, the council discussed the rehabilitation project for the water treatment plant. Tom Turk, project manager, explained that the new contract needed to be approved and awarded to Archer. In the fall of 2019, the council voted to approve the bid from Archer under the conditions that the city receive additional funds from TWDB. McClellan moved to approve the contract and Lewis seconded; the motion carried.
The public hearing on water rates was opened at 6:29 p.m. There were no public comments at this time and an additional public hearing will be held in May. The council encourages citizens to express their opinions on this matter. It should be noted that residential rates under 5,000 gallons per month will not increase. The public hearing concluded at 6:34 p.m. and the regular meeting continued.
Majestic Hills requested an extension of 18 months for their temporary sales office. Majestic Hills representatives Zach Huller and Price Keever spoke to the council via Go to Meeting video chat. They said Majestic Hills likes to promote local business and gives back to the Blanco community. Keever explained that the office is temporary, and it is strictly a sales office with no one living in it. The permit was for one year and an extension must be requested. Showing potential buyers around the town of Blanco is one of the reasons that the sales office is inside the city rather than at the land, they said. After a lengthy discussion, the council moved to approve an additional 12 months.
Daves provided a brief update on the Pittsburgh Subdivision. Next, there was a discussion regarding the Los Altos Subdivision Preliminary Plan. Planning and Zoning (P&Z) has not met since COVID-19 and this issue has not been directly addressed by that commission. Some of the lots are currently smaller than the requirements of R3, and it was explained that the lots can be adjusted to avoid seeking variances. A walking trail is proposed and sidewalks will line the neighborhood. There are 22 lots currently and the mobile home sitting on the property would be removed. A Planned Development District (PDD) must be created and approved. Sauceda moved to move forward with working on a PDD to be presented to P&Z and McClellan seconded. The motion carried.
Next, Turk discussed the updates to the new task order for the water treatment plant. The new task order was approved by the council. A lengthy discussion regarding the TxDOT speed limit reduction took place afterwards. The speed limit decreased to 60 mph right outside town a few years ago, however, a new speed limit sign was never installed. Ritchey recommended the speed limit begin lowering at the Hwy 281 and FM 32 intersection and continue to lower it leading to the town. The city must have an ordinance on the speed limit for the police department to enforce it. Lewis moved to table this discussion for further investigation and Sauceda seconded; it carried.
Ritchey then informed the council that there is a new policy amendment related to the location of the canine officer vehicle. The officer was not allowed to take the vehicle home in the past. The canine also needs a new officer cage; the current one is made out of steel and is rusting from being urinated on. Ritchey also provided the council the annual racial profiling report. He said that there has never been an issue in the seven years he has worked for the department.
The May 2020 regular city election was canceled because the candidates ran unopposed. The new council members will be Michael Smith and Deda Divine; Gosnell and Vela did not seek office again.
The council accepted the mayor’s resignation and April 17 was her final day in office. Mayor Herden was honored with a plaque and thanked for her dedication and service to the city. The mayor expressed appreciation towards the council members, city staff, and citizens and said it was an honor to serve.
At 7:27 p.m. the council adjourned into executive session and returned to open session at 8:05 p.m. Gosnell moved to authorize legal counsel to draft a deal as discussed in executive session and McClellan seconded. The motion carried; the meeting was adjourned afterwards.
