July 19th City Council Agenda
City Council Agenda
Monday, July 19, 2010 ~ 7:00 p.m.
LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER ~ 1601 East Main Street
1. Call to Order.
2. Pledge of Allegiance.
NEW BUSINESS
3. Consider approving Sublease of Ground Lease dated January 1, 2008, by Texas Hill Country Higher Education Development Foundation to Texas Tech University.
4. Consider adopting Resolution relating to appointments to the Board of Directors of the Fredericksburg Health Facilities Development Corporation. (Hill Country Memorial Hospital)
5. Consider Board appointments to Planning & Zoning Commission, Historic Review Board, & Board of Adjustment.
6. Discuss & consider Ordinance regulations relating to sidewalks. (Musselman, Kirchdorfer)
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7. Consider request from Oktoberfest manager to have German banners on Main Street. (Debbie Farquhar-Garner)
8. Discuss & consider participation in County’s Intervention in LCRA Competitive Renewal Energy Zone (CREZ) Transmission Line Process. (Mayor)
9. Consider setting special meeting date(s) for budget workshop(s).
10. Consider adjustments to City Attorney’s compensation.
COMMENTS
11. Public Comment
12. Council Comment
EXECUTIVE SESSION
13. Executive Session: Consultation with Attorney – CREZ Transmission Intervention status & related matters.
14. Consultation with Attorney: Discuss terms of Real Property Lease with Texas Hill Country Higher Education Development Foundation and Sublease.
15. Personnel: Discuss adjustment to City Attorney’s Compensation.
ADJOURNMENT
I read all comments and reply directly to the authors by email for follow-up. -Tom
COuncilman Mussleman,
It has recently come to my attention that there is an ordanance against yard signs and the roofing companies have been told to remove their signs. There are many more different signs in yards than roofing. There are city council election signs, state elections, national elections, bond election signs, painting, construction, air conditioning, and on and on. It seems unfair to single out the roofers !!
The roofing signs are a great help to the homeowner and they are on there private property. It lets others know they have a contract for their roof and please do not knock on their door to sell them a roof. Sure, it is also an advertisement for the roofer but it is more of a service to the homeowner. Many homeowners have expressed their concern to me about now others will be bothering them. It is a nusance to not have the yard signs. They will only be around for a few more weeks.
Michael Hartman
Hartman Roofing,Inc.
Fredericksburg, TX
Mayor Musselman,
On the issue of sidewalks that City Council will be discussing tonight, I would like to see the City of Fredericksburg take the initiative to make sure that developers put in sidewalks on at least one side of any new street within the city limits. As part of our transportation master plan sidewalks must be basic to the idea of reaching our destination in town. The number of pedestrians is very high for a city of this size, and sidewalks are the best way to protect walkers from the intrusion of the automobile on their safety.
I believe Gillespie County should partner with the city on this important project, along with homeowners and businesses. We need to link the areas along Main Street that have damaged or non existent sidewalks, and tax money should be designated for that purpose. I am aware that City Council in the past did not take on this responsibility leaving it to residents to install sidewalks where their property faces the street, but this method leaves huge gaps in the quality and continuity of sidewalks. Let’s encourage people to walk so that our town can truly be a healthy place to live and work.
Other than the possible re-appointment of members whose terms expire, I can’t find anything on the agenda posted at the City website listing who else is being considered for appointment to the various boards…
Mayor Musselman,
Like many, I am concerned about the prospects of long distance power transmission lines eroding the scenic beauty of the Hill Country. It would be yet another impairment to one of our most cherished and important community resources.
It seems the situation boils down to Gillespie County (and perhaps Fredericksburg?) entering into a contest with our neighbors (Mason, Kimble, Kerr, etc.) . . . all crying out the same argument —simply “not in MY back yard”— where inevitably somebody (and in reality, All of Us) will loose. Seeking to unload our problems onto the shoulders of someone else does not address the crux of the problem.
It is only minor consolation that the power lines are needed to deliver a relatively clean source of energy. It would be especially unfortunate if this intrusion were coming from expansion of coal-fired power plants that would add even more injury on top of the insult. (The fish in Our lakes and streams are becoming inedible due to mercury pollution, and it is a sad reality that many hundreds of Texans are killed, year in and year out, by airborne particulates from coal.) Wind power from West Texas is by no means a perfect solution, but it is the lesser of evils. I suspect that we would achieve better and more results if we transcend the ‘wind’ rhetoric, and focus on the real issues at hand.
Perhaps local arguments should explicitly include a strong endorsement of statewide energy conservation, and similar measures. Certainly, weeding out unnecessary waste is the quickest and cheapest way to provide the power our expanding populations and businesses need.
We all want and expect our lights to come on when we flip the switch. We are just as much a part of the problem as big city dwellers further east. But unfortunately, the Hill Country is disadvantaged in terms of population, money and influence. If we truly want to preserve our lands, livelihoods and quality of life, its not likely we will win by going it alone. To truly succeed, we have little choice but to ally and work together with our neighbors and others who share our commitments, interests and concerns. There’s little denying that the local citizenry, we ourselves, have now become the tree-huggers.
Best Regards,
Jim Estes