San Marcos City Council To Consider Purchases, Rezoning Requests, Annexation And Economic Development
By, Terra Rivers | Managing Editor
On tonight’s agenda, the San Marcos City Council will consider three items in executive session with a potential motion to follow, the purchase of several other items, including vehicles for three departments and the annexation and zoning change request for a proposed S.M.A.R.T Terminal.
In executive session, the council will discuss a potential purchased power agreement for the electric utility (1A).
Council will also consult with the city attorney to receive legal advice regarding the disposition of park property at Cape’s Camp previously dedicated to the city by plat of the Woodlands of San Marcos (1B).
And council will receive a staff briefing and deliberate regarding a potential Chapter 380 Economic Development incentive agreement for the S.M.A.R.T Terminal (1C).
All three items are listed under Executive session Agenda Item 1; council could potentially consider action, by motion, in open session regarding items 1A, 1B and 1C.
In other news, City Council will consider approval of the purchase of a 2019 Chevrolet 3500HD Silverado Pickup truck command vehicle for the Fire Department.
According to the agenda, the vehicle would be purchased from Caldwell Country Chevrolet for a total amount of $135,738 through the Texas Local Government Purchasing Cooperative BuyBoard Contract for Heavy Trucks.
Council will also consider the approval of the purchase of a Hydrovac Truck for Public Services Department-Electric Utility Division and the purchase of a 2018 John Deere 310L Backhoe for the Public Services Department – Water/Wastewater Division.
According to the agenda, the Hydrovac Truck will be purchased from Freightliner of Austin, Inc. for a total amount of $224,995.00 and the John Deere 310L from RDO Equipment Company for a total amount of $90,428.01.
Several other purchases will cross the dais tonight including the approval of equipment for the Public Services Department – Water/Wastewater Division and a three-year contract with Granicus Inc. for the Agenda Management Workflow System and Video streaming service.
In addition to the budget items, City Council will hold a public hearing regarding the amendment of the official zoning map of the city of San Marcos by designating approximately 934.34 acres of land as Heavy industrial district.
Council will consider the approval of the zoning change on the first of two readings. On January 8, the item was reconsidered by the planning and zoning commission. Staff provided commissioners with additional information, which commissioners did not have available to them the first time the item was considered.
After a discussion of the concerns the new information had addressed, commissioners approved the rezoning request by a 7-1 with Commissioner Maxfield Baker voting against. Also, council members will also consider the annexation of the property into the city of San Marcos with a vote to follow.
The rezoning request to change a 1.206-acre property located at Earle Street and Baylor Avenue from Single-Family Residential District (SF-6) to Neighborhood Density District – 3 (ND-3) will return before city council tonight.
The property owner wishes to subdivide the property into 12 lots and construct zero lot line houses. Currently, the property is vacant. In November 2018, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-1 to deny the zoning change request. The recommendation of denial requires a majority vote from city council for approval.
In December 2018, City Council voted to postpone the decision due to only five city council members being present.
City Council is scheduled to convene at 6:00 PM following their work session and executive session.
The agenda packet, interactive agenda and regular agenda for tonight’s meeting can be found here.
