Items to watch during this week’s Hays County Commissioners Court meeting

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

HAYS COUNTY — The Hays County Commissioner’s Court meets every week to conduct the general business of the county, adopt the county’s budget and tax rate and approve all budgeted purchases.

The Hays County Commissioner’s Court consists of County Judge Ruben Becerra and four commissioners Debbie Ingalsbe (Precinct 1), Mark Jones (Precinct 2), Lon Shell (Precinct 3) and Walt Smith (Precinct 4.) The following items are items to watch on this week’s agenda.

Item 28– Commissioners will discuss how to allocate the funds for the park bond that was voted on in the 2020 election and what projects may be upcoming. 

• Discussion and possible action to provide direction to staff and consultants regarding the issuance of Parks and Open Space bonds pursuant to the authorization of Hays County Proposition A in the 2020 General Election.

Item 29– Ruben Becerra and county commissioners will discuss forming a Citizen Advisory Commission on Redistricting (CACR). According to the meeting Agenda, the objectives of forming the commission are:

• Transparency
• To make sure the community has a voice.
• To reduce the number of people who reach out to Steve Floyd in the GIS Department.
• Each Court Member has already been asked to nominate two (2) representatives from their precinct to be an active member of the CACR.

Item 35– The commissioner’s court will discuss allocating funds provided to the county by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The bill provides additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19, such as but not limited to funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, emergency rental assistance, homeowner assistance, and other housing programs.

• Discussion and possible action to provide direction to staff and to identify a Hays County approach to the prospective allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319).

Item 36– The court will discuss the possibility of adopting the Rules and Procedures for determining which fires warrant investigation by the County Fire Marshal’s Office in the county’s Unincorporated Areas.

• Action is needed on this item to comply with state statute, Texas Local Government Code 352.013(2)(b) which states, “The commissioner’s court of a county, with the advice of the county fire marshal, shall adopt rules and procedures for determining which fires warrant investigation by the county fire marshal.”
• The word shall in the statute indicates a mandatory item and this has not been previously accomplished or adopted.

The live stream for Hays County Commissioners Court will only be available during scheduled Commissioners Court meetings, which are typically held every Tuesday morning beginning at 9 a.m. unless otherwise posted. Meetings of the Commissioners Court take place in the Hays County Historic Courthouse, located at 111 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos, Texas.

The San Marcos City Council will not be meeting the week of Monday, June 14, 2020.