Boat Ramps, Tax Increase, Elections and Environmental Issues Dominate Commissioners Court Agenda
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Canyon Lake’s county-operated boat ramps are back on the agenda at Comal Commissioners Court, 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the historic courthouse, 100 Main Plaza, New Braunfels.Public Hearing on Tax Increase
Also scheduled for Thursday is a public hearing on Comal County’s tax increase for 2021 to fund the county’s $121.6 million 2022 budget.
State law requires the county to schedule a hearing because its proposed 2021 combined tax rate of $35.3515 cents per $100 property valuation is higher than the calculated no-new-revenue tax rate of $35.1397.
Commissioners could vote to ratify the property tax increase.
Elections
Commissioners will discuss and consider approval of temporary branch early-voting polling locations for the Nov. 2 Constitutional Amendment Election.
Proposed locations are Mammen Family Public Library in Bulverde, Comal County Office in Bulverde, Comal County’s Goodwin Annex in New Braunfels, St. Francis by the Lake Episcopal Church in Canyon Lake, Comal ISD Support Service Building, and Rebecca Creek Elementary School in Spring Branch.
Commissioners also will vote to set the maximum number of clerks for each polling location for the November election.
They also will approve 22 Election Day polling locations. Comal County residents can vote at any of these polling places, which are now called Vote Centers.
Commissioners will consider the appointment of Karen Hobson as the Early Voting Ballot Board judge.
Financial Programs to Support Water Infrastructure
Of particular interest to environmental advocates like Comal County Conservation Alliance is an item authorizing the county to pay consultant William Moriarty, P.E. $4,500 to prepare project information for the Texas Water Development Board’s (TDWB) Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
Four years ago, TWDB revised its long-standing policy and opened CWSRF to purchase land and conservation easements that protect water quality and quantity and mitigate flooding.
The City of San Marcos became the first entity to take advantage of this new funding opportunity.
Recent legislative activity in Washington could boost funding for CWSRF.
CCCA said if Moriarty is hired, he will write up a Project Information Form, required to get Comal County on the list of entities requesting funding through TWDB’s “Clean Water State Revolving Fund.”
Moriarty wrote a PIF request for Hays County and is considered an expert in the field.
CCCA said if successful, grant/loans raised would be used to purchase land and conservation easements to protect water quality and quantity and to mitigate funding.
The group said benefits would include preserving and providing clean-and-potable drinking water; protecting aquifer recharge; preserving spring flows that feed rivers essential to water recreation and water-based tourism; providing economic sustainability to businesses that rely on water; providing source-water protection for utility providers; providing flood control by slowing, absorbing and retaining floodwaters; and providing numerous other economic, environmental, recreational and public health benefits.
Other Items
Also on the action agenda are:
- Road construction within 4S Ranch – Mustang Vista Phase 3
- Naming Dietz Ranch Road
- Naming Maga Country Drive
- Approving a third amendment to the Architectural Services Agreement between Comal County and HDR Architecture for the Comal County Jail and Sheriff’s Office Renovation project
- Interlocal agreements for tax-assessing collecting services
- Treasurer’s Monthly Report for July
- Maintenance Grant contract between the Office of the Attorney General and Comal County
- Interlocal agreement for provision of law-enforcement services by and between Comal County and Comal ISD
- Texas Department of State Health Service contract under the COVID-19 Health Disparities program for the Comal County Public Health Department
- Creating positions for public health sanitarian and mental-health case manager
- County employee benefits
