Celebrating 126 Years of Serving the communities of Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, and Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties
Category: City & County Politics
Information you need to know about the City of Devine, Medina County Commissioner’s Court, City of Natalia, City of Lytle, and our local Emergency Service Districts.
Lytle Mayor Ruben Gonzalez, foreground, and District 3 Alderman David Emery listen to a presentation by the Kimley-Horn engineering firm on the city’s master drainage plan. (Photo by Anton Riecher)
By Anton Riecher An update on the Lytle master drainage plan project and what is to come in the future was presented to the Lytle City Council Monday by the engineering firm Kimley-Horn. The primary goal of the project is to analyze the existing floodplain within the city limits and use that information to update the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance rate maps used for flood plain management, said Deanna Mikulik, a civil engineer with Kimley-Horn. The engineering firm will then analyze areas that experience heavy flooding and propose solutions to alleviate those issues, she said. Phase 1 of the drainage plan project involved the creation of hydrologic models reflecting existing conditions to qualify how much runoff from the regional watershed drains into…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
By Anton Riecher Medina County commissioners took action Monday to update public improvement districts agreements governing infrastructure improvements for various housing subdivisions across the region. Clay Binford with McCall, Parkhurst and Horton, representing the county as special counsel, took the opportunity to bring the commissioners up to speed on the infrastructure projects involved. Chapter 312 of the state’s local government code requires that the commissioners “affirm the plan or change the plan that we adopted at the time we put these public improvement districts in place,” Binford said. A public improvement…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
In what District 1 Alderman Ray Gonzales referred to as a “$32,000 gamble,” the Devine City Council voted unanimously Oct. 21 to approve an attempt by Converse-based Advanced Water Well Technologies to restore the city’s long dormant L.C. Martin water well to operation. Mayor Butch Cook told the council that it had long been accepted that the well was beyond salvage. “For the longest time, especially since I’ve been elected, I was always told that the well is beyond repair,” he said. “But apparently we can make it viable again.” On a motion by District 2 Alderman Michael Hernandez, seconded by District. 4 Alderman Josh Ritchey, the council voted 5-0 to approve $31,327 for the rehabilitation project. “I make a motion that we give Advanced Water Well an opportunity to work on this well and see if we can get it back online,” Hernandez said. City Administrator David Jordan said he was introduced to the technology used by Advanced at a recent conference held in Pleasanton and asked them to assess the L.C. Martin well, out of commission nearly five years due to the poor quality of water produced. Chris Richey with Advanced said the inspection determined that the well has a significant build-up of iron bacteria. “Ultimately, we want to go in and clean that well out really good and make it a viable water source for the city again,” he said. John Wilkins, also…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
During the Oct. 14 Lytle City Council meeting District 1 Alderwoman Anne Carrillo asked the public to recognize Oct. 14 as White Cane Safety Day, an annual observance on Oct. 15 that honors the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired. Carrillo said she still cherishes the cane used by her late brother.
By Anton Riecher Plans by a new developer to build a secondary access for emergency response traffic into Saddle Ridge subdivision was announced during the Oct. 14th Lytle City council special session. Kevin Pape, vice president with the Calara Group, said that the engineering done by Rausch Coleman, the original developer of the subdivision, “wasn’t a very good solution for secondary access.” “We’re going to be building a road that is going to be the primary road for the city’s access to get into the waste treatment plant,” Pape said. “Through that, it will also have an emergency (route) to get to that road through our neighborhood in case something happens.” The new road involved changes to plans for the third phase of the Saddle Ridge subdivision previously approved by the city council, he said. New engineering plans will be submitted for council approval. City Administrator Zachary Meadows said the need for secondary access out of the Saddle Ridge subdivision has been a topic of much concern to the council, particularly after the recent sale to Calara Group. “Ultimately, we’ve been asking to get some updates on where we’re at with that particular road construction,” Meadows said. “If you recall, it’s to come out of the back end of Saddle Ridge in, I think, phase three of that project.” The city had asked…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
The state issued fire code violations to Medina Valley ISD, and there has also been an issue fighting over the requirement of a fire hydrant with a new development in Yancey recently. Medina County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Chadwick addresses the county commissioners on the new county fire codes under consideration. (Photo by Anton Riecher)
By Anton Riecher Action remains pending on a proposal to adopt the latest version of the International Fire Code specifically to Medina County as an alternative to the state imposed fire code developed by the National Fire Protection Association. Medina County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Chadwick, who also serves as the county fire marshal, updated county commissioners in September on the fire code proposal, noting several current projects where strict adherence to the state code would prove costly to the developers. In one case, fire protection for a 4,000 square foot office building nearing completion in Yancey would have required the Yancey Water Supply Corporation to install large water mains and pumps to pressurize a required fire hydrant to the appropriate pounds per square inch. “That would be the only fire hydrant in Yancey, Texas,” Chadwick said. Chadwick instead offered developers a variance on the state fire code based on the structure’s one-hour rated interior fire walls and proximity to a fire department fill point. However, the engineers for the project were still determined to fight for the hydrant. “That’s ridiculous, in my opinion, to force them to have to spend what would probably have been over $100,000 for a 4,000 square foot building,” he said. Passage of fire codes specific to Medina County can protect against that, Chadwick said. The 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) is a model code created by the International Code Council to provide minimum standards for fire prevention and protection. It covers topics such as emergency planning, fire protection systems, hazardous materials and fire service access. The IFC is updated every three years and is the basis for fire codes adopted by many states and local jurisdiction, often with specific local amendments. Likewise, the NFPA codes such as NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 are model fire and life safety documents that jurisdictions can adopt. With no county fire code in place, the state requires compliance with the NFPA standards. While IFC is a single, comprehensive code, NFPA is a collection of various standards that IFC often references. Another recent issue cited by Chadwick arising from the lack of county fire codes involved a third-party inspector dispatched by the state writing up violations on 17 buildings in the Medina Valley school district. As an alternative, Chadwick offered to do a re-inspection of the buildings if the district invited the county to serve as a consultant. The penalties involved totaled $17,000. Correcting them would require extensive internal demolition and reconstruction during the school year, he said. “To me, that’s ludicrous,” Chadwick said. “I know that’s a pretty powerful statement but to me, that’s ludicrous.” Of the 17 violations cited, he said he only regarded one as valid. Instead, he recommended the district develop a corrective action plan to address the minor issues cited during the next summer break. The aftermath of the summer flooding in Kerrville is going to result in more pressure on counties to adhere to state codes, Chadwick said. “We’re going to be held responsible for how buildings are built in this county,” he said. “We either have to build them to state codes or we have to have our own codes that we can justify that we are building to to keep our citizens and the public safe.” General requirements that the new codes are expected to address include: Address identification visible from the road fronting the property with numerals not less than four inches high. Walls with a minimum of a one-hour fire rating including interior walls with half-inch thick sheetrock on both sides. Electrical wiring installed with appropriate connections and covers on all outlet and junction boxes. Ground fault circuit interruption (GFCI) protection outlets installed in areas of higher risk electrical shock near water or moisture such as in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and laundry rooms. Breaker panels with appropriate breakers installed. Smoke detectors installed which draw primary power from the electrical system, using batteries as a backup power source.
By Anton Riecher A communications breakdown between Devine city public works and the construction company handling refurbishing of the city water storage tank near Warhorse Stadium resulted in multiple water main breaks and a weekend boil notice, city officials reported during the Devine City Council special meeting Monday. Hondo-based MGB Construction failed to notify public works officials that it had closed two key values causing a pressure buildup that weakened and ruptured three 12-inch water mains ruptures at various times, City Public Works director Pete Sanchez told the council. “We didn’t know anything about it,” Sanchez said. City Administrator David Jordan read a statement issued by Jourdanton-based 6S Engineering after a meeting with city officials and MGB earlier Monday. The statement notes that the construction plans require that any shutdown of water mains must be coordinated with the city of Devine with notice given at least one week in advance. “This notification did not occur,” the statement reads. “The city public works staff and 6S Engineering were not aware of the upcoming shutdown until after it had already occurred.” In other action during the special meeting, the city council approved the proposed tax rate and budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026. Regarding the water line breaks, Mayor Butch Cook said…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
By Gary Borders In an operation being called “Lone Star 2.0,” more than 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested by Texas Department of Public Safety officers this year, according to records obtained by The Texas Tribune. As illegal border crossings plunge, state police are shifting their energies toward aiding the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort. From late January through early September, DPS recorded 3,131 arrests by specialty teams created at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott and previously unreported. Nearly all those arrests were for allegedly violating federal immigration laws, a role once performed exclusively by federal authorities. “Operation Lone Star 2.0 is underway statewide — with DPS personnel working to combat and interdict criminal activity with a nexus to the border,” DPS spokesperson Sheridan Nolen said in an email. Only the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration violations. State and local police cannot arrest someone solely for being undocumented without agreements made with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the agencies under its umbrella, The Tribune reported. Unlike the original Lone Star initiative along the border, DPS officials have remained tight-lipped about its deportation efforts in the state’s interior.
Nearly half of Texas counties are maternal care deserts A recent report concludes that 47% of Texas counties are “maternity care deserts, The Dallas Morning News reported. The report from the nonprofit March of Dimes concludes those counties have no obstetric providers, birth centers, hospitals with obstetric units, and no OB-GYNs or family doctors who practice obstetrics. Further, another report indicates that 93 of the state’s 160 rural hospitals do not have labor and delivery units. Shortages of obstetric care occur throughout the state, regardless of geography, though rural areas are most affected. As a result, rural mothers are at much higher risk of death than mothers in urban areas. In some areas, maternal death rates in rural areas are nearly double the rates of urban areas. The Texas Legislature approved more than…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
CITY OF DEVINE RESIDENTS: In the September 3rd edition of the Devine News, the City of Devine provided incorrect information regarding the tax rate for fiscal year 2025-2026. The city stated that the proposed tax rate of 0.05900 is NOT greater than the no new revenue rate; in fact, it is greater than the no new revenue rate at .05675 On a previous meeting it was announced by Mayor Cook that revenue from property taxes would bring in an additional $39,348.00. The information he was given was incorrect. The new tax rate will raise more revenue from property taxes than last year’s budget by an amount of $61,685.00. This is a 4.09 percent increase. The property tax revenue to be raised from the new property tax roll this year is $11,624.00. To ensure the public has ample opportunity to participate in the budget process, we will be republishing the budget and tax notice in the Devine News on September 17th, and the new dates for the public hearing and passage on the budget and public hearing and passage of the tax rates are Monday September 29th. at 6 p.m. at George S. Woods Community Center in Devine. Everyone is Welcome to come and participate. The City apologizes for…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
Devine City Administrator David Jordan, left, and Mayor Butch Cook confer during a special session of the Devine City Council held Sept 9 Photo by Anton Riecher.
Click here to see who is pictured above
By Anton Riecher At its Sept. 9 special meeting, the Devine City Council voted unanimously to stand pat on the same property tax rate as last year – 59 cents per $100 valuation. But, after the meeting it was discovered that the city had published the wrong date for the public meeting to set the tax rate and part of its wording, so it will have to be redone and be voted on again on Monday, September 29, 2025 at a 6:00 p.m. public meeting for a Proposed Budget and Tax Rate for fiscal year 2025/2026. (See both corrected public notices published in this week’s Devine News.) (Apparently when you keep the tax rate the exact same, but take in more money than the prior year due to property value increases, the tax rate is considered a tax increase in the end). Mayor Butch Cook said a lack of attendance at the public hearing (Sept. 9) on the tax rate apparently signifies that “everyone is in agreement with what we’ve decided.” “All things considered, with our water rate increases and such, we wanted to do our best to keep things as manageable as possible for the citizens,” Cook said. With all five council members in attendance, District 2 Alderman Michael Hernandez made the motion putting forward the tax rate. The motion was seconded by District 1 Alderman Ray Gonzales. Cook noted that as a result of increased appraisals the approved tax rate will bring in about $40,000 or nearly three percent more in tax revenue that the same rate last year. “I don’t want to mislead anybody into thinking that we’re getting the exact same amount of money,” he said. Of the added revenue, $11,641 of it will result from new property added to the tax roll in the past year, Cook said. A breakdown of the tax rate shows $.4864 per $100 valuation dedicated to maintenance and operating (M&O) funds, same as last year. Likewise, the debt service rate or INS will stand at $.1036 per $100 valuation, also the same as the previous year. Debt obligation under the general fund stands at…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
By Anton Riecher Action by the Lytle City Council on the annexation of nearly 100 acres designated as the site of a future residential subdivision has been postponed until Sept. 22 due to recent changes by the Texas Legislature in the posting requirements for governmental meetings. Located south of Interstate 35 and east of Rolling Meadow Drive in Bexar County, City Administrator Zachary Meadows said the yet unnamed subdivision will host between 100 and 200 new houses. The annexation is listed as “voluntary” on the agenda for the council’s Sept. 10 special meeting. That meeting had been postponed from its original Sept. 8 date due to the wide spread confusion among local government entities following changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act during the recent 89th session of the Texas Legislature. Previously, notice of a meeting of a governmental body had to be posted at least 72 hours before the scheduled time of that meeting. However…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!
