Devine City Council Meetings

Medina County exceeds state turnout percentage in early voting

Medina County Judge Keith Lutz, left, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre and the rest of commissioners court discussed investing county funds, subdivisions, as well as the state’s priority highway improvements.

By Anton Riecher
More than 40 percent of the 40,946 registered voters in Medina County have cast ballots in early voting for the Nov. 3 joint general election, county elections administrator Jeanie Longoria reported to county commissioners during a regular session held Monday.
In-person voting accounted for 16,079 ballots cast, Longoria said. Of nearly 800 ballots mailed to voters, 554 have been returned as of Oct. 30.
“I want to recognize my staff who have been working this morning with real dedication in managing the demands of this election,” Longoria said.
County Judge Keith Lutz noted that the 40 percent early voting turnout in Medina County compares to a 39 percent turnout statewide. More than seven million ballots were cast in early voting across Texas.

“So really Medina County has done great,” Lutz said.
Longoria reported that 65 provisional ballots have been issued to date. Federal law requires that provisional ballots be offered to any voter whose eligibility is uncertain, such as a voter who does not appear on the list of registered voters due to an administrative error.
Ballots issued to date also include…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

ESD2 responded to 8 fires, 5 auto accidents in month

Medina County ESD2 board president Todd Summers, left, and vice president Jeff Howard and treasurer Ken Nighswander review documents during the ESD2 board meeting on Oct. 20. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
Surplus self-contained breathing apparatus gathering dust at the DuBose Firehouse in Devine will soon find a new home in the South Texas community of George West after the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners voted Oct. 20 to accept a $50,000 bid for the used equipment.
Asked why the gear netted almost $10,000 less that a similar surplus equipment package sold earlier this year, Battalion Chief David Powers said offer from the George West Volunteer Fire Department was the most the small community could afford to make.
“That’s the amount of money they had to spend,” Powers said. “They wanted to make an offer on it.”
George West is the county seat of Live Oak County, population 11,335. George West VFD is the largest of only four volunteer fire departments covering the county’s 1,079 square mile expanse south of Atascosa and Karnes counties.
Board president Todd Summers said the surplus SCBA has gone unused for nearly two years. The $50,000 bid from George West is the best offer currently on the table.
“We’re not going to use it and no one else is buying it,” Summers said. “They (George West) need it. We’re trying to give back and help where we can.”
The surplus equipment includes 12 SCBA packs or harness assemblies, 23 high pressure cylinders to hold compressed air, 12 face masks and a rapid intervention team (RIT) equipment bag.
On a motion by board assistant treasurer Jerry Stevens, seconded by board treasurer Ken Nighswander, the sale was approved by a 4-0 vote. The board is currently without a fifth member since the resignation of board secretary Abigail Beadle earlier this year.
Self-contained breathing apparatus continued to dominate the agenda at the October meeting with the board authorizing the purchase of a $6,750 SCBA fill station.
An SCBA fill station is part of a high-pressure system used to safely refill breathing air cylinders. Purchased from Angleton, TX-based Morton Morrow, Inc., the new station can simultaneously fill three SCBA cylinders, one more than is standard for most fill stations.
ESD2 already owns a SCBA compressor compatible with the new fill station, completing the system. The purchase also includes…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Large scale amendment to close Devine’s 2025-2026 budget draws council attention

By Anton Riecher
An amendment totaling $780,000 made to the fiscal year 2025-2026 Devine city budget – nearly a fifth of the budget total – won approval during the Oct. 20 city council session but not without substantial objections from some members.
District 3 Council Member Jeff Miller described the amendment as “an awful lot to expect without much explanation.”
“My question is why (is the council) just now finding out about this because these are not small amounts of money?” Miller asked. “This is my third year on the council and I’ve never seen amounts like this before ever.”
The largest amount among the items composing the amendment is $500,000 for the city water and sewer fund related to expenses involving a Texas Water Development Board bond project. The amendment also includes $65,000 for airport and golf course maintenance, respectively.

Remaining items under the general fund include $40,000 for street light improvements, $35,000 for municipal court collections, $30,000 for city hall and other improvements, $30,000 for tree maintenance, and $15,000 in consulting services.
City Treasurer Cassandra Maldonado told the council that the purpose of the amendment was to officially complete the city’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget in preparation for the annual state-required audit. Approval by the council is required to close the books for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
“The amendment addresses previously approved expenditures and projects that require corresponding budget adjustments to ensure the adopted budget more accurately reflects the city’s financial activity for the fiscal year,” Maldonado said.
However, council members pressed for more explanation of the…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

ESD4 purchases two ambulances to supplement aging fleet

ESD4 board treasurer Patrick DuBose addresses the layout of the new Natalia ambulance substation during the board’s Oct. 14 meeting. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
A $230,000 sealed bid submitted by Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 to purchase two low-mileage used ambulances has been accepted by the North Texas community of Gunter, board president Steve Smith announced following the ESD board’s Oct. 14 regular meeting.
“We approved in the budget to purchase replacement vehicles,” Smith said. “The mileage is creeping up on the units we have here.”
At a brief special meeting held by a three-member quorum on Oct. 10, the board acted on a recommendation by Castroville-based ESD1 Chief Clint Cooke to submit the bid to Gunter officials. That city is curtailing its ambulance service in favor of a contact with a third-party provider.
The special meeting was called on short notice to meet an Oct. 13 deadline for the bids, Smith said. Board secretary Brenda Butler presided over the meeting in the absence of Smith who was unavailable due to a business obligation.
“Personally, I would have approved the purchase as well,” Smith said.
Buying used ambulances offers a less expensive advantage over new units estimated at $500,000 apiece and taking 18 months to two years to deliver, battalion chief David Powers said.
The purchase brings the ESD4 ambulance fleet to five units. Similar to a used ambulance purchased last year, the latest units consists of Ford F-450 chassis equipped with a custom, all-aluminum modular ambulance body manufactured by Texas-based Frazer-Bilt.
Each ambulance has less than 50,000 miles on the road, Smith said.
The latest purchase will allow ESD4 to standardize the fleet in future through the same ambulance body manufacturer and similar equipment layouts, simplifying maintenance through a matching inventory of parts, he said.
The two oldest vehicles in the ESD4 fleet operate on Ford F350 chassis and have 105,000 miles and 67,000 miles on the odometer, respectively, board treasurer Patrick DuBose said. The units were purchased new by ESD4 in 2024 as part of a scheme since abandoned to transition from third-party contractor Allegiance Mobile Health to providing EMS service directly with its own equipment and personnel.
Both units have had reoccurring maintenance issues linked to…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Devine school board approves final $678K payment on 2023 bond project

By Anton Riecher
By unanimous action, the Devine school board voted Monday to approve final payment of $678,497 to Cuero-based construction company Weaver and Jacobs for the district’s 2023 bond project.
The motion was put forward by board member Alixana Buvinghausen and seconded by Carl Brown.
The Devine ISD 2023 bond project was an $11.255 million district-wide capital improvement and safety initiative approved by voters in November 2023. It involved district-wide safety, security and facility additions or renovations across all four district campuses.
In other action, the board voted unanimously to adopt amendments to the District of Innovation plan with the addition of capping the class size for intermediate classrooms 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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

School opts for exemption to Chapter 37 armed security guard requirements due to funding/ staffing constraints

DMS Principal Kandi Darnell speaks about the campus C accountability rating among other campus news. Enrollment figures were shared to show the school’s size and grade distribution. With an enrollment of 445 students, 151 students are sixth graders and 158 are seventh graders, making the seventh grade the largest of the three middle school grades.

Board approves a final payment of $85,456 for the new tennis courts

By Anton Riecher
At this week’s Devine ISD school board meeting, the board voted 5-0 to approve a final payment of $85,456 to Austin-based Hellas Construction for the new tennis courts at the athletic facilities outside Warhorse Stadium. Completion is scheduled for mid-November.
The motion to approve final payment was made by board member Chris Davis and seconded by Ali Buvinghausen. Board members Candace Esparza and Carl Brown were absent for the Monday meeting.
Exemption to armed security guard requirement
By a 5-0 vote, the Devine School board approved a resolution for an exemption to the new state requirement, which required public school districts to place at least one armed security officer at every district campus during regular school hours (Texas Education Code Section 37.0814).

Because of funding and staffing constraints, the board determined the district qualifies for a good-cause exemption and will use an alternative safety plan.
With the exemption, our district’s alternative plan includes…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Devine council approves tax decrease

By Anton Riecher
Without further public debate, the Devine City Council unanimously approved a zero increase tax rate of $.5900 per $100 valuation to support a previously approved fiscal year 2026-2027 budget of $5.865 million.
While average homestead values within the city have increased by about 4.25% , the council voted for a rate even lower than the no-new revenue rate which will decrease the total tax levy from $1.57 million to $1.54 million. (Editior’s Note: While you will often see boards vote for a “tax rate decrease” it generally still generates more total revenue than the previous year. However, Devine City Council opted for a true tax decrease).

Due to the increasing home values, tax on the average homestead will still see a slight increase from $1,093 to $1,140 (about $46) on the average homestead.
On a motion by District 3 Council Member Jeff Miller, seconded by District 1 Council Member Ray Gonzales, the council approved the combined maintenance and operations tax rate of $.48640 together with the debt service tax rate of $.10360. Separate votes on the M&O and debt service rates preceding the combined vote were also unanimous.
Mayor Butch Cook noted that the new tax rate was consistent with the preliminary figure discussed during the approval of …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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Devine council approves preliminary plat for new coffee shop

The matter of the dog attack this past May will be discussed again at a future meeting council said in response to a Devine resident who presented new information and questions to the council during the public comment’s portion of Tuesday’s meeting.

By Anton Riecher
Land-use decisions, infrastructure funding and long-term action on code enforcement occupied the Devine City Council during a regular meeting held July 21.
City Permits Director Juanita Romero noted the wide ranging variety of land-use decisions facing the council.
“Today we have a little potpourri of what planning and zoning actually does,” she told council members.
Leading the agenda on land use, the council voted to approve a preliminary plat for a new coffee shop at 635 East Hondo Ave. The brick-and-mortar drive-through coffee location extends a brand established in nearby Lytle.
A public notice was mailed to 23 properties within a 200-foot buffer of the shop site, together with an ad published July 1st and 8th in The Devine News, Romero said. Of those properties only two owners replied, both in favor of the new business.
With the plat meeting all city design requirements, the council voted to approve the plat on the recommendation of the city staff.
Zoning Issues
The council also approved a rezoning at 105 Anderson St. that changed two acres of a 16-acre tract from Class A residential to Class B residential to allow placement of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financed manufactured home.
Class A zoning allows only a standard single-family home while Class B allows manufactured homes. Notice was mailed to 16 properties within a 200-foot buffer and advertising notifying the public of the zoning request published in The Devine News.
Two responses to the mailed notices were received by the city, both positive. The owners of the property, on hand for the council meeting, explained that the land had belonged to the same family for many years.
The council discussed…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!

New fire protection management conducts emergency pre-planning at 31 Devine businesses

Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners president Todd Summers, left, presides during the board’s Jan. 20 meeting with board vice president Jeff Howard seen at right. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
Since assuming management responsibility for Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 in October, Castroville-based ESD1 has visited 31 businesses in Devine to establish pre-fire planning for any local emergencies, ESD1 battalion chief David Powers reported during the Jan. 20 ESD2 board meeting.
“We got out with the public, visiting to see where everybody is at,” Powers said.
A fire pre-plan is a detailed mapping of a building’s layout, fire protection systems and special hazards to assist emergency responders with rapid, safe and effective decision making upon arrival.
For example, Powers noted that it was determined that an interior hydrant at one major retailer was not providing adequate pressure for fire protection. The emergency pre-plan directs firefighters to another hydrant instead.
Under the heading…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!

3 City of Devine seats up for election soon

The 2026 General Election for the City of Devine will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Seats that will be on the ballot include those held by Ray Gonzales ( District 1 councilman), Jeff Miller (District 3 councilman), and Josh Ritchey (District 4 councilman–who recently resigned). These positions expire in May 2026. The filing period to be placed on the ballot starts January 14, 2026 and ends February 13, 2026.