Lytle mayor addresses issues behind recent boil notice

By Anton Riecher
During the Lytle City Council meeting Monday Mayor Ruben Gonzalez addressed the most recent boil notice issued for city water Jan. 30 when pressure dropped during repair work on a six-inch water line.
“We want to make sure people are aware of what’s going on and what has actually occurred up to this point,” Gonzalez said.
The boil notice, which was not rescinded until Feb. 3, was required by the Texas Commission on Environment Quality because pressure throughout the water system dropped below 20 pounds per square inch, City Administrator Zachary Meadows reported.
“We started the repair and it kind of went south,” Meadows said. “Unfortunately, we lost the pressure in our system.”
Most of the complaints regarding the boil notice were made via social media rather than calls to city hall, Meadows said. The few calls received were mainly to inquire as to when the boil notice would be lifted.
District 4 Alderman Michael Rodriguez thanked Gonzalez for taking an active role by means of social media to keep the public informed and respond to questions during the emergency.
Gonzalez said the repair was one of nearly 21 longstanding repair projects outlined for public works in recent months. Some of the long neglected projects go back as far as a dozen years. To continue reading login to www.devinenewsmembers.com

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Local city/school ELECTIONS…Feb 14 filing deadline


City of Lytle council ballot

Filing ends at 5:00 pm on February 14, 2025 at the City of Lytle office, 14916 Main St. Positions expiring May 1 are: Districts 1, 2 and 3 currently being held by Aldermen Aguirre (1), Hughes (2) and Emery (3).
Filings so far for a place on the ballot are Richard Hughes for District 2 and David Emery for District 3, as of Tuesday morning, Feb. 4. The City of Lytle operates with a Mayor-Council form of government. The council consists of five Aldermen that each serve a single member district.
The City Council’s primary duty is policy making. The council identifies the needs of the city’s residents and provides programs to meet the changing requirements of the community and measure the effectiveness of ongoing services in the city. See qualifications for becoming a Council member at lytletx.org. Currently serving are : Ruben Gonzalez-Mayor; Miguel Aguirre-Alderman, District 1; Richard Hughes-Alderman, District 2; David Emery-Alderman, District 3; Michael Rodriguez- Alderman, District 4; and Matthew Martinez- Alderman, District 5.

Nine more days to file for City of Devine council
February 14 deadline
The City of Devine will be calling for a mayoral and city alderman election to be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Positions currently held by Butch Cook, Mayor and Michael Hernandez (District 2) and Debbie Randall (District 5) are expiring.
Filing so far are: Butch Cook for Mayor, Hal Lance, Jr. for District 5 and Michael Hernandez for District 2. Deadline to file for a position is Friday, February 14th by 5:00 p.m. at city hall.
All voters can vote in the mayoral election. You have to live in the district you want to run for. And you must live in the district to vote on a district race.

Feb. 14 deadline to file for Devine ISD trustee election
Devine ISD will be calling for a school board election for District 2 and the two At-Large positions to be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Positions currently held by Carl Brown (District 2), Renee Frieda (At-Large) and Chris Davis (At-Large) are expiring. So far only Chris Davis has filed for election, At-Large position, and Carl Brown (District 2).
Deadline to file for a position is Friday, February 14th by 5:00 p.m. at the Superintendent’s Office.

Feb. 14th filing deadline on Lytle ballot


Filing opens January 15, 2025 and end at 5:00 pm on February 14, 2025 at the City of Lytle office, 14916 Main St..
The City of Lytle operates with a Mayor-Council form of government. The council consists of five Aldermen that each serve a single member district.
The City Council’s primary duty is policy making. The council identifies the needs of the city’s residents and provides programs to meet the changing requirements of the community and measure the effectiveness of ongoing services in the city. See qualifications for becoming a Council member at lytletx.org.

Lytle council reaffirms previous vote rejecting manufactured home park

By Anton Riecher
The Lytle City Council Monday again voted unanimously to deny approval for a proposed 30-acre manufactured home park, reaffirming its decision in November citing the project’s failure to conform to current zoning of the property.
City Administrator, Zachary Meadows, explained that the final plat for Lytle MHC Mobile Park had been resubmitted by the developers after the council’s previous action.
“The state does require that with the changes that were done under the local government code regarding platting when we receive basically a request to reconsider it, we have 15 days to hear it,” he said.
Since the council does not have another meeting schedule before 2025, the request to reconsider was placed on the Dec. 9 agenda.
District 3 Alderman David Emery made the motion to deny the request “as the final plat does not conform to the City of Lytle comprehensive plan and related zoning regulations.” District 2 Alderman Richard Hughes seconded the motion.
Meadows reported in November that both the city staff and the city planning and zoning commission recommended denying approval for the mobile home park.
“Staff has communicated…

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Lytle’s Christmas Lighting and Santa’s Hayride Dec. 14

Every year Lytle holds its Annual Christmas Lighting and Santa’s Hayride. The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14th at the Lytle Community Center. Santa arrives at the Community Center to turn on the lights at the Community Center and Main Street. After the lighting, Santa accompanies the children and their guardians on his hayride.
The 2024 Annual Christmas Lighting and Santa’s Hayride will start loading trailers at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Center, 19031 Priest Blvd., Lytle, Tx.
Admission is $1.00 or one canned good.
For information call 830-709-3692.
Please also join us at the Shops of Lytle at 15126 Main Street where we will have Santa’s Workshop with events for the kids to include an Ornament Workshop, the North Pole Post Office and Gingerbread Bakery.
The event is brought to you by the City of Lytle, Lytle Chamber of Commerce, Pena Family, Patriot Automotive, Lytle VFW Post 12041 and HEB Plus.

Lytle council approves 2024-2025 tax rate and budget

Agrees to join Medina water alliance

By Anton Riecher
By unanimous vote the Lytle City Council approved a $4.832 million budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 supported by a property tax rate of $.398363 per $100 valuation, an increase of 13.11 percent.
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said the tax rate, set during the Sept. 23 regular meeting, remains one of the lowest of the three counties in which the city is located.
“I just want to remind everybody that when you put the numbers together we’re still about three cents lower than any community around here,” Gonzalez said.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows said that closest that any Medina County community comes to the Lytle tax rate is 43 cents per $100 valuation. The next closest in Atascosa, Medina or Bexar counties is still three to four cents higher than Lytle, he said.
The full tax roll for Lytle in all three counties totals $1,168,945, Meadows said.
No comment was heard from taxpayers during the separate public hearings conducted for the tax rate and the budget. The rate amounted to a one cent increase from last year.
The tax rate combines a debt service rate of $.071490 per $100 valuation and a maintenance and operation (M&O) rate of $.326873 per $100 valuation. The tax rate, budget, debt service and M&O rate were…

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Lytle council approves stormwater fee reprieve for school district

By Anton Riecher
Lytle ISD Superintendent Dustin Breithaupt addressed the Lytle city council during a public hearing on the city’s stormwater utility system Aug. 26.
A rate of $7 per equivalent residential unit in the proposed creation of a stormwater utility fund to better manage drainage issues was approved by the Lytle City Council earlier this year.
In Texas, cities are authorized to adopt local stormwater drainage utility systems to protect public health from flooding and health issues. Through the utility, communities organize maintenance activities and capital projects to better manage the situation.
Equivalent residential units or ERUs are a taxable unit representing the average square footage of impervious area for a residential property. Impervious area refers to surfaces that allow little or no stormwater infiltration into the ground such as asphalt, concrete, brick or stone.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows said that the school district noted that because their budget is already in place for the year meeting the new utility rate effective in October would be difficult.
“What the council did was…

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Lytle council backs floodplain study supporting subdivision proposal

By Anton Riecher
An engineering study to investigate floodplain issues with the site of a yet unnamed subdivision proposed for FM 2790 was approved by the Lytle City Council during its July 22 regular session.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows said the new subdivision would be adjacent to the east side of the planned Lytle Farms subdivision. The proposed project will consist of single family and duplexes dwellings with commercial development fronting FM 2790.
“We have been working with our attorneys on this particular subdivision before we bring anything to you,” Meadows told the council. “Unfortunately, this is kind of the first one that has hit that they need to get some answers on because there are some floodplain issues with the particular property in question.”
Meadows said the study will be in preparation for a public hearing on annexation of the property into the city. The study will be conducted by TRC Engineering with the developer responsible for reimbursing the $3,000 cost to the city.

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Lytle council approves two-year contract for city administrator Meadows

By Anton Riecher
The Lytle City Council voted unanimously to approve a two-year contract for City Administrator Zachary Meadows at a starting salary of $105,000 a year during the council’s July 8 regular session.
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez congratulated Meadows who started as city administrator in mid-December.
“We appreciate and look forward to working with you as a part of our leadership team,” he said.
Meadows previously served as interim city administrator of Spring Valley Village near Houston. Holding a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio, he previously worked as a management assistant to the city administrator in Dickenson, Texas.

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Long-standing Lytle zoning ordinance called into question

By Anton Riecher
A controversial mobile home park proposed in Lytle faces potential legal obstruction following a city council executive session May 30 to review an opinion by City Attorney Molly Solis that a 27-year-old zoning ordinance favoring the park may not be technically enforceable.
Other than to read the agenda item prior to the closed session, neither Mayor Ruben Gonzalez nor the five council members present made any public comment on the matter.
The agenda stated as follows:
“Consider and Possible Action Concerning Resolution Number #24-21, a Resolution of the City of Lytle, Texas, Recognizing Possible Procedural Defects in the Adoption of Ordinance No. 217 Amending Zoning of Real Property from R-1 Single Family Dwelling District Zoning to B-2 Secondary Business District Zoning and Resolving that as a Result of Concerns of its…

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