City & County Politics – Page 9

Permission from state legislators needed for proposed Medina County water storage project

By Anton Riecher
Action by the Texas Legislature will be required to permit drilling to create the massive aquifer storage and recovery project proposed by the newly organized Medina County Regional Water Alliance.
In a presentation during the Oct. 8 meeting of the alliance, Russell Persyn of RESPEC Co. LLC outlined considerations for the ASR project designed to store fresh water in the Trinity aquifer when available to later be recovered during periods of drought.
“ASR is considered an injection well,” Persyn said. “It is considered disposal even though we are putting fresh water down into the ground.”
To reach the Trinity aquifer, injection wells would have to be drilled through the much utilized Edwards aquifer, he said. Texas water code regulations do not permit such disposal unless specific permission is granted by the state legislature.
Persyn presented a…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

Details of new Allegiance / ESD4 deal

Jerry Beck was sworn into ESD 4, which is the board overseeing ambulance service in the Devine/Natalia area.

By Anton Riecher
Former Precinct 4 County Commissioner Jerry Beck took the oath of office Oct. 9 to become the newest member of the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 Board of Commissioners, the focus of much recent controversy regarding local ambulance service.
Also, ESD4 EMS director Jason Miller provided an update on negotiations with Allegiance Mobile Health to continue providing ambulance service after plans by ESD4 to operate its own ambulance fleet were abandoned in the wake of public opposition.
With only two other board members present, a quorum permitting the meeting to be held was established once Medina County Judge Keith Lutz administered the oath to Beck. Board president Anthony Martin and vice president Viola Potter were the only other board members on hand.
Beck asked if taking the oath meant he would not be allowed to speak as a private citizen during the citizens’ comment portion of the agenda.
“I was going to speak … as a private citizen and address the despicable and underhanded, cowardly manner in which actions by this board were carried out,” he said. “But I said I wouldn’t so I’m not.”
Allegiance Deal
On the Allegiance negotiations, Miller said the Allegiance will continue to provide service throughout the district using ambulances initially acquired by ESD4 to replace the third-party service provided by Allegiances under a contract with two years left subject to annual renewal by the board.
“After the last meeting (the board) voted to extend with Allegiance and work with Allegiance,” Miller said. “Allegiance is going to operate our ambulances.”
In response to questioning by district resident…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

Natalia Elections, for city and school, Early Voting starts Oct. 21

Polling places will open for early voting October 21- Nov. 1 and then election day Tuesday, November 5. There are two local elections in Natalia. There are four candidates vying for positions on Natalia City Council. The candidates are: Mike Fernandez, Selica L Vera, Sam Smith and Valerie Michelle Naff.
The are four candidates are vying for 3 positions on the school board. The Natalia School board candidates are: Andrew Besa, Eric Smith, Fernando Garza, and Tracy Myers.

Natalia Council approves ‘24 tax rate

By Catherine Richard
The Natalia City Council approved the Little League’s use of the Natalia Veterans Memorial Sportsplex and the 2024-2025 tax rate and budget on Sept. 23 at the Natalia Council Chambers.
Jaime Gomez, president of the Little League, requested a renewal for the Little League’s one-year contract.
Under the 2023 lease, Little League made multiple upgrades to the sportsplex facilities, repairing broken windows, installing storage systems, and constructing coverings to provide shade for the home side spectators.
The City Council approved the renewal and extended the lease of the sportsplex for another two years.
“I am pleased with the decision last night,” Gomez said.
Along with other repairs and improvements, the Little League’s future projects include making improvements to the bathroom and installing and AED for emergency situations.
There were some disputes over the use of the sportsplex, specifically when it came to the allowance for other sports teams to use the field. Further decisions will have to be made which will determine…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

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…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

City of Devine Police Department History

By John DeLaCruz
I obtained most of the following information from news articles published by the Devine News, some from my recollection, and information from the City Secretary.
On October 1, 1970, the Devine City Council adopted a resolution, ordinance, setting up the Devine Municipal Court and appointed Mr. C. O. Williams as Municipal Judge and appointed Mr. Ray Macias as City Policeman. It appears that during the time Ray Macias served as a police officer, he was eventually promoted to the position as Devine Police Department Chief of Police, making him the first Police Chief for the City of Devine. Ray Macias served as Police Chief for approximately 5-years.
At some point Ray Macias left the Devine Police Department and Paul Winters who had been the Constable for the Devine area was appointed as Devine’s Police Chief.
On August 22, 1977, the City Council decided the Department needed to go through some reorganization and Ray Macias was again appointed Chief of Police for the Devine Police Department, and Paul Winters remained on the force as a patrolman.
On or about March 1979, the Device City Council conducted interviews for the next…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

Allegiance reports 177 EMS runs in ESD4 during August

If the local ESD4 added a 3rd ambulance from Allegiance the cost would be under a million dollars, less than half of what it would cost to take over and run our own service and staff.

By Anton Riecher
Allegiance Mobile Health reported 177 EMS runs inside Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 during the month of August with an overall average response time of seven minutes, Allegiance District Chief Patrick Bourcier said.
Forty-three percent of the ambulance runs reported an arrival time of five minutes or less, the August report states. Thirty-nine percent arrived within six to nine minutes of being summoned while 18 percent required 10 minutes or more to arrive.
Three runs logged during August required a…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

County judge proposes three percent increase in salaries for elected officials

Judge Lutz listens to concerns on the budget. “At the end of the day, county government is a business and it’s your business,” he said, referring to taxpayers.

By Anton Riecher
A three percent cost of living adjustment is being proposed for most of Medina County elected officials under a $59 million proposed county budget presented by County Judge Keith Lutz during the most recent budget workshop for the upcoming 2024-2025 fiscal year.
“I like everybody to understand where I’m coming from with the budget at this point,” Lutz told the commissioners. “Based on our current budget, this is what I put together (supported by) a voter-approval tax rate of $.4511 which would raise (an additional) $3.742 million.”
Under the state tax code, a voter-approval tax rate is the maximum rate an elected body can approve on its own authority without triggering an automatic election required for ratification.
Lutz said the increases he is proposing under the new budget amounts to nearly $77,000 compared to a total annual budget of $59 million.
Lutz said the proposed three percent rate follows a similar four percent cost of living adjustment approved for county employees in the previous year’s budget. The increase is based on a…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

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…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com

Local group hopes to address elevated bacteria concentrations in the Lower Medina River and Medio Creek

Stakeholder input is critical. The goal is to address elevated bacteria concentrations in the Lower Medina River and Medio Creek. The meeting will be held in Castoville. Photo by Tina Hendon.

Medina River watershed protection meeting
set for Sept. 9 in Castroville…

By Leslie Lee
The Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, will host a stakeholder meeting for the Medina River Below Medina Diversion Lake Watershed Protection Plan on Sept. 9 in Castroville.
The quality of the Medina River below the Medina Diversion Lake will be discussed during a watershed protection plan meeting on Sept. 9 in Castroville. (Tina Hendon/Texas Water Resources Institute)
The public meeting will be from 1-4 p.m. at the Braden Keller Community Center, 1410 Amelia St.
The meeting is the fourth in a series with watershed stakeholders to develop strategies needed to address water quality impairments in the watershed.
“The watershed protection plan is being developed to address elevated bacteria concentrations in the Lower Medina River and Medio Creek,” said Tina Hendon, TWRI program specialist. “There are also nutrient concerns present in the watershed. Both the impairment and concerns can begin to be addressed…

TO CONTINUE READING…CLICK HERE or go to www.devinenewsmembers.com