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.
The motion to approve the contract for Meadows was made by District 3 Alderman David Emery and seconded by District 4 Alderman Michael Rodriguez.
In other action, the council unanimously approved action to change the zoning on nine separate addresses from B2 secondary business to R1 single family dwelling. The action focused on two primary areas, the first located north of Adams Street and west of Pecan Street, and the second east of Live Oak Street and west of Norvell Street.
A B2 commercial zone provides areas for wholesale businesses and large-site retail companies to construct shopping centers for a wide range of different products. R1 zoning is intended to provide areas appropriate for a range of detached single-family residential dwelling units, each located on a single legal lot and not including condominiums or cooperative housing.
Meadows told the council that the action was requested by the chairman of the city’s planning and zoning commission who personally contacted each property owner to obtain written permission to make the request.
“It really just doesn’t fit the nature and character of the neighborhood to have this zoned B2,” he said.
He also noted that the change was recommended by a 3-0 vote of the five-member planning and zoning commission. One member of the commission abstained and another was absent when the vote was taken.
Two residents affected by the change spoke during a public hearing on the action. Naomi Martinez said that she was a life-long resident on the neighborhood which she has always regarded as residential.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to want to put any businesses there because it’s just for houses and stuff like that,” she said.
Gregory Chacon, another affected resident, said he had recently been notified that the B2 zoning could drastically impact his property taxes in the near future.
“I don’t know about you guys but I don’t have an extra $200 to $300 to throw away,” he said.
Alderman Rodriguez initially recommended the council table action on the proposal.
“We know that (zoning) need to be updated,” he said. “I don’t recommend picking lots and changing the districts on individual lots.”
However, Alderman Emery said he saw no problem making the changes now rather than sometime in the future when the council updates its master plan for the city.
“I see no reason to delay it until we do a comprehensive plan which is going to be sometime next year,” Emery said.
Gonzalez noted that the council previously discussed the issue while working with engineering consultant Kimley-Horn on the master plan update. The B2/R1 zoning changes was one of the changed that stood out during that review, he said.
“I think our zoning committee actually leaned forward and said we really need to address this,” Gonzalez said.
Rodriguez relented in opposing the immediate change.
“It’s my feeling we’re going to do this eventually,” he said. “I don’t want people to get the idea I want this to remain a B2.”
The council did vote to table action on an application to locate a manufactured home on property north of Norvell Street and east of Wisdom Road after Meadows reported that the property owner’s deal with a prospective tenant had fallen through.
In other business, the council voted to maintain liability coverage for data breach liability through the Texas Municipal League’s Intergovernmental Risk Pool despite a sharp increase in cost. The coverage was initially free from TML when the city first obtained it in 2016, Meadows said.
“Obviously, the last couple of years, with increasing cost, our coverage has increased to about $175 annually,” he said. “Unfortunately, because of the fact that we are seeing a lot more cyber related issues TML’s IRP has switched some things up and the board has approved a new cyber fund.
Cost for coverage is now $1,125 annually, Meadows said. Rodriguez noted that the liability coverage offered for that price had been reduced by half.
The coverage provides breach response and protection against network business interruption and cyber extortion. It also covers the city against data recovery costs and offer fraud protection.
Alderman Rodriguez moved to maintain the liability protection to the $50,000 maximum allowed. Alderman Emery seconded the motion.