JUNE 28, 2017 COMBING FOR TRUTH
LOBO COACHES
Kyle apiarist put common myths about bees to rest.
Lehman adds former collegiate players to staff.
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Hays Free Press
© BARTON PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Vol. 121 • No. 14
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢
Plum Creek tributary could see effluent increase BY SAMANTHA SMITH
A three-way agreement among Buda, the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA) and the Sunfield Municipal Utility District (MUD) could allow for the future
expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The agreement, approved unanimously by the Buda City Council June 20, would call for the total discharge of 3.5 million gallons per day
of treated effluent into an unnamed tributary of Plum Creek. Council members shared little discussion on the agenda item before it was approved. City Engineer John Nett said the agreement “is a proactive
measure.” “We are nearing the point where we will have to plan on expanding (the wastewater treatment plant) to accommodate for future growth,” Nett said. Nett said the expansion
of the wastewater treatment plant has been in the city’s capital improvement projects (CIP) plan for a while. He said council members were aware the city was planning on locating an additional place to discharge the in-
$82K annual fee OKed after holes found in police video storage system
BY SAMANTHA SMITH
BY MOSES LEOS III
KYLE POLICE, 4A
A Kyle woman was sentenced June 14 to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to one count of first-degree trafficking a child – compelCISNEROS ling prostitution. Nancy Cisneros, 43, was originally charged with three counts of trafficking a child – compelling pros-
CHILD TRAFFICKING, 2A PHOTO BY MOSES LEOS III
Kyle Police Department Captain Pedro Hernandez shows off some of the gear worn by officers while on duty. City leaders gave approval for City Manager Scott Sellers to begin negotiations with Axon for a possible replacement to the department’s in-car data storage system.
Proposed bill may uproot local tree ordinances Local lawmakers may push back against a bill due up in next month’s special legislative session that could reduce a city’s ability to impose tree ordinances. Senate Bill 782, authored by State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels)
would limit the fees a local government could impose on private property owners for removal of trees on their property which exceed 10 inches in girth. But some local municipalities claim the bill could give the state control over matters relating to a cities Unified Devleopment Code
(UDC). According to a February Austin American-Statesman article, there are approximately 50 cities across Texas that have tree protection ordinances in place that would be affected if this bill passed. Colin Strother, Buda Planning and Zoning Commission chairper-
son, said if the controversial bill passes “it will be the height of government intrusion.” Strother, a Buda resident with more than 20 years of experience working in local government, said he is disappointed in Campbell for poorly representing her constituents since she represents Buda as a
COMING UP Market in the Park
On July 1, join Buda’s downtown merchants at this monthly event on the Buda greenbelt hosted by the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce. Check out local shops and vendors, locally made food, live music, the Downtown Buda Farmers Market and the Market in the Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
BIG WIEN
Buda Wiener Dog Races by the numbers. – Page 1D
INDEX
BY SAMANTHA SMITH
WASTEWATER, 2A
15 years prison for child sex traffic charges
Cameras costs Kyle cops
Mixed reactions from city leaders earlier this month welcomed the Kyle Police Department’s proposed $82,000 annual expense for a new data storage system for in-car and body-worn cameras. While the Kyle City Council gave City Manager Scott Sellers the green light to start negotiations with Axon for the storage system, which also includes 50 body worn and several in-dashboard cameras, as well as 50 tasers, Mayor Todd Webster was concerned about the request’s timing near the height of budget discussions.
creased volume of effluent based on the expansion. According to Nett, the current volume of discharged effluent cannot exceed 1.5 million gallons per day (mgd). Buda is
part of her territory. “She never comes to Buda, it’s no surprise she doesn’t care,” Strother said regarding Campbell’s reason behind filing the bill. Buda Assistant City Manager Chance Sparks argues that trees play an important role in
TREE ORDINANCE, 2A
Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival The Wimberley Community Center will be the place to cool off while enjoying the Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival on July 1 from 1-7 p.m. This annual event is hosted by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and proceeds benefit Camp Good Sam Wimberley.
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City races to finish roadwork before new school year BY MOSES LEOS III The race to complete Goforth and Bunton Creek Roads in east Kyle prior to the start of the 2017 Hays CISD school year is on for the city of Kyle and its contstruction crews. But as both 2014 bond projects are winding down, Kyle will soon begin the process of reconstructing the much-maligned Lehman Road. Leon Barba, Kyle city engineer, said the city’s Goforth Road project, which runs from I-35 to Bunton Creek Road, is 83 percent complete, with the city using roughly 90 percent of the time allotted for the project. According to the contractor’s schedule, Goforth Road is expected to be complete by July. Barba said the city has used 55 rain days on the project, which is why the
ROADWORK, 2A