SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 FLU SEASON
RUN IT
Health officials urge preparation for flu season.
Lobos earn accolades at local cross country meet.
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Hays Free Press ©Barton Publications, Inc.
Vol. 120 • No. 27
HaysFreePress.com
Serving Buda, Kyle and Northeast Hays County, TX • 75¢
Tax billing error
Business to pay $430K to Kyle BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
An incentive agreement approved by Kyle city leaders earlier this month aims to rectify an error that led officials to not bill a company for roughly $430,000 in property taxes over a six-year period. The Kyle City Council approved an agreement between the city and RSI, Inc. by a 5-1 vote. Council member
The city’s agreement calls for RSI, which is a military-based contractor, to incrementally pay back real property taxes both the city and the county didn’t bill the company for between 2011 and 2016.
Daphne Tenorio voted against the measure. The city’s agreement calls for RSI, which is a military-based contractor, to incrementally pay back
real property taxes that both the city and the county didn’t bill the company for between 2011 and 2016.
RSI, 2A
ELECTION CANCELLED
Not enough participation for the Barton Springs/ Edwards Aquifer Conservation District board election STAFF REPORT Elections for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Board of Directors were cancelled due to a lack of opposition. According to a press release, the board elected Sept. 7 to cancel the November director elections after the three
existing candidates up for election were the only ones to toss their hats into the ring. Directorships for Precincts 1, 3 and 4 were up for election in November, according to the release. The filing deadline for the November election was August 26. According to the release, Precinct
1 Director Mary Stone, Precinct 3 Director Blake Dorsett and Precinct 4 Director Dr. Robert Larsen, who are all existing candidates, filed for the election. All three were declared “unopposed” and will be issued a certificate of election after the November general election.
In case of emergency
PHOTO BY DAVID WHITE
The Department of Public Safety conducted a training exercise with the Buda Fire Department Tuesday and Wednesday. There were helicopters out and about as they practiced rescuing people from rooftops, trees and more. They practiced their landings in a field next to Buda Fire Department.
Buda pulls plug on housing plan Kyle road bonds There were only 900 respondents move forward to the Housing Action Plan BY SAMANTHA SMITH
news@haysfreepress.com
survey, which according to city officials was not a representative sample of a town’s population that is nearing 13,000.
Council learned of the survey’s suspension Sept. 20 when Sparks reported the decision, which was made after multiple factors resulted in an inconclusive data stream. “The suspension of this process provides an
opportunity to reflect on the entire approach to the plan and consultants involved, and to have an open discussion with the housing advisory committee about how they think we should proceed,” Sparks said. The survey was
HOUSING, 2A
COMING UP Concerts for a Cause
Come out for the next Concert for A Cause to be held Saturday, Oct. 1 from 5-8 p.m. at Pinballz Kingdom in Buda, where locals will be raising money and awareness for Rebuilding Together Austin. The concert will feature music by Joey Alba from 5-6 p.m. and and Stupid Drama 6-8 p.m. Learn more at www.rebuildingtogetheraustin.org and www. kyleconcerts.com.
Brent Thurman Memorial Bull Riding
This annual event includes rodeo events, PBR bull riding, golf tournament, dance and more. The event will be held at Dripping Springs Ranch Park on Oct. 1. For more information visit www.brentthurman.com.
COOL ART
Ice sculptor moves business to Kyle. – Page 1D
INDEX
The planning process for Buda’s future housing needs has been put on hold after city staff pulled the plug on its recent Housing Action Plan (HAP) survey earlier this month. But the decision to suspend the survey in no way reflected the possibility of dissolving the city’s housing action plan, said Chance Sparks, Buda’s director of planning.
intended to elicit the community’s involvement and input in order to better plan the future housing landscape of Buda, Sparks said. However, there were only 900 respondents to the HAP survey, which according to city officials was not a representative sample of a town’s population that is nearing 13,000. In addition to the lack of community involvement, Sparks said there were additional
News……………… 1-4A Opinions……………… 3A Sports……………… 1-2B Education………… 3-4B Community……… 1-4C
BY MOSES LEOS III
news@haysfreepress.com
Kyle city officials are estimating construction on Goforth Road between Brandi Circle and Bunton Creek Road to be completed Oct. 7, weather permitting. Leon Barba, Kyle city engineer, said earlier this month construction on the Goforth Road project, which extends from Interstate 35 to Bunton Creek Road, was 36 percent complete. The entire project, which began in March 2016, has a 13-month contract and should be completed by April 2017. Barba said the project is running slightly ahead of schedule, using 34 percent of the allotted time. Barba said Joann Garcia, Kyle Project Manager, worked with the contractor to change the sequence of construction, which allowed the city to gain two months on the project. He also said Pedernales Electric Cooperative, along with Centerpoint Energy, “made some commitments, stepped up and took care of
Best Bets…………… 4C Business…………… 1D Service Directory… ..... 4D Classifieds………… ...1-3D Public Notices……… 2-3D
business” on addressing utilities in the path of the project. “Do we still have utility issues? Yes, we do,” Barba said. Kyle City Council member Daphne Tenorio, however, had concerns over businesses along Goforth, which would be affected by the final phase of the Goforth project. Barba said the area near businesses would be the last section contractors would work on, but that traffic would continue to flow. He said business owners have asked for signage. But Tenorio said the city should offer “some type of gesture” for those businesses affected. She asked for the city to have some sort of outreach for affected busiess owners. “We need to go out there and understand there is an issue here. We’re killing people’s businesses,” Tenorio said. “I’m not blaming you (Leon). That’s part of construction. That’s what it is.” Meanwhile, Barba said the city’s contractor on the Goforth Road extension, which would
ROAD BONDS, 4A