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2021
Volume 34, Issue 46
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October 7, 2021 | 50 Cents
City’s P&Z denies sidewalk variance
Canady’s residency questioned again
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer More than a year has passed since it was last discussed, but the residency of Council member Kathy Canady is once again being questioned—this time by fellow members of the City Council. Council member Crystal Mancilla said Oct. 4 it has been brought to her attention by some constituents that Canady’s residence is listed as her business address, the Quick Service Garage at 1100 Loop 332. Because citizens have asked about it, Mancilla said she wanted to have a public conversation with City Attorney Marianella Joseph present. “This is a time for us to come together and get this out in the open, talk about it and hash it out,” she said. Joseph said she was asked to guide the conversation regarding the concerns surrounding Canady’s residency. “This has been brought up to council before and evaluated by the former city attorney, and there are also [Liberty Hill Independent] newspaper articles that have talked about this,” she said. “There was also a grievance filed by a former city employee that was put up to council and council decided the investigation was not to be continued. The reason for this conversation tonight is to ask questions specifically about [Canady’s] residency and for [Canady] to have an opportunity to provide to this new Council information regarding [her] place of living.” Canady said nothing has changed since the last time she was asked about her residency, so she wasn’t sure why she was being asked again. “It has been brought to my attention with constituents that have businesses in the city limits, but don’t live
See CANADY, Page 4
2021 LHHS Homecoming Royalty
Seniors Lloyd (LJ) Johnson and Brooke Becker were elected Homecoming King and Queen and presented during the football game Friday. The Homecoming Week festivities concluded with a dance following the Panthers big win over Austin Travis. (See more in Sports, Page 5)
©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent
See PLANNING, Page 4
Major elected to Region 13 seat on TASB Board of Directors
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer If you know Kathy Major, then you know exactly where her passion lies -- public education. Major has dedicated most of her life to advocating for students and making certain they are given the chance to gain an excellent education. She has spent more than three decades in the Liberty Hill Independent School District, where she worked as a teacher, assistant principal, and lastly as principal at Liberty Hill Intermediate School from 2000 to 2017. In 2018, she was elected to the LHISD Board of Trustees, where she now serves as vice president, and in 2020, she joined the Liberty Hill Education Foundation as a Board liaison. Now, Major has also been elected to a three-year term on the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Board
City awards bid for swim center to local contractor
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer After years of planning and delays, the City of Liberty Hill has finally awarded the bid for the community swimming pool to Liberty Hill-based STR Constructors. The project, which will be built at City Park on CR 200, has been in the works since 2018. It broke ground in June 2019, but was delayed due to budget constraints and multiple redesigns. In fall 2020, the Council set the swim center budget at $1.8 million, with $1.3 million coming from bonds and $500,000 coming from a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant.
ALEX RUBIO PHOTO
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer The Planning & Zoning Commission denied a sidewalk variance request Oct. 5 for the soon-to-be-built Liberty Hill Veterinary Clinic. The variance request was submitted by Sean Friend of civil engineer group Cunningham/Allen, Inc. to omit the requirement for sidewalks along both the Highway 29 and Loop 332 street frontage due to difficult topography, including ditches and a creek. The clinic will be located at 13575 SH 29 West. Friend requested to pay a fee in lieu of installing the sidewalks. The estimated cost for the sidewalks is $9,600 for the SH 29 frontage and $6,150 for the Loop 332 frontage. However, because the City does not currently have a fee in lieu ordinance or program, said
Architecture firm Halff Associates designed—and redesigned—the project, which will include a play area for young children, splash-pad style amenities, swimming lanes, a tanning shelf and a beach entry. The project will also include a pavilion, restrooms, vending and storage spaces. Brian Binkowski, of Halff Associates, said after going through an extensive redesign to better reflect the City’s budget for the project, the project could finally go out for bid in two parts. The bids were discussed at the Sept. 22 City Council meeting. The first part was for the swim center itself, and the second part was for the lift station and force main that will service the facility. “Those are two separate projects, and contractors did have
See SWIM, Page 4
of Directors for Region 13. A position opened earlier this year, and Major decided to apply. She was endorsed by her fellow LHISD board members and did an extensive interview with members of TASB’s nominations committee. There are 55 school districts in Region 13, and four candidates sought the position. “We all had to go in for the same interview and answer the same questions, and somehow I emerged out of that as the recommended candidate,” Major said. “All four of us had an opportunity to give a speech at this year’s delegate assembly [in September]. From there, I was elected based on the majority vote.” TASB has been around since 1949 and is a voluntary, nonprofit, statewide educational association that serves and represents Texas school boards. The organization’s primary
goals are to share information through publications and training to help school board members serve their communities more effectively, and to speak with a unified voice to decision makers to chart the best future for public schools. In her new role with TASB, Major is looking forward to doing just that. “What’s best for [Liberty Hill] might not be best elsewhere, but ultimately what is right between districts doesn’t change much, like accountability, treating people right, making common sense decisions and working for excellence,” she said. “TASB provides trainings on all of that, plus legal, finance, safety and personnel. I want to do those same things—fight for things that are right for public eduRACHEL MADISON PHOTO cation. I truly believe public LHISD Trustee Kathy Major was recently elected to the Board education is the backbone to a of Directors of the Texas Association of School Boards for Region 13. Major looks forward to using her passion for education See MAJOR, Page 3 to advocate for school boards and students across Texas.
After years of delays, the City has awarded a bid to local contractor STR Constructors to build the swim center at City Park on CR 200. Construction is set to begin this month and be completed by May 2022. (Courtesy Graphic)