May 7, 2007 16:22 - The crowded road to prosperity
Commentary
By Bill Peterson
KYLE Its good that the northern end of Hays County is working on roads and jobs, because the lack of roads and jobs almost kept Kyle from adding jobs last week.
We jest. Slightly.
The Kyle City Council couldn't approve the letter of intent with the Seton Family of Hospitals last Thursday without assembling a quorum, which is four out of seven members. However, Kyle being what it is, three of the council's seven members work in Austin. Which means they would have to leave Austin jobs and fight through Austin traffic to make an 11 a.m. meeting in Kyle.
Councilmember David Salazar made it, but it was tense for him as he tangled with traffic on the way back to Kyle from his job with the Travis County government. If something catastrophic had happened on the roads to really delay Salazar, which we all know is more than possible, the city's decision could have been delayed to an embarrassing degree.
Salazar's presence barely brought the council to a quorum. Mayor Miguel Gonzalez, Councilmember Dan Ekakiadis and Councilmember and Councilmember Mike Moore, who all spend their days in Kyle, made it easily. Councilmember Linda Tenorio, a lame duck whose position will be filled at Saturday's election, was not present, and neither was Councilmember Becky Selbera, who works in north Austin.
Councilmember Todd Webster also works in Austin, for the governor's office, but he is taking time off as he cares for his sick father in Ohio.
Basically, this is where Kyle is. Three of Kyle's seven councilmembers hold jobs in Austin, just like most everybody else in Kyle. It's not anyone's fault. It's just the lay of the land. Changing that is absolutely the central goal of Kyle's city policy.
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May 9, 2007 23:45 - Raising teachers ... and others
The Hays Highway
Working through a draft budget for the 2007-8 school year, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees is considering chunky raises for all its employees. On top of that, as always, the school district is looking to add employees.
The latest proposal includes raises of $1,500 across the board for teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians. Full-time, non-professional employees would receive raises of $1,200 or 3.5 percent, whichever is higher. And even employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week would be raised $600 per year.
The Hays Educators Association (HEA), which is the district's teachers' union, made a loud point about compensation for bus drivers, janitors and food service workers at a heated meeting last month. Some employees would realize raises of 9.5 percent.
"After visiting with our teacher organizations, we are looking for a raise that would impact the lowest paid employees the most," Hays CISD Chief Financial Officer Carter Scherff said. "And this looks like it would accomplish that."
The beginning salary for a teacher would increase to $36,500 and the number of salary steps for teachers would decreases to 33 from 38. The HEA wants to decrease the number of steps to 25.
After enrolling 10,567 at the start of 1005-6, the district now enrolls right around 12,000 students, growing by more than 1,000 students in a year for the first time ever. As growth continues, Hays CISD will hire 75 additional teachers.
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May 11, 2007 21:25 - Body farm blues
Commentary
By Bill Peterson
Why on earth would residents in San Marcos object to keeping a so-called "body farm" in town?
How much trouble could a forensics research facility full of cadavers cause? Cadavers don't create extra traffic, they don't make the neighborhoods noisy, they don't pack three non-related persons into apartments, they don't take up parking spaces and they don't talk back. It seems the permanent residents of San Marcos should love cadavers.
Oh, but the airport doesn't like cadavers. Well, the airport doesn't like buzzards, which do like cadavers. So, Texas State, that pesky university causing so much havoc for the permanent residents of San Marcos, must now change its plans for a forensics research facility.
The university hoped to put the facility, which would be the only one of its kind west of the Mississippi River, at the location of its former Horticulture Center on SH 21 next to San Marcos Municipal Airport. As it turns out, the risk of turkey vultures hungry for decomposing human remains left in the open would jeopardize federal funding for the airport, because Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations frown on wildlife hazards near airports.
The forensics facility would be a valuable research tool for helping law enforcement agencies solve crimes. But near-by residents and property owners absolutely hate the idea of being near all those decomposing bodies. Even if the university runs the facility with the utmost conscience to keep it secure and sanitary, one can imagine the deleterious effects for property values in the vicinity.
The university continues its search for a suitable body farm location. Some people have talked about Freeman Ranch off Ranch Road 12. Officials also have mentioned a site along Center Point Road.
Here's a question: Does it have to be in town? One supposes the university could buy a piece of land in the middle of nowhere, which still isn't too far away.
It's great to do research, and research is important. Universities are in the research business. But certain kinds of research aren't appropriate in the vicinity of living populations. What did Gide eat for breakfast the morning he started La symphonie pastorale? That's good research to do in town. Do white mice run faster, or slower, after subjection to two consecutive episodes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force? And what does the answer tell us about human motivation? Do that work in town.
But what about researching problems related to outdoor crime scenes and decomposition rates for human remains under various topographical and climate conditions? Do that somewhere else. People in town are trying to eat.
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May 12, 2007 15:01 - Election Day
The Hays Highway
It's Election Day and, of course, as a service to the public and a plea for democracy, this publication is happy to encourage all eligible citizens to spend a moment in line, if need be, and vote for the candidates and positions of their choice.
Elections are the miracle of America, for we change governments in this country without bloodshed. That started here. We invented representative democracy, though, in cases like the county roads and parks bonds on the ballot today, we incorporate elements of ancient Greece's direct democracy, too.
Submitted for your approval are the following matters on today's ballots:
Hays County — Two bond propositions are up for vote. Proposition 1 is a measure to give the county bonding authority to issue $172 million of debt to pay up front for four road projects totaling 20 miles. The roads in question are FM 1626 from Jack C. Hays Trail to Bliss Spillar Road, RR 12 from the San Marcos to RM 32, SH 21 along the eastern edge of Hays County and SH 110, a proposed loop around the southeastern quadrant of San Marcos. Proposition 2 asks for $30 million in bonding authority to acquire and develop parks and green space.
Buda — Two seats on the city council are up for vote on the traditional festival-style ballot. The three contestants for the three seats include three sitting councilmembers, Tom Crouse, Cathy Chilcote and Sandra Tenorio, along with a challenger, Sharon Faulk. Voters may vote for up to three candidates, with the top three vote recipients taking seats on the council.
Kyle — With Linda Tenorio's decision to not seek re-election to her at-large seat, the position is up for grabs between Michelle Lopez, who has served on several city committees, and Kyle businessman David Walsh. At-large member David Salazar is up for re-election without an opponent.
San Marcos CISD: The school district has put a $14.3 million bond issue on the ballot to complete 2004 bond projects. Also, one school board seat is contested between Kyle businessman Ruben Becerra and former San Marcos High School Assistant Principal Kathy Hansen. They are running for the seat occupied by Barrie Breed, who has decided to not seek re-election.
Hays CISD: The school district called off its election when two incumbents Chip DuPont and Ralph Pfluger drew no opposition.
The polls will remain open until 7 p.m.
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May 12, 2007 22:34 - Road bond loses, by a mile
By Bill Peterson
A proposal that would allow Hays County to issue $172 million in debt to fast track 20 miles of state roadway and receive $133 million back from the state fell by a comfortable margin Saturday night.
Proposition 1 failed, with a 52.37 percent majority voting in opposition. The measure drew 10,190 voters, which is 10.78 percent of the county's registered roll, with 5,336 voting against it and 4,854 voting in its favor.
A zealous early vote against the measure held up through Election Day. The number of early voters came up fairly even between the urbanizing east (2,541 early votes), where most of the roads are located, and the hill country west (2,598), which would have been touched by one road project. The early vote went decisively against the road bond, with 54.96 percent (2,798) voting in opposition and 45.04 percent (2,293) voting in favor,
The actual Election Day total went barely for the bonds, 50.23 percent (2,561) to 49.77 percent (2,538).
Box-by-box totals were unavailable Saturday night, but a check of city council and school elections throughout the county demonstrate that the Wimberley area turned out in impressive numbers, while voters in Kyle and San Marcos basically decided to sit this one out.
The Wimberley City Council race drew 42.02 percent of the town's registered voters. Woodcreek City Council races turned out 40.75 percent. Meanwhile, a school bond election in San Marcos drew only 8.37 percent of registered voters and a Kyle City Council race attracted only 9.03 percent. The Buda City Council race turned out 17.01 percent of registered voters, while a Dripping Springs school board race drew 12.16 percent.
The bonds were doomed well before the final boxes were counted. That's because three of the last four boxes were in the Dripping Springs area, the only part of the county with nothing to gain but a tax increase, and the fourth was in Wimberley, where opposition was fierce. The proposal already trailed by 301 votes before those boxes were counted. The last four boxes added the 181 votes to the proposal's margin of defeat.
The road bond would have widened RR 12 from San Marcos to RM 32, widened FM 1626 from Jack C. Hays Trail to Bliss Spillar Road, improved SH 21 along the county's eastern edge and build a loop around the southeast portion of San Marcos.
The other countywide bond proposal for $30 million to improve parks and open spaces passed by more than a two-to-one margin, with 67.86 percent in favor and 32.14 percent opposed.
In the San Marcos CISD, voters approved a $14.3 million school bond and put a former assistant high school principal on the school board. Kathy Hansen beat San Marcos businessman Ruben Beccera by a wide margin, 65.69 percent (919 votes) to 34.31 percent (480 votes). The vote for supplemental funds to finish the San Marcos CISD's 2004 bond also passed easily, with 58.56 percent (1,720) in favor and 41.44 percent (1,217) opposed.
In Kyle, Michelle Lopez took a huge portion of the Election Day vote to cruise to a city council seat ahead of David Walsh. Only 751 voters turned out for the at-large election, with 405 (53.93 percent) going for Lopez, compared with 346 (46.07 percent) for Walsh. The early vote ran only 166-162 for Lopez, but her voting day margin went 239-184. David Salazar, running unopposed to retain his at-large seat, received 245 votes.
The Buda City Council is unchanged after Saturday's election, in which Cathy Chilcote received 272 votes, Sandra Tenorio received 225, Tom Crouse received 220 and Sharon Faulk received 175. The top three vote recipients, all incumbents, were elected.
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