November 26, 2007 22:47 - $4 million gift for Kyle
The Hays Highway
KYLE – An early Christmas present of about $4 million arrived in Kyle last week, when the bidding on infrastructural improvements surrounding the Seton Hospital project came in well below estimates.
The city council approved a bid from Rodman Construction of Dallas to build the improvements for $8.3 million.
In total, the city will pay $11.3 million for street improvements, traffic signals, drainage and water infrastructure at the intersection of I-35 and Kyle Parkway. As of September, the city expected to pay $15.3 million for the work.
With the savings, Kyle City Manager Tom Mattis projected that the hospital and retail project will be more lucrative than ever.
As of Sept. 18, the city estimated it would spend $48 million on the project, then realize net revenues of $40 million over 20 years. With the low bid for infrastructure, Mattis adjusted the projections to $39 million in city costs, with net revenues of $47.6 million over 20 years.
In addition, Mattis projected that Hays County will realize $32.2 million over 20 years, while the Hays CISD is projected to bring in $62 million.
The hospital is expected to open in 2010, with retail to open a year earlier.
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November 27, 2007 23:42 - Planning downtown
By Bill Peterson
SAN MARCOS – Residents and citizens in San Marcos will have another chance to discuss the downtown master plan this evening in a meeting for that purpose at the Activity Center (6-8 p.m.).
Broaddus & Associates, the firm hired to develop the plan, will offer an overview of its progress. In September, the firm gave a similar meeting to introduce its preliminary market analysis, planning principles and conceptual ideas.
The city is looking at plans to spruce up the center of town from the south edge of Texas State University to Interstate-35. Among the proposed improvements are two-way traffic on LBJ and Guadalupe Streets, inducements to route through traffic away from downtown while enhancing the downtown square area as a destination, landscaping and street lighting, as well as a possible artists' village between two sets of railroad tracks south of downtown.
"The idea is to give people an intuitive sense of the city, so, when they're driving through, there will be a sense of something happening here," said Dennis Wilson of the Dallas urban design firm Townscape, Inc.
The plan also involves landscaped gateways at the I-35 entrances to the city. A transportation station would be constructed just east of the Hays County Justice Center, which the county is hoping to move by the time such a station goes up.
Though the project basically covers the downtown area, Wilson said it would address sprawl by making downtown a more attractive destination, thereby stimulating mixed development closer to the city center.
"We're seeing downtowns dying everywhere," Wilson said. "This downtown is there, and it's reasonably busy, but it's not going gangbusters."
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November 28, 2007 23:49 - Car wash for kids
The Hays Highway
The Greater San Marcos Youth Council children's center cared for 174 abused or neglected children in 2006. Hays County Child Protective Services investigated 768 cases of alleged abuse or neglect and confirmed 350 victims. In 2006, 155 Hays County children lived in foster care, including shelter care and residential treatment centers.
The children's center is holding an annual fundraiser Saturday (Dec. 1) at Conley Car Wash & Detail in San Marcos. Now in its fifth year, the benefit has raised more than $15,000 for the shelter.
The benefit will involve the sales of $1 paper cars, as well as sausage wraps and homemade baked good to benefit the shelter. In addition, 15 percent of every car wash and detail from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. is donated to the 16-bed shelter. The event also will include a silent auction. Numerous local businesses and governing entities are among the shelter's sponsors and donors.
In addition to monetary donations, the shelter seeks donations, gifts in kind and items of daily usefulness for children, such as household and hygienic supplies, clothing and school supplies.
The youth council said its goal is to remain open 365 days per year with trained, caring individuals in a save, structured and supportive environment with hopes of helping the children rebuild self-worth so they can recover physically and emotionally.
For more information, contact the Greater San Marcos Youth Council at (512) 754-0500 or Conley Car Wash & Detail at (512) 805-7500.
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November 29, 2007 23:14 - Waiting to walk
By Bill Peterson
The San Marcos CISD trustees voted last week to require students to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) before they can walk in a graduation ceremony.
Just a year ago, the Hays CISD waived that very same requirement, thereby enabling students to take part in the graduation ceremony before passing the TAKS.
The state requires that each student pass the TAKS before receiving a diploma. The policy for each school district only concerns whether students will be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.
San Marcos administrators were to send preliminary letters this month to students who still need to pass the TAKS. Once the English Language Arts (ELA) scores come in, students will conference individually with the academic dean or high school principal to be appraised of graduation policy, test status, test dates and intervention opportunities. Intervention will include lab access before school and small-group tutoring after school.
"With the committed partnership of staff, students, and parents, I’m certain that we can assist seniors in meeting graduation requirements and attaining the skills to build the futures that they desire," San Marcos High School Principal Michelle Darling said.
Hays CISD required students to pass the TAKS before walking until last year. Hays CISD Superintendent Kirk London said the district changed its policy because the state is going away from the TAKS assessment within the next four years and he didn't think it would be fair to deny students their ceremony during the transition.
"This is the only chance they're going to have to walk," London said. "They've still completed all the credits they need to complete and passed all the classes they have to pass. They still don't get a diploma until they pass the test. But I didn't think it was fair to the kids getting caught in the cycle before the state goes to a new assessment."
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