[dropcap]L[/dropcap]et me eat some words, please.  Last week’s Montage, on first attempt, needed clarification on City stuff. The second attempt, which went back and forth with editing between myself and gracious Mayor Phillip Taylor, did not make the deadline.

Here’s what you should have read last week:

Week before last, City Council approved an Interlocal Agreement with San Marcos/ Hays County EMS for EMS services. It’s $25,000 for January to October. That’s equivalent to a huge chunk (around one-quarter to one-third) of a year’s City taxes for each household. It’s coming from City savings.

Mayor Phillip Taylor explained,

“Until formation of ESD 9, EMS service for Mountain City and much of Hays County was funded via County tax dollars via the County budget. However, with increased cost in medical care and services a better funding source was needed. Therefore a group of citizens petitioned for an election to create ESD 9, to provide EMS services for the areas not covered by an ESD for EMS. The November 2016 election did not pass in Mountain City. Therefore to continue EMS coverage from San Marcos/Hays County EMS, our provider for over 25 years, the City needed to enter into an inter local agreement with them and pay for the services to be provided. The City will be working with the newly formed ESD for different options in providing coverage.”

“The city would not receive ‘a bill’ for each call, we pay for the EMS service to be provided to Mountain City. We are strictly paying for the services to be provided to the city as are several other cities in Hays County.”

If you need more clarification or if you have an opinion or a complaint or a compliment, talk with or email an Alderman. The City provides their names and email addresses on http://mountaincitytx.com 

A Baltimore Oriole provided color at our big boulder bird bath Sunday morning. My iPhone snapped an image. I typed “oriole” at the Peterson Field Guides app. It popped up four orioles that could possibly be in Hays County in September.

An overripe orange, with knife-poked holes, speared onto a shepherds hook may attract more orioles.

Now, during migration, is a great time to keep bird baths scrubbed and filled and to provide a variety of food including black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, and a concoction knows as “Bird Butter” or “Peanut Butter Suet”.

“Don’t provide thieves easy access to stuff in your vehicle” is a crime prevention tip we’ll hear at National Night Out on Tuesday, October 3rd, 6pm – 8pm, at Beth and Everett Smith’s yard, 116 Cedar. Look for the cars, bounce houses, lawn chairs, coolers with frozen treats and water, and lots of Mountain Cityians.

Fire & Ice – Saturday, October 28, 4pm – 10pm.

October 15th – Deadline for approval for (free) Kid Booth at Fire & Ice (7pm – 8pm). Contact lovingmountaincity@gmail.com for details.

October 15th – Deadline to enter (for free) Fire & Ice salsa and/or ice cream contest. Contact lovingmountaincity@gmail.com for details.

I’ll provide Montage with or without tidbits. But, tidbits help. Please send to ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: TIDBIT) or 512 268 5678. Thanks! Love, Pauline