Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Following a proclamation recognizing the Kyle VFW Post 12058’s 20th year, Kyle City Council approved the first step in potentially transferring the ownership of the current VFW facility from the city to the nonprofit.
“Tonight’s discussion is about providing long-term stability for an organization that has quietly and consistently shown up for our community,” began Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale, who cosponsored the item with council members Courtney Goza and Melisa Medina. “What we’re asking for is to direct staff to evaluate options for the potential conveyance or sale of the property the VFW currently occupies, with appropriate safeguards in place, such as deed restrictions, revisions, revisionary clauses or buyback option, to ensure the property always remains dedicated for a public purpose.”
She continued by noting that the VFW “is not just a meeting hall,” as it operates as a community clothes closet, financial assistance, a food pantry and more. Additionally, the VFW provides support for other community members, including hosting Narcotics Anonymous meetings and blood drives, partnering with Red Cross to create the disaster team vehicle and providing scholarships for the local Boy Scouts, said Flores-Cale.
Medina echoed this sentiment, stating that the VFW is a reliable presence and benefits its residents in ways that the city may not have the opportunity to.
To accompany their reliability, they need stability, said Goza, noting that the VFW has already been displaced once. This means that the VFW is operating under uncertainty, affecting funding that they can apply for and limiting their investment into the facility.
Legally, Flores-Cale shared that chapters 253 and 272 of the Local Texas Government Code allow municipalities to convey property to nonprofits under certain conditions.
“I also want to address a concern I know that will come up: What about other nonprofits? That is a fair question, but not every situation is the same. This is a long-standing organization already operating on city property, already providing measurable public benefit and already functioning as a partner in areas, like emergency response,” said the mayor. “This is not opening a door without standards; it is recognizing a partner that has already proven its value.”
Council member Michael Tobias began the discussion by asking whether the VFW has collected any funding for the building, similar to what the Kyle Area Senior Zone did in the past.
“I understand the noble deed of what we’re trying to do here. I’m not debating that, but there’s going to be questions from our taxpayers that are going to be wondering,” explained Tobias. “I [have] the right to ask [whether] during that time of being here 20 years, was there ever, in their many, many meetings that they’ve had through the years, was anything every brought up to say, ’Hey, let’s start looking at maybe having our own building funding or purchasing a building here in Kyle?’ It’s just a question.”
VFW Quartermaster Steve Cook clarified that the nonprofit has received no funds from the city and all of its operations have been conducted through donations, which is what is used to fund the services for veterans, even most recently paying water bills for them. So, there has not been funding to put aside to repair the building. He also said that the VFW is “constantly told that we don’t own the property,” when they try to apply for grants.
What about partnerships with other municipalities, prompted Tobias, to which Cook responded that it had been brought up, but didn’t elaborate.
“The city grants you this free property … You’re going to need upgrades. You’re going to need improvements. You’re going to want to build out. So, what will be the plan then? Would you be coming back to the city, as well, or the county? Or would this be a self-funded kind of facility,” asked Tobias.
If the VFW owned the land, there would be more opportunities for revenue, said Cook. He also shared that the nonprofit hopes to add a cooling and warming center for the residents of Kyle, as well as build a space that could be rented out for birthday parties or other events.
After commenting that the building is inadequate for the VFW, council member Lauralee Harris stated that “to the best of my knowledge, city of Kyle has never deeded city property over to a nonprofit. This would set a precedent.”
Cook clarified that the building is fine for the nonprofit, as they have already worked to renovate the floor and they have plans for the property in the back, as previously mentioned.
Council member Claudia Zapata asked for the last three fiscal years of the nonprofit's finances and whether the property was exempt from taxes. This will depend on the tax exemptions that the VFW applies for, said city attorney Aimee Alcorn-Reed, who requested to see the information on the organization to ensure that they qualify for the aforementioned Texas law that would allow the city to convey the property.
“We have the backing [of the community, so] I’m not really concerned. I’ve seen the financials. We have close to $40,000 right now. That would start us on,” said Cook, adding that the Red Cross is ready to help the VFW.
“Formulate a plan, so that way the city can be able to have that and I think if you have it long term and you can see it, the people that want to support you in the long run can see what your overall mission and goals are. It’s going to benefit you in the future,” said Tobias.
Near the end of the conversation, Flores-Cale asked what the services the VFW provides are worth to council: “We’ve seen them. We know their background and we know what they’ve done. So, the idea that we have to conform to every nonprofit, I think is unfair because it should always be a case-by-case basis.”
The mayor then motioned to approve the item, adding that the VFW present its financial information and audits and for staff to bring back information on the laws regarding nonprofit land transfer. The item was seconded by Medina and passed 6-0. Council member Marc McKinney was not in attendance.
