The Hays CISD Softball and Baseball Complex site preparation’s invasion into the peace and tranquility of Mountain City will continue for 3 to 5 weeks.
On Monday, a great gasp went out from residents crowded into city hall to hear what’s happening in the city’s backyard neighbor’s property when they heard this timeframe.
For those living along the HSICD property line, the complex is as close as 150 feet. The greatest concern, beyond noise and lights and loss of wildlife activity and loss of beloved trees and loss of life-as-residents now-know-it, is flooding.
Citizens hope the school district will make changes in the plans.
More than once we heard during the council meeting, “Get flood insurance.” For us (RonTom and myself), flood insurance started with a reasonable premium and became expensive. After a single claim, our premium skyrocketed to over $2,000/year.
Appraised Value Notices arrived recently from the appraisal district. For us, with an over-65 year old school tax exemption, about 60 percent of the proposed tax goes to Hays CISD.
We can see our Hays County Emergency Services District #5 tax dollars at work as construction of a massive garage changes the “house with stone fence” near the city’s entrance into a fire substation.
Mayor Phillip Taylor mentioned on Monday night that homeowners’ insurance for us (Mountain Cityians) should go down in price with the substation within the City.
The vehicles in the driveway say “Kyle Fire Department”. They’re HCESD#5 vehicles associated with the fire department based in Kyle.
Fire Chief Kyle Taylor explained “We have a DBA under the name Kyle Fire Department. We are not associated at all with the city of Kyle, we just serve the citizens there just like in Mountain City. We didn’t put Kyle Fire Department on the Station in Mountain City, just Hays County ESD #5. We are still trying to determine the best way to label the new truck coming.”
Laura Craig and I have compared some first year male Summer Tanagers in Mountain City. The blotches of red and greenish coloration of two that visit my big boulders bird bath differ from the blotches see has seen. Mountain City has at least three first year males. They’re sexually mature even though they do not have red plumage.
A bright red male Summer Tanager, whose plumage may have taken two full years, started singing on Monday morning at our kitchen window. On Tuesday at noon, he’s still singing.
We’ve seen him, a male Painted Bunting, and a Northern Cardinal at the same time.
Jeff Williams, on Maple, posted a photo of a roadrunner in the street on the Facebook page of Loving MountainCity. Vicki Senefeld posted the photo of “her” roadrunner on Live Oak. They think it’s the same one.
The Senefelds’ house backs up to the baseball and softball complex. Vicki has cringed watching the destruction of huge oak trees.
Whether delightful or cringeful, Montage needs tidbits. Please email [email protected] (subject: tidbit) or phone 512-268-5678. Thanks! Love to you, Pauline.
