Lallement has loved fashion for as long as she can remember, spending afternoons as a toddler drawing her own dress designs and shouting to those who would listen that her favorite color was “rainbow.” There were, of course, not any clothing pieces that could fulfill her dreams as a child, she said, so her mother simply made them.

From there, her interest grew and in eighth grade, she browsed the likes of iconic names — Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein — and realized they had all gone to fashion school.

“I really started actually realizing that fashion design could be an actual career,” Lallement recalled, cementing her future.

After graduating in 2017 from Wimberley High School, she moved to Massachusetts, where she attended Massachusetts College of Art and Design and majored in fashion design. It was there that she learned how to design for human anatomy, conceptualizing tailoring and draping and more, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she took the time to sit down and think about the aspects of design she really enjoyed.

“When movies like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Rocket Man’ started coming out … the different costumes that they wore left such an electric shock through my body of, ‘Oh my God. All of these costumes create such a moment for whatever the performer is wearing,’” said Lallement.

Her love of music and fashion was further tied when she began analyzing David Bowie and his alter egos, becoming “obsessed with [his] story.” Her time spent being engulfed in Bowie’s story during college would follow her throughout her career, as she stated that she often looked toward him and his personas for inspiration to stay motivated.

A move to New York followed her college graduation, where she’d hold several jobs in the fashion industry. From designing pieces that would be seen in Anthropologie to private couture brands, the designer gained five invaluable years of experience through several companies.

Lallement recalled the first time she saw a design out in the wild, “I was with a friend at the time and it was a powder blue coat and it was floor length. It was very much a statement coat and I told my friend, ‘Oh my God. I designed that coat.’”

As cool as it was, there was also part of her that got a reality check. She realized that she was designing clothes that she didn’t particularly love, despite loving the process: “That was always kind of my North Star.”

So, in June 2025, Lallement asked herself what she would want in a brand.

“I’ve always wanted a brand, [but] what is that? First of all, what does that brand feel like? I began thinking about how electrified I was designing [with] the performance in mind and thinking back to the whole David Bowie project and then, at a friend’s birthday party, she brought up Bob Mackie. He loved performance design [and had] this design relationship with Cher. So, I really started getting into the weeds of watching his documentary, reading [and] watching interviews and going to exhibitions of his work. It was beautiful, but it was all couture, of course,” said Lallement. “I wanted to create a regular brand that was unique and exciting enough for performers to wear on and off stage, as well as for regular fashion-loving women. And that moment that’s created on stage, where the power of the performer’s look, the production and the song morph into one electrifying thing — that’s the feeling I was anchoring onto and that’s the feeling I wanted to grant regular women access to.”

From this feeling — Apparé by Sam Lallement was created.

She spent the next several months putting together a business plan that led to a Kickstarter to fund the project and pitch to suppliers.

“I remember getting my first email back. It almost felt like I was role playing,” Lallement said, recognizing that she was finally in the position she had dreamt of. “Fast forward and now, I’m answering many, many factory emails every single day. It just felt surreal.”

She was involved in every process of the creation, from design to material to being the fit model, which is when people are essentially human mannequins to figure our draping, sizing and more: “As hard as it has been … the word fail never came to my brain ever. No matter how many things have gone wrong, it’s always just been a mindset of learning and adjusting.”

The upcoming fall drop, titled “Babylon,” was inspired by both its ancient history and the 2022 movie of the same name, she said. According to the designer, the movie has to do with the beginning of Hollywood and the fashion drop is the beginning of her brand. One piece called “Aurelia Asymmetric A-Line Top” was inspired by the difference between the wealthy and the rich in ancient Babylon, said Lallement.

She explained that, “The wealthy were wearing super rich colors and a lot of them were wearing these types of garments that were asymmetrically hanging on one shoulder. So, to really represent the overabundance of greed and wealth, I wanted to make a top that just felt like you were wrapped in gold. Then, also thinking about the Gates of Ishtar and the almost terracotta, peach color that was going on with that. I wanted to find a way to really incorporate that. I thought it was a cool way of having some ombré just to create something that felt a little bit vintage, but in a modern way.”

Apparé’s fall drop is available for a two-week pre-order beginning Friday, Aug. 21. There may be one additional order opportunity, but Lallement emphasized that exclusivity is part of the experience.

She plans to “just keep designing”  in the future and continuing her brand, as she’s already working on spring and summer collections.

For more information, visit www.shopappare.com.

Their story began before they even realized it. The two met when Lynn’s father, an engineer, helped her land a summer internship.

At the time, engineering was still very much a male-dominated field and Lynn said that her father had concerns about what that career might look like for his daughter. When he helped arrange the internship, he wanted Lynn to experience what it was like to work in a professional office and be able to decide whether engineering was really the path she wanted to pursue. If she changed her mind, there was still time to pivot in her studies.

Instead, the internship had the opposite effect.

Lynn came away that summer even more certain that she wanted to become an engineer and follow in her father's footsteps, this time with her eyes wide open about what the profession would require.

As it turned out, the internship gave her another reason to stay the course: she met Mark.

For Lynn, it was love at first sight.

Her father's plan hadn't simply introduced her to engineering, it had introduced her to her future husband, too.

By the time they went on their first date, Lynn had already caught herself trying out Mark's last name with her own. Similarly, Mark looked out his office door and told his sister he was looking at the woman he was going to marry.

The first date wasn't exactly the stuff of romantic movies, the couple explained.

Mark initially suggested a Neil Diamond impersonator at the Ramada Inn in Clearwater. Then, he reconsidered. After a couple more attempts, he settled on something much simpler: he picked up Lynn at her house and they went to Chili's. Mark barely ate. Lynn happily devoured chicken tacos.

Afterward, they drove through a subdivision Mark had worked on as a land development engineer. The windows were down on his Chrysler Laser, conversation came easily and somewhere along the quiet roads, they heard an owl.

There was nothing flashy about the evening, they said, yet Lynn remembers thinking, quite clearly, that she was home.

On their second date, Mark was asking Lynn what month she would want to get married; twenty days later, they were engaged.

“Twenty days sounded a lot longer to us than it did to everyone else,” Lynn said.

Even Lynn's little brother seemed to know. Before Lynn had mentioned marriage to him, he blurted out, “They're getting married!”

Her father dropped his fork.

Thirty-seven years later, that whirlwind beginning still makes sense to the couple. The Isaaks' marriage has been shaped by the same willingness to take risks that marked their beginning.

They raised two sons, moved out-of-state without family nearby, built new communities and opened their home to Vilma, an exchange daughter from Finland, who became a permanent part of their family.

Mark recalled that Lynn was unfamiliar with raising boys, as she would repeatedly ask their sons whether they wanted to do something:

“Hey guys, do you want to go to the park?”

“Do you guys want to come with me, so we can buy both of you a suit?”

“Do you want to go visit your aunt and uncle over the summer?”

The answer, Mark said, was almost always the same: “No.”

So, he offered Lynn a different strategy: “I told Lynn, ‘I know boys. You can't ask them if they want to do something.’”

Instead, Mark would announce the plan: “Boys, bring your baseball stuff. We're going to the park” or “Hey guys, you're going to Blacksburg to visit your aunt and uncle this summer.”

Rarely did they object. Instead, they went and had a blast, said Mark. He said, laughing, that he may still be following that same philosophy himself.

Even Lynn has caught on because Mark noted that she doesn't always ask him before launching the Isaak family into its next adventure: she didn't ask before she entering them to win a trip to Chicago; she didn't ask before sending a tape to America's Funniest Home Videos; and she certainly didn't ask before entering them in America's Favorite Couple.

“She’s using my advice to her about our boys on me,” Mark said, jokingly.

Their careers have been intertwined, too. Both are transportation engineers and over the years they have been coworkers, clients and professional colleagues. They've also worked for different organizations, sometimes requiring boundaries around confidential information.

That experience has given them a rare perspective on each other.

Lynn has seen Mark not only as her husband and the father of their children, but as an engineer, leader, mentor and consultant.

The quality she said that has mattered most is his steadiness.

“He is extraordinarily dependable,” she said. “When something matters — whether it's our family, his work, someone he's mentoring or a commitment he has made — he shows up.”

Lynn, meanwhile, is the enthusiastic idea person, the one whose thoughts tend to “grow legs.”

For example, she came across the America's Favorite Couple competition through Instagram or email, thought it sounded fun and entered.

Mark didn't find out until Lynn was nearly ready to ask people to vote.

“By the way, I entered us in this contest,” she told him.

After 37 years, Mark said that he has plenty of practice at being a good sport about Lynn's ideas.

At first, they expected it simply to be fun, but then, they kept advancing — top 20, top 15, top 10, top 5 and into the Group Finals.

Along the way, Lynn began sharing stories from their life together, how they met, family adventures, old photographs, stories about Vilma and even their appearance on America's Funniest Home Videos. People started following the stories as much as the competition.

“That's when it stopped feeling like just a contest Mark and I had entered and started feeling like something a whole group of people had joined us in,” Lynn said.

From there, team Isaak was born.

The support has come from friends, neighbors, professional colleagues and people Lynn hadn't seen in years. It has even crossed borders, with friends and family connected to Lynn's business partner in Honduras joining in.

For Lynn, the experience has offered an unexpected reminder that community can stretch far beyond geography. Sometimes, it is simply the accumulation of relationships built over a lifetime, people who cross paths, stay connected and show up when least expected.

After 37 years, Lynn doesn't believe a strong marriage requires a complicated formula.

“I think one of the biggest things is that we genuinely like doing life together,” she said.

Most marriages, Lynn said, aren't made up of vacations and grand romantic gestures. They're work, errands, dinner, bills, raising children, solving problems and sitting together at the end of a long day.

They're also the unexpected decisions, the trips that don't go according to plan, the opportunities that appear out of nowhere and the ideas that Lynn brings home, sometimes after Mark has already learned that asking whether he wants to participate may not matter much.

The Isaaks have learned to give each other room to grow, too. Neither is the person they were at 20 or 25. They've changed careers, taken risks, raised children and moved through seasons of life they couldn't have imagined on their wedding day.

The Driftwood couple is still dreaming, still taking chances and still figuring things out together. They are still looking forward to the next adventure.

The couple who needed only 20 days to decide they wanted to spend their lives together spent nearly four decades proving the real story wasn't how quickly they fell in love. It’s how many ordinary days they have continued to choose each other.

The Isaaks finished America’s Favorite Couple in second place in their group. To read more about their story, visit americasfavcouple.org/2026/the-isaaks.

“For 99% of human history, we all raised kids surrounded by a village and now, in this country, most people are doing it very, very isolated,” said Randi Finn, director of operations for Little Village Texas. “There are other cultures around the world who still really prioritize postpartum care and providing that village for people who just had a baby, but the U.S. has some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the developed world. We're really trying to give people a place where they can build that village for themselves.”

Little Village Texas was created more than 10 years ago, hosting weekly in-person gatherings on Mondays, where parents can come to get that emotional and physical support. This is done through multiple ways, including offering yoga movement classes, pelvic floor/physical therapist sessions, lactation consulting, meal trains and offering a free store, called Village Commons, for baby gear, clothes and diapers.

The foundations for wellbeing are established in the first six years of life, Finn explained, but, at the same time, several mothers and families experience a 6-week to 6-year gap in social support, especially between giving birth and returning to work.

Knowing this, Little Village Texas works to build that bridge for a lot of people who lose their community when they really need a safe space.

“This gap is largely unmet by existing public systems, which necessitates community action. Little Village implements research-backed strategies to reduce postpartum depression and support early childhood development,” Finn said.

The importance of this network of support is not lost on the many participating mothers, including Greta Nakliudaite-Perez, who sees Little Village as a blessing: “After having my second baby, I was fed and taken care of for a whole year [on] Mondays at Little Village. I've seen how, for some mothers, it's a total life changer and possibly the main thing that saves them from postpartum depression.”

Erin Lester echoed similar points, sharing that her desire in this world is for every woman to experience the postpartum support that she did after her second pregnancy — something that did not happen the first time around.

“The amount of people who had only met me once or twice who signed up for my meal train blew me away. I felt so supported and so loved. I love that I don't have to think about planning lunch on Mondays,” Lester said. “I can bring myself and my toddler and know we'll be nourished with homemade soup. It's also nice being able to relax in a room full of women and have a real conversation while my toddler plays with the other kids."

The organization also officially filed — and was accepted — to became a nonprofit in October 2025 to preserve the work, acquire funding and ensure that it doesn’t go anywhere after the current generation of volunteers age out, the director explained.

Now, there will be a fall festival fundraiser tentatively at 3-7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Flying Armadillo Disc Golf. Proceeds will go toward sustaining the current Monday meetup, while also helping launch another program, called Self-Care Wednesdays.

The Wednesday program would give dedicated time for caregivers to engage in activities that support physical and mental wellbeing, including guided movement and wellness practices led by qualified local instructors. Onsite childcare — with financial assistance opportunities — would also be available to increase accessibility.

Currently, Little Village meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 3039 Ranch Road 12, San Marcos, in the old preschool building. For more information, updates and RSVP details, visit the private Facebook group at bit.ly/4gETk71.

Following introductions, the floor was opened to attendees for questions, concerns, feedback and ideas.

“Okay, so we had a massive road bond project that was approved and my understanding is we're $53 million over budget,” began one local resident. “I'm hearing that we're looking at another road bond project in order to cover this deficit. As you are aware, I am extremely skeptical of bond packages because of the lack of transparency and financial responsibility and management of our city. So, I'd like to know: Is this, in fact, something that is being looked at?”

Flores-Cale was the first to answer and clarified that the costs are closer to $55 or $56 million over budget and that the city has discussed an additional bond, which would potentially also include a minimum of $100 million for the completion of Chevo Pastrano Senior Parkway, which was formerly South Goforth Road.

“For anybody who didn't follow the 2022 bond, it was approved in August and put on the ballot in November. So, we had exactly August, September, October [and] November to put our information together,” the mayor explained. “I think only one road had the 30% schematics or it might have been further along … All the rest we had no schematics for. We didn't have 30% and they say at 30% is when you know the true cost.”

Because of this, the city plans to implement an 18- month planning process for future bonds, so that it can have more accurate numbers.

In follow up to this response, Hays County Treasurer Daphne Tenorio highlighted the importance of being considerate of the future generations that would be affected by potential bonds.

“We have issued, at the county level, hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds recently. So, when you're looking at these bonds, I would like you to be mindful of the fact that us as taxpayers have already been hit here and so, every additional bond that you're doing is creating additional debt,” Tenorio emphasized. “It's not my debt; it's the debt of our children. It’s the debt of our grandchildren and we've got to stop.”

Further along the topic of potential bonds, a local trap, neuter, return volunteer questioned the future plans for an animal shelter for the city.

“My question is for the shelter: If a [general obligation] bond is put to the community and it does not pass for the shelter, what is going to be Plan B,” she asked.

“Well, I would say if it didn't pass, it would be a conversation with the county,” Flores-Cale said. “I feel like this is a county issue, not just a city issue … So, for me, I feel like if it doesn't fall on the shoulders of the city, it should go to the county and the county can build the shelter and we can work together.”

At this point in the discussion, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra briefly took the floor to discuss his perspective on the county’s plans, following the Hays County Commissioners Court vote to end the contract with Austin Pets Alive! for the Pet Resource Center in 2025.

“For political reasons, it was killed. We were going to turn dirt in a few weeks from the moment it came to the court — don't hear the word court and think all truth is there because court members literally lied in court,” he alleged. “They literally lied in court to make Austin Pets Alive! look like they were misrepresenting and they were lying about the work and it was not true. Austin Pets Alive! was duped erroneously, mischaracterized and lied about, simply to kill this countywide project.”

The next concern came from a resident in the Six Creeks subdivision, which is located in the city’s extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ), who explained the hardship her family is facing, due to their water bill being in excess of $400 each month.

As previously reported by the Hays Free Press, residents in the ETJ were subjected to a 77% increase in water rates for 2025.

In response, Tobias explained the backstory about how he found out about the rate increase last year.

“Every month last year, I would meet with our former city manager Bryan Langley and I'll never forget. It was sometime in July of last year, where I had my meeting and we began to discuss about the budget,” the council member recalled. “He came to me and he says, ‘I'm just letting you know, Tobias, that these water rates are going to go up.’ And I'm like, ‘Well, what are you talking about? They're going to go up? I mean, by how much?’”

It was at this point, Tobias said, that Langley told him city residents would have a 20% rate increase, while ETJ customers would have a 77% increase.

After gathering information from residents at a previous town hall, the council member explained that he went back to the former city manager to ask for alternative options, such as a tiered system.

“He goes, ‘Well, I'm sorry, but we're running out of time. You’re not going to get council support on that,’” Tobias said. “And I thought about, ‘Well, which council are we talking about?’”

For these reasons, he later voted against the annual budget and the water rate increase, to no avail, as he was outvoted and both items passed.

“To the Six Creeks folks that are here, we're still advocating for you. We're still working on that,” he concluded. “I know the mayor and [council member Courtney] Goza and all the others are. We want to find a solution because we know that these water rates are very high.”

Following Tobias’ story, Flores-Cale confirmed that, due to reanalyzing and reconsidering the capital improvement plans for 2026-27, there is no proposed additional increase for water rates for the upcoming year.

To watch the full video of the event, visit bit.ly/3S0ojC9.

Water and wastewater rates

According to agenda documents, the city contracted Raftelis Financial Consultants to conduct a study for the water and wastewater service. The purpose of the study is to determine the city’s cost of providing these services and the rates to cover the cost.

Interim city manager Perwez Moheet recommended no rate increases for both inside- and outside-city customers' water and wastewater services. This comes from “significant cost reduction and cost containment measures” implemented within the Water Utilities Department, which are expected to affect the cost structure and allocation of functional costs for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28.

Moheet explained that staff started to reexamine how the city plans its water supply needs. The city used to rely on developers for the information, but now, it’s looking at the commitment it has made and how accurate the projections were. As a result, developers are required to pay for the water reservations, whereas before, the city was footing the bill. With this, Moheet estimated that the fund balance at the end of 2027 for water utility would be $23.96 million and $30.86 million for wastewater utility.

This recommendation was also made by Raftelis vice president Angie Flores for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, though residents may see a small increase for the years 2029-31.

“We were headed down a very scary road of spending a lot of money that we didn’t have and, as a homeowner and a taxpayer, I appreciate the council and our staff reevaluating all this,” said Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale.

Council member Courtney Goza was concerned, due to the 1952 city of Texarkana vs Wiggins case, which she states determined that a geographical line, such as a city limit, cannot be a factor that determines what it costs to provide service to someone.

“That seems to be exactly what we’re doing,” claimed Goza. “They could be side-by-side customers and one of them will still pay significantly more because they are past the geographic line and that to me does not seem to fall in line with that 1952 case, nor with the reaffirmation in the Supreme Court in 2021.”

However, council member Claudia Zapata stated that the case is contextually different than Kyle, as it was based on the fact that Texarkana passed an ordinance with no documentation as to why it was creating separate rates.

Raftelis uses the industry standard methodology when determining what outside city limit customers would pay, said Angie Flores, who added that she was not familiar with the case.

Goza also stated that there have been home developers outside of the city limits using water for irrigation, as well, so the study included them, which, ultimately, negatively affected the customers.

“Even though the utility basis for outside customers is acceptable methodolgy by the American Water Works Association, we will be looking at perhaps changing that methodology to a cash basis. I’ve also — in my head — thinking long term, ‘Do we need to have an inside/outside city separation?’ So, we’ll look at all those options. We’ll bring it back to council for your consideration [in the future],” said Moheet.

Zapata also suggested looking into lifeline rate structures, which provide discounted rates for baseline consumption. Moheet did state that this cannot be done in two weeks, which is when approval is needed, so it will not be presented to council right now.

Council had no opposition to the water and wastewater rates staying the same. It will come back to be voted on at a September council meeting.

Tax rates

The current tax rate sits at $0.5957, which is composed of $0.3212 of maintenance and operations (M&O) and $0.2745 interest and sinking (I&S). This makes Kyle have the second-highest tax rate amongst 10 peer cities, including Austin, Buda and San Antonio, sitting behind San Marcos., according to agenda documents.

Regarding the upcoming tax rates, Moheet first explained that tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) #4 affects all tax rate calculations. Moheet clarified that this is because there was a change to the TIRZ in 2024 that changed the boundaries, added revenue increment participation and added county participation, but the base value was incorrect, as all participants had different estimates. The Hays Central Appraisal District was able to give the final determination, which sits at $154 million.

Additionally, the no-new revenue rate is usually lower than voter-approval rates, but because of council approving bond debt defeasance this year, it is the opposite.

Moheet presented the following tax rates:

• Current tax rate: $0.5957

• No-new revenue tax rate: $0.6322

• Voter-approval tax rate: $0.5650

• Proposed tax rate #1: $0.5600

• Proposed tax rate #2: $0.5340

“In [option #1], what I did was I looked at a midpoint because when we were talking about the budget presentation on Aug. 1, some council members were interested in perhaps providing for some wage adjustment for our employees,” said Moheet. “So, when I heard that conversation when I was working on the tax rate, I said, ‘Okay. What tax rate will help us, if council was to decide to implement that option?’ I think for all of our employees, 1% is about $500,000 … So, if you were to adopt a tax rate of $0.5600, it’s lower than the voter-approval tax rate, it will give us the money we need for our debt obligations, but it will also give us about $1.8 million cushion in general fund.”

For option #2, he looked at what tax rate would generate as close to the budget necessities as they could get, which was $0.5340.

The average resident home is valued at $301,530, which is a decrease of approximately 5% from last year. So, for option #1, an average resident would pay $1,688.57 or, with the homestead reduction, $1,464,57. This is a 11.44% reduction.

For option #2, an average homeowner would pay $1,610.17 or $1,396.57, after the homestead reduction — a decrease of 15.55%.

Council made no decision regarding which tax rate will be adopted, but it did vote 6-0 to approve a maximum tax rate of $0.5650. Council member Lauralee Harris was absent.

Council will discuss budget, fees, utility rates and property taxes for its first reading Saturday, Sept. 5, followed by a second reading Tuesday, Sept. 15.

To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/45rX6eM.

Previously, there was a lump sum given across the board, where there have been increases of $4,000-$5,000 to all employees before council opted to change to a percentage. Staff was looking at having a 3% salary increase for city employees — something that was also implemented last year — in the fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 budget, presented during the July 16 meeting.

It was then that council member Anne Ulfelder requested that city administrator Tim Patek look at what the impact would be to change the cost-of-living adjustment to 4-5%, which was brought forward during the most recent workshop.

There are 16 regular full-time, nine regular part-time and 23 seasonal part-time employees with the city of Wimberley in various departments, said Patek. Administration and Public Works are in the general fund, parks and the community center are in the Blue Hole fund and tourism is in its own fund.

The proposed FY 2026-27 budget, as it was initially presented to council, already has a 3% increase calculated in at the following, which is noted under salaries and wages in the expenditures:

•   Administration (general fund): $322,000 full-time

•   Public Works: $6,000 part-time; $209,000 full-time

•   Community center: $21,000 part-time; $99,000 full-time

•   Parks: $144,000 part-time; $402,000 full-time

•   Administration (hotel occupancy tax): $2,500 part-time; $122,600 full-time

Patek presented that if council elected to change the adjustment to a different number, the impact would be an additional $5,595 for 3.5%, $11,190 for 4%, $16,785 for 4.5% and $22,380 for 5%.

“If you go to 5[%], the $22,380 would be added on into three budgets. Approximately $10,000 would be added to the general fund for salaries, $10,000 to Parks and around $2,000 to [Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT)], added on to the 3% that is already included,” Patek said.

Last month, Patek presented a balanced budget across the board, with, for example, the general fund’s revenue and expenditures both totaling $2,147,000, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

Ulfelder asked where the city administrator envisioned the new figures for the salaries coming from in the balanced budget and if it’s “really doable” to go up from the 3%.

Patek responded that it is possible because he always takes a conservative approach with the budget, so there is leeway for city spending: “It is doable. There will be tweaks here and there on the income that comes in, but it’s not an issue, in my opinion.”

Mayor pro tem Rebecca Minnick asked if the city of Wimberley’s pay scale is in line with the market of the immediate area.

“I do believe so. I remember I told you that in the past, we made some increases that I thought were very viable to get people up to where they need to be and to keep them,” Patek said. “We have a great staff. We have very little turnover and I think everyone is happy and I know they will be very appreciative if that is what you guys wanted to do.”

In response to Ulfelder’s question on if council could opt to do a lower increase after the next fiscal year, if needed, Patek shared that is a possibility, but hopefully, that would not be the case. He explained that there are some places, like the cities of San Marcos and Kyle, where they are having to eliminate positions or freeze pay raises.

“That’s happened to several cities throughout Texas, especially the ones that I’ve worked at. I’ve heard about that happening. One year, they don’t get a cost-of-living [adjustment], but then they come back the next year and then, they will be able to get one,” he said. “It just depends on that city and what they’ve got going on in their financial status.”

Trying to have a consistent baseline of a 3% increase is great, said council member Sam Werner, but as global conflicts and other issues that arise that put market pressures on a lot of people, it may not be possible to do something more every year.

Umfelder said that 5% is not scary, based on the numbers presented and knowing all of the work that city employees do.

“Just the amount that you all have on your shoulders and always perform flawlessly, that needs to be recognized in every way that we can,” she said.

Council member Chris Sheffield agreed, stating that the city has a fairly small budget, leaning him to be more inclined to do a 4% increase for a cost-saving measure, while still increasing the employees’ salaries.

Looking at what direction to give Patek when moving forward with the budget process, Werner said that he would “split the difference” and say 4.5%, to which Minnick agreed. According to Minnick, the mayor, who was absent during the meeting, shared that he would be comfortable with 4%.

After more back and forth across the dais, council gave Patek direction to include a 5% salary increase in the proposed budget.

“Given the volatile nature of markets and the world, that [5%] should not be an expectation year after year,” Minnick stated.

Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20.

Water is a precious resource, especially for the residents of Wimberley and Woodcreek. They have questioned if there will be anything coming out of the faucet or, in some cases, if they will be able to run the shower and washing machine at the same time, emphasized Louie Bond, executive chair of the newly-created “Say No to Aqua Texas” coalition, which is comprised of neighbors, well owners, scientists, business owners and local leaders.

This has been since the onset of Aqua in the area.

“For so long, we have fought every challenge that comes to our valley to threaten our water supply and to try to control our wastewater situation and it's always reactive. There's a threat; we fight. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don't,” Bond said.

“I think, finally, we've been studying it long enough, working on it long enough, with the cooperation of Hays County elected officials present and past, with the groundwater districts and with all of the coalitions that have been formed,” she continued. “I think that we have finally found a pathway to have local control over our water and our wastewater, so that we can be proactive for the first time, so that we can be in control. The people who have a stake in this are the ones who should be deciding how it's governed and how it's distributed.”

The coalition — officially launched in July and funded by Our Water Our Texas — cites multiple problems with the way Aqua has been managing its water and wastewater services.

Pumping and permits

A major issue is that Aqua has overpumped 238 million gallons per year in excess of permits from 2022 to 2024, allegedly contributing to the diminishing flow at Jacob’s Well, according to the coalition.

In response, however, the provider shared that while production exceeded permitted amounts in 2023, it has made significant progress in reducing groundwater production through investing in the system and implementing conservation measures.

“In the Woodcreek area alone, Aqua has replaced nearly 16,000 feet of aging water main to reduce water loss and we have worked with customers to promote water conservation, including the addition of technology to let customers see their water usage hourly,” said regional communications specialist Jennifer Tuminelli. “These efforts have reduced the amount of water needed to serve our customers, while helping to preserve local water resources.”

Litigation

Accountability on Aqua’s part has also been questioned, as it elected to sue the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District in 2023 and there have been “years of undocumented overpumping,” Bond stated.

“When we try to get them to be accountable for these things, instead of working with us to create a better system and to secure our water supply, they sue the groundwater conservation district on which we rely to protect our natural resource,” the executive chair said.

The litigation, which remains pending in federal court, was due to the district applying regulatory standards against Aqua “in a manner that is not consistent with its treatment of other utilities and permittees. Regulated entities should be treated fairly and consistently under the law,” Tuminelli stated.

She added that the provider’s employees have remained committed to improving the system, reducing water loss, promoting conservation and providing reliable service to its customers.

There were also penalties issued by the Barton Springs Edwards-Aquifer Conservation District in February 2026, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch, for multiple violations. According to Tuminelli, those were related to groundwater production resulting from several system leaks, but Aqua has repaired the leaks, reduced water loss and remained in compliance with its groundwater production limits.

Rate increases

With the challenges that customers have had to face, another would be an increase in their rates. In 2023, Aqua filed for a system improvement charge to cover capital spent on the infrastructure improvements in specific areas; however, that was denied by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

Then, in 2025, Aqua filed for another rate increase, but until the proceeding by the PUC has reached a final decision, interim rates are currently in effect. Individual customer impacts will vary based on the system they are served by and their water usage, Tuminelli explained, as, in Hays County, the increase is “lower than the statewide average for both water and wastewater service.”

“We understand customers’ concerns whenever rates change. However, maintaining safe and reliable water service requires continual investment in infrastructure,” she emphasized. “Across Texas, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars replacing aging infrastructure, improving water quality and strengthening system resilience. Those investments help ensure reliable service for customers today and in the future.”

Local control

Aqua was founded in Pennsylvania and is a subsidiary of Essential Utilities, which is a large water, wastewater and natural gas company in the U.S. — this leaves residents in Wimberley and Woodcreek concerned about lack of local control.

“[In the] Wimberley Valley, the constituents are more informed about water than just about anywhere because it's so near and dear to us. We enjoy the creek and river, but we also know that the water's not always going to come out every time we turn on the tap and so, that really motivates us to use the very powers that we're given in this country to speak up for ourselves, to do our own control of the things that are important and not just let big corporations make decisions for us,” Bond said. “They don't live here. They don't care about us. They're clearly in business to make a profit and that's not what we are looking for as local residents.”

On the other hand, Tuminelli confirmed that Aqua Texas is a state corporation subject to regulation by Texas agencies with purview over it and operations are managed by those who work and live in the communities it serves. Being part of a larger regulated utility also allows Aqua to make significant long-term investments, said Tuminelli.

“We understand that community members care deeply about protecting local water resources and so do we. That’s why Aqua Texas has focused on tangible improvements, like replacing aging water mains, reducing groundwater production and implementing technology to aid in water conservation right at the customer’s home,” the regional communications specialist said. “We remain committed to working with regulators, customers and community stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of the region’s water supply.”

Future goals of coalition

Every person in the Wimberley Valley should have a fresh supply of drinking water that is secure and sustainable, Bond said, as well as wastewater that is disposed of in a way that does not threaten the local creeks and rivers or back up into homes.

Because of this, there are three main goals that the coalition has, Bond explained:

•   Give communities a pathway to local control and create real change in how the valley’s water is run

•   Document the “failures” of Aqua Texas

•   Engage policymakers and regulators to work toward change

The executive chair urged people to understand the power of their voice and use it to bring their own cases forward on how Aqua has been serving them or not.

“We want clean water and enough of it for everyone,” Bond said. “I know that the people of this valley have raised their voices before and it's time to do it again.”

Learn more about the Say No to Aqua Texas coalition at www.saynotoaquatexas.com and Aqua Texas at www.aquawater.com.

Series 2013

Series 2013 is more of a private placement debt that the city of Dripping Springs took out, utilizing Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds for the payoff of the Dripping Springs Ranch Park addition, explained deputy city administrator Shawn Cox.

The city is projecting Series 2013 to end fiscal year (FY) 2026 with $202,353 in revenue and $90,375 in expenditures and then, the proposed numbers for FY 2027 are $203,506 in revenue and $92,055 in expenditures.

The initial debt was for approximately $1 million and is anticipated to be paid off in September of FY 2028, Cox said.

Series 2015

The initial debt for Series 2015 — wastewater impact fees — was $7,410,000 and was paid off in June 2026: “I was very happy to pay that one off, as we were getting a third one coming up,” Cox said.

Series 2019

Series 2019 was a Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) grant for $23,500,000 — with a rate of 0.3516% — that the city is paying through impact fees.

The series is projected to end FY 2026 with $2,222,999 in revenues and $1,073,553 in expenditures. Proposed numbers for FY 2027 include $2,193,799 in revenues and $1,103,553, according to Cox’s presentation.

“It is callable in 2040, so we'll be going back through the arbitrage with that in the next few years to see if there's any savings we can have on that, but it is the first big one that we had from the water development board,” the deputy city administrator said.

Series 2022

The second large grant from TWDB was issued in 2022 for $19,895,000 and is expected to close out in September 2042. The grant’s rate is 1.8137426%.

According to the presentation, similar to 2019, the city is projected to end FY 2026 with $2,222,999 in revenues and $1,073,553 in expenditures. Proposed numbers for FY 2027 include $2,193,799 in revenues and $1,103,553.

Series 2024 and 2025

Debt service for series 2024 and 2025 are tax-funded, Cox explained.

So, for series 2024, that is for the purchase of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative building and the property located behind it. The issuance amount for the property acquisition was $2,500,000 at a 4.44% rate; the expected close out is September 2030.

“We debt-funded the back portion [and] we cash-funded the front so that we could utilize our ad valorem to pay that off,” Cox said.

Series 2025 is for the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone projects, such as the Stephenson Building and parking, Old Fitzhugh Road, maintenance facility, street improvements, etc. That is issued at $13,345,000 with a 1.8137426% rate and close out date of September 2043 and is callable in 2034.

Council will meet next at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Located on the Buda-Kyle border, the new location allows TCOB to remain rooted in the community it has served for nearly two decades, while making its services more accessible to families in Kyle and other rapidly growing areas of northern Hays County, according to a news release. The new location provides a more central option for families traveling from both communities and gives the practice room to continue serving a growing population of clients who need individualized speech, language and occupational therapy services.

TCOB provides speech-language therapy and occupational therapy, with a special clinical focus on supporting autistic and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) clients. The practice also supports clients with communication differences, AAC needs, executive functioning differences, sensory processing differences and other developmental and communication needs.

A central part of the practice's approach is neurodiversity-affirming care, the release continued. Rather than focusing on making a client appear more “typical,” therapy is individualized around each person's communication, sensory needs, autonomy, strengths and quality of life.

For families seeking an alternative to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or other behavior-focused approaches, TCOB offers a different model of support. The practice does not use compliance, normalization or the suppression of autistic traits as measures of progress. Instead, therapy focuses on communication, self-advocacy, autonomy, regulation, meaningful participation and skills that matter to the individual client.

“Families are sometimes told that ABA is simply what you do after an autism diagnosis and many don't realize there are other options,” said Amy Grant, MS, CCC-SLP, owner and clinical director of TCOB. “We want families to know that support doesn't have to be about changing who their child is. You can build communication, independence and quality of life, while respecting the person in front of you.”

For Grant, this approach is closely connected to the disability rights principle: “Nothing about us without us.”

As an autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) clinician herself, she brings both professional training and lived experience to the philosophy behind the practice, the release stated.

“Neurodivergent people deserve to have a voice in what good support looks like,” Grant said. “Being AuDHD doesn't replace my clinical training, but it absolutely informs the way I listen to our clients, the things I notice and the kind of practice I wanted to create.”

“We want therapy to be a place where clients don't have to hide who they are in order to be considered successful,” Grant continued. “For our autistic and ADHD clients especially, our goal isn't to teach them to look less autistic or less ADHD. It's to help them communicate, advocate for themselves, access the support they need and feel understood.”

The new location was also chosen with the client experience in mind. Rather than a traditional medical-office environment, the space offers a more comfortable, home-like setting designed to help clients and families feel at ease.

“Therapy Center of Buda has been part of this community since 2008 and remaining connected to Buda was incredibly important to us,” Grant said. “At the same time, Kyle is growing incredibly quickly, and we know many families are traveling farther than they should have to for affirming therapy. Being right at the edge of these two communities puts us in a really unique position to serve both.”

“It's a new address, but we're still the same practice, the same team and the same commitment to our clients and families,” Grant said. “We're excited to make this space our home and, hopefully, a place our families feel at home, too.”

First, the court discussed several efforts for the upcoming budget, which was brought forward by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra.

“The reason I created this agenda item … [is because I have] elected officials and department heads asking for direction, asking for support. They’re running their entire departments and they’re waiting to anticipate projects and everything else. So, what I hope to accomplish with this agenda item is to give public, open roadmapping as a compass for not only our budget office, but for also the viewing public to understand what our goals are and what our aim is,” said Becerra.

The item read that these efforts could include freezing the hiring of full-time employees, reducing inmate relocation to less than 50, school resource officer (SRO) costs, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) positions, a pause of studies and masterplanning, housing out of county juvenile inmates and postponing data conversions and software updates.

Commissioner Walt Smith said they made a commitment when creating the ARPA positions, so they need to carry those forward. Additionally, he shared that when they created the Parks and Open Spaces Department last year, they made a strong commitment with how the department should expand. Because of this, he does not want to remove personnel from current park projects, such as Sentinel Peak, resulting in the inability to open these experiences up to the public.

Scott Woodland, budget officer, noted that he was able to find interest earnings in ARPA to keep the employees, but that next year, they will have to be moved out.

He also stated that he’s discussed SROs with Hays CISD, where he learned that the district is planning on supporting additional officers at each campus in its budget.

“It is something we always wanted to step up and assist with in the past and I think I would be supportive of that,” said Smith, noting that the county originally asked to aid with SROs, but the school district denied the offer.

“I know it is a very tight budget year and my direction has been, ‘Let’s look at a tax rate increase and see what that looks like,’ but I also believe we need to ensure we are still giving the resources that our departments need to function well,” said commissioners Debbie Ingalsbe. “I think it’s going to be a lean year and we need to look at that as we move on into the budget.”

Regarding a freeze, commissioner Morgan Hammer stated that there “is a time and a place for it,” but that the court has set a precedent that there needs to be data and justification when asking for a new position and many departments do not achieve this.

According to Becerra, he discussed the Haskell inmate outsource with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and discovered that the number of outsourcing is decreasing, so limiting it to less than 50 inmates is possible. Ingalsbe shared that she would like to start back up contracts with neighboring counties to house inmates, since it would be easier for representation and families, if they were closer. However, Smith said that these counties have also had exponential growth, so they may not be able to take in extra inmates from Hays County.

Becerra is looking to do the opposite of what the county’s partnership with Haskell is, with the juvenile center.

“The conversation behind that is to have the opportunity for all the empty space, in reverse of the adult portion that we deal with, but in the juvenile side [by] help[ing] neighboring counties and, ultimately, I’m hearing, make some money out of it,” said the judge.

“Everybody hold your breath, this is something we’re going to actually really agree on. I’m not joking,” stressed Smith. “We are currently housing juvenile inmates from all the surrounding counties. The daily rate on those is actually pretty good; I want to say it’s $350-370 a month, something like that, as opposed to $102 that we’re paying in Haskell. There are different standardizations and those types of things that we have to have, but given the growth of our county. I thought we missed something in our Capital Improvement Plan whenever we didn’t look at the juvenile facility that we have.”

The facility will probably need an expansion in five to 10 years, he continued, so bringing in additional inmates from other counties would likely pay for the expansion over the years.

Joel Ware, juvenile facility administrator, was opposed to this idea, as he stated that it would change the morale for staff: “You have to be built to handle more behavioral problems. You have to be built to handle more health problems. So, taking in more out-of-county kids [than we already have] — unless there is an investment made to the facility — when you’re talking about operations, appliances, you have to be able to deal with those everyday problems. It is tough.”

As for pausing studies and master plans, the court opted to have a list of ongoing projects brought before them, prior to deciding.

Woodland also noted that he asked the Information Technology Department what data and software updates were needed and only included those in the budget. So, no unnecessary updates will be done.

Moving on to the budget presentation, Woodland stated that he chose to work without an increase in property tax — so it would stay at $0.3999 to determine what the county could “get by with,” though this resulted in a lot of denials to requests, such as new positions, forklifts, camera drone, freezer equipment and more. He did note that with a tax increase, all of the requests could be fulfilled.

Some capital assets that Woodland felt were important and, therefore, included were high mileage vehicle replacements, air conditioning unit replacement at the Hays County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center, fire investigator equipment, ADA compliant contraction and remodels and property enclosures around a cave that has been deemed a danger. He stated that he focused on giving equipment that promoted safety and reduced potential liabilities.

Expenditures are increasing, he said, with insurance rising 8.5%, more vertical debt payments and increased contract costs.

“In order to make the general fund work [without a tax rate increase], we pulled a half penny from the road and bridge maintenance and operation (M&O) rate to move over to the general M&O. That is a bandaid. That is not something that will be sustainable,” he emphasized, adding that he built in $2 million for the road and bridge budget, which he hopes does not have to be used. “What I wanted to do is lay a couple million dollars into the road and bridge fund. If it is needed, I want to use it there and that way, we know it’s covered and it’s not something I’m going to have to find down the road.”

The county held another budget workshop Aug. 11 — which will be covered in the Aug. 19 edition of the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch — and will hold a public hearing Aug. 18, prior to adopting the budget in September.

“It is going to be tough and we are going to have to make some decisions that may not be popular, but we know we are in a tough year. We tried the best we can to have that balance and provide the services that we need,” said Ingalsbe. “I look forward to more in-depth discussion with our colleagues and to seeing what the best route is to take with all of this.”

To listen to the discussion, visit bit.ly/4g44lyf.

Council members Courtney Goza and Melisa Medina and Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale brought forward the item to name the facility after Adell Hurst.

“I’m so proud to present this item,” said Goza, prior to diving into the history of the honoree.

Hurst was a community member who aided the creation of the nonprofit Kyle Area Senior Zone (KASZ) in the early 2000s. She also worked to preserve the Krug Activity Center, formerly Kyle’s city hall, which later became the home of the organization.

Council has acknowledged Hurst’s work throughout the years, even naming the main ballroom at the Krug Activity Center after her.

“The Krug Activity Center became a symbol of community partnership and the importance of preserving Kyle’s history, while creating opportunities for residents,” said Goza. “Through KASZ, seniors were provided access to programs, activities, educational opportunities, social events, health and wellness resources and other services that strengthened the community.”

“Naming the facility the Adell Hurst Senior Activity Center recognizes the individual whose vision and dedication helped create senior programming opportunities in Kyle and honor the history of partnership between the city, Kyle Area Senior Zone and the community,” said Medina.

The rest of council shared the sentiment that Hurst earned the dedication, but council member Marc McKinney hesitated on the word “senior” in the title, fearing that it may deter youth organizations from using the building, since it was designed to be a community center.

Suggesting “Adell Hurst Senior and Community Center,” was offered as a suggestion by council member Lauralee Harris.

Flores-Cale stated that she was concerned that this would lead to community members stopping by for what they assume is a recreation center, when in reality, the space is available for rent by the community, but it is first and foremost for the older adults.

Additionally, Goza noted that leaving “senior” in the name overall was important to receive grant opportunities.

Harris’ suggested name was praised by KASZ communication and grants director Ellen Ermis, who felt there would be no issue in the adjustment.

After Ermis’ comments, council designated the building as the Adell Hurst Senior and Community Center in a 6-1 vote, with Goza dissenting.

The facility is aiming for a September opening, said Ermis, and will include a commercial kitchen, a designated front desk with two part-time Parks and Recreation staff members, space to begin intergenerational programming and more.

Kyle City Council will meet next at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, for a special meeting.

Four grandmothers from Alexis Pointe Senior Living sat behind a small table with a big purpose: sharing the kind of advice that only comes from decades of raising children, loving grandchildren and learning that the most important lessons in life never really change.

Customers wandered over, some smiling, others curious. Before long, conversations replaced transactions, as the women dispensed gentle reminders, practical parenting tips and a healthy dose of grandmotherly common sense.

"Tell your kids don't get into any trouble and concentrate on school," Shirley Aromando said with the confidence of someone who has seen enough first days of school to know what matters.

Beside her, Sharline Alvord encouraged parents to invest in relationships, not just school supplies.

"Meet with the teachers and get to know the teachers and the principal," she said.

Jane Gunn, whose family now includes 15 grandchildren, didn't hesitate when asked about classroom discipline.

"When the teacher says, ‘no,’" she said, smiling, "they mean no and that's final."

The advice wasn't complicated. It didn't come from parenting books or social media experts. It came from women whose experience spans generations; women who have celebrated report cards, soothed first-day tears, packed countless lunches and watched nervous children become confident adults.

Their memories of school still bring smiles.

Peggy Bateman, who spent her career as a teacher, said it was always the children who made every day worthwhile.

"Your kids made you smile," she said simply.

Alvord still laughs when she thinks about riding the school bus for all 12 years.

"We had fun on the bus," she recalled.

Aromando remembered a different challenge.

"It was hard getting my son to go to school because he didn't like it," she said, drawing laughs from those listening.

For Gunn, one lesson has remained constant through the years.

"Know what your kids are participating in," she said. "Participate with them."

As they talked of those first day jitters of school, the women revealed the routines that helped calm anxious children and sometimes their parents.

"Just have everything ready to go," Bateman advised.

Alvord remembered walking each of her children into school, holding their hand before they stepped into the classroom.

"That kind of calmed them down a little bit," she said.

Gunn believes perspective matters just as much.

"Manage your expectations of the school and the kids," she said. "It always works out."

Then came the lighter questions, what was the one school lunch or after-school snack their children loved?

Bateman's answer was immediate: "Cookies."

Alvord said peanut butter and jelly sandwiches disappeared quickly from lunch boxes, while Gunn laughed remembering how much her children loved French fries after school.

But perhaps the sweetest moment came when Alvord reflected on the legacy she hopes she has left her family.

"All my grandchildren remember that they were loved by their grandmother," she said. "They're all adults now and they still say that."

Asked what single sentence they would write on a classroom chalkboard for every family to read, their answers reflected a lifetime of parenting.

"Participate in every activity your children are in," Alvord said.

"If you obey the rules, we'll have more fun doing the good stuff instead of spending all our time disciplining," Gunn added.

Aromando offered a simple reminder : "Do what you're supposed to do. Be good to your family. And have fun."

For the Alexis Pointe staff members who joined the residents, the afternoon was a reminder that their community is filled with living history.

"They carry so much wisdom and so much knowledge," said Victoria Whitley, LVN and area director of business development. "One of the things you heard over and over was, 'Have fun. Live life. Be happy.' That's something every generation needs to remember."

Community Relations director Katy Starr said the residents continue to teach her every day.

"They've lived so many years and what better source to learn from than our elders?" Starr said. "Whenever I have a question or something weighing on me, I can ask them. They'll give it to me straight and they're always uplifting."

Activities director Lili Kiel said the relationships she has built with residents shape both her work and her life.

"They teach me the importance of community and being there for your neighbors," Kiel said. "They inspire the work I do and the way I move through life with my friends and my family."

As customers paused to chat before heading down the aisles, it became clear the women weren't simply handing out advice. They were offering reassurance.

In a time filled with hurried shopping trips, nervous children and anxious parents, four grandmothers reminded everyone that success isn't measured only by grades or test scores.

It's found in showing up, holding a child's hand, knowing the teacher's name, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, baking cookies and saying "I love you" often enough that your grandchildren still remember it decades later.

Those lessons don't come pre-packaged or in a backpack. But they may be the most valuable things children carry into a new school year.

The pair are entrepreneurs and business owners in Austin, with Sarah working in events and hospitality and Dallas being a director of operations. After living in Dripping Springs for three years, they were looking for a chance to open their own company in the city when Oakwood Public Market, a venue they visited often, announced its closure at the beginning of July.

They reached out to the owners to bid on the project, won and received the keys last week, said Sarah.

“There’s a coffee shop in it that we would stop at in the morning, after we dropped the kids off at school. They had a market that we could get our essentials and buy milk and grab wine on our way home for the evening and then, there was a soda shop, [where] the kids could get ice cream and milkshakes. Then, obviously, a bar and restaurant where we frequented to let the kids run around and play and look out over the hill country,” said Dallas. “We were here all the time for multiple different reasons and that’s why it just spoke to us.”

The 10-year lease on the building will keep the structure, name and concept the same, but with added additions the new owners hope will serve as a one-stop shop for families.

Sarah explained that with Wildwood Elementary School that recently opened up in the Headwaters subdivision last year, a space for children to have fun at was needed. So, an arcade will be added to the building.

Returning to Oakwood will be a menu featuring American and Southern Tex-Mex dishes created by chef Charles Dowd, who previously ran kitchens at North Italia, Haymaker and Black Sheep Lodge, said Dallas.

“We [also] have plans in the coffee shop on Friday and Saturday night to stay open late and make it a little bit more moody and then, that offers our chef the opportunity to explore even further on what he can do with a supper club, while we make craft cocktails and do draft beer and just have a place that’s 21 and up out here because that’s kind of lacking,” he continued, adding that this can be a date night for couples in the area.

Sarah and Dallas shared that they hope families can visit together and find something for everyone — additional televisions and drinks for dad, nice wine and food for mom and an arcade for the kids.

Although the previous vendors will not be staying in Oakwood, there will be an opportunity to have feature shelves for local business owners to sell their products in the future.

There is currently not a set date for opening, Sarah said, but the coffee shop is aiming to begin services at the end of the month, with the other amenities coming in September.

“We live here in Headwaters, so we are part of the community and we really just want to make this a place where families can gather and … the community can make memories. The best part is we’re one of them, as well,” said Sarah. “We’re not these outsider people trying to run a business in a place that we don’t know and love and that’s why we want to take on this project because our roots are here and we’re not leaving anytime soon. So, we want to grow with the community.”

To learn more, visit www.exploreoakwood.com.

The pre-kindergarten and childcare learning center was built for love from the beginning. Terrell shared that the idea sparked after both her daughters were pregnant and she wanted an opportunity to see her grandchildren everyday, while still being a working woman. So, she retired from a career of teaching in Austin ISD to build, design and open Rocking Horse Academy in 2002.

“I built this school for my grandchildren, [but] Emily and Nicholas are now 26; both have graduated from college. Caitlin is 22; she’s graduated from college,” said Terrell. “I’ve literally got to be with my family, my grandchildren and now, I have two great-grandchildren here that are now 1 year old. I get to see them everyday and I am a very vital part of their lives and that’s what I wanted.”

This endeavor has been such an important part of her life, she said, so it was easy to ignore the various emails over the years inquiring about purchasing the company, until last year when, at age 77, Terrell simply asked, “What would that look like?”

From there, she sent the requested documentation to KinderCare, a childcare and early childhood education company operating throughout the nation, and received an offer that, for the first time in 24 years, made Terrell pause and ask herself what she wanted.

“I’m [now] 78 years old and I’m not dying, but reality is, when you look at the calendar, 78’s kind of up there. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life working,” she said.

But the choice wasn’t easy. Tearing up, Terrell emphasized that choosing to be “selfish” for the first time was difficult.

“It’s been extremely hard. My family works here. My four grandchildren grew up here; that’s all they’ve ever known is the family owning Rocking Horse Academy. Sydney was 2 weeks old [and] Emily and Nicholas were only 2 years old when they started here. They all got their first job here and I now have two great-grandchildren … [that] have four more years of childcare that they need and I am taking all that away,” Terrell said. “I would sit at home at night going, ‘This is such a selfish decision,’ but I also have to say — I’ve worked 62 years. I deserve the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of my labor and to enjoy the freedom that I’ve earned by operating a business. I put a lot at risk and I put in a lot of time and a lot of hard work. So, I do want to reap those benefits and enjoy [life].”

Retirement for the business owner looks like art classes, international traveling — including a trip to Finland this fall — volunteering to stay involved in the community and having a glass of wine at lunch with her girlfriends.

Although excited for her new adventure, she recalled fond memories, like the days of her grandchildren stopping by for a snack from her famous snack drawer or the connections she’s formed with teachers, some of whom have been with her for 15 years.

The effort and care these teachers put into their students is why Terrell was assured that KinderCare has no intention to affect staff during the transition, which will happen over a weekend in September. The concept of Rocking Horse Academy will stay the same, with the age groups served, but some basics, such as procedures, menus and curriculum, may change, she explained.

“I’ve had so many people that have gone on Facebook, people who used to work here, but don't anymore or students who came here or parents have stopped me and said, ‘My kids came here’ and now their kids are coming here,” Terrell said. “I’m so proud of so many of my students that have graduated and who come back and remember Rocking Horse Academy. And for me, I feel fulfilled that I've been successful, but that we have played such an important role in the development of Kyle and all of these children that went to Rocking Horse Academy. There are thousands of them in the world and they, so many of them, have reached out kindly with support and you know how much they loved us and that just means the world to me.”

Rocking Horse Academy will continue to serve its families until Friday, Sept. 18, when KinderCare will begin the transition and reopen Monday, Sept. 21.

To learn more, visit Rocking Horse Academy at rockinghorseacademy.com or KinderCare at www.kindercare.com.

“I am recommending a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026-27. While that statement may appear straight forward, the work required to reach this point has been anything but easy and straight forward. As you all may know, the city entered this budget cycle facing significant and many financial challenges. Prior to developing the proposed budget for next fiscal year, it was critical that we address the projected $14.2 million budget deficit in the city’s general fund for the current fiscal year '25-’26 operating budget,” explained Moheet. “This required methodical review of operating and capital expenditures, organizational priorities and practices, financial assumptions and line-by-line item expenditure trend analysis of every single department, every single city fund [and] every single capital improvements project.”

These efforts have been ongoing since May, he continued, resulting in significant sacrifices, including the suspension of pay increases and cost of living adjustments for all civilian employees, the leave buyback program, tuition reimbursement program, cash contributions for health reimbursement arrangement account and the city-paid 12-week parental leave program. Furthermore, there are 460 full-time equivalent positions proposed — a result of 11 positions eliminated or $1.88 million in annual cost savings — and 24 positions, or $2.45 million, frozen or unfunded positions.

“As the interim city manager, I fully recognize the impact of these actions on our workforce. Our employees are the city’s most valuable asset. They are the individuals who deliver services, respond to emergencies, maintain our infrastructure, support our residents and business and help move this organization forward every single day. Despite these financial challenges, our employees stepped up and have continued to demonstrate exceptional professionalism, resilience and commitment to public service,” said Moheet.

He shared that he hopes to restore structural balance, strengthen the city’s financial foundation and to position the city for long-term financial stability with this budget.

The proposed budget for FY 2026-27 is $416,966,023, consisting of:

• Capital improvement projects (CIP): $288,466,975

• General fund: $69,227,849

• Water utility: $27,755,490

• Debt service: $14,542,101

• Wastewater utility: $9,656,310

• Other: $5,759,272

• Storm drainage: $1,558,026

Additionally, the estimated general fund balance for the end of the budget cycle is $20.37 million, which will exceed the city charter's minimum reserve requirement by $2.5 million, and no rate increase is projected for the water service or storm drainage rates.

Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale asked Moheet what the difference between the current $603 million approved budget and the proposed $417 million budget is.

“In a nutshell, the cost estimates were higher,” Moheet said. “They thought they could do all those projects in one year, but it was unrealistic. So, the budget reflected that unrealistic estimate. We are scaling back, based on reviewing thoroughly what our cash flow requirements will be [and] how many of those projects we can actually lift off the ground.”

Items that are present in the budget include:

• Santa Claus and the Grinch plans

• City parks to be fully funded and maintained

• 4% pay increase for all sworn police officers

• 2% peer city-based pay increase for all corporal ranked positions in the police department

• All road bond program projects are continuing

Items not included in the budget are as follows:

• Non-essential travel

• Federal/state lobbyists

• Annual banquet for city boards and commissions

• Dinner service for council meetings

• Pride celebrations or Pride special events program

• Undergrounding of existing overhead utilities

In response to council member Claudia Zapata’s question regarding forensic audit funding, Moheet noted that there is an allotted amount included, but he did not specify it, as it would put the city at a disadvantage when submitting requests for proposals (RFP). For example, the interim city manager said if he publicly claimed that the budget for the forensic audit was $50 million, he would then receive RFPs at $49.9 million. So, he is not revealing the number at this time, but stated that he could email the council members privately.

As part of the review in preparing for the budget, staff looked at organizational structure for each department. Specifically, it was decided that the Transportation & Public Works Department would be divided into two departments: Transportation & Public Works and Capital Improvement Projects & Engineering. The first will focus on day-to-day operations, while the latter will focus exclusively on planning, design, engineering, project management and construction of CIPs and the 2022 Road Bond Program.

The CIP & Engineering Department was formally a division that answered to the director of Transportation & Public Works, but staff believes that efficiency and cost savings will come from this separation. Those working in this department already had funding in the general fund, said Andy Alejandro, interim deputy director of Finance.

The following restructures were also made:

• Reorganize the Beautification Division into the Right-of-Way Maintenance Division; it will maintain streetlights, mowing, permitting and inspections, traffic control and right-of-way maintenance, as well as save $40,000 per year by eliminating landscaping contracts and using the division to maintain city facilities.

• Appoint Leon Barba as director of CIP & Engineering, while retaining the title of city engineer.

• Elimination of the Parks and Recreation deputy director and business and strategic planning manager; overall the department downsized from 64 to 45 positions.

• Created a new Parks and Recreation operations manager to oversee division managers.

• Recreation and special event employees report to one division manager.

• Parks and Recreation planning and project manager moved to the Development Services Department.

• Aquatics maintenance technician reports to the Parks Maintenance Division.

Alejandro then touched on the city’s property tax rate. Kyle holds the second highest property rate, behind San Marcos, in comparison to its 10 peer cities of Georgetown, Buda, Cedar Park, Round Rock, New Braunfels, Leander, Pflugerville, San Antonio and Austin at $0.5957. The city is at the opposite end for the assessed valuation per capita, sitting in the second lowest position at $107,871, just above San Antonio and below Austin. This number is 1.28% less than 2025 and is determined by taking the certified assessed values from the Hays Central Appraisal District, then dividing it by the city’s population, said Alejandro.

“Based on our assessed valuation, the average home value in 2026 is $298,621,” said Moheet. “Looking at average home values in 2025 at $315,017 and looking at our current tax rate of $0.5957, the gross tax levy was $1,638.28. That’s before applying the homestead reduction. Assuming that the tax rate stayed the same … the tax levy and the average net tax bill will be less than what it was in 2025.”

Flores-Cale asked whether the tax rate can even be increased, due to the voter-approved tax rate being $0.59, but Moheet shared that this was an estimate on the bond itself, though there are other factors, such as debt services for other projects and operating expenses, that could create a tax increase above $0.59. However, he doesn’t believe the need is there to do so.

“In the current tax rate of $0.5957, there is embedded a debt defeasance that council approved. Next year, we’re not doing a debt defeasance, so that goes away. So, we should see a tax rate reduction, [but] I’m just generally speaking; I’m not guaranteeing anything until I see the tax rate calculations,” he said.

Although there was discussion about how the current tax rate might be impacted this year, Moheet noted that property tax rates will be discussed in detail at the Aug. 13 meeting.

There are three meetings left in the 2026-27 budget discussion, to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday Aug. 13, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, and 6 p.m Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to the presentation.

To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/4xlrFyx.

Facility use agreement

KASZ has called the Krug Activity Center in downtown Kyle its home for years, but as the new Dacy Lane Senior Community Center prepares to open, a new agreement is needed between the city and nonprofit since the original in 2007.

“This agreement has been in the works with Parks and Recreation and KASZ for over a year. It’s been a long time. There’s been a lot of back and forth and, recently, with leadership changes and the moves we’ve made, we’ve reexamined the agreement itself. [It was] not necessarily a bad agreement, but when we started looking at it from a view of more of a partnership with KASZ, we realized there was probably a lot of maybe heavy-handed things in there,” said assistant city manager Jesse Elizondo, adding that once this perspective changed, it came together quickly.

The main highlights of the agreement, according to Elizondo, include:

• Allows for continued and enhanced city partnership with KASZ

• Supports older adult programming

• Clearly defines shared use of the facility between KASZ and the city

• City maintains the building and oversees scheduling and facility operations

• KASZ has priority scheduling and manages its own programming

• Better defined responsibilities

• Clearly establishes insurance and liability provisions

• Includes annual review and renewal provisions

• Shared scheduling provides more opportunities for city programming or use when available

• Monthly coordination meetings will support ongoing communication and efficient operations

“I think it’s a really good agreement, [but] I did want to make a comment that I think that it would be in the best interest of KASZ to have an outlined agreement with any other 501(c)(3)s or any entities that are operating within that building under the KASZ umbrella,” said council member Courtney Goza. “I also want to comment just on all of the things KASZ does for our community; it is not just for the seniors. They work with a lot of other nonprofits to provide support to a large section of our community, so I’m very excited to see this.”

“We’re going from 2,000 square feet to 7,500 square feet. We’re going to have a party. That’s all I have to say — we’re going to have a party and the whole city’s invited,” said KASZ president Betty Conley, after noting that the future plans for the facility include more dining opportunities and bridging gaps between generations.

Because the item was to obtain council feedback, a formal approval will be completed at a later meeting.

Animal shelter

Since the announcement in 2024 from the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS) that it will no longer serve as the county’s intake facility come October 2026, the city of Kyle has been working to create its own center.

The city of Buda and Hays County joined in this endeavor through an interlocal agreement to create a new regional animal care facility, which noted that Kyle would retain full ownership and operational control, while the county and Buda would contribute to funding and operation costs in January 2026.

Kyle City Council approved a $1.6 million design contract for the facility in January, as well, though the proposed location — the Kyle Vista property off of Dacy Lane and Bebee Road in Kyle, which was also considered for the Hays County Eastside Campus — later caused uproar from community members, after many cited that it was slated to be parkland. Kyle staff confirmed this through discussions at the July 7 meeting.

Because of this, council asked staff to bring back information regarding the Kyle Vista property. The design contract has since been paused, prior to the schematic design kickoff, said Elizondo.

According to agenda documents from the July 30 meeting, the property comprises three tracts: 8.622 acres acquired from Nester Development in 2008; 7.98 acres from Alfonso and Hope Martinez in 2008; and 13.22 acres from The Meadows at Kyle II in 2008. The latter was dedicated to the city under a development agreement as parkland.

Each of the properties contain the same deed restrictions, including no commercial operations — specifically that “[n]o fowls or animals shall be kept on the premises in such numbers of manner to create a nuisance” — restrictions on types of residences constructed, annual assessment per tract and roadway to the property must remain open and unobstructed.

The presentation also detailed that the city charter contained two provisions that limit the sale or lease of parks and other city facilities and would require an election prior. This meant that the city could have been in violation of the city charter if council had completed the approval to lease land to the county for the Hays County Eastside Campus earlier this year, before the county terminated the contract plans after delays, due to legality concerns of Kyle Vista Park.

Regarding the animal shelter, Elizondo noted that the city was discussing a location in the 7.98-acre tract, not the 13.22 acres, which were considered dedicated parkland.

Staff presented four options for the future of the shelter.

Option 1: $21.7 million (Kyle would pay 32.7%)

• Continue partnership with Hays County and Buda through the ILA

• Approximately 31,000 square feet

• Located on the Kyle Vista property

• Seven acres

• Challenges would include intergovernmental coordination, funding in either a certificate of obligation or general obligation (GO) bonds in 2027/28, a large intake area and municipal coordination

Option 2: $21.7 million (Kyle would pay 32.7%)

• Same details as Option 1, but located at a new undetermined site

• Challenges would include a potential price increase, due to site evaluations, and funding in either a certificate of obligation or GO bonds in 2027/28

Option 3: $8 million

• City of Kyle develops, owns and operates its own animal shelter facility

• Reduced facility footprint at 20,000 square feet

• Reduced facility amenities

• Possible renovation or retrofit of facilities

• Located at Kyle Recreation Fields, though other sites could be identified

• Six to seven acres

• Challenges would be location and funding in either a certificate of obligation or GO bonds in 2027/28

Option 4:

• City does not construct an animal shelter

• Animal shelter services are provided by Hays County and/or another third-party provider through contractual agreements

• Texas law authorizes counties and municipalities to enter into agreements for animal control and shelter services

• Challenges would include finding and negotiating with outside partners, having little control over operations and potential unexpected changes.

Beginning discussion was Goza, who shared her hesitation of partnering with the county, after hearing that collecting payment from the county is “difficult” and that it is a “big risk.” She, personally, would want to put out the operation to bid with services in mind.

Animal Control Division supervisor Briana Geddes noted that Option 4 does have a lack of control, since these organizations have their own dynamics and sometimes begin turning away animals.

“I think we can all agree that the need is there; we’re just trying to find the best way to try to solve that need,” said council member Marc McKinney, suggesting looking at other sites. “I feel like partnering with the county and Buda is the best and most efficient way to go about providing that service, especially considering how many would be coming from outside the city of Kyle. If we just did our own thing, those animals would still come to our facility. There’s no geofencing that we can put around saying, ‘No. No. No, that’s not our animal.’ We would still have to take care of those animals. This way, at least we get the funding from the regions that are responsible for it.”

Council member Michael Tobias felt comfortable putting it out to a GO bond, in order to hear directly from the voters whether or not they want it.

The earliest this bond could be placed on the ballot is November 2027, said interim city manager Perwez Moheet, but “it would have to be on a high speed track,” meaning that the following would need to be completed: 30% design to ensure an accurate cost estimate, the formation of a Bond Committee, a tax impact analysis, determination of location and partnerships and more.

To meet this timeline, council member Lauralee Harris asked whether SMRAS would be willing to be patient with the city, as it is undergoing this process, to which Elizondo stated that this would have to be determined through meeting with leadership at a later date.

Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale stated that, if the partnership with the county and city continues, the city should build an exit strategy into the contract. Additionally, she wanted to discuss with Buda leadership to know where they stand, while noting that the Hays County Commissioners Court unanimously voted Tuesday, July 28, to obtain an appraisal on former PAWS of Central Texas’ shelter, after the closure of its Kyle location.

She then motioned to remove Option 1, due to the location on Kyle Vista property. The motion passed 5-0, as council members Melisa Medina and Claudia Zapata were not in attendance.

“I’d like to make a motion that we accept [Option] 2, with the conditions that all the parties are still on board with it and that we can get a satisfactory agreement, as we continue forward with the costing,” said Harris.

Flores-Cale wanted to know the cost difference between Option 2, partnering with the municipalities, and Option 3, the city on its own, since she doesn’t understand why the city has to pick up the county’s "slack" for not doing anything.

“Before y’all vote, let’s say, it’s a three-party deal and we opt for a GO bond and the voters decide, ‘No.’ Now what happens with Buda and the county or vice versa,” prompted Moheet, as state law notes that certificates of obligation bonds could not be issued for at least three years, if the election bond fails.

According to city attorney Aimee Alcorn-Reed, there is a provision in the ILA that if there is no appropriated funding in the budget, that they can back out of the contract.

“This is not set in stone, but they are three very different directions to go into and so, we can bring back — obviously we would, many times — more detail, more conversation, more numbers, more analytics behind it. But each one of these is one completely different direction than the other and that’s where staff is [asking for direction],” said Elizondo.

After calling the question, Harris’ motion to pass Option 2 failed 3-2, with Flores-Cale, Tobias and Goza dissenting.

Flores-Cale motioned to direct Moheet to bring back cost estimates for Option 2 and Option 3, with programming. The motion passed 5-0.

To listen to the full discussions, visit bit.ly/4g37u2q.

Public input will help ensure the plan reflects the needs, values and priorities of the community, stated a Hays County news release.

"The Strategic Plan is about preparing Hays County for the future while keeping community priorities at the center of County decision-making," county administrator Kandice Boutté said. "We encourage everyone interested to share their input as we develop this important roadmap for the years ahead."

The Strategic Plan focuses on five priority areas:

• Community Wellbeing: Improve health, wellness and quality of life for all residents

• Governance, Workforce & Organizational Capacity: Strengthen county services through innovation, efficiency and a strong workforce

• Infrastructure & Sustainable Growth: Support responsible growth through reliable infrastructure, resilient resources and sound long-term planning

• Partnership & Collaboration: Strengthen community outcomes through partnerships, shared resources and coordinated action

• Criminal Justice Modernization: Enhance public safety and access to justice through effective, accountable and data-informed systems

Following the public engagement period, community feedback will be reviewed and incorporated to refine the draft Strategic Plan. The final plan will be presented to the Commissioners Court for consideration and will help guide future budgeting decisions, policy development and implementation efforts.

Community members are encouraged to visit www.hayscountytx.gov/349/Strategic-Plan to:

• Complete a survey by Aug. 26

• Review the draft Strategic Plan

• Indicate their interest in participating in a stakeholder listening session

Questions or comments can be given by phone at (512) 395-4214 or email at strategicplan@hayscountytx.gov.

DSCL started in 1986 as the “brainchild” of local Charlotte Rhodes, who worked with the superintendent of the local school district at the time, according to Laird. She wanted to create a space where members of the community could come and check out books — something that did not exist in Dripping Springs.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit library was then established and incorporated, run 100% by a group of volunteers within the walls of the former high school — now Dripping Springs Middle School. That group became the Friends of the Dripping Springs Community Library, which, through determination and hard work, raised enough funds to move the library into its current building off Sportsplex Drive, which sits on donated land from John Baird, in 1998.

After quickly realizing that more space was needed, construction of the children’s wing began in 2004, doubling the area to approximately 10,000 square feet.

Since that time, the library’s board went public in 2023 with a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new building that would “better serve our community now and into the future,” said Laird.

“It’s a really big project and because of the way that we are funded, it's unique. We receive sales tax revenue. We are not part of the city, which is typical of a public library and so, it's going well,” Laird said. “We continue to make efforts towards construction and trying to solidify the financing. There's a lot of moving pieces and we are just committed to continue to work towards that, so we can expand our services and our reach into our community.”

DSCL has continued to evolve over the years. Laird recalled that in the first year that the library was open in 1986, there were 700 people who attended free programming and in 2025, that number had grown to 17,000.

Additionally, with the help of donations, Laird explained that they were able to purchase its Library on Wheels this year. Knowing that the library has a widespread area that it services, it can be difficult for members of the community to physically stop by the library to attend a program or check out books. So, the “bookmobile” helps bridge that gap.

According to the June 2026 impact report, 12 stops were made, 455 people engaged and 271 items were circulated through the Library on Wheels.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, DSCL is hosting its first annual “A Book Affair” that will feature local food and drink vendors, as well as live music and interactive experiences. This will also act as an opportunity to raise funds to support the library.

The event will also honor the first class of “Storytellers,” which are a group of local residents and businesses who are passionate about the library and investing in the city’s future. They were specifically selected to help raise awareness and support for DSCL leading up to A Book Affair, according to Laird.

“Everyone has a unique story and a connection to the library, what it means to them and what it means to their family and so, I've really enjoyed getting to know the Storytellers and how libraries impact them personally and the value that they see that libraries offer to the community,” Laird said.

As the library is continuing to grow, Laird said that, along with its capital campaign for a new building, DSCL is wanting to try to be innovative and creative in breaking down barriers to people receiving its services and resources.

However, the support from the community every step of the way since 1986 is not lost on Laird and the library staff.

“I realize how the community has shown up in every single piece of history in this library. From starting as a nonprofit library that was completely staffed by volunteers to putting it to a vote in the community to become a special district library, so that we could have a dedicated revenue stream of sales tax income. That was also initiated and voted on and passed by the community,” she shared. “We see parts of this building where the community stepped up and helped to volunteer services just to build the building that we're in now. All the people that have supported the library and the mission with their donations, it shows that they truly care about what we're doing and they see the value.”

A Book Affair will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Pecan Springs Ranch, located at 10601 B Derecho Drive, Austin. To get tickets and find more information, visit bit.ly/4fR7p1E.

DSCL is located at 501 Sportsplex Drive, Dripping Springs and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Learn more about the library’s programs, history and more at www.dscl.org.

The project, which is between Cuncashca LLC and the city of Dripping Springs, consists of the installation of a 36-inch gravity main, along with a treated effluent irrigation line for the Driftwood Golf and Ranch Subdivision, according to utilities director Gary Lahrman.

Wastewater facilities agreement

The first item related to the South Collector Wastewater Project is for the amendment and reinstatement of the original wastewater facilities agreement from 2023, due to delays in starting construction.

During negotiations, landowner Cuncashca LLC requested revisions, including triggers for abandonment of the drip field exchange land, fencing requirements and extension of the temporary construction easement language, to be made to the original agreement.

The temporary construction easement will be updated, allowing for equipment storage, staging and construction areas during the installation process.

“We did set a term for drip field abandonment for Dec. 31, 2031. That would be where we exchange the land or we get rid of those front drip fields on the 40 acres and we take over. The agreement allows us to use those until 2031 and we will do a land exchange at that point and abandon the drip fields,” Lahrman explained. “It also includes a temporary construction easement to expire Aug. 31, 2027.”

Tree removal credit

While the original agreement in 2023 considered the preservation of certain trees in the easement area, the landowner authorized the removal as necessary for the city’s wastewater improvement project.

With this approval, the landowner negotiated for future development that the city has 550 caliper inches that were recorded in the easement to be credited.

“We've worked through this with the landowner and it would be to run concurrently with the wastewater facilities agreement and we would get started here pretty soon, but [the] purpose of the agreement to recognize protected standard trees removed by the city within the easement by establishing a limited baseline adjustment that may be used in future tree preservation calculations for the property,” the utilities director presented.

Council member Geoffrey Tahuahua stated that the particular trees on the property are part of the easement that will ultimately serve the wastewater treatment plant the city is working on, so “while regrettable, the removal of the trees is necessary in order for us to facilitate the moving of that wastewater.”’

The agreement is accounting for what is being done in the easement and giving the landowner credit for the trees removed that are to be preserved in accordance with the city of Dripping Springs’ ordinance, city administrator Michelle Fischer clarified.

“Cedars and hackberries don’t get counted, so if that landowner, Cuncashca, does develop in the future, he’s kind of got a credit to work with,” she said.

The wastewater facilities and tree removal credit agreements were unanimously approved by council.

Also for the South Collector Wastewater Project, council unanimously voted to award the bid to Santa Clara Construction, Ltd. in the amount of $4,714,829. This came after the city received 15 competitive bids, with amounts ranging from $4,078,028 to $10,950,181.15.

Dripping Springs City Council meets next Tuesday, Aug. 4.

For more information, visit www.atlasjiujitsu.com/buda-tx.

Emergency audible outdoor warning system

After council direction and approved funding for a design element, staff recommended a $411,103 installation plan for eight outdoor warning systems. These “provide an essential redundant notification methodology in the event of an emergency,” according to agenda documents, which the city currently does not have.

The following city-owned properties are proposed: 208/246 Republic Drive; the Public Safety Center at 1700 Kohlers Crossing; La Verde Park or water tower; Goforth Road and Foster Place; Plum Creek water facility; Lehman water facility; Public Works at 520 RM 150; and Wastewater Treatment Plant at 941 New Bridge.

Kyle Senior Community Center driveway

The existing driveway has limited sight distance, which has created safety concerns; therefore, staff proposed two new location options to council: north side and south side.

The north side option was estimated to cost $154,409, had a minimal amount of pavement removal along Dacy Loop, required two to three Pedernales Electric Cooperative utility pole relocations and removed the existing area inlet.

The south option only required one utility pole relocation, but patterns indicate a drainage structure may be required to run underneath the proposed driveway and six parking spaces will be impacted. The estimated cost is $189,412.

Staff ultimately recommended the south option, due to the reduced number of complex utility pole relocations and better circulatory pattern within the parking lot for vehicles.

The current driveway will remain until construction is completed. A final design of the driveway will be finished in September, said Ravali Kosaraju, assistant director of traffic & transportation.

Safe routes to school

The Safe Routes to School program was developed with the goal to encourage children to walk, bike or roll to arrive and leave school, while prioritizing safety, read agenda documents. As a step toward pedestrian safety, the Transportation and Public Works Department, Kyle Police Department and Hays CISD conducted walk audits at Fuentes, Science Hall, Tobias, Negley, Hemphill, Kyle and Ramage elementary schools.

During these audits, it was observed that:

• Sidewalks were not wide enough

• There were no tactile ground surface indicators for vision-impaired pedestrians

• No shade was available

• No crosswalks were available

• No streetlights were installed

• Crosswalks were not visible or clearly marked

• No dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian crossing signage or signals or audible prompts were present

The next steps for the program include establishing a solutions implementation plan to be presented to council and incorporating necessary projects into the upcoming fiscal year budget, as well as completing audits for the middle and high schools.

More information on the projects can be found in the meeting’s agenda packet, located at bit.ly/4gPBxLX.

He has 25 years of experience as a union electrician, 10 in elective office and 10 in emergency management, with his current role as Emergency Management Program coordinator for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Approximately 10 years ago, while serving as an AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Hildreth had the opportunity to read books to children between the ages of 4 and 6 at a Houston low-income daycare center.

Eventually, they had run out of books to read, but the children wanted to hear another story.

Hildreth said he embraced what every other storyteller would do and took what he knew to create his own story about a little gray tabby kitten, named Franklin, who had a dream of becoming a Ranger.

“Franklin's my cat and he loves chasing a laser. I've always thought that was kind of cute and I know kids love it. I just made up a story, Franklin and the Red Dot Ranger, and it's evolved quite a bit over the last 10 years,” he said. “But about four years ago, my wife, who has since passed away, mentioned, ‘You need to write this down. This is a cute story.’ She finally got me to write it down.”

The seed for the idea was planted in that Houston classroom, Hildreth said, but has evolved the last few years to what is now a 12-book series: “Franklin’s Red Dot Adventures.”

Each book in the series focuses on a different value that not only Rangers carry, but that parents want to see in their children, the author shared. These include the following:

1. “Franklin and the Red Dot Ranger” — Identity and purpose

2. “Franklin and the Grackle’s Cackle” — Integrity

3. “Franklin and the Kittens of a Different Color” — Respect and acceptance

4. “Franklin Goes to School” — Education and learning

5. “Franklin and the Mystery at Midnight” — Courage

6. “Franklin and the Truth That Got Away” — Honesty

7. “Franklin Takes Charge” — Leadership and service

8. “Franklin and the Rumble in the Sky” — Preparedness and courage

9. “Franklin and the Big Secret” — Trust and speaking up

10. “Franklin and the Runaway Kitten” — Responsibility and protecting others

11. “Franklin and the Quiet Place” — Compassion and grief

12. “Franklin and the Next Big Adventure” — Growing up and wisdom

“When I was growing up, we had ‘Cat in the Hat’ and some of the other books that taught us values and I want to kind of do that with these to help the children that are growing up now,” Hildreth said.

The author’s favorite thing about being able to create these books is seeing the smile on the child’s face: “I actually took one of the mockups of the first book and I gave it to a six-year-old girl and her and her dad were both just absolutely over the moon. Seeing that smile on her face, that's what I really really look forward to.”

Families can get involved in the adventure by participating in the Franklin’s Red Dot Ranger Contest, where they can share a story of 200 words or less about how their child lives by the Red Dot Ranger Code and how they have shown respect, kindness, courage, honesty, leadership and compassion.

Parents are asked to submit their story by email at Rich@Richhildreth.com or on Facebook Messenger @FranklinandtheRedDotRanger. With their entry, parents should include the following: child’s first name, age, state/country, parent or guardian name and their contact information.

Monthly winners will receive an official certificate, stickers and a thank you letter from Franklin and the runner-up winner will earn an autographed book. Lastly, the grand prize winner will receive an autographed book, as well as, with their parent’s permission, have their story featured in a special edition of a “Franklin’s Red Dot Adventures” story that will be published next spring.

The first three books in the series are published and available on Amazon.

To stay up to date on Franklin and his next adventure, visit www.richhildreth.com.

A forensic audit is an investigative examination of financial records designed to find evidence of fraud, embezzlement, theft, corruption or financial and other serious misconduct, according to agenda documents. It also looks for intentional wrongdoing and gathers legally admissible evidence to support litigation or criminal prosecution. This was requested by council at its June 2 meeting.

Prior to releasing a request for proposals, interim city manager Perwez Moheet provided council with seven items he identified to be audited:

“I believe this scope of work will put an end to that and put it to rest for good,” said Moheet.

The list, as follows, is presented in order of council priority, along with the votes:

1. Allegations of mismanagement, with specific focus on determining the causes, timeline and decision-making that resulted in the significant decline of the city’s general fund reserves from $34.2 million in fiscal year 2022-23 to a projected low of $10.3 million in fiscal year 2025-26: 6-1, with council member Lauralee Harris dissenting

2. Alleged overpayments by the city for properties, including five located downtown, three properties located on Veterans Drive, two properties located on Republic Drive and two properties located on Dacy Lane: 5-2, with council members Claudia Zapata and Harris dissenting

3. Alleged waste, abuse and improper use of city credit cards between 2021-2025: 5-2, with Zapata and Harris dissenting

4. Allegations of misconduct of official authority by a city official to influence and extort a business owner, including an alleged offer of $1 million and other city resources in exchange for favorable action by the business owner: 4-3, with council member Marc McKinney, Zapata and Harris dissenting

5. Allegations of fraud, corruption and improper personal enrichment by city officials in connection with the planning, development, data management and data utilization for the city’s public Uber transportation program: 5-2, with Zapata and Harris dissenting

Council also voted 7-0 to table the following areas: alleged corruption and misconduct reported by a city official to the Kyle Police Department; and allegations of misconduct, undue influence, conflict of interest and procurement process irregularities by city officials in the selection and contract award to American Structurepoint Inc.

Zapata shared that her opposition for the vote regarding the alleged offer of $1 million and the transportation program was because the Attorney General should be handling these cases, as the city does not have the authority to do so. Additionally, she and Harris stated that they felt as though the forensic audit was unnecessary because other solutions have already been presented and that they were told that the point of the audit was not to prosecute, though it seems this is the case.

“I’m looking at what’s going to gain us the most amount of potential dollars back or head off dollar losses. That’s my ranking,” explained council member Courtney Goza.

Moheet noted that the audits will be completed in phases, adding that a placeholder cost will be presented during the budget, until final numbers are confirmed through the request for proposals.

The first audit results will likely come back to council spring of 2027, read the presentation.

For more information on Kyle City Council, visit bit.ly/3RA2qZU.

This item follows a previous council vote June 27, which resulted in reducing Kyle Market Days from eight to two events. This meant that specialized days, such as Pride in June and Hispanic Heritage in September were removed.

It was at this meeting that council member Claudia Zapata stated keeping a Pride event for LGBTQIA+ community members was imperative, though others, such as council member Marc McKinney and Mayor Yvonne Flores-Cale, stated that, despite their support, they feel as though Market Days should be an event without themes.

The motion to reduce Market Days to two events, in the spring and fall, was approved 5-2, with Zapata and council member Lauralee Harris dissenting.

Since then, Zapata has taken to social media to advocate for the event and explain her reasoning behind the decision, resulting in both she and Harris bringing forward the item to consider and discuss staff to bring back options for a Pride event in 2027 at the July 21 meeting.

“During that discussion, it was said by members of this council that we cannot support a Pride event because we must think about everyone, that a government should remain neutral and that the city should not promote an agenda. Those statements are reckless at best and homophobic at worst,” began Zapata. “LGBTQ+ residents are not separate from everyone; they are part of this city … This agenda item does not mandate a large event. It does not establish a fixed budget or prescribe one format. It simply asks staff to develop reasonable options.”

Some of these options could include a small event similar to Market Days, a small parade or a sponsored- or partnership-based event that could be budget-neutral, said Zapata. She also noted that by having the event hosted by the city, it would prevent it from becoming bipartisan, as some of the groups that offered to host are political.

Harris said that she agreed with her co-sponsor’s statements and criticized the hateful comments Zapata received for her advocacy.

“I think that having Market Days has been a great asset to our city. It recognizes a great variety of people and a variety of cultures and that’s a good thing; that is not a bad thing,” said Harris.

McKinney noted that when he suggested separating Pride and Market Days, it was to never get rid of the celebration, but instead provide an opportunity to have a designated event: “The LGBTQ community is not a standalone entity. They encompass every kind of demographic that there is. They are a much bigger part of this community than you would like to believe.”

In opposition to the event was council member Melisa Medina, who emphasized that this is not because of homophobia, but because of fiscal responsibility. She noted that council member Courtney Goza shared on social media that she discussed a plan with a resident for a Pride event, in which she pledged $150 and offered to connect others with an individual to organize the event. The reception was positive, said Medina, and an opportunity to host the event without using taxpayer dollars.

The idea was presented by community member Dawn Conley for a Be You, Be Proud event, which would: collaborate with the Arts and Cultural Board for an art exhibit; ask the city’s Communication Department to create a Dialogue for Peace and Progress; and bring resources and fun for families.

Multiple residents supported the idea of a Pride event during public comment, one of whom was Heather Idella, who stated that she has seen the positive impact it had on those in this community.

“We had community members of Kyle express relief and appreciation for being able to be themselves fully at an event that was supported here. It also allowed them to learn about resources and build connections, which creates safety for all of our citizens,” said Idella.

Recalling a time when the city of Kyle didn’t host any events to recognize veterans, council member Michael Tobias stated that he went to the city multiple times searching for ways to celebrate them, until, ultimately, the community came together to form their own parade.

“I appreciate the story that you shared because I think it genuinely illustrates the failure of city government at that time to actually properly recognize and support veterans. Because the city failed, because the government failed, residents had to step up and do it themselves. Even after that, you continued going back to the city. Why? Because it means something. It means something for the city to recognize and put any sort of backing behind an event like this,” responded Zapata.

Regarding the city hosting the event, Goza noted that having an event specific to one marginalized group begs the question of how to determine which other groups also receive this treatment. So, a community-ran event would be better.

The mayor also shared support for a separate event, stating that she received emails from members of nonprofit Round Rock Pride, which offered to aid the community in creating its own Pride event.

Although there were multiple residents in support of Pride, several took to public comment to voice their objection for the item, including resident Alicia Hill.

“At a time when our city is facing significant budget challenges, I question whether asking staff to spend additional time researching options, estimating costs, preparing presentations and bringing back the issue is [the] best use of taxpayer resources,” said Hill. “[A] government’s main role is to keep us safe and our government recognizes every resident by providing equal protection under the law … not by sponsoring celebrations for particular identities or viewpoints.”

Ultimately, Tobias made a motion for the staff to work with nonprofits, community organizations and Zapata to bring an event for next year. This proposal would have event options, including budget requirements, and will be brought back to council at a later date for a vote. The item passed 5-2, with Medina and Goza dissenting.

To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/4fO3t1D.

Grady Reed, financial analyst for HDR Engineering, began by providing backgrounds for both water and wastewater.

For water, he explained that revenue is planned for an “average” year, which accounts for residential use of 6,500 gallons of water per month, although this can be higher in hot, dry years.

Water expenses for FY 2027 are expected to total $8.4 million. However, looking ahead, they are projected to increase to $10.4 million in FY 2031, due primarily to anticipated capital improvement plan (CIP) projects.

According to agenda documents, the largest increase in the CIP projects comes from the Public Works & Parks facility expansion, which are estimated at $2.5 million and $13 million for FY 2030 and FY 2031, respectively.

With the expected rise in expenses, Reed recommended a 6% across the board rate increase for water services. For 7,500 gallons of use, customers would pay an additional $4.46 per month.

Future large CIP projects are also on the horizon for wastewater, with expenses projected to increase from $9.2 million in FY 2027 to $11.3 million in FY 2031. Although, according to Reed, the fund has reserves above the required amount, he still recommends a 4% rate increase for wastewater. For 5,000 gallons of use, customers would pay an additional $2.74 per month.

“I am always asked, ‘Well, if we're above the current reserves, then why are we doing any rate increases?’ And the answer is, there's two things kind of at play here. One, you don't want to draw the reserves down too fast because then, whenever you hit your reserve target, you're going to be facing a really large rate increase in that year or those couple of years to try to stop that momentum and that's kind of painful to your customers,” Reed explained. “Most customers, while they may not like rate increases, I think it's generally a better idea to try to do some rate increases every year, in a more controlled manner, than maybe to skip it for a couple of years and then, you’re facing a 15% or 20% rate increase to try to catch up.”

The analyst also said that there could be some potential larger expenses that go beyond the five-year planning period that are not shown, such as an additional water supply the city may need, so by FY 2031, it might be good to carry a little more fund balance than the currently required three-month reserves.

Closing out his presentation, Reed compared the residential and commercial proposed rates to various surrounding cities. This showed that the residential rates remain less than Pflugerville, Liberty Hill, Taylor, Hutto and Kyle, while being higher than San Marcos, Georgetown and Leander.

The commercial rates remain lower than Hutto, Kyle and Pflugerville, while being higher than Liberty Hill, San Marcos, Taylor, Georgetown and Leander.

Additionally, the city has been looking at health insurance costs for staff members, after receiving notice that the current rate plan would be increasing by $659,363.88 to a total of more than $2.1 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

Currently, for the base health plan, the city contributes 100% of the employee’s premium and 72% of the premium for spouses and dependents.

During the meeting, council was presented with various cost-saving options, which include adding a high-deductible health plan, with a health savings account, to the options for employees who may be interested and/or decreasing the city’s contribution for spouses and dependents.

There were no votes on any items covered at the meeting; everything will be brought back to council as a part of the full proposed budget, which will be posted on the city’s website Aug. 7 and presented to council Aug. 13.

There will be a public hearing on the budget Sept. 1 and a public hearing on the tax rate Sept. 15.

Buda City Council will meet next Tuesday, Aug. 4.