WEF is a nonprofit created in 2006 to provide support for creativity in Wimberley ISD educators through funding innovative programs, projects and learning experiences. Most recently, the organization hosted a fundraiser to give grants to teachers across the district, said Superintendent Dr. Greg Bonewald. There were 41 grant submissions received and over the next few weeks, several instructors will be selected.

“Imagine a classroom where teachers aren't restricted by a traditional budget, where a great idea can quickly become a hands-on learning experience for students. Over the past two decades, that's exactly what the education foundation has done by turning innovative ideas into real-life experiences in our classrooms,” said Bonewald. “Through WEF's mission, the generosity of our community is connected with the creativity of our local educators through their innovative teaching grants; WEF empowers teachers to dream bigger, providing funding for unique programs and projects that the standard school budget just can't cover.”

The nonprofit has provided more than $500,000 in innovative grants across 411 classroom projects since its inception.

Then, Bonewald stated that each of the members of WEF would receive a token for the district’s appreciation.

Next, Assistant Superintendent Michelle Turek and director of Human Resources Jennifer Cooper presented The Blueprint: Texan Leadership Academy.

“We have some incredibly talented individuals throughout our district, people who are already leading in classrooms, departments and campuses each and every single day. The Blueprint is about recognizing their potential, creating opportunities for growth and being super intentional about developing leadership from within our very own district,” explained Turek.

The program is directly aligned with the district’s Strategic Plan by supporting faculty and staff excellence, as well as continuous development and training.

The inaugural cohort will have 13 members, each of whom completed an application process that included reflection on leadership interest and goals, a supervisor recommendation and an interview component. Those participating include:

Leslie Campbell — Jacob’s Well Elementary School

Jennifer Carver — Jacob’s Well Elementary School

Misty Fletcher-Remmers — Wimberley High School

Brenton Galley — Jacob’s Well Elementary School

Cheyenne Gold — Wimberley High School

Gabrielle Goodman — Special Education Department

Melissa Ivicic  — Jacob’s Well Elementary School

Quinn Watson Morris — Disciplinary Alternative Education Program

Cade Pharis — Wimberley High School

Amber Wakem Poole — Wimberley High School

Elizabeth Riley — Special Education Department

Tonya Rosborough  — Jacob’s Well Elementary School

Laquita Sellers — Wimberley High School

Beginning Oct. 26, said Cooper, the members will engage in several learning experiences designed to give them a broader understanding of the district by learning directly from leaders, exploring the school system and board governance and more.

“These individuals represent different roles, different experiences throughout the district, but they share something very important — that willingness to want to learn and a desire to grow here within each and every one of our campuses and in all of our departments, which is very special,” said Turek.

The Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees will meet next Monday, Nov. 16.

The strong turnout made the bash a festive community celebration, bringing families together for an evening of costumes, candy and Halloween fun.

The free event, held from 4 to 9 p.m., offered a trick-or-treat trail, Halloween-themed carnival games, live music and a costume contest. A haunted trail, s’mores and photo booths rounded out the evening’s attractions.

Beginning Oct. 25, Angels for Elders clients will receive care under the Blue Water Homecare name. For the families involved, very little changes will occur day to day, said a news release. Angels for Elders caregivers are joining Blue Water Homecare alongside the clients they already know and care for and the agency's local phone number, 512-847-7445, will remain the same.

Angels for Elders founders Ann Guilford, RN, and Kima Coltharp, RN, will help introduce clients and caregivers to the Blue Water team during the transition. Denise Salinas, executive director of Blue Water Homecare, will oversee care going forward.

“We built Angels for Elders on the idea that people should be cared for at home by someone who knows them,” said Guilford. “When we started looking at what came next, we wanted a partner who runs things the same way. Blue Water is nurse-led and local and they understood right away that our caregivers are the heart of this.”

That continuity was important to Blue Water Homecare, too.

“Ann and Kima have earned a lot of trust in Wimberley and we don’t take that lightly,” said Jennifer Prescott, RN, MSN, owner and [chief operations officer] of Blue Water Homecare. “Our goal is to keep the people and relationships that families already know, while giving them the support of a larger care team behind the scenes. The families who have trusted Angels for Elders over the years shouldn’t notice anything different except more help when they need it.”

Families with questions can call 512-847-7445 or Blue Water Homecare’s main office at 512-872-2955.

Derek Harvey and Taylor Harvey had barely left their Woodcreek neighborhood when a strong contraction made Taylor worry they wouldn’t finish the drive to San Marcos. By the time they reached the bridge over the Blanco River, worry had become certainty.

Derek said that his wife told him, “Pull over, this baby’s coming out.”

Minutes later, a Wimberley parking lot became an unexpected delivery room, with two paramedics helping the couple welcome their second son.

For Derek, the trip had started with a phone call to Luminary, the San Marcos birthing center where the couple planned to deliver. Taylor’s water had broken and he called to let the team know. As her contractions intensified, he called again before they headed out.

Then came the contraction just outside their neighborhood.

“I don’t want to have this baby on the side of the road,” Derek recalled Taylor saying.

He switched on his emergency flashers and continued toward town, but Bennett’s arrival was moving faster than their drive.

After Taylor told him to stop, Derek pulled into the parking lot near the Hays County Precinct 3 offices. Two women were outside a nearby nail salon and he quickly got their attention and asked them to call 911.

“I just went into action,” he said.

Wimberley Emergency Medical Services paramedics Adrian Castillo and Michael Afflerbach arrived within minutes, Derek estimated. The baby was already crowning.

There was no time to continue to the birthing center. There also was no reason to move Taylor, Afflerbach said. She was positioned well inside the car and Derek was beside her, ready to help.

“Once we saw the baby crowning, you already know it’s imminent,” Afflerbach said.

The paramedics prepared their equipment and stayed ready for complications. Castillo said his attention was on getting both mother and baby safely through the delivery.

“Michael and I had everything prepared and ready, just in case something was to happen,” he said. “We were prepared.”

About five minutes after the paramedics arrived, Bennett was born.

“Textbook birth,” Afflerbach said. “I mean, it was perfect.”

The moment brought another surprise. The Harveys had waited until the birth to learn whether their baby was a boy or a girl.

EMS Chief Cathy Montgomery described the discovery as Taylor brought the newborn to her chest.

“Oh, it’s a boy,” she recalled the parents saying, which they noted added another boy to the family.

For Castillo, who has worked in EMS since 2021, the birth marked a different kind of first. Although he had been involved in childbirth calls before, this was his first delivery relying on his partner and the resources they carried.

He called it one of the highlights of his career — so far.

Afflerbach, a paramedic since 2020 and a father of four, had participated in his own children’s births with midwives. Still, helping welcome a healthy newborn on an emergency call offered a side of the job he seldom experiences.

“It’s very rare we get to see this side of things,” he said.

Montgomery said emergency crews more often meet families when someone is sick, injured or grieving. This call gave them the chance to share in a joyful moment — and to support a mother doing the hardest work.

“Mom is the one that’s actually doing the work,” Montgomery said.

The chief credited teamwork amongst Taylor, Derek and the paramedics, who were ready to intervene if the delivery did not go as expected.

Derek also praised the Luminary team, who he said arrived about three minutes after the paramedics and joined in caring for Taylor and Bennett.

“They were super professional and very kind,” he said of the paramedics. “We were so happy that they were there.”

Looking back, Derek is still struck by how smoothly an unplanned parking lot delivery unfolded.

The destination changed, but the outcome was everything the Harveys had hoped for.

Mother, baby and the rest of the family are healthy and doing well, Derek said — with a new little brother and a birth story they won’t soon forget.

The Wimberley ISD State of the District was held in the Wimberley Community Center and hosted by the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce. City and community leadership were in attendance to learn about construction updates and student success during the event.

Bonewald began by sharing that the district has approximately 2,700 students across four campuses, beginning with a prekindergarten program at age 3 through 12th grade.

Throughout the years, the district’s enrollment has stayed steady, continued the superintendent, despite the fact that there are fewer children being born, due to economic stressors and lifestyle changes. This means that the beginning grades at the elementary level have the lowest enrollment, but that the district is actually seeing an increase in enrollment at the third to fifth grade level; ultimately, balancing the number of students.

Next, chief financial officer Michael Doyle took to the podium to discuss the status of the 2025 bond projects, including: Prop A at $109.9 million for growth, safety and rehabilitation; Prop B at $6.05 million for technology; Prop C at $5.73 million for Texan Stadium improvements; and Prop D at $13.23 million for a shaded multipurpose activity center

The follow projects are happening at each school:

Blue Hole Elementary School: A new parking lot has been constructed for safety and a new roof has replaced the previous hail damaged one.

Jacob's Well Elementary School: New HVAC system and a new roof from hail damage.

Danforth Middle School: Concrete slabbing has been placed for the new Performing Arts Center and the cooling tower has been updated.

Wimberley High School: The new band hall addition and the weight room is currently being slabbed, while construction has been completed on the new underground detention pond and new marching band pad.

Bonewald added that, unfortunately, some of the students may feel a bit of discomfort toward the end of the year, as demolition is slated to start earlier than initially anticipated, in order to comply with timelines, such as the girls locker rooms at Danforth.

Other projects ongoing, said Doyle, are the multipurpose activity center, which will allow outside organizations to safely practice during the extreme Texas heat, new HVAC and restrooms at the middle and high school level, new lighting for the practice fields that are Dark Sky compliant and more.

Moving inside the classroom, Bonewald shared that the district has also started implementing an audio enhancement device. This is both for instructional and safety purposes. First, the audio enhancement will allow students at the back of the classroom to have a better chance of understanding what the teacher is saying and prevent the instructors from straining their voices for speaking loudly eight hours a day.

It will also serve as an alert device, said Bonewald.

“It has a certain sequence,” he explained. “It will either alert the front office if there’s some sort of emergency — it might be a medical emergency; it might be a safety situation. Another sequence will go directly to first responders at 911.”

Additionally, translation earbuds are in the beginning stages for students that have English as a second language, as this is a growing need in the district, he shared.

Over the past year, success was aplenty in the district, said Bonewald.

He noted that out of eight schools, WISD earned 801 University Interscholastic League points among several areas —  including theatre, art, athletics, debate and more — scoring more than the other seven schools combined.

Students also surpassed the national average for advanced placement testing, with a 93.4% passing rate. These tests can then qualify for college credit, said Bonewald, though that is not the only option.

“Some kids are going directly to college; some kids are going to get certificates that allow them to go straight into the workforce; [and] some are going to get certifications and still go to college because that’s the right path for them. Two years ago, Wimberley High School earned a total of 173 certifications … This past year was 358,” shared the superintendent.

These students are taking the skills learned and implementing them into their own businesses. He even shared that at the 2026 graduation, a student was passing out his business cards as he walked the stage.

“We’ve talked about facilities. We’ve talked about academics and extracurricular success. One of the things that really came clearly to me when we went through that strategic planning process with a large group of our community several years ago is that our community also values that we are teaching character traits in our schools,” he recalled.

In an effort to do this, programs, such as T.E.X.A.N. Roots and the Fig Tree Outreach Program have begun. The first started in 2021 with the intent to create thoughtful decision making, interpersonal skills, personal skills, goal setting and problem solving, while the second provides food for children facing food insecurity.

Bonewald also shared that the district has had to be strategic with its finances, due to limited funding from the state legislature: “If you increase funding, but you tell local school boards exactly how that funding can be used and can only be used that way, it does nothing to address inflationary costs in operating the entire system, paying custodians, buying food — all of these things that the districts have to do.”

Finally, he concluded the presentation by praising the organizations that come together to support Wimberley ISD and its students, as well as noting that community members can help sponsor a practicum student, donate materials and resources, support teacher and staff recognition and support the Wimberley Education Foundation to continue to help the district.

Tourism

Tourism director Michele Woods began her presentation by going over numbers from fiscal year 2025-26, which included a total net revenue of $854,000, an increase of approximately $157,000, or 23%, from the previous year.

“What’s really interesting and kind of complex about that is that that reflects not only some increased tourism performance, but there was also some really intentional work that we were doing all year long kind of behind the scenes to improve how we’re both collecting that revenue and then, also retaining it,” Woods explained.

At the beginning of 2026, she continued, the department set out to look at the city’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT) accounts to understand each one, identify which ones were behind and figure out how to help them come into compliance.

As a result of those efforts, approximately $40,000 in back taxes were collected, while an additional $100,000 has been tagged as outstanding. They are working with the city attorney on the collections for the overdue accounts.

A renegotiation of the department’s contract with HdL Companies netted a decrease from approximately $144,000 last year to about $56,000 this year, for which council congratulated them.

On the marketing side, Tourism’s Stars, Stripes and Wimberley Nights program led the net HOT revenue for both July and August to increase approximately 27%.

Building onto the traditions built from the past few years is the goal for the upcoming Hometown Holidays, said Woods. Some additions to the event are the Great Wimberley Reindeer Trail, which will include 13 different 6- to 7-foot lighted deer spread around town and have a scavenger hunt with it, and Ben the Longhorn, who will join Texan Santa downtown Saturday, Dec. 19.

Finally, they will be bringing back the New Year’s Eve ball drop, following its success last year.

“We will still have the ball; we’re not going to have a boot to drop yet, but that is in the plans,” she stated.

In 2027, priorities include:

Implementing Placer.ai

Improving visitor experience

Increasing HOT compliance

“Before I wrap up, I do want to take a second and just recognize [visitors services coordinator Gabrielle Snyder.] Our office, especially in looking back at this, has been able to get a lot done this year and there’s no doubt it could not have been done without her,” Woods concluded. “So, I just want to thank you.”

Parks

Parks director Erica Flocke shared the department’s annual report, citing 145 acres of parkland managed, an average of 65,000 swimmers per year and more than 60 annual programs and events under its purview.

There are eight locations with public parkland in the city limits, including:

Blue Hole Regional Park

Cypress Creek Nature Preserve

Martha Knies Community Park

Oak Park & Welcome Center

Old Baldy Park

Patsy Glenn Refuge

Sunrise Park

Wimberley Community Center

Parks staff is broken down among four managers: Isabella St. John, operations; Rachel Littleton, programs; Bryce Burkhalter, maintenance/natural resources; and Samantha Engemoen, community center. In addition to managers, there are 10 year-round employees and 21 seasonal employees.

“I can’t talk about anything in this department without talking about the people that run it because I’m just one face in this department and these are the people that are running everything in this department,” said Flocke.

In regard to actual park operations, while the total number of half-day passes sold was down 1% from FY 2025, income generated from those passes increased 39.6% to a total of $851,442, due to a price increase on them.

Additionally, 402 seasonal passes were sold, generating $46,244, and merchandise sales garnered $45,729. Currently, merchandise is only available in person, however the department has seen an increase in requests for online availability, which Flocke said she is looking into.

Another positive change over the previous season is that there were only 10 swim slots cancelled, due to weather, and there were no closures related to water level.

While the majority of visitors to Blue Hole Regional Park come from South Austin, the park saw visitors from at least 47 different countries during the fiscal year.

For programs and events, the department had nearly 4,000 total program participant bookings for the year. This includes everyone who signed up for an event on the website; however, some events, such as BOO! Hole Halloween, do not require signup, so those numbers are not included.

Enrollment was down at both the Blue Hole Nature Camp and Wimberley Summer Camp, at 86% full and 47% full, respectively. The Spring Break Camp was 100% full, but only served 20 children.

With only three employees, the maintenance/natural spaces department was spread thin, but still managed to complete numerous projects over the course of the year, including, but not limited to:

Repaired Old Baldy steps

Designed, built and installed more than 50 trail signs

Installed stage at Oak Park

Replaced drinking fountains at Blue Hole

Conducted E. coli testing and monitored water levels at Blue Hole throughout summer

Removed playground at Martha Knies Community Park in preparation for new playground

There were also numerous upgrades and repairs made at the Wimberley Community Center, including: senior lounge kitchen renovation, restroom plumbing repairs, baby-changing stations added, fire system repairs, HVAC repairs and more.

Revenue for the parks department came in higher than expected, at $1,167,625, while expenses came in lower than anticipated, at $841,115.

While expenses for the community center itself came in slightly under budget,at $238,759, so did the revenue, at $72,731, rather than the $85,000 budgeted. The $166,000 loss was made up by the parks budget.

The department is not without its challenges, some of which include operational challenges, such as limited revenue generation, competition with free public spaces and aging infrastructure at the community center. Additionally, high visitation at parks is resulting in maintenance, restrooms and infrastructure struggles, said Flocke, especially on busy weekends with limited staff.

Looking ahead to FY 2027, Flocke anticipates suggestions from a recently-created Community Center Evaluation Committee, which has been tasked with deciding how to improve revenue and what the future of the facility should look like. She is also anticipating the completion of the Aquatics Feasibility Study, which will soon come back to council, and the new playground at Martha Knies Community Park in November.

No action was taken, as both reports were intended to only provide updates to council.

Wimberley City Council will meet next Thursday, Nov. 5.

The opening-night festivities feature the Wishes for Wimberley Lighted Parade at 6 p.m., followed by the downtown tree lighting. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to explore Wimberley Square, shop for gifts and enjoy dinner before the evening celebrations, read a news release.

Throughout the season, the Downtown Christmas Courtyard at 101 Wimberley Square will feature holiday lights, decorations, photo opportunities and free live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, along with special activities on select dates. Visiting the courtyard, parade and tree lighting is free.

Beyond downtown, the EmilyAnn Trail of Lights returns to EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens, inviting visitors to explore light displays created by local businesses, organizations and families. Together, these experiences offer plenty of reasons to turn a holiday outing into a Hill Country overnight getaway.

Additional season highlights include:

•   Dec. 5: Santa Pub Crawl. Dress as Santa or a favorite Christmas character for a festive stroll through downtown, with donations encouraged for Crisis Bread Basket.

•   Dec. 19: Photos with Texan Santa and Ben the Longhorn. The event time is to be announced.

•   Dec. 31, 7 p.m.: Downtown New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. Families can welcome the new year together with an early evening countdown in downtown Wimberley.

Between events, visitors can explore Wimberley’s boutiques, galleries, restaurants and tasting rooms, then settle into a local inn, cabin or vacation rental.

Hometown Holidays brings together events hosted by community organizations, local businesses and partners throughout Wimberley, continued the release. Dates, locations, admission requirements and schedules vary by event and additional activities will be announced as planning continues.

For the latest holiday calendar, visit www.HometownHolidays.com. Explore lodging and plan a stay at www.VisitWimberleyTX.org.

The agreement permanently protects 200.73 acres of Cypress Acres Ranch, preserving creek frontage, wildlife habitat and agricultural land, just north of Wimberley Square. The Gumbert family has cared for the property for more than six decades.

Frank Davis, Chief Conservation Officer for Hill Country Conservancy, said the agreement will help preserve a significant stretch of land along Cypress Creek as the surrounding area changes.

“Wimberley and the Hill Country are changing at an astounding rate that is obvious to residents and to most visitors,” Davis said.

The ranch contains 2,087 feet of Cypress Creek frontage and 11,567 feet — about 2.2 miles — of tributaries that feed the creek. Blue Hole Regional Park lies about one-third of a mile downstream, according to an assessment of the property.

Davis said the ranch’s location makes its protection particularly important to the creek and the park.

“It is well established that preserving the surface of a property from substantial development reduces runoff and mitigates flood risk, while enhancing infiltration and recharge,” Davis said. “This is most effective on lands that are closer to major waterways, such as Cypress Creek.”

The property assessment describes how preserving vegetation along waterways and surrounding uplands can stabilize soils, slow floodwaters and help filter pollutants, including fertilizers and herbicides. Those protections can benefit water flowing beyond the ranch’s boundaries.

The ranch also includes a tributary, dubbed “Plum Creek” by the owners. The assessment documents signs of flooding along that drainage, including damaged fencing, a damaged bridge and erosion along creek banks. Streams and water quality buffers were mapped through fieldwork and geographic data to help identify areas for protection.

Under the easement, the ranch must remain a single parcel, with a limited number of homes. Development cannot harm Cypress Creek or other water resources, Davis said, and significant habitat areas are protected.

“The property will never be a gravel quarry or contain any commercial cellular towers,” he said.

Existing uses will continue, “There will be no change to the cabins and agricultural operations,” Davis said.

The conservancy has also documented the ranch’s importance to wildlife. More than 70 bird species, including golden-cheeked warblers, have been recorded on the property, according to the conservancy.

Bird surveys were conducted by Rich Kostecke, a certified wildlife biologist on the conservancy’s team who holds a doctorate in conservation biology.

“Development is limited to areas outside of significant habitat and land management will be conducted to promote long-term ground cover and native biodiversity,” Davis said.

The easement was funded through two conservation programs. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded funding to Hill Country Conservancy and its partners through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Davis said the ranch was selected through a competitive process.

That funding was matched by an award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, though Davis said the conservancy does not typically disclose funding amounts for individual projects.

The protections will continue if ownership changes, as Davis said the conservancy will conduct regular monitoring visits and work with current and future landowners to uphold the agreement.

For Davis, the significance of protecting Cypress Acres Ranch will become more apparent over time.

“The legacy of our work will become increasingly visible as the landscape surrounding protected lands continues to change,” he said.

He described conservation as a gift to future generations who will need clean water and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.

“We sincerely believe that those future generations will cherish the legacy we are building today,” Davis said.

Opening Oct. 9, the exhibition brings together nine artists whose work considers what happens when experience reaches emotional and sensory abundance and how that intensity can transform perception, read a news release.

Participating artists include Matt Rebholz, Olivia Gray, Jonas Criscoe, Hyla Zamoa, Shannon Faseler, Jeff Worden, Benjamin H. McVey, Teresa Moralez-Davis and Lydia Shanafelt. Working across a range of visual practices, the artists approach saturation through bold palettes, rich surfaces, dense compositions and immersion, continued the release.

Together, the works consider saturation as both a visual condition and a broader social, psychological, cultural and environmental experience. The exhibition asks what happens when intensity reaches a threshold — when fullness becomes excess, when emotion becomes engulfing and when accumulation begins to shift the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us.

SATURATION will be accompanied by additional programming throughout its run, including a painting class led by Olivia Gray Nov. 7 and an artist talk with Matt Rebholz Dec. 19. These programs provide additional opportunities for audiences to engage with the artists, their processes and the ideas explored throughout the exhibition.

Further details on the exhibition:

•  Exhibition Dates: Oct. 9 through Jan. 2, 2027

•  Opening Reception: from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 9

•  Gallery Hours: from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

•  Location: 111 River Road, Suite 100, Wimberley

•  Exhibition Admission: Free and open to the public

For more information, visit www.projectartwimberley.org/saturation.

The city of Woodcreek notified the community that on Monday, Sept. 28, a portion of Woodcreek Drive became closed for construction, read a news release. The closure will extend from Champions Circle in Woodcreek to Cypress Point — roughly the north side of the bridge near Cypress Falls.

The closure is expected to last approximately five weeks. The road is anticipated to re-open in early November.

This closure means that vehicles will be unable to travel through Woodcreek on Woodcreek Drive from FM 2325 to Ranch Road 12 and vice versa.

WISD is aware that many parents use this route to travel from Jacob’s Well Elementary or secondary campuses to Blue Hole Primary. Other routes include Jacob’s Well Road, Emergency Lane or La Buena Vista.

For questions regarding the construction project, reach out to the city of Woodcreek at 512-847-9390.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Hays County Fire Marshal’s Office and Hays County Office of Emergency Services responded to the property and conducted an initial assessment, according to Hays County Fire Marshal Jake Vierra. Based on the information provided and the items observed, officials determined that a bomb squad was needed to safely evaluate the items and determine the appropriate disposal method.

The Austin Police Department Bomb Squad and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Austin Field Office responded to assist, according to a Hays County news release. After a detailed assessment, specialists determined that controlled detonations were the safest and most appropriate way to dispose of the materials.

Responding agencies coordinated with a nearby property owner to use an open field to safely transport and remediate the materials. The controlled detonations were completed as part of the remediation process.

During the incident, a shelter-in-place notification was erroneously sent to residents near the location where the controlled detonations were taking place. The message was intended to notify nearby residents of the increased first responder presence and advise them that controlled detonations would occur, said the release. Residents were meant to be informed that they might hear or feel explosions in the area and that there was no reason to be alarmed.

“The Hays County Fire Marshal’s Office and its partner agencies apologize for the confusion and concern this notification may have caused,” said Vierra. “An internal review will be conducted to determine how the error occurred and what improvements can be made to ensure future public notifications are clear, accurate and appropriate for the circumstances.”

The investigation identified the individual responsible for the items as 40-year-old Robert Chapman of Wimberley. According to investigators, Chapman previously lived as a tenant on the property where the items were discovered. He died in a drowning incident at Canyon Lake around Aug. 30, more than two weeks before the materials were found.

The ATF is handling the investigation into the materials and the circumstances surrounding their presence on the property.

Officials did not identify a threat to the public during the incident and no threat remains associated with the materials recovered from the property or the property itself.

The Hays County Fire Marshal’s Office extended its appreciation to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Hays County Office of Emergency Services, Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC), Austin Police Department Bomb Squad and ATF Austin Field Office for their professionalism, specialized expertise and assistance throughout the incident.

“We also extend our sincere appreciation to Hays County CERT for providing rehabilitation and support to the personnel working throughout the operation and to Hays County ESD No. 4/Wimberley Fire Rescue for providing fire protection standby,” Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra added. “We are extremely grateful for the professionalism and assistance of every agency and individual involved.”

The 175-acre preserve, which opened to the public in March, is located next to Jacob’s Well Natural Area and offers visitors a chance to experience a piece of the Wimberley Valley that only a few years ago was being considered for a large residential development.

The first phase of the preserve includes approximately 2 miles of trails that connect with the North 40 Trail at Jacob’s Well Natural Area. Along the way, visitors can experience the rugged limestone landscape characteristic of this part of Hays County, as well as portions of Dry Cypress Creek and habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler. The property is also home to the Wimberley Bat Cave.

Beyond providing another place to hike, the preserve protects environmentally sensitive land within the Jacob’s Well watershed. Its caves, fractures and other karst features allow rainfall to make its way underground and help recharge the Trinity Aquifer, which feeds Jacob’s Well.

The property, formerly known as Coleman’s Canyon, was purchased by the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association in 2019 after plans had called for residential development of more than 1,000 lots. Hays County later acquired the property with funding from the voter-approved 2020 Parks and Open Spaces Bond. A conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy provides permanent protection for the land.

As summer gives way to cooler Hill Country days, Karst Canyon Preserve offers residents another reason to head outdoors and a chance to see firsthand a landscape that has been permanently set aside for water, wildlife and future generations.

Now in its third year, the event brought together The Greater Mercy Foundation, the Wimberley ISD Wellness Center and Blue Hole Regional Park, along with student organizations and volunteers.

“This is an event about connecting and it is about conversations,” event organizer Jen Sabatier said.

Participants could take part in a 5K walk or run, visit a wellness fair featuring community resources and stop along a memorial lane where families and friends honored loved ones lost to suicide.

For Sabatier, the gathering is also a reminder that small interactions can make a difference for someone who may be struggling.

“It matters if you say hello to someone,” she said. “It matters if you're reaching out when you see someone struggling.”

Money raised through the event supports affordable and accessible mental health services in the community through the Mother Tree project. Organizer Amy Lyles said funds raised last year helped open the program, which has now been operating for a year.

“Our goal this year was met, so we'll be open for another year to serve our communities,” Lyles said.

The program includes 11 core practitioners and two case managers who help assess clients and connect them with appropriate therapists, counselors and other resources, regardless of their ability to pay.

For 27-year-old Seana Featherston, however, the importance of the event is deeply personal.

Featherston lost her mother when she was 20. She said the loss sent her to “a dark place for a long time” and she eventually discovered that talking with others and sharing experiences helped her heal.

She first attended the Wimberley event last year simply as a member of the community. Seeing others openly acknowledge experiences with suicide had an immediate impact.

“I just couldn't hold back the tears,” Featherston said. “I was very touched.”

She said messages people shared on a bulletin board helped her recognize something she had struggled to see after losing her mother.

“It helped me realize that I'm not alone,” she said.

Featherston said suicide can still be difficult for people to discuss openly, making events that bring people together especially meaningful.

For the organizers, that sense of connection is exactly the point — creating a community where people struggling with their mental health, as well as those grieving someone they have lost, know that someone sees them and cares.

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the passage of time has done little to diminish the meaning of the day for those who gathered at the memorial plaza, located within the EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens.

Against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6441 hosted Wimberley’s annual Patriot Day ceremony — a morning devoted to remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, honoring the first responders and military personnel who answered the call afterward; and recognizing a local resident whose service has been devoted to the town he calls home.

“Today is the day that we have designated as Patriot Day and on this day, we remember all of the lives that we lost 25 years ago today on 9/11, 2001,” Mike Lukowiak, member of Wimberley’s VFW Post 6441, told those gathered. “We also honor our first responders and the military personnel who serve as our primary line of defense in times of need.”

The absence of many local first responders that morning offered its own reminder of what service can require. Lukowiak said several had spent the previous day battling a fire in the Woodcreek area, with firefighters not finishing their work until about 1 a.m.

The ceremony recalled the events of Sept. 11, when four commercial airliners were hijacked. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, N.Y., another struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Va, and a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pa, after passengers fought back against the hijackers. The attacks killed 2,977 people, including hundreds of emergency responders.

For retired U.S. Army Col. Mike Thibodeaux, who is active with Wimberley VFW, the anniversary was also an opportunity to consider everything that has followed in the quarter-century since.

“Most people remember where they were during that time and what they were doing during the time of the attacks,” Thibodeaux said.

He reflected on the wars, national security changes and sacrifices of American service members that followed 9/11. He pointed to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and changes in intelligence coordination, surveillance and airport security as part of the attack’s enduring legacy.

“As difficult as these years have been, and they have been, I believe we are a stronger nation after 9/11,” Thibodeaux said. “Our men and women, both in uniform and the civilians, have responded to the war on terrorism as a patriotic duty.”

But in Wimberley, Patriot Day has also become an occasion to recognize another kind of service - the quieter work of people who devote themselves to their neighbors and community.

As part of the ceremony, VFW Post 6441 named John Poe the 2026 Wimberley Patriot of the Year.

Poe served as an Air Force sergeant during the Vietnam War era and was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Japan before spending more than four decades working in Houston’s energy sector. After retiring to Wimberley, he turned his attention to community service, volunteering with organizations, including the Wimberley Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity and the Wimberley Institute of Cultures.

His wife of 41 years, Karen Poe, introduced him during the ceremony, describing a life shaped by family, hard work and service.

“Once here, John jumped into the ‘Wimberley Way’ with his volunteering,” she said. “Always ready to step up and help, he has volunteered with numerous organizations. We are blessed to be part of this community. Every day there is an opportunity to see neighbor helping neighbor.”

Karen Poe said her husband’s commitment to service was rooted in lessons learned early in life. His father served in the Army during World War II and was a prisoner of war in Germany, while his mother was a teacher. Those examples, she said, helped establish a lifelong commitment to family and community.

Standing before friends and family after receiving the recognition, Poe called the honor “unbelievable.”

He also reflected on the small poppy flower he had been given that morning, a symbol traditionally associated with remembrance of those lost in war. For Poe, it connected the sacrifices of generations past with those remembered on Sept. 11.

“9/11 was such a terrible event, but that’s one of the prices that we pay for our freedoms that we have,” Poe said.

He spoke of the balance between freedom and security and the need to remain vigilant, while expressing gratitude for the military, government personnel and first responders who continue to protect the public.

Then, with family members and friends present, Poe kept his response to the recognition simple.

“Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

It was a fitting sentiment for a morning built around remembrance and gratitude.

Twenty-five years after a September morning became permanently etched into the nation’s memory, the flags above the Wimberley Veterans Memorial Plaza were lowered to half-staff but continued to move in the Hill Country breeze, overlooking a community gathered not only to remember those who were lost, but to honor those who continue to serve.

About two dozen people attended the town hall to hear findings from the ongoing study. The discussion focused heavily on construction and operating costs, water conservation, potential locations and whether a facility could provide year-round swimming.

The study grew out of the city’s master plan, adopted in 2024, and is intended to determine what an aquatic facility could look like, what it might cost and how much the city could spend annually to operate it. City officials stressed that this cannot be solely a Wimberley project. Rather, it must be a valley-wide effort involving the county, Wimberley, Woodcreek and the school district.

Austin Powers of Kimley-Horn, the consulting firm conducting the study, emphasized that no decision has been made to build an aquatic center.

“We haven't decided whether it should or shouldn't happen,” Powers said. “Really, that's not up to us.”

Consultants have gathered information through a community survey, stakeholder meetings, demographic research and comparisons with other communities.

George Deines, an aquatic facility consultant working on the study, said survey responses showed strong demand for recreational and competitive swimming, lessons, lap swimming and aquatic exercise. Residents also indicated they wanted a facility focused primarily on the local community, rather than a large regional attraction.

Water conservation, however, was a recurring concern.

“Water conservation probably came up in 40 to 50% of the open-ended comments,” Deines said.

Consultants presented concepts for an outdoor facility, featuring a six-lane lap pool, zero-depth entry area, play features and slides. The lap pool could accommodate Wimberley ISD swimmers, while also being used for lessons, exercise and recreational activities.

Blue Hole Regional Park and Wimberley ISD property were used as possible locations for conceptual planning, but Powers stressed that neither has been selected: “Just because we're showing a concept at Blue Hole Regional Park, doesn't mean it's going to go there.”

The outdoor concept at Blue Hole would cost close to $10 million, consultants estimated. Building on school district property could cost slightly more, due to additional parking and vehicle access being needed.

An indoor aquatic center would cost more than $16 million, according to the presentation.

Operating expenses also differ considerably. The outdoor concept would cost an estimated $275,000 annually for seasonal operations, while an indoor facility could cost approximately $750,000 annually because of year-round staffing, utilities and building systems.

Admission fees, passes, swimming lessons, programs and rentals could recover some expenses, as consultants estimated a cost recovery rate of roughly 30 to 60%, with the outdoor facility requiring an annual subsidy of about $110,000 and an indoor facility requiring approximately $500,000.

“The majority of municipal indoor aquatic facilities are subsidized across the country,” Deines said. “You will actually find very few indoor facilities that cover all of their costs.”

No admission prices have been approved, though consultants used estimated daily rates of $5 to $10 in their projections.

Krista Collier, whose daughters are on the swim team, asked whether an outdoor pool could be heated and operated throughout the year, as Wimberley swimmers currently travel to Dripping Springs to practice.

“We spend thousands and thousands of dollars going to [Dripping Springs], driving to Drip,” Collier said. “Our kids are driving on that road every day, multiple times a day.”

Powers said year-round outdoor swimming could be studied, although staffing — particularly finding lifeguards outside the summer months — could present challenges.

Deines said consultants could also consider separating the lap pool from the recreational portion, allowing the city to heat and cover only the pool being used during colder months.

Jill Johnson, Wimberley High School's swim coach, said she would support a facility that could be used year-round.

Water use generated some of the night's most pointed questions.

Deines said conservation measures could include pool covers and regenerative media filtration systems, which reduce the amount of water lost through conventional backwashing.

Still, an aquatic facility would require significant amounts of water. Deines said a pool holding approximately 275,000 gallons could use three to four times that amount during a summer because of the initial fill, evaporation, splash-out and other losses.

Resident Andrew Weber questioned how construction of a swimming pool could be reconciled with the area's ongoing water concerns, particularly if Blue Hole Regional Park were selected.

Weber, who identified himself as chair of Friends of Wimberley Parks and the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association, also questioned whether the presentation indicated the city had moved beyond determining whether the project was feasible.

Powers said the consultants are not recommending whether Wimberley should build the facility.

“We're not going to come up with the yes or no answer on this,” he said.

Powers said funding options have not been fully explored. A city bond could be one possibility, although such a measure would ultimately be decided by voters within Wimberley's city limits.

Melissa Wolters, Hays County watershed coordinator, encouraged the consultants to involve additional watershed and conservation organizations and questioned whether the source of the facility's water should play a larger role in determining its location.

Wimberley City Council member Rebecca Minnick said the feasibility study was undertaken because residents have discussed a community pool for years.

“When we're talking feasibility, we're [asking], ‘Can it really happen,’” said Minnick. “It's a money issue; it's a water issue; it's a location issue and all of those things combined.”

She said conducting the study does not mean the city has committed to building a pool.

“What our community needs to know is: Is it possible,” Minnick asked.

Resident Sarah Atwood, who said she supports the idea of a community pool, urged consultants to make the source and reliability of the water supply a priority. She also questioned whether preliminary operating estimates fully accounted for employees, insurance and liability.

City administrator Tim Patek said insurance through the Texas Municipal League is estimated at about $16,000 annually for an outdoor pool and $26,000 for an indoor facility.

Consultants said partnerships with organizations, such as Wimberley ISD, the YMCA or neighboring communities, could potentially reduce land, construction or operating costs. Sponsorships and other private support could also help.

The city has not selected a site, approved a design, determined how a facility would be funded or decided whether to build one.

For now, Minnick said, the goal is to determine whether a community pool is realistic.

“It may or may not be possible,” she said, “but we're just looking at all those factors.”

 This is the ninth West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pool collected through the Hays County Mosquito Surveillance Program during the 2026 season. Statewide, DSHS reported 1,273 positive mosquito pools in 2026.

“This positive mosquito pool is an important reminder for Wimberley residents to stay vigilant as we move through the remainder of mosquito season,” Precinct 3 commissioner Morgan Hammer said. “Simple steps like eliminating standing water around your home and using insect repellent when spending time outdoors can make a meaningful difference. I appreciate the continued work of our Development Services team to monitor mosquito activity and keep our communities informed.”

HCDS conducts mosquito surveillance from May through November to monitor mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases. HCDS collects mosquitoes using standardized traps and sends them to DSHS for identification and arboviral testing. This surveillance helps HCDS track mosquito activity, identify breeding areas and guide prevention and control efforts.

The best way to prevent WNV is to reduce mosquito populations where people live, work and play. Residents can reduce their risk of mosquito bites and West Nile Virus infection by following the three Ds: Defend, Dress and Drain.

• DEFEND: Whenever outside, use EPA-approved repellents and always follow label instructions. 

• DRESS: Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing outside. 

• DRAIN: Drain or treat all standing water in and around your home or workplace where mosquitoes could lay eggs. 

“Mosquito-borne illness is a shared public health concern and prevention starts with each of us,” Hays County Judge and director of Emergency Management Ruben Becerra said. “We encourage residents throughout Hays County to make the three Ds — Defend, Dress and Drain — part of their routine. By taking a few simple precautions and looking out for one another, we can help reduce the risk of West Nile Virus in our community.”

Infected mosquitoes can transmit West Nile Virus through bites. Eighty percent of infected people have no symptoms, while about 20% may develop fever, headache, body aches, rash or other flu-like symptoms. Adults aged 50 and older and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention. There is currently no treatment for West Nile Virus. For more information on human risk, visit the Hays County Health Department's Epidemiology & Disease Prevention website.

For more information regarding mosquito surveillance, visit the Hays County Development Services website or call (512) 393-2150. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information on the West Nile Virus. 

A longtime marketing and public relations professional and co-founder of Marsh & Mihaly Marketing, Marsh brings more than 35 years of experience in communications, community relations, branding and nonprofit promotion, according to a news release. In her new role, she will work alongside the WCCC Board of Directors to enhance awareness of the organization's programs, events, fundraising efforts and community impact.

Founded in 1979 by a group of twelve women who recognized the growing needs of the Wimberley community, the Wimberley Community Civic Club was established to nurture community spirit, support local causes and welcome newcomers. What began as a small service organization, continued the release, has grown into a vibrant membership of approximately 200 individuals dedicated to making a difference in the Wimberley Valley.

In 2025-26, WCCC awarded $115,000 in grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and Wimberley students pursuing post-secondary education. These funds were raised by a 100% volunteer organization to put back into the community.

Through signature events, such as the Hill Country Home Tour, Style Show & Market, Breakfast with Santa, Events Around Town, Tablescapes and various spring fundraising activities, WCCC members contribute countless volunteer hours, while raising funds that benefit local nonprofit organizations and college-bound seniors.

"I am honored to serve as publicity chair and help share the incredible stories behind the Wimberley Community Civic Club," said Marsh. "For more than four decades, this organization has been bringing people together to support our community through service, friendship and philanthropy. I look forward to helping expand awareness of the club's mission and encouraging others to get involved."

As publicity chair, Marsh will focus on strengthening communications, expanding community outreach, enhancing social media and public relations efforts and supporting the club's ongoing mission of connecting residents through meaningful service and charitable giving.

The Wimberley Community Civic Club welcomes new members and volunteers who are interested in making a positive impact in the community, while building lasting friendships.

For more information about the Wimberley Community Civic Club, upcoming events, membership opportunities or volunteer involvement, visit www.WimberleyCCC.org.

Recalling the moment her world changed, Coleé said she knew something was wrong when ordinary sounds disappeared — the water running, toilet flushing and familiar background noise of everyday life — one morning.

At first, she wasn't alarmed. She had been battling allergies and infections in both ears and ear problems weren't new to her. Years spent singing in front of orchestras and big bands had already contributed to mild hearing loss.

She expected her ears to heal, but they didn't.

Afterwards, Coleé initially tried to keep anyone from knowing.

She continued coaching voice students by concentrating intensely on what she could see rather than what she could hear. For voice-over work, she relied on the sound waves displayed on her computer screen to guide her editing.

“I guess it worked because no one ever caught on that a deaf voice teacher and voice-over actress was seat-of-the-pants winging it,” she said.

Some clients later told her they were amazed by the quality of the work she produced during that period.

“I think I worked six times as hard to make sure my standards never slipped,” Coleé said, but behind the performance was fear.

After an initial visit to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist failed to resolve the problem, Coleé sought another opinion. A hearing test confirmed the extent of the loss and another ENT ordered a magnetic resonance imaging and a computed tomography scan.

The results brought another shock: Coleé had a brain aneurysm.

She cried in the doctor's office.

The aneurysm had damaged her left ear and nerves associated with hearing, she said, with the doctors noting that it may have been there for years. When her neurosurgeon showed her the small white spot on a screen, Coleé asked whether it was a boy or a girl. The doctor laughed and although the humor was real, so was the terror.

“I never dwelled on the aneurysm,” Coleé said. “I was terrified the rest of my life would be lived in silence.”

They also told her that removing it may impose a significant risk, so Coleé did what performers often do when reality becomes unbearable: She gave it a name — Annie Aneurysm.

Research eventually led her to cochlear implant surgery. Before the procedure, Coleé gathered close friends and family and listened as best she could to every song she had recorded during her career. It was, in some ways, a farewell.

“Everyone knew I was bidding farewell to the singer I was,” she said.

She wasn't, however, saying goodbye to being a performer.

Two days after cochlear implant surgery, despite severe vertigo, nausea and a bandaged head, Coleé had an audition. Unable to safely stand for much of the day, she stayed on the floor until it was time to get ready. She made it to the bathroom, put on makeup and a bathrobe and recorded the audition on her second take.

Her agent laughed when she saw it.

The project was ultimately canceled, but for Coleé, the audition demonstrated something more important: “I still saw myself as a performer.”

Although her hearing was able to be “recovered” through the cochlear implant, it did not restore what she once heard. Instead, Coleé had to teach her brain how to interpret an entirely different version of sound. For example, human speech, she said, doesn't sound human.

“I hear an alien in my head,” Coleé said.

She described it as static with an electronic voice emerging through it. Words came first, then occasional phrases. Depending on the acoustics of a room, complete sentences can still be difficult.

Music remains largely inaccessible. She can experience rhythm, but the technology does not reproduce singing and instruments in a way she recognizes as the music she once knew.

The adjustment requires patience.But so does accepting that some chapters are finished, she said.

Coleé eventually released her voice students, believing they deserved a teacher who could fully hear them. The decision brought financial worries along with the emotional loss, but, gradually, she began looking at her circumstances differently.

She couldn't be the singer she had been, nor could she be the 20- or 30-year-old version of herself she once was. What she could do was decide what came next.

“I can now be that quirky little grandma who bluntly tells you the truth about life,” she said.

This realization helped lead Coleé toward stand-up comedy and keynote speaking, including a program she calls “Mindset: The GPS of LIFE,” a three-step process focused on adapting to new circumstances while continuing to build a fulfilling life. Faith has also remained central to her recovery.

Coleé said she began recognizing that techniques she had spent years teaching students could be applied to her own trauma, grief and changed circumstances, which also exposed the gap between what people saw and what she was experiencing, as many called her brave, while, inside, she was anxious.

That contradiction became the foundation for “Are You Who You Say You Are?” a workshop series Coleé is bringing to Wimberley for people navigating unexpected transitions, self-doubt and the uncomfortable work of rebuilding a life when the old plan no longer applies.

Her workshops are designed for people facing their own disruptions — whether entering adulthood, losing a spouse, changing careers or struggling with self-doubt — with an emphasis on replacing the pursuit of outside approval with self-knowledge and service to others.

Bringing that message to Wimberley is also something of a homecoming.

Coleé has deep ties with the community through her work with the Wimberley Players and the students she coached over the years. She directed and performed in local productions, including a production of “1776” that she said opened the Playhouse on the Square.

Although she still considers herself a performer, Coleé said mentoring others may be closer to her true calling.

“It brings me enormous satisfaction to see my students thrive and be successful,” she said.

Despite entering a new era, her performing career hasn't disappeared. Coleé said she will be shooting a film in Austin. Television viewers may also recognize her from Season 29 of Food Network's “Worst Cooks in America.”

Now, she is experiencing a new normal built not around getting her old life back, but around making peace with the life she has now.

When asked what she would tell the woman who once gathered her family and friends to say goodbye to the singer she had been, Coleé returned to humor.

“Well, at least you don't have to memorize or remember song lyrics anymore,” she said, joking.

But behind the joke is the lesson she hopes to share in Wimberley: “I've come to terms with closing that chapter,” Coleé said. “I never want to be that person who lives in the past … Life is really good right now.”

The community workshop series, Are You Who You Say You Are?, will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. The series will be held online and is free to attend. Attendees can register by emailing leecoleevo@gmail.com with their name, phone number and preferred date. After the initial event, the workshop will continue on the third Friday of each month.

Held at the Wimberley VFW, the rodeo honors Gunner Thames, a 15-year-old cowboy who passed away following a rodeo accident in 2011. What began in remembrance has grown into an annual tradition centered on community, youth and service.

Proceeds from the rodeo benefit the Gunner Thames Memorial Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening communities throughout Texas. The Foundation provides educational scholarships and financial assistance to students, while also supporting youth rodeo athletes, Texas 4-H members and Future Farmers of America projects in Hays County.

Its work extends beyond agriculture and rodeo. The foundation also provides financial assistance and resources to families facing crisis situations, offering support during some of their most difficult moments.

The annual Labor Day rodeo brings together competitors, families, volunteers and spectators around the traditions that were an important part of Gunner’s life. But its impact reaches well beyond the arena.

Through scholarships, youth programs and assistance to families in need, the event has helped transform the memory of one young cowboy into an enduring commitment to helping others.

For the Wimberley community, the Gunner Thames Memorial Rodeo is more than an annual gathering. It is a reminder of the strength of a community that continues to honor one of its own by investing in the next generation and lending a hand to neighbors when they need it most.

The plan, which was funded by a $300,000 General Land Office grant, is a 20-year master outlook for the community, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

According to agenda documents, the Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed the final draft at its August meeting and, following additional requests, voted 5-0 to recommend approval.

Council member Anne Ulfelder specifically questioned priority 8.2, ‘Foster Long-Term Wealth Creation.’

Under this priority, the identified efforts include:

• 8.2.1 Launch local entrepreneur micro-grant fund

• 8.2.2 Provide semi-annual financial literacy workshops

• 8.2.3 Support infrastructure investments for highway commercial areas

• 8.2.4 Promote gateway branding, signage and placemaking initiatives

“That’s really the only place I went, ‘Hmm,’” she said. “My question is just, in general, is that something we, as a very small city, actually feel we can do or should be doing?”

Kevin Coleman with Langford Community Management Services, which created the plan, explained that this portion is meant for the city to partner with the broader community and is not necessarily a city obligation.

“To some degree it’s ‘do no harm’ from the city’s point of view; do no harm to those efforts, but also to participate in those if they are community-led,” Coleman said.

Ulfelder did not request any changes but said she wanted to clarify the point.

The motion to approve the plan as presented passed 4-0.

Following the item, council went into executive session for the annual salary and performance review of city administrator Tim Patek. After returning to open session, they voted 4-0 to extend Patek’s contract for an additional year with a 5% pay increase.

To view the adopted comprehensive plan, visit www.langfordplanning.com/wimberley-rcp.

Wimberley City Council will meet next at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.

The broad strokes of The Celia Fund initially came in 2022, in honor of the life of Hudnall’s aunt, who, preceding her death, was known as a public educator for at least 30 years, avid gardener, relentlessly curious person and lifelong learner with a spirit to teach those around her.

“I really wanted to just honor her and her life, and her work and her spirit. The other reason is that the name itself, Celia, means ‘of heaven,’” Hudnall shared. “It just seemed like the perfect fit for the fund.”

The profession runs in Hudnall’s blood, as several other members of her family — including herself for 15 years — have worked in education. After a year of trying to juggle her own business and career, but then being faced with financial needs as a parent — even through multiple salary increases over the years — she left the profession in 2019.

While teachers could be making $65,000 per year, for example, and having the summers off, there are deductions that still come out of their paycheck, including the cost of health insurance — with increases if their children or spouses are on their plan — federal taxes and retirement, Hudnall emphasized. These impact the take-home pay for public educators.

Hudnall found that while there are online fundraisers for classroom supplies, or websites like Teachers Pay Teachers, where they can purchase lesson plans or suggestions for a small cost, there are limited options for just financial assistance.

“As much as they're appreciated, they don't really need another Starbucks gift card. They don't. Again, as much as it's appreciated, they don't need a massage. No, they need help, real financial assistance,” she said. “That was really where the beginnings of the idea came from and then, as I started to search [for] any kind of financial assistance that was targeted towards public educators; as far as I can tell, there is nothing out there. So, I thought, ‘Well, there's nothing out there, so what can I do to fill this gap? And so, it just kind of grew from there.’”

The founder is currently in the process of raising $75,000 for The Celia Fund to support the secure lending platform, organizational systems, launch preparation and first rounds of low-interest emergency loans.

Though grants are “certainly” a second goal for special causes, Hudnall said that she decided to focus on loans, due to the potential for growth and being able to help more people.

“The number of people that we could assist would simply be limited by the amount of money that we could fundraise, whereas, by creating a revolving loan fund, we raise the initial funds for that first round of loans,” she said.

The loans would need to be paid back; however, the goal is to have the interest rates remain well under 10%. Hudnall explained that this gives the teachers the option of not being forced to use an emergency credit card, where they are having to pay 20% or more interest.

Currently, the planned eligibility for the loans is for qualifying public educators and is expected to include currently-employed classroom teachers, counselors, librarians and other certified public-school educators who meet the program’s income and emergency criteria.

Hudnall said they are still in the process of determining eligibility specifics and qualifying emergencies, in addition to fundraising and having conversations with educators to gauge how this assistance would have helped them, before opening applications.

She is piloting the fund in Wimberley ISD, but is looking to quickly expand to the San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Hays and Blanco school districts.

For more information on The Celia Fund and learn how to make a donation, visit www.theceliafund.net.

Beginning with the proposed tax rate, Chief Financial Officer Michael Doyle explained that because local property value grew by 2.87%, the state provides a compression to the maximum compressed tax rate (MCR). This resulted in the maintenance and operations tax rate decreasing by $0.0023, from $0.7088 to $0.7065. The interest and sinking rate is holding at $0.3011, making the total tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year $1.0076, as compared to $1.0099 from the current year.

“If you approve a higher rate, that automatically triggers a voter-approval tax rate election. If you approve a rate lower than your voter-approval tax rate, you're actually subject to penalization and you don't collect the funding that you would actually need to operate at a full capacity,” warned Doyle.

He then moved on to the operating budget.

“Our assumed [average daily attendance (ADA)] rate for next year is 2,400, which is pretty right in line with where we finished. We've completed this past school year at 2,401. We've really looked at trends in the past. We don't want to overestimate our ADA and assume that we're going to have more students at the end of the year collecting for us than what we [do because] that will cause a deficit at the end of the day. So, this is a conservative rate, but it also matches trends and it also is based on a 95% assumed attendance rate, which is holding steady to years past or the last couple years,” said Doyle.

The total revenue projected for FY 2026-27 is $45,493,063, combining: $38,630,586 from local revenue; $6,190,983 from state revenue, $549,644 from federal revenue; and $121,850 from other sources.

“We report our budget based on function to the state and that is how the board has to adopt the budget. It's down at the function level. You can see, again, the categories [for the expenditures in] the funding, if you will: the general fund, food service fund, debt service fund and total amount of the proposed budget. Within our general fund, specifically, our total expenditures are budgeted at $31,578,232 … You can see our total [food service] expenditures are budgeted at $1,169,335,” said Doyle, though for child nutrition, the district will be in a deficit, due to increased food prices.

The debt service budget expenditures sit at $12,185,767, continued the CFO, stating that staff is looking into debt and determining if the district will have the opportunity to pay it off early. This would “save the community money” and allow the district to work on its fund balance, with the possibility of a refund in the future.

The total proposed expenditures are $44,933,334.

Both the budget for FY 2026-27 and a tax rate of $1.0076 passed unanimously.

The Wimberley ISD Board of Trustees will meet next Monday, Sept. 21.

Property owners who wish to operate an STR — properties used for transient lodging for stays of 30 consecutive days or less — must apply with the city through the current conditional use permit (CUP) process established in the zoning ordinance. This includes neighbor notifications and a public hearing before both the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) and city council, which ultimately makes the decision on the issuance of the permit, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

However, a review of the current process began when a committee was created last year to research the current STR situation in Wimberley and, at the same time, a temporary moratorium was enacted in November 2025 and extended multiple times on STR applications.

Now, an ordinance was brought forward to Wimberley City Council at its Aug. 20 meeting, based on recommendations by the committee, proposing the following changes to the STR regulations, according to a presentation by director of Development Services Nathan Glaiser.

•   Removing the ability for property owners to obtain an STR2, which is a non-owner occupied CUP, within the Single-Family Residential 2 (R-2) and Single-Family Residential 3 (R-3) zoning districts.

•   Make changes to allow STR1, which are occupied by the owner, within accessory dwelling units; this was previously limited to just the primary dwelling.

•   Allowing short-term lodging facilities with up to 30 units as a permitted use by right within the Commercial Low Impact (C-1), Commercial Moderate Impact (C-2) and Commercial High Impact (C-3) zoning districts.

“Also, if you have an existing conditional use permit, the way the ordinance is drafted is that the conditional use permit would still stay in effect, conditioned on the terms that it was originally granted,” Glaiser said.

This also follows a public hearing held at the Aug. 14 P&Z meeting, where the commission voted 5-0 to not recommend changing the draft ordinance as it pertains to the removal of STR2s in R-2 and R-3 zoning districts, but to move Lodging Low Impact and Lodging Moderate Impact to a conditional use in C-1, C-2 and C-3, as well as keep STR1 as a permitted use in the three commercial zoning districts.

The commission did this because it feels that having the CUP in place allows for the proper notifications and public hearings, as well as opportunities for the city to negotiate with developers that would result in more desirable developments that are more in line with Wimberley's character and limited infrastructure, Glaiser explained.

Several members of the community spoke in favor of the proposed zoning changes at the council meeting.

The common consensus amongst the residents, including Candy Fore, was maintaining the character of Wimberley — something that P&Z also fought for in its recommendations.

“It would be a wonderful relief for our neighbors to know that we would never have to come before you again to battle someone in our neighborhood about an STR. So, I do support permitting STRs in commercial zones; placing them in commercial zones would help preserve the community’s charm, while keeping tourism balanced with the residents’ way of life,” she said.

“The thought of allowing lodging facilities with up to 30 units as permitted use by right within these zones alarms me,” Fore continued. “Without CUP requirements, how can we protect the charm of our city? What authority would the city need to have to prevent a Holiday Inn & Express or a similar hotel from being built within our city limits? And wouldn’t it be better to allow only lodging that enhances our community and preserves its character, like the attractive lodging facilities that we now have?”

Kate Quisenberry, a local graduate who moved back to the city of Wimberley with her family in 2022, recalled living in the town when there was just one stoplight and, while things have changed significantly since then, “they changed with the character of Wimberley in mind. I think that the changes that were originally proposed and have since been proposed to be amended by planning & zoning would allow for growth within the city, but with boundaries or guardrails on those changes.”

Others, like Cody Truss, who resides in Houston, but has a half-acre R-3-zoned property in Wimberley, questioned having the STRs “being taken out of play.”

“ … It is kind of like the city council’s creating a citywide [homeowners association (HOA)] and I prefer not to do that. [I] also feel like it devalues my property if I were going to sell it because of its location to the square and Market Days; it’s in a location where somebody may want to buy it, even somebody who lives up here, turn it into a short-term rental. That’s being taken away from me,” Truss said.

Council member Rebecca Minnick, who also served on the STR committee, shared some of the reasons as to why these changes are being considered. She noted the following:

•   Permitting does not align with the zoning in R-3: “If you are buying a property in R-3, you technically cannot have multiple [accessory dwelling units (ADU)] there because you don’t have enough impervious cover for parking … It’s very small for a septic and we have pretty much all septic here.”

•   Adding the commercial part was due to keeping the lodging out of the neighborhoods and focusing that in commercial areas.

•   Streamline processes in areas where needed.

“It wasn’t a solution in search of a problem. There were some reasons to do those things that way,” Minnick said.

Council member Anne Ulfelder asked if there was a cap for STRs suggested in the report that was submitted by the committee.

It can be arbitrary and there was not any hard data that showed how a certain number of STRs could impact the city, the Development Services director explained. Therefore, there was more of a focus on zoning districts and geographic reasons — lot size and density issues, for example — that can be referenced.

“I am in absolute agreement that R-3s do not need to have short-term rentals and can’t sustain them, but an R-2 lot is big enough to have a short-term rental and protect the privacy of the neighbors in many cases,” Ulfelder said.

The council member continued to emphasize that she would like to see those people’s rights retained to do with their property as they see fit because they still have to apply for a CUP.

Allowing individuals to exercise their rights on their property was also echoed by council member David Cohen.

“... you have a situation where you’ve got multiple properties on a lot and that's when you end up with concerns about septic and water. I’m perfectly happy with regulating that, if you will, [and say], ‘You can’t have seven houses on a one-acre lot. You can’t have seven families in separate homes with a little tiny house,’” he said. “I have a hard time understanding why someone who purchases a piece of property where some individual or a group of individuals will stay in that piece of property for a specified amount of time, whether it’s a week or a month or six months or a year, shouldn’t be permitted to do so. It shouldn’t make a difference to me how you categorize it.”

“I am sensitive to the property right issue, but I think the city takes away plenty of property rights in the name of creating community and keeping things livable and this is one thing that a lot of residents have talked to us about livability,” council member Chris Sheffield debated.

Sheffield said that he is a little more open to STRs, but he has heard plenty more input from residents who are against them and wanting the city to control them than he has in support of them.

The proposed changes feels like the city is categorizing anybody who is a short-term renter as an undesirable person that nobody wants to live next to, which is kind of a “subtle form of redlining,” Cohen said.

He later stated that he would be more concerned if a neighbor was noisy or kept an unclean area, but achieving that regulation goal would be a challenge by simply prohibiting STRs: “That just seems like it’s overkill.”

Council member Sam Werner explained that his family may not have been able to move to Wimberley from Houston approximately three years ago because of increased housing costs and limited availability at the time. As rights have been mentioned, Werner emphasized that money and resources can also be considered in that conversation.

“Anything that we can do, any extra measure that just allows more opportunity for someone who doesn’t have those other rights to live in this community and a living participant of the community … rather than just having someone come for the weekend,” he said.

The city of Fredericksburg is having a difficult time with this issue, as there is a high percentage of vacation rentals in its downtown area, Minnick noted, instead of having more people who are rooted in the community. However, what solves that is giving the neighbors a say with the caveat that city council still makes the final decision.

Following further discussion, council voted 4-1 — with Werner dissenting — to adopt the ordinance as amended, incorporating P&Z’s recommendation of moving the low and moderate impact lodging to conditional uses in C-1, C-2 and C-3, as well as retain the STR2 CUP process in the R-2 zoning district, rather than eliminating it outright.

Council also unanimously voted to approve a resolution to terminate the moratorium. The city will resume accepting and processing applications Sept. 3.

To listen to the full meeting, visit www.wimberleytx.portal.civicclerk.com.

Chiles emphasized a balance of increasing tourism and infrastructure needs, with a desire to protect the qualities that make Wimberley distinctive. He discussed roads, water, parks, tourism, public safety and long-range planning, while emphasizing that the city continues to operate without a municipal property tax.

“We want to keep our quality of life,” Chiles said. “We want to keep the small-town feel as best that we can.”

That goal comes as Hays County continues to grow and planners project more people will call the Wimberley area home in the coming decades.

Chiles said the city’s comprehensive planning process includes population projections, housing and future land needs, transportation, public facilities, infrastructure and water. The planning effort is being supported by a $300,000 grant from the Texas General Land Office.

According to figures presented by Chiles, Hays County’s population is projected to increase from its current approximation of 335,000 to 575,000 by 2045, an increase of around 72%.

However, Wimberley’s growth has historically been much slower. Chiles said the city had approximately 2,600 residents when it incorporated in 2000 and has 2,900 today. Planning projections put the population at approximately 3,800 in 2045.

Chiles questioned whether Wimberley will actually grow that quickly, noting the city has no large housing subdivisions and issues only about 10 residential building permits annually.

“I’m not sure that I agree with that number,” Chiles said of the projection. “It seems kind of aggressive.”

Sales tax drives city finances

The mayor also discussed how Wimberley pays for improvements.

The city is one of only a handful of Texas municipalities without a city property tax, Chiles said. Its property tax rate is zero and he told those attending the luncheon that city leaders intend to keep it there, meaning that Wimberley depends heavily on sales tax revenue.

Chiles said the city is on pace for another record year and expects to collect about $1.7 million in sales tax revenue. The city also receives franchise and other revenues, along with income generated by parks and tourism.

The lack of property tax revenue, however, creates challenges when the city needs to repair streets or undertake other infrastructure projects, he said.

“So, when you go over some of those roads and the roads are kind of rough, just remember, you’re not paying the city property tax,” Chiles said, jokingly.

The city has increased spending on roads in recent years, budgeting roughly $500,000 to $600,000 for road repairs and improvements.

Chiles said Wimberley has also applied for a $750,000 grant that could significantly increase the funding available for road work. If awarded, the city could spend an estimated $1.4 million on streets next year.

Four roads are scheduled for improvements in the coming weeks: Climate Way, Valley Drive, Blanco Drive and Riverbed Drive.

Chiles said some Wimberley streets were not originally constructed to modern standards, leaving the city with the costly job of rebuilding them.

Old Kyle Road, parks and trails

Another major infrastructure project is the planned reconstruction of Old Kyle Road.

The project would eventually make part of the road one way and include continuous sidewalks and space for bicycles and pedestrians. Chiles said the project is being redesigned and is expected to move forward in 2027.

The city received approximately $3.3 million through the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for the improvements.

Chiles said the project should improve downtown accessibility, while eventually connecting with a broader Hays County trail network.

The city is also moving forward with plans for the Blue Hole Nature Center.

Wimberley received a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife grant for the project, as well as $3 million from Hays County through its Parks and Open Space bond program. The city has applied for an additional $1.5 million grant. Plans call for a nature center with educational space and features, such as rainwater collection.

Chiles also discussed the city’s aquatic feasibility study, which was prompted in part by community interest identified through Wimberley’s parks planning process.

A community survey received 396 responses, with 75% coming from city residents. Chiles said 84% of respondents supported a future swimming pool, while 67% said they travel elsewhere for swimming opportunities.

Any future aquatic facility would likely require cooperation among Wimberley, Woodcreek, the school district and Hays County, he said.

Funding remains a major question. Only 13% of survey respondents supported using a property tax to help pay for such a facility, while 66% supported a bond, according to the presentation.

Remembering Martha Knies

Chiles also discussed planned improvements at Martha Knies Park and remembered Knies, an original member of the Wimberley City Council who played a significant role in obtaining the riverfront property that became the park.

The existing playground equipment, which Chiles said has been in place for decades and has developed safety concerns, will be replaced with a nature-inspired, ADA-accessible playground. The new playground will include a red-shouldered hawk design and other nature-themed features.

The city is conducting a fundraising effort that includes the sale of personalized bricks to help pay for the project.

“Martha would be proud of what we planned on putting in there,” Chiles said.

Tourism continues to grow

Tourism remains an important part of Wimberley’s economy.

Figures presented during the luncheon showed nearly 519,000 visitors through May 2026, about 22% more than the previous year. Hotel occupancy tax collections totaled approximately $537,000, which is an estimated 13% higher than the previous year.

Hotel occupancy tax revenue has helped fund tourism-related projects, including downtown lighting, murals and visitor services. State law limits how municipalities can spend those funds, preventing Wimberley from simply directing the money toward street repairs and other general infrastructure.

Wimberley had also collected more than $1 million in sales tax revenue for the year at the time of Chiles’ presentation.

Chiles said the city is preparing to use new technology that will provide a more detailed look at visitor patterns.

The software uses anonymized mobile-device location information to estimate how many people enter a geographic area, where visitors originate and how long they remain.

Preliminary figures presented by Chiles showed nearly 52,000-day trips and about 171,000 overnight trips to the Wimberley area during the previous 12 months. Overnight visitors stayed an average of 3.2 days.

Houston, Dallas and San Antonio were among the primary markets sending visitors to Wimberley.

“It’s a little bit amazing and scary, the data that they can get off these systems,” Chiles said.

The technology can also measure attendance at individual events.

Chiles said an analysis of Wimberley’s tree-lighting ceremony estimated roughly 3,900 people were in the town square at approximately 6 p.m. Visitors generally remained in the area for about an hour and a half.

City officials hope faster access to the data will help them understand tourism, special events and economic activity.

Managing short-term rentals

With tourism growth has also come discussion about short-term rentals.

Chiles said Wimberley currently has seven hotels, with 114 rooms and about 100 short-term rentals.

The city is considering changes to its short-term rental regulations, including eliminating new Type 2 short-term rentals — properties where the owner does not live on-site  — in certain residential zoning districts.

Chiles said one concern is avoiding an oversupply, while also addressing problems that can arise when owners are not present.

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended removing new Type 2 short-term rentals from the R-2 and R-3 districts, according to Chiles.

Water remains a priority

Looking ahead, Chiles identified infrastructure, health and safety, walkability, community connectivity and strong relationships with local and regional partners as priorities.

Water remains among the most significant long-term issues.

The city has joined Woodcreek, Hays County and others in seeking funding for water supply and infrastructure improvements. Chiles said the partners recently applied for a $10 million grant, although Wimberley would receive only a portion, if the application is successful.

Chiles expressed hope that changing weather patterns could improve rainfall conditions, but emphasized the importance of water conservation as demand on groundwater continues.

“There’s just too many straws in the ground,” he said.

A message to Wimberley’s future

Chiles closed with a look at a city time capsule buried earlier this year and scheduled to be opened in approximately 25 years.

Its contents include material commemorating the city’s 25th anniversary, annual financial and sales tax information, a previous State of the City presentation, the parks master plan, local newspapers and historical maps.

It also contains images documenting defining moments in Wimberley’s recent history, including the 2015 floods, the 2023 ice storm and the 2024 total solar eclipse.

The capsule serves as a record of a community that has changed considerably since incorporation, but whose leaders say they want to preserve what made it special in the first place, said the mayor.

Chiles shared with those attending that city officials understand that responsibility.

“We want to take care of the city and do the best we can and make sure Wimberley stays as unique and a wonderful place as it is,” he concluded.

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.

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.

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.

According to the presentation completed by Chief Financial Officer Michael Doyle, the district is currently estimating $37,062,253 of total operating revenues and $29,587,332 of total operating expenditures for the conclusion of its fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 budget. This difference is a fund balance of $7,353,413, which, when added to the beginning balance of $6,629,803, results in an ending fund balance of $13,983,216.

In an effort to understand funding, Doyle discussed estimated enrollment numbers, as this, along with attendance average, directly affects the district’s revenue available from the state legislature.

“School districts need to have students and then, they need to have the students attend class. When you look at roll-up numbers and anticipated students in our classes, you can see that in [20]27, we're anticipating an enrollment of about 2,612,” he said. “That ADA [or] average daily attendance rate is the driving factor in our revenue template … We’ve seen at our high school, a higher number of students graduating early, which is great and I’m glad that they’re able to finish their educational pathway, but once they finish, it affects our ADA rate. I wanted to build that projection now, so that way we’re not projecting higher and actually receiving lower [next school year].”

He then presented several payroll scenarios for potential approval in the compensation plan, including:

•   A 2% pay increase for all employees

•   Increasing the district’s health insurance contribution by $40, for a total of $390 per month

•   Market-based salary adjustments across the district

•   Increase bus driver pay to maintain compensation at 90% of the market

•   Increase the starting teacher salary to $50,000 from the current $48,500

Trustee Rob Campbell asked whether staff considered increasing the starting pay even higher, since only several new teachers are hired each year, but Doyle stated that this can’t be done because it would outpace the other teachers, if this was the case.

“We looked at all positions and we wanted to provide a package that shows that we’re investing in our employees, investing in their benefits. We’re remaining competitive. We’re supporting retention, attracting those high-quality teachers for our district, as well, and staff, not just teachers, but all of our staff,” said Doyle.

Because of these changes, next year’s payroll expenditures would increase by approximately $423,000. This, along with an approximate increase of $200,000 in non-payroll expenditures, leads to a total operating expenditures cost of $30,378,488 for FY 2027, with $31,040,870 in revenue.

“When you take that estimated ending fund balance for this current year of $13.9 million, you’ll see that we’re about breaking even,” he shared, adding that there would still be $28,000 added to the fund balance, totaling $14 million.

The compensation plan passed 4-0. Trustees Chad Canine, Will Conley and Andrea Justus were not in attendance.

The presentation also detailed that the anticipated tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year is $1.0076 per $100 tax valuation, comprising of $0.7065 for maintenance and operations and $0.3011 for interest and sinking, though this will come back to the board in August for approval.

The Wimberley Board of Trustees will meet next Aug. 7.

The natural area was initially closed to swimmers June 29, 2022, after flow dipped down to zero cubic feet per second (CFS), along with stagnation and algae development in the water, according to Hays County Parks and Natural Resources Department director Karl Flocke. That closure has continued to be in effect since.

Levels are measured using a gauge that is installed within Jacob’s Well by the United States Geological Survey. This measures outflow, height and other metrics, such as temperature of and nitrates in the water, to give a constant reading on what the conditions are.

These water levels are starting to increase, as there has been some return in flow after the area received heavy rainfall throughout the spring and summer this year, Flocke said.

“Typically, a rapid spike in the flow of water from the well has also had a rapid decline afterwards, but in general, what we've seen is after every single rainfall, it seems to be taking longer and longer for the flow to return to zero [CFS],” he explained.

A week after heavy rainfall in July, flow has not reached zero CFS, rather it is holding “pretty steady,” between approximately 1-1.5 CFS. However, average flow at Jacob’s Well is typically between 4-6 CFS, so the current flow is about a quarter of what staff would normally like to see, Flocke said.

“This is really the best flow we have had since 2022. In that four-year period, there have been a couple of rainstorms [and] good rainfalls where we have seen very short-term flow, but the flow we're seeing right now during the summer of 2026 is certainly the best flow we've seen since 2022,” he said. “It is still nowhere near where we would like to be, though.”

While the flow outlook is beginning to improve, the likelihood that Jacob’s Well will reopen to swimmers this summer is extremely low. Flocke said that there would need to be about four times the water flow for a long period of time — an additional 12-16 inches of rain within a month — to get to that point.

In the long term, however, that could change, the director continued.

“We are looking at having a persisting or even strengthening El Niño and that typically leads to an above average rainfall over the winter and so, if we do continue to see that above average rainfall through the fall, winter and spring, next summer, it could be a possibility,” Flocke said. “It really will just depend on how much rainfall we get within the next six to eight months.”

Jacob’s Well Natural Area is located at 1699 Mt. Sharp Road, Wimberley. Though swimming is cancelled until further notice, hiking is still available.

Learn more at www.hayscountytx.gov/444/Jacobs-Well-Natural-Area.