Valentine has worked with the students, families and community in WISD since 2002. During his 24-year tenure with WISD, he has served the district across several key campus and district leadership positions, including the following: principal for Danforth Junior High School from 2008-2014; principal for Wimberley High School from 2014-2022; and the district’s assistant superintendent since 2022.

“It is hard to imagine WISD without Jason Valentine,” said Dr. Greg Bonewald, WISD’s superintendent. “He has positively impacted thousands across our Texan Family in his time here in Wimberley. We will undoubtedly miss the authentic spirit of servant leadership that he brings to our school community every day. At the same time, I am thrilled for him and his family and know that he will thrive in his next chapter as a leader in Texas public education.”

“Serving the students, teachers, parents and community in Wimberley ISD has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Valentine. “My family has grown in this community and Wimberley will always hold a very special place in the hearts of all the Valentines. My heart is full of gratitude and Texan Pride.”

In Texas, there is a mandatory 21-day waiting period following the naming of a district’s superintendent lone finalist. Valentine will continue to serve in his current role with WISD until the transition to his new role with Palacios ISD.

This follows recent legislative changes adopted by the state of Texas, including House Bill 2844 and the addition of Chapter 437B to the Health and Safety Code, which significantly impact the regulation of these establishments and vendors, making the city of Wimberley’s section outlining temporary structures in its code of ordinances no longer consistent with state law.

“New state law is going to prevent us from enforcing our temporary structure permits, which basically governs food trucks in Wimberley. It’s going to prevent us from doing that the same way we have been doing it, which is permit application comes to city council [and] city council approves the food truck,” said Nathan Glaiser, director of Development Services. “We can no longer do the one-off permitting of food trucks.”

Glaiser brought forward a draft of regulations taken from existing ordinances enforced by the city of Lockhart, but tailored to the city of Wimberley.

The ordinance is geared toward mobile food vendors that stay at one location for more than four consecutive days — so, the one-off person who comes to do a single farmers market or something similar would not be affected, Glaiser said.

Regulations within the draft include, but are not limited to:

•   Each trailer or motor vehicle used as a mobile vendor must be registered with the city and have a current mobile food unit permit used by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

•   Current compliance with all applicable Texas inspection and license registration requirements for legal use on public streets.

•   Only operate in zoning districts where eating establishments are a permitted use.

•   Mobile food vendors shall be set back at least five feet from all property lines.

•   Each mobile food vendor shall be located at least 10 feet from any other mobile food vendor or any building and at least 50 feet from any building containing a residential use.

•   If a mobile food vendor is hooked up to electric, it should be connected to an individual main-disconnect breaker and the cords are not running through a parking lot or pedestrian path.

•   Each mobile food vendor space shall obtain water from, and within 50 feet of, a hose bib connected directly to a public water supply. This should also not cross the path of pedestrian or vehicle traffic.

•   It should not be connected directly to the city wastewater system.

Access to a common dumpster or other trash disposal facility, along with restrooms, must also be provided.

“They are all kind of based around public safety and organization and efficient land use,” said the Development Services director.

Council member Bob Clark asked if the city is going to limit the number of food trucks on a property or if that is not possible.

The city should still enforce zoning as far as where the food trucks will be located and those specific regulations can be stated in the ordinance, city attorney Esther Pena suggested. She added that there are some misconceptions with the state legislation that now, food trucks can be placed anywhere, but that is not the intent and cities still have regulatory authority to decide where they want to place them.

“What we’ve also talked about doing is setting up a food court use that would require a conditional use permit, so you would come get the permit to set up the food court, not necessarily each individual food truck, but just bring a site plan that shows the bays that they will be in and get approved by city council,” Glaiser said, noting that two or more mobile food vendors on a single lot or parcel can be known as a food court.

Another council member, Rebecca Minnick, said that this is called a temporary structure, leading her to ask if this would apply to anything else aside from a mobile food vendor. Glaiser responded that he wants the mobile food vendors to be in their own category, so there is no confusion.

The new law goes into effect July 1 and the ordinance is expected to be brought back for city council approval in June, according to Glaiser.

Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7. Find meeting agendas and recordings at www.wimberleytx.portal.civicclerk.com.

Directed by Whitney Marlett, the play centers on Ned Newley, a reluctant and deeply awkward politician who unexpectedly finds himself rising in the polls — largely because he lacks the ability to spin, posture or convincingly lie, according to a news release. As his accidental authenticity begins to resonate with voters, his campaign team, the press corps and the political establishment scramble to decide whether his honesty is a liability or the secret to his success.

The Outsider offers a timely, but good-natured satire of modern politics that focuses less on partisanship and more on the universal absurdities of public life.

Marlett says the show’s appeal comes from both its humor and its humanity

“At its heart, this play is about what happens when someone who never expected to be in the spotlight suddenly finds themselves there,” Marlett said. “It’s incredibly funny, but it also has a lot of heart. Audiences will recognize these characters — not just from politics, but from everyday life.”

The production features Joanna Gunaraj as Paige Caldwell, Samuel Ellisor as Dave Riley, Reji Smith as Louise Peakes, Greg Dew as Ned Newley, Robert Moritz as Arthur Vance, Allie Lawrence as Rachel Parsons and Carter Holland as A.C. Peterson.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wimberleyplayers.org or by calling the box office at 512-847-0575.

For audiences ready for a break from the real-world news cycle, “The Outsider” offers an evening of sharp comedy, strong performances and the simple pleasure of watching a terrific ensemble bring a story to life.

“The Outsider” is presented by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.

Since February 2024, the district has been awarding its staff members — 23 in total so far — through the program, which was created as a way to highlight those who go above and beyond.

This also came about from WISD’s revitalized strategic plan that was adopted in 2023, where one of the elements was to prioritize supporting faculty and staff excellence. According to communications director Allen Bruggman, the Texan of the Month program was created to give staff recognition, make them feel valued for the work they do and highlight them in alternate ways outside of receiving a paycheck.

“If you ever look at our whole strategic plan, there's a huge spreadsheet with different priorities and goals and ways to meet those objectives,” explained Bruggman. “One of them within faculty and staff excellence is the highlighting of staff who do a great job and so, this program was created with that in mind: to give staff recognition, to have them feel like they're part of the process and, through the nomination process, make them feel valued for the work that they do.”

Texan of the Month is solely nomination-based, Bruggman said. The district sends out a form that is always available for employees to recommend their peers — even those who may be on a different campus — for “living out the vision of the district,” which is excellence, innovation and service.

Then, a committee consisting of those who work within the superintendent’s office sit around the table to deliberate and decide the nomination that is most compelling and abides by the mission as closely as possible.

“[The announcement] usually ends up being the beginning of the next month … The committee usually comes together that last week of the month and looks at submissions,” Bruggman explained. “If someone is nominated in August of the same school year, we keep all of those submissions from throughout the school year and consider everybody who's been nominated throughout the school year. So, we look at new ones and ones that have already been submitted the last week of that month and then, of course, reach out and try to schedule and make sure all the different people can be there at the same time the following week.”

When WISD launched the program, it sent out a call for businesses who would like to sponsor a $250 prize. Bruggman shared that within the first approximately two days, seven businesses had committed to being a part of the effort.

So, the district has the business who writes a check or brings the cash prize for the winner, but then, also, others stepped up to want to do something every month as well, Bruggman said. Gift cards or certificates have been provided by The Med Spa, Salon Devino and The Leaning Pear restaurants. Along with this, WISD is also able to give each recipient a Texan of the Month coin to also commemorate the award.

“I think the coolest thing for me that was maybe reaffirmed was just the fact of how supportive our community is and how supportive they want to be to our staff members. In so many ways, these businesses that stepped up to do the sponsorship and to award the money and the other other gifts to the winners,” he said. “It’s very validating that the school district feels that support from our business community and from the people who want to make our teachers and their staff members feel special.”

Johnson’s presentation detailed that, as of Feb. 28, $3.7 million of the $9.6 million professional services budget had been utilized. Total design on all projects is 95% complete. The next phases are procurement, construction and administration.

To date, only 5% of total available bond expenditures have been committed — $6.8 million of the $135 million available. In February, significant financial commitments included laundry upgrades at Wimberley High School (WHS), audio enhancements and bus security upgrades.

Regarding the buses, Ryan Rosborough — another representative of AGCM — stated that cameras have been “strategically added” to enhance bus security.

“You might remember, previously, we didn’t have external cameras or backup cameras, so the driver couldn’t see in reverse,” noted Rosborough.

Since the last update, revisions have been made to the Blue Hole Parking Project from Bid Package 1. According to Johnson, the updated design will “increase the availability of parking spots [to get] in and out of the parking lot easier.” Construction is anticipated to begin once a contractor is approved.

The baseball and softball fields also received their Dark Sky certification since the last update. Johnson regarded this as a big milestone and said the football field was next on the list.

“It’s going to be great. No more dark areas on the football field,” the representative stated.

After the bond presentation, the board approved a redesign that will combine Danforth Junior High School (DJH) and the Wimberley ISD Central Administration Building into one plat, or tract of land. This project is included in Bid Package 2 and its execution has been a collaborative effort with the city.

The existing plats are “one big drainfield if you look at it,” Johnson stated, as he displayed a map of the Danforth property. “We avoided any drainage easements and the property can be treated as one plat.”

The replat includes construction of a wall around the combined properties. Johnson explained that adjustments had to be made all around to meet the 8-inch high coding requirement after the board inquired whether the wall served a purpose outside of aesthetics.

The board also approved a contract with Texas Air System for the WISD cooling tower refurbishment project. The refurbishment was originally contracted to Bartlett Cocke, the construction manager for bid packages 2 and 3, but was pulled for outside contracting.

Mike Doyle, chief financial officer for WISD, explained that Texas Air System will “provide the same services that Bartlett Cocke or their sub[contractor] would have done already, but we’re able to save some on percentage fees or markups there.”

He added that “time is of the essence” for this project, as the cooling tower is in such a state that repairs are needed as soon as possible.

According to Johnson, the bond management team will “have a lot going on” with six ongoing projects and “design will be transitioning to construction and administration.” Next month, work will continue on Blue Hole Parking negotiations, WHS and DJH permitting, roofing and HVAC materials procurement and miscellaneous improvements that were not discussed in detail.

For its overall budget, Doyle stated that the board earned more than $1.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026-27 and saw an effective return of 3.99%. Including quarter one, the district has earned around $3.2 million. Those funds earned are banked and reinvested into capital improvement projects as part of the bond package.

“At the speed that we’re moving, we’re in a great position. As [Johnson] pointed out, we’re already breaking ground on multiple projects. We’re going to start seeing some significant payouts in the next coming months,” concluded Doyle.

The board of trustees will hold its next regular meeting Monday, April 20.

The shop opened in 2009, launching with just a notepad, card table and simple vision, to give the community a more cost-effective way to buy and sell their items and accessories. Never having owned her own business before, Amy Guynes is an occupational therapist by trade who wanted to bring her thrifting ideas to life.

Starting out with only having items for children, the shop moved to its current location, at 711 Farm to Market Road 2325, and has grown into offering something for the entire family. According to Guynes, there are approximately 1,000 consignors; some choose to save the money they collect from the sales, while others opt to never cash out, but continue to spend it locally.

It’s also been more than a place for people to come in to shop.

Guynes and her team have stepped up to support families through the devastation of floods, fires and other weather events over the years that have forced them to lose their entire home, where they are having to start from the ground up.

“We are blessed, so we say, ‘Blessed to be a blessing,’” she said, adding that they have donated several items to those in need, including the local thrift store, women’s center, Wimberley ISD students and more.

The owner said that she has also assisted foster parents who have welcomed children in their homes and they just need a little extra help.

“Several foster parents over the years have called me privately and said, ‘Hey, we have a newborn and we have nothing for them.’ I would tell them, ‘Hey, you want to meet me at the store? You can get what you need or want or whatever from clothing to toys, baby equipment, stroller, bouncers [or] bottles.’ Whatever we have that they may need. We've done that and it's midnight, sometimes, and I'm like, ‘I'll meet you there,’” she explained.

She has also remained true to offering a fair and honest place for neighbors to shop and sell their items to where if there is someone who can not pay, she allows them to bring whatever they owe the next time.

Hill Country Consignment has been a meaningful place for many people in the community, including those like Dianne Pollard.

According to Pollard, it’s been an integral part of Wimberley for 16 years and it’s one of the reasons it is the community that it is.

“They have offered low cost clothing, shoes, toys, sporting goods and household essentials for the families of Wimberley, including those who live on a fixed income. They have been there for every hardship and emergency, generously providing for those in need,” she said. “It is a delight to shop there; the ladies are always friendly and welcoming … losing it will hurt.”

Another resident, Cheryl Eskridge, shared that she has shopped there when her grandchildren would come to visit, making her way back to sell the items later. Her loyalty stayed with Hill Country Consignment as she opted to always shop there before venturing elsewhere to purchase something new, as well as recommending it to locals and newcomers.

Others took to social media to share the same consensus that the shop’s closure feels like a “loss” in the community, following Guyne’s announcement last week that Hill Country Consignment’s lease for its current building is ending and its last day will be Aug. 22.

She has been looking for a year and half to see if the business could continue in another location in Wimberley, but has not been able to find anything.

Despite this, Guynes recognizes the community who became family and friends, supporting the business, over the last 16 years. This includes her dedicated, longtime staff: Donna Wyatt of 15 years, Wanda Martin of 14 years, Renee Buse of nine years and Brandy Woods of six years.

“Thank you. It’s such a small word for what means so much,” concluded Guynes, holding back tears.

More than 250 people attended were in attendance for the concert. “This is a different kind of concert, beginning and ending in darkness, with live music and a poem or two wrapping around you like a cozy blanket, soothing your soul,” said Taylor.

Founded in 1998, the tuition-free public charter school aims to be an environment for all students to thrive and explore self-expression. Its namesake — Katherine Anne Porter — was born near Brownwood in 1890 and moved to Kyle in her early childhood. She is known to be one of the state’s best and most famous writers, though the majority of her works were published outside of Texas, and she went on to win a Pulitzer Prize.

The school serves students in eighth through 12th grade and they all reside within a 30-mile radius from Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Wimberley and other surrounding areas.

While KAPS has an arts and humanities focus, it’s not a requirement attendance, as they welcome all students, including those who may not succeed in the traditional school setting, said superintendent Mariah Ingram.

“We get a lot of marginalized students enrolling here for different reasons. Some students may have been bullied at their previous campus and don't feel safe going back. Some students [were] the bully at their previous campus and they cannot go back,” she explained. “We have students who just don't perform well in a school with 1,500 kids and, [at] our school, right now, we are sitting at 77 for our enrollment. We're usually around 95 to 100. We have a wide range of students who actually want to be here.”

KAPS is looking at potentially adding on a program, where sixth through eighth grade students can have classes completely online, as well as running two parallel programs — in-person and online — for ninth through 12th grade.

These options would meet the needs of the students who are transitioning from homeschool to an in-person campus. Ingram explained that KAPS lost 30 students this year who enrolled, but, for various reasons, could not continue attending in person.

“It would be a way for us to recapture those students who had a hard time transitioning to the brick-and-mortar campus and allow them to work at a flexible pace ... For us, a third of our population receives special [education] services and it's just like any normal [school district],” Ingram said. “A lot of our secondary or high school students struggle with stress or depression or anxiety and that's why they're not in a regular school because it's overstimulating. There are days where they're overstimulated here and if they had the option to work from home or be online and still feel part of a school community and have access to a school community, I think it would meet a lot of different students’ needs, even students who aren't currently considering KAPS.”

This would also help maintain the school’s goal of being more inclusive and allowing various opportunities through increased enrollment. Ingram explained that KAPS’ “funds are severely limited and where other school districts get $40 million allotted for different things, we just don't. So, the increased enrollment would allow us to offer more things. At this time, we need to be able to offer AP classes; we need to be able to offer credit recovery classes and dual credit classes. Those are things we're struggling with this year because I can only afford seven teachers and that limits my master schedule, electives and opportunities for students and that's not what we want to do.”

If it moves forward, this program would be accredited, providing students with high school credits needed for college, which Ingram said is something that families who participate in homeschooling have found challenges with when applying for higher education.

“A lot of homeschool programs and some online platform programs are not accredited through the state of Texas,” the superintendent shared. “Parents put in the time, the energy and they think it's not that big of a deal, until about high school, when they start realizing, ‘Oh my goodness, you're going to want to go to college and you have no credit. You're starting high school. We need to get you to an accredited school, so you can earn your credit and apply to college.’ Otherwise, you apply to college without an accredited transcript.”

The cost of the program would be covered by KAPS; the families would not have to pay for anything.

Ingram noted that they would like to designate a specific computer lab on campus with a teacher for the families with students who would fully do their courses online, but be there for afterschool activities.

“Let's say parents have a meeting with an attorney, a funeral or something and they need their student to go to school, they can still sit in a computer lab with a teacher and do the virtual school, but where parents don't have to worry about ‘I've got to leave my two kids at home because we have these adult things going on,’” she said. “It will allow the students to come do their online platform, but also have in-person support.”

Currently, the design of the prospective program is not set, as KAPS still needs to select a provider, but Ingram explained that it could be where some students choose to do all seven class periods online, while others select to do some online and the rest in-person. The provider will help build a program based on input that will be given by families through an online interest survey, which has received more than 30 responses so far.

Ingram explained that she is awaiting confirmation to see if they would need to apply through the Texas Education Agency in order to run an online school in conjunction with the brick-and-mortar campus.

Ingram is pushing for the program to be implemented for the 2026-27 school year, with discussion possible at an upcoming board meeting.

Learn more about KAPS at www.kapschool.org. Families can fill out the KAPS Virtual Learning Interest Survey at bit.ly/4l42UBQ.

Teanookshop was created by Chris Valdez, Joe Valdez, Charlie Valdez and Avery Cox, who all have a background in the health and wellness industry. This began with another local business of theirs, Nature’s Choice Wellness, to help customers find options for stress, sleep, pain relief and overall balance. According to the owners, opening a tea shop is a natural extension of that mission, continuing their focus on plant-based, functional and wellness-driven products.

Specifically for Wimberley, this offers something different from the typical coffee and retail spots, the team stated.

“After helping customers with plant-based wellness solutions, we saw a need for every day, functional options, like loose leaf tea,” the owners continued. “Wimberley’s health-conscious, laid-back culture made it the perfect place to create a calming, community-focused space centered around wellness and intentional living.”

“There's been kind of a need for tea in Wimberley. There's a lot of coffee shops [and] there's a lot of boutiques, but there's nowhere that has loose leaf tea, so we are definitely wanting to provide some holistic options with the tea,” Cox said.

Being in the health and wellness industry for nearly seven years, the faces behind Teanookshop started educating themselves on different loose-leaf teas from around the world, along with their health benefits, and they wanted to share that knowledge with the community.

Tea is rich in antioxidants and supports overall wellness, with different types offering unique benefits, including:

Green tea: Boosts metabolism, supports heart health and improves focus

Black tea: Supports heart health, energy and gut health

Herbal tea: Caffeine-free and promotes relaxation, digestion or immune support, depending on the herb

Oolong tea: Supports metabolism and balanced energy

White tea: High in antioxidants with gentle caffeine and supports skin health

Cox said that the tea they carry is high quality for the people who are "connoisseurs,” as well as those who want to have a chamomile or Earl Grey. There is something for everybody, with the option to come in, sit down for a cup of tea with an open-table style seating arrangement and connect with other patrons.

Another component of the shop is that the owners have partnered with the Wimberley Valley Art League to dedicate wall space for local artists to display their work. In doing so, artists were able to submit and put their work up for free, as well as if someone is interested in purchasing it, 100% of the commission goes directly toward the artist.

“Our goal is to create more than just a shop. We hope to provide a welcoming space where locals and visitors can gather, connect and slow down,” the owners concluded. “We’re grateful to be part of this community and look forward to growing together.”

Teanookshop, located at 106 Wimberley Square, officially opened Sunday, March 15, and is planning to be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekdays, as well as 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends, with hours subject to change.

To learn more, visit bit.ly/4saBP2N.

Moratorium

In November 2025, council voted 3-1 — with council member David Cohen dissenting — to adopt a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, process and approval of short-term rental (STR) applications that require a conditional use permit (CUP). This item was requested by council member Rebecca Minnick, who stated that the dais’ position on the application has seemed inconsistent and there is not a policy in place in commercial areas and the applications are being considered in an infrequent manner, as previously reported by the News-Dispatch.

“We have citizens who are concerned about it. We have areas where there seems to be a large number of [STRs] or a high demand for those and also areas that they’re really not appropriate,” she said at the Nov. 6 meeting. “So, I thought it would be better to put a pause on everything, get this committee together and hash out all of these issues in conjunction with a planner from our law firm, so that we could have a very consistent approach that would be more easily understood by applicants, residents here [and] property owners, just to set expectations and everybody get on the same page.”

The temporary moratorium was set for 120 days, bringing it back on council’s agenda at the March 5 meeting for consideration to extend it further.

Following her previous recommendation that there needs to be a review process, Minnick shared that they have been convening an STR committee with members of the Planning & Zoning Commission, in order to bring recommendations to city council.

“The committee has some recommendations, but we want to get those into the final form and the moratorium, according to our city attorney, we can only do it for a maximum of 120 days. We couldn’t just do a forever moratorium,” she said.

She proposed to extend the temporary moratorium for another 120 days, but the committee could have something finalized as soon as the next 30 days.

“I think we’ll have something together and start working through the process within the next 30 days or so,” said Nathan Glasier, director of development services, who also sits on the committee.

“There may be some things that seem logical to do, but legally, we are not able to do those things. So, we are having to make some adjustments in terms of, for instance, we can’t say, ‘No more STRs here.’ You can’t do that, so we are working with the attorneys to get advice, so that what we do is legal and makes sense for the community,” Minnick added.

Council voted unanimously to extend the temporary moratorium for 120 days, which means it will remain in effect through July 4, unless otherwise terminated earlier by council.

Election

Also at the meeting, council voted unanimously to cancel the general election — which was set for May 2 — as all three candidates for office are unopposed. These candidates are incumbent Jim Chiles for mayor, Anne Ulfelder for Place Two and Sam Werner for Place Four on the city council.

Pursuant to the Texas Election Code, once the declaration of unopposed candidates has been delivered, the governing body must convene and vote to cancel the election and declare the unopposed candidates elected to office, according to agenda documents.

Additionally, the cancellation of the election results in an estimated cost savings of approximately $6,500.00, for the city, which had been budgeted for fiscal year 2026.

The swearing in and oath of office will occur May 11 and the candidates will officially take office at the second meeting in May, according to city secretary Tammy Heller.

Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19.

A two-time defending Texas History Day champion, Gillum placed first in the Junior Division Individual Website category for her project, “The King’s Revolutions: Rethinking the Historical Significance of Elvis Presley in 1950s America.” Her website explores the 2026 National History Day theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform.”

National History Day (NHD) is a nonprofit education organization that offers year-long academic programs that engage more than 500,000 middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest.

With the regional victory, Gillum advances to compete at the Texas History Day Contest Saturday, April 11, in Austin.

The Wimberley Band Boosters is a 501(c)(3) that supports the middle and high school bands within Wimberley ISD through fundraisers, organizing hospitality and meals for students when they attend competitions, coordinating volunteers and chaperones for various activities and seeking businesses who want to be program sponsors.

“The funding that we do through our fundraisers and sponsorships, through the concession stands, all that kind of stuff supports the program. It can be from new instruments to repairing instruments, helping with prop design and so forth for marching season,” said booster president Susan Rang. “We provide sponsor shirts, so that there's kind of like a uniform shirt beyond what they wear during the season. Basically, if there is a need that supports the entire program, not just an individual student, but the majority of the students in the program, then we can help support that cause.”

There are a couple of different ways for students to obtain instruments. Some come with their own instruments — either purchased individually or rented from places, like Strait Music, while others may rent them — especially in percussion — from the band program itself, Rang explained.

The booster president recalled that when she was a student, she was using a trombone that her neighbor had, but her parents eventually bought one — about $1,500 back in the '90s — that she was able to play through college. However, for her son, a new flute that would get him through high school and maybe into college would cost at least $1,000 to $1,500 today for a smaller instrument.

Knowing the large cost that it takes for parents to have their kids in band, Rang said that the boosters want to do all they can to make it an affordable program.

One of the major ways that the organization does this is through various fundraisers. This includes the following: a carnival that typically occurs around August with games, food, the Texan Stars and a performance by the Jesse Stratton Band; running the concessions stand at the visitors side during the varsity football games; and Santa Land with photos, crafts, games, karaoke, hot chocolate and a silent auction.

Currently, they are in the process of a new fundraiser, where participants can add a little pink to someone’s yard with a flock of flamingos.

“You can pay to have a friend’s [yard], your own yard or a business flocked. A flock is 25 flamingos and they stay there for, basically, like three to four days. You can have them migrate early if you don't want them in your yard or you can pay to have anti-flocking insurance and then, the person would have to pick another spot to flock it,” Rang said. “We're just trying something new this year to see if that works out.”

A flock of 25 flamingos is $50, early migration is $30 and yard insurance is $75. Each flamingo flock will arrive at the selected address on either Sunday or Wednesday of the chosen week, beginning March 25 and going through May 13, but they are limited to WISD boundaries.

Approximately half of the slots have been filled up for the flamingo flocking, so those who are wanting to sign up to help the current and future students in the program continue to succeed are encouraged to do so soon.

“They're playing their instruments, they're counting, they're memorizing music. They're using so much skill in order to accomplish this 15-minute program, basically. It's amazing because those kids are brilliant in math and athletics and they end up excelling more, I think, in their overall academics, when they have this kind of program,” Rang concluded.

To learn more about the Wimberley Band Boosters fundraisers, follow them on Facebook at @WimberleyBandBoosters.

The idea began approximately six years ago by teen services librarian Josie Bisett.

“I started it before I even worked there. I used to be on the board of the Friends [of the Wimberley Village Library] and we were coming up with fun things to do to connect with the community, to get more families involved,” recalled Bisett. “I suggested we do a kid market alongside when they do the book sales … but then, it just took on a life of its own because it was so big.”

Now, the library hosts separate events throughout the year.

The idea is that children ages 5 through 18 can create their own business and set up a booth at the function to get paid for whatever their product of service may be.

“[My kid] used to make those friendship bracelets, the ones that they weave onto your wrist and he used to do them for $1 each. He would make $22 that day and get very excited about it,” said Bisett. “My other son would put out his violin case and just play violin music.”

The opportunities are endless, said the librarian, as she has seen booths that have signup sheets for dog walking or babysitting or items for sale, such as chicken noodle soup or crocheted pieces, sandwiches, 3D-printed figures and more.

The market is not only a place where children can express their creativity, but it also teaches them valuable lessons. Bisett noted that the entry fee is $5, which replicates vendor fees at other events, if the children were to have their own business when they were older.

“They can make something of themselves. It’s very good at making them think about money, making them think about [the process] because they do all of it from the start to the finish,” she said. “A lot of these kids show up and they’ve got an idea and they don’t maybe do so well and they’ve put a lot of work in, but then, they decide, ‘You know what, it would have been smarter if I did this.’ So, it teaches them quite a lot about supply and demand. It teaches them business [and] it teaches them some basic skills.”

The children also gain confidence in talking to others, Bisett stated, noting that toward the end of the market, she will often see the young entrepreneurs “go mobile” by taking a basket and attempting to sell their products to passersby.

Although there are lessons to be learned by participating, the librarian emphasized that the real goal is to bring community members together. In particular, she said that it offers a place for those who are homeschooled to have a space with public school students.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Wimberley Village Library, 400 FM 2325. Children are required to provide their own table and will begin setting up their booths at 9 a.m.

Those interested in signing up can do so by emailing Bisett at teenservices@wimberleylibrary.org.

The city issued a request for proposals (RFP) in November 2025, with a January 2026 deadline, seeking qualified professional services to conduct the study, which has a purpose to evaluate community needs, potential facility options, estimated costs and operational considerations related to the possible development of an aquatic facility.

Three proposals were submitted: Brandstetter Caroll Inc. at $63,000, Hotel & Leisure Advisors at $99,700 and Kimley-Horn at $58,000. With it being the lowest bid, Kimley-Horn was the highest scoring bidder, according to parks director Erica Flocke, who explained that the proposals were reviewed at the Feb. 18 Wimberley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.

Board members acknowledged that aquatic amenities were frequently mentioned in the Parks Master Plan survey and that the community is interested in having pool access, Flocke said. However, the board’s primary concern was long-term financial sustainability.

“While a $58,000 study is able to be funded from our parks budget, they questioned whether it was prudent to spend those funds on a feasibility study, when the city does not currently have an identified funding mechanism for construction or ongoing operations of an aquatic facility,” Flocke explained.

Water availability amid ongoing drought conditions was also discussed at length as a significant local constraint, the parks director added.

Ultimately, the Parks board voted 7-0 to recommend that city council does not move forward with the feasibility study bids at this time, but it did recommend moving forward with a subcommittee to explore alternative aquatic opportunities, including “potential partnerships with existing facilities, shared use agreements or other creative solutions that may provide access, without placing strain on the parks budget,” Flocke said.

While he is not a voting member, Mayor Jim Chiles said that he believes the study needs to be moved forward because it will identify some of the funding mechanisms and how the city can pay for it with partners, like the county, city of Woodcreek and Wimberley ISD.

Council member Rebecca Minnick asked if the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was involved in the Parks Master Plan development last year.

“We were extensively involved in that comprehensive master plan for the parks and I think this RFP process, this was not the first time it had been discussed. Obviously, we recommended we go forward with a bid for RFP’s,” said Leah Cuddeback, board chair.

Cuddeback shared that the board got “sticker shock” and when they saw the cost of the submitted proposals ranging from $58,000 to $99,000, they questioned if it was the best use of funds.

“The real concern that came up was just the fact that the $58,000 price tag felt like a weird use of our time and money in contracting somebody to create a study that we believe will show us that it is not feasible to put in a pool,” she said. “We don’t know that because a feasibility study will tell you, but the board raised significant concerns around what the funding mechanism could even be in the long-run, since we don’t have a property tax.”

Minnick asked if the numbers, when they came in, were shared with the parks board — city administrator Tim Patek responded that he, Flocke and board member Lee Ann Linam were on the scoring committee.

The council member then questioned the board having sticker shock, even though there was a parks board member that was reviewing the RFP’s.

“I think the parks board just felt that we were a little bit concerned in a year when we are already facing a drought in February and we’ve had hardly any rain, we don’t know what revenue is going to be like at Blue Hole,” Cuddeback said. “It felt uncomfortable to us to say, ‘Let’s use money from the parks to fund a study that we don’t know [if] this study will be used. Will this be put on a shelf? Will it lead to a long-term answer?’”

She added that people want a pool and alternative swimming options, but the board is worried that there may already be those available in the community and they are not being utilized, including the pools at the Wimberley Inn, 7A Ranch and Unity Church.

Cuddeback also said that some of the board members may have more connections to those people and were interested in forming a subcommittee comprised of locals, council members and the parks board to “kind of [do it yourself] this because they thought, at the end of the day, if people want swimming opportunities, there could be a way to spend $60,000 that isn’t creating a plan. It’s putting money into existing resources in the community.”

A component of this is trying to get somewhere that the Wimberley High School swim team can practice — as well as younger kids for lessons — because they are having to be transported to Dripping Springs every day, since there is not a local facility currently.

“We had not been told that any of this had to do with the school swim team,” Cuddeback said.

The school district is interested in being a partner, Chiles said, and the city will take care of the cost of the feasibility study.

Cuddeback said at the end of the day, they are an advisory board and city council has a better understanding of the city of Wimberley’s financial standing, but the board does advise spending the money a little differently.

Council member David Cohen said that the idea of a feasibility study is to see if something is feasible, but “it sounds to me that you decided before the study that it is not feasible and you don’t want to spend the money, but I don’t know what basis you come to that conclusion on.”

Flocke chimed in that she reached out to a few neighboring areas to get an idea of what it’s like to run a pool with a community of this size and all of them have property tax, describing them as “money sinks,” which she relayed to the board.

“At the end of the day, a feasibility study is to see if it’s feasible for our community, specifically, so there is some discrepancy there,” she said.

The issue at hand, she continued, is the parks board does not know if it wants to go through with the study.

Being on council for seven years, Minnick shared that the community has asked for this even before she was sitting on the dais and she thinks that it’s important that they pay attention to what the residents want, but they won’t know the answers to all of the questions without the necessary experts.

Council ultimately voted 3-1, with Sheffield dissenting, due to wanting to put funding elsewhere, to select Kimley-Horn as the bidder of the aquatics feasibility study.

To listen to the full discussion, visit www.cityofwimberley.com/292/Public-Meetings.

Parking on sidewalks is prohibited under Texas Transportation Code § 545.302, which states that a vehicle may not stop, stand or park on a sidewalk, stated a city news release. Sidewalks are part of the public right-of-way and must remain clear to provide safe and accessible passage for pedestrians, including children, individuals with disabilities and families using strollers.

The installation of these signs is intended to increase awareness of this existing state law and encourage voluntary compliance. The city’s primary goal is to promote safety and accessibility for all residents and visitors. While enforcement and ticketing will occur when violations are observed, the city’s intent is to achieve compliance through education and awareness, rather than punitive measures, the release continued.

“These signs are being installed to help educate the public and keep our sidewalks safe and accessible,” said Tim Patek, city administrator. “Our focus is on compliance and safety, ensuring pedestrians can use sidewalks without obstruction.”

The city has coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation regarding appropriate sign placement. Once installed, the signs will provide clear notice of the state law prohibition and may support enforcement when necessary.

The city encourages residents, business owners, employees and visitors to utilize designated parking areas and avoid parking on sidewalks.

For questions or more information, contact Patek at 512-648-2402 or tpatek@cityofwimberley.com.

SB 11 — adopted during the 89th Texas Legislature — amends Section 25.901 of the Texas Education Code, “Exercise of Constitutional Right to Pray” by allowing prayer or meditation to be encouraged during school. Requiring or coercing someone to pray or meditate is still prohibited under law.

All boards statewide were presented with the option to require “every campus of the district or school to provide students and employees with an opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day,” read the amendment.

The bill took effect Sept. 1, 2025, allowing districts to opt in for the 2025-26 school year. No district is required to adopt the bill. However, every school district was mandated by the state to take decisive action on the bill by March 1 of this year.

With the deadline approaching, the board of trustees heard a presentation from Jason Valentine, the district’s assistant superintendent, on the bill’s requirements and potential challenges.

To participate in the Daily Prayer Period, each parent and employee would have to sign a consent form for their child or themself. The bill also states that only consenting students and employees are allowed to hear the prayer and bars the prayer period from being held during instructional time. The time for prayer or Bible reading would have to take place in a designated space with supervision.

According to Valentine’s presentation, adopting the bill in Wimberley ISD could generate peer pressure from consenting students for nonconsenting students to participate or foster religious division. The assistant superintendent also touched on “daily administrative challenges to track consent, dedicated time/space and supervision to ensure legal compliance.”

Valentine emphasized that not adopting the senate bill does not erase the existing right to pray in school if one chooses, which the Constitution also protects. “We have found that some school districts offered an alternative resolution acknowledging what rights already exist in schools,” he said.

In a letter signed by more 160 faith leaders across Texas, the authors urged school boards not to adopt SB 11: “Requiring families to opt into a system that already protects their children's religious rights at school distracts from a school's mission of educating children,” the letter stated. The faith leaders provided an alternative resolution, which Wimberley ISD drew from in its own resolution Affirming our Constitutional and Legal Right to Choose to Pray in School.”

Before moving to a vote, trustee Lexi Jones stated, “I appreciate that we already have these constitutional protections in place.” She added that adopting SB 11 was an unnecessary measure.

“We have a time of reflection on our campuses. It’s already in place,” stated Rob Campbell, board president.

He reiterated member Jones’ sentiment and stated that the process of implementing a daily prayer period would be burdensome.

A record vote was taken to decline the adoption of SB 11 and move forward with the resolution. In the event of a record vote, each trustee must individually vote yes or no on an agenda item. The trustees voted “yes” 6-0 to approve the resolution.

In the alternative resolution, the board affirmed its dedication “to cultivating and maintaining a respectful school environment for students and teachers of any or no religious background; and supports the rights of individuals to pray in its schools.”

The board of trustees will hold its next regular meeting Monday, March 23.

“Tourists are woven into our daily life here in Wimberley and how we manage that tourism matters to everyone that calls Wimberley home,” said Lions Club member Frank Curtis. “This community forum recognizes the delicate balance that the city of Wimberley and its partner agencies are working to achieve.”

He continued by emphasizing that there needs to be a balance of welcoming visitors to Wimberley, while safeguarding the natural beauty and small-town charm it encompasses.

Michelle Woods, director of Tourism for Wimberley, explained that the Tourism Department is funded through hotel occupancy tax (HOT), which is a tax on individuals that stay overnight in available lodging. These funds are state regulated and do not contribute to the city’s general fund to work on projects, such as roads, but rather continue to go back into the promotion and marketing of Wimberley. For example, this year, Woods stated that they are attempting to focus on digital and print media, such as releasing a venue magazine later in the year.

Currently, there are 125 lodging establishments within the city, she said. In 2025, there were approximately 1.3 million visitor days or days in which people stayed in the city.

“That represents a 28% year-over-year growth over 2024, which is pretty remarkable,” said Woods. “It’s important to note that the visitor days does represent a mix of overnight stays, as well as day trippers … We do see some pretty clear seasonable patterns January through December, which, even if you don’t know [that] you’re familiar with them, you’re familiar with them. You’ve felt them. The lows are in January and February and the peak months are, typically, June and July.”

These patterns have been more stable over the past two years, after falling, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Woods explained.

Although there have been positives with tourism, there are also drawbacks, such as resident complaints regarding parking, traffic, protecting Wimberley’s character and water conservation. She noted that these concerns are valid, but, at the moment, an easy fix isn’t available.

Despite this, staff is working to “set expectations with our visitors before they arrive,” such as encouraging parking in one spot and walking around to various destinations, rather than continuously driving throughout.

Other projects that the city is working on include:

Monument signage in three districts: Market District, Midtown and Gateway

Digital alignment by updating platforms, like Google Maps

Urban Trails project to connect parks, parking lots and downtown businesses to improve walkability

A shuttle with several stops throughout the city

The Visit Wimberley website has also been revamped, said Woods, as staff has focused on making it a functional tool that includes updated businesses, information about parking, bathrooms, basic amenities, emergency services and more.

“Another concern that we hear is affordability. Are locals being priced out? Unfortunately, at this point, affordability is more of a regional Central Texas issue. There’s not a lot at Visit Wimberley or the city level that we can do. There’s a lot more factors than just tourism that goes into this, but we do know that our tourists support our local businesses; they keep those jobs and those businesses thriving,” said Woods.

Despite the increase in tourism, Woods shared that there has not been an increase in crime tied to the industry.

Looking to the future, Woods noted that her office’s goal is sustainable tourism by using data-driven decisions and having a willingness to adjust.

Next, Wimberley Development and Public Works director Nathan Glasier discussed zoning codes.

“I think zoning is really important when it comes to managing growth and development within the city limits,” said Glasier. “It’s only given to cities in Texas, so counties do not have zoning authority. They cannot enforce use restrictions, but, basically, a city can pass laws that dictate how you develop your property and this means: where a building can go, how big that building can be, how tall it can be and then, also what you can do on the inside of the walls of that building.”

Of the nine square miles within city limits, 85% of it is zoned as a single-family district, where residences or some form of approved agricultural or religious assembly can occur. Five percent is parks and public facilities, such as schools and libraries, and 10% is commercial use.

The primary restriction in Wimberley is regarding height, Glasier explained, as there cannot be a building more than 35-feet tall or two stories. There are also impervious cover restrictions, tree protection ordinances, a protected waterway overlay and, following its approval in 2021, a historic preservation overlay district. This means that the architecture must be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission to ensure that it matches the city of Wimberley Historic District design guidelines.

The floor was then open to residents in attendance to ask questions.

One resident questioned the possibility of discount cards for locals, to which Woods stated that this has come up in various committees, but that, ultimately, it is up to the businesses themselves to decide if this is something they want to offer.

Another asked about the housing availability. According to Glasier, the city is currently working on a Comprehensive Plan, which will hopefully address this concern after it is adopted in May. It will also discuss water concerns associated with growth.

The Old Kyle Road project was mentioned and city administrator Tim Patek shared that the current plan is to install a roundabout by Blue Hole, with a one-way road to Ranch Road 12. Furthermore, there are still discussions going on surrounding Oldham Street. He also clarified that these are county projects, not the city’s, but that staff is doing their best to be in the conversation.

For more information on tourism in Wimberley, visit www.visitwimberleytx.org.

This comes after the city received a $300,000 General Land Office (GLO) grant to do a 20-year master outlook for the community and the city of Wimberley not having amended its comprehensive plan since February 2016.

“It's also about creating a clear, thoughtful framework to guide decisions through 2045, so it's basically like a roadmap for Wimberley,” said city administrator Tim Patek. “Here's what you have, here's our roadmap and how we are going to get there and [it] doesn't mean that you always have to go by that, but it gives you guidance of which way to go.”

Another key element is that the plan is digitized or through electronic delivery, allowing it to not be just a PDF file sitting on a shelf, according to Jerri Conrado of Langford Community Management Services, the consultant on the project.

The draft of the plan — titled Resilient Communities Comprehensive Plan — consists of different sections, with the first being a community profile. This explores the people, culture, housing and services that define Wimberley, with strategies to strengthen social resilience and quality of life. It focuses on the people who live, work and engage in Wimberley to ensure that all residents have access to opportunities and resources.

A component of this is a Jan. 29 town hall open house, where there were more than 70 participants in attendance: “We wanted people to come there and give us their feedback of what they want Wimberley to look like, what direction they want to go in and so forth. [It’s] kind of like where we are at now,” Patek said.

There have been other community engagement activities, including an online portal with surveys and different avenues to get feedback.

According to the community responses, the number one concern that was brought up amongst residents was drought and water, as well as the aging infrastructure and flood risk needs and responsible growth and land use decisions that come along with that.

“Smart growth and guidance versus random development, utilizing all the water. That was a big concern. Overdevelopment was an issue that people are just concerned about. It's not like that is the problem, but that was what they didn't want to happen,” Conrado said. “Back to water infrastructure, to support any sustained growth — commercial and residential — they want balance, just not unchecked expansion, which is normal. That's what we heard over and over again.”

Other concerns that city officials and Langford have received include preserving the community identity — keeping the small-town charm of Wimberley — and trails and connectivity, which also means integrating art and elements of the town’s character throughout the trail systems.

The rest of the plan focuses on land use, infrastructure, transportation and implementation strategy.

Along with the other sections, a large component of the plan is a special “One Water” study, which takes a comprehensive look at water quality, supply, stormwater management and long-term resilience. This will be incorporated into all relevant sections — land use, infrastructure, environmental protection and resilience strategies — of the plan.

“One Water is about trying to be sustainable from where you're at. We like people to use rainwater, especially when they're using it for flushing commodes and so forth like that. It may not be fully that way, but if we can reduce the amount of water that we use in the area, that's a bonus and that's a plus to save as much as we can and just having opportunities and options of what you can and what you can't do for One Water,” Patek explained.

Designing the plan officially started in October 2024 when the GLO grant was awarded, so it’s been years in the making.

While city officials have until October for the closeout of the grant period, they are hoping to have the finalized comprehensive plan in May, after going to the Planning and Zoning Commission for further review and comments and then, to city council for adoption.

Residents still have an opportunity to provide input on the online portal. To look at the draft of the plan, or send in comments, visit www.langfordplanning.com/wimberley-rcp.

Students can write letters, draw pictures or share notes about their day, interests or words of encouragement, shared a news release. All letters will be distributed to residents at Alexis Pointe, giving students a chance to practice kindness and communication, while giving residents mail that isn't bills or advertisements.

Letters can be mailed or hand-delivered to Alexis Pointe Senior Living, Attn: National Letter to an Elder Day, 14390 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676.

"For our residents, receiving letters from local students brings immense happiness and a strong sense of belonging to the community," said Tricia Gangstad, community relations director at Alexis Pointe Senior Living of Wimberley. "For students, it offers an opportunity to practice kindness, empathy and communication, while learning the value of honoring and engaging with older generations. We would be honored to partner with Wimberley schools in making this day worthwhile for both students and seniors alike."

The Feb. 26 letter campaign gives Wimberley students a writing project with a real audience — residents who will actually read what they send.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26

•  Participants: Local students and classrooms

•  What to Send: Letters, drawings or notes

•  Mail To: Alexis Pointe Senior Living, Attn: National Letter to an Elder Day, 14390 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676

For more information, visit bit.ly/3M3yx1x.

The Pioneer Express is located inside 7A Ranch at Pioneer Town and began in 1971.

“Pioneer Town was just kind of an extension of 7A Ranch. It started with a cafe to have onsite for guests and then, it  turned into a big creative vision with a full western town that became complete with the saloon, opera house, ice cream parlor [and] chapel … So, the Pioneer Express was just built out of that dream,” said director of operations Amanda Calaway.

The train departs the depot to take visitors through a scenic route on the property, with views of the Hill Country and a ravine, as well as traveling through several tunnels. Additionally, there is a story that is shared through the speakers on the train of the history and specific sites that the train is visiting.

Although the train was a crowd favorite, the original was sold in the early 2000s to the city of Gainesville, where it can still be found, said Calaway. But when the ranch changed ownership to Scott Way in 2016, he knew that he wanted to bring back the iconic attraction.

“He grew up visiting Wimberley as a kid and would spend time at 7A [Ranch] and Pioneer Town and always loved to hear the sound of the train, just like most locals around here,” explained Calaway. “The sound of the train horn was something special to him [and he wanted] to be able to bring it back for families to continue to enjoy.”

This mission led to years of locating a new train, fixing it up and relaying tracks for it to run on. In 2022, The Pioneer Express Railroad returned to Wimberley to the delight of residents.

Gonce emphasized that having the experience back is sentimental for residents. It’s gone through generations and generations, so those who rode it in the 1960s and 1970s as children are now able to bring their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she said.

A train ride is also not readily available in the area, said Calaway, unless someone wants to travel to New Braunfels or Austin, they can only receive this unique experience in Wimberley.

For Galaway, the train is a moment to relax and enjoy the Hill Country at its finest — with deer prancing and wildflowers blooming in the spring — while Gonce is always excited for the 180-degree view of the Hill Country over the ravine.

In the future, the two shared that they have big plans, but for now, “they’re all still just dreams.”

Tickets are sold at the front desk for $6. Kids 2 and under are free. To learn more about The Pioneer Express Railroad and Pioneer Town, visit www.7aranch.co/pioneer-town.

When selecting art to include in this exhibit, projectART board member Heather Carter and advisory board member Jules Buck Jones were hoping to focus on landscapes, but from a different perspective, read a news release.

“We wanted the land work to be reminiscent of maps, looking straight down onto the land from this suspended space above and we wanted the sky work to have this same quality of almost laying down and staring up at the sky and clouds,” said Carter. “It was really born out of the idea of moving beyond the traditional landscape show and into a more contemporary take. [There are no] horizon lines in either of their works; they each focus entirely on the up and down, the gas or the solid, what we can touch and what we can't. At the same time they are both viewing their subjects from this shared suspended space in the middle.”

Austin-based artists Shannon Faseler and Shawn Camp will be featured in IN SUSPENSION, each providing six large pieces that complement each other in size and visual weight.

The pieces Camp is contributing to the exhibit can be described as “[exploring] the boundaries between the physical and the transcendent,” said the release. With his work, Camp attempts to bring about a feeling of being suspended between these two nebulous spaces–real and conceptual.

“These paintings try to articulate that reality through imagery that infers rather than clarifies. They're purposefully subtle and slightly confusing–something, like when you have a word or idea at the tip of your tongue and can't quite call it to mind. I think of my paintings as sort of an oscillation, or suspension, between the physical matter of the paint and the transcendent light that forms what we see,” said Camp.

projectART’s vision is to bring people together to create community through art. Its hope is that through thought-provoking exhibits such as IN SUSPENSION, discourse about the world and humanity’s effects on it will come to the surface.

IN SUSPENSION will commence with an opening reception  from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 at ARTSPACE and will be on view until April 18.

Before Texas Health and Human Services’ (HHSC) involvement, a series of complaints were submitted over the course of several months. The first was dated Feb. 16 and detailed a visit that a family member experienced. In it, the complainant stated that their family member fell out of her chair, resulting in a small cut and hematoma on the back of her head. Pressing the call button, the family member expected staff members to respond, but was, instead, left alone. After inquiring about the lack of response to both the owner and a staff member, it was discovered that the call button did not actually alert anyone. Instead, a noise played in the kitchen to inform staff. If no one was around, then the call went unanswered.

Additionally, the reporter found out that their family member had missed two doses of her medicine, which staff revealed was being “borrow[ed]” from another resident, since they ran out.

A second complaint was submitted a month later and stated that they removed their family member from the facility, due to lack of staffing, no response to call buttons and poor food quality. The complainant also stated that there was an unauthorized withdrawal from their family member’s bank account for $1,500, following his leave.

Submitted in early June, another detailed that, “This facility is a nightmare. The owner has no medical training … No nurses, no doctors, they frequently lose medications, claim they go missing and have no medical recording system. They have no process to receive [HIPPA] compliant emails, they do not answer their phone and the staff frequently practice outside of their scope. I’m begging for someone to look deeper into this.”

Following these reports was one from a Symphony of Wimberley personnel member. They described the unfit environment by disclosing that the facility had an unpaid water bill, was without gas for a week — resulting in employees filling up buckets with hot water for bed baths for residents — was supplying food, such as Pizza Hut and macaroni and cheese for dinner, failing to update medicines within the computer system and more.

Investigations into these complaints were conducted throughout the second half of June and yielded concerning results, according to documents provided by HHSC. Not only was there confirmation of a lack of staff, which were not being paid, but failure to administer medicine, provide resident service plans and have emergency preparedness response protocols. Overall, the investigation stated that there were “several immediate threats” found within Symphony of Wimberley, causing “neglect.”

During a June 20 interview with owner Tim Reese, he told investigators that he was “behind on bills for the facility,” which included electricity, water and internet. Furthermore, employees were going unpaid, though “the staff are loyal and that they will keep working and that staff will eventually get paid.” Still, several staff members spoken to by HHSC failed to receive their June 15 paycheck.

Alongside these investigations, a formal observation was completed by HHSC from June 12-30. This resulted in residents being discharged from the facility, due to Symphony of Wimberley owners failing to resolve immediate threats.

The results established that the assisted living facility had failed to meet requirements for eight codes.

One of which was night shift staffing. According to HHSC, night staff members were not immediately available and awake for three of the four observed overnight shifts.

One caretaker explained that she was unaware of this requirement, as she was planning on sleeping after working nearly 24 hours.

Another staff member could be called to come help, if needed, she continued, since she was the only employee in the facility.

Reese stated that he believed having one staff member overnight was okay, since there were no residents that required a two-person transfer, though he acknowledged that there had been no recent evaluations or confirmations of each resident’s transfer capability.

Despite this claim, caretakers stated that there were two residents that needed multiple people for a transfer. A staff member also revealed to HHSC that she was unable to change a resident, since it required two people for the task.

This admission is relevant, as, eight days prior, HHSC observed this same resident in bed with her head under the blanket, omitting a “foul odor” of “urine and feces.”

Another failure was admission policies and disclosure statements, due to the requirement that the facility must not admit or retain a resident whose needs cannot be met by the facility or who cannot secure the necessary services from an outside resource.

The resident in question did not have a service plan to review, according to the report, though an interview with her revealed that she recently visited the hospital and had a catheter that was past its change date, in addition to it being bent.

“When asked if anyone monitored her for signs and symptoms of worsening [condition] she stated no,” read the findings.

Reese was uninformed of this hospital visit, as he shared that she is not “an actual resident” and only lives on the premises. He was also unaware of her medications and who handled them.

After the attempt to view the resident’s service plans, further review divulged that service plans were unavailable for any of the nine residents, putting them “at risk for serious injury, harm, hospitalization and death.”

A staff member stated that executive director Kelly Geiger was in charge of creating these documents, as the computer was inaccessible. Because of this, staff attended to residents with information spread by word of mouth. This was corroborated by another employee.

An interview occurred June 12 with Geiger, who said that she did not have any of the resident medical records, including service plans, and she “couldn’t print anything.” When asked to email the documents, she replied, “I don’t know how to work my computer like that.”

When Reese later found the documents and provided them to HHSC, it was noted that two service plans were still incomplete, while the others hadn’t been updated since — at the earliest — 2024, with some dating back to 2022.

Finally, the owners failed to conduct required fire drills. According to the report, facility staff had not been formally trained in the case of a fire, nor was there documentation of a fire drill performed since 2021. Reese’s information was limited, as he stated that the staff was “probably” trained on emergency evacuation, but he was not sure.

The lack of fire drill training was magnified, as a Plan of Removal was unavailable. This was identified as an immediate threat June 20. HHSC attempted to obtain this procedure several times and was told by Geiger on June 26 that she had “people working on that right now.”

Despite this declaration, three days prior, Geiger asked HHSC to remove the residents, since she heard it was going to: “The faster the better.”

An effort to have a meeting with both Geiger and Reese was sent June 27. Because this situation put “residents at risk for serious injury or harm up to and including death if staff are unprepared to evacuate in the event of fire or other cause for evacuation,” all residents were discharged June 30.

Other codes Symphony of Wimberley failed to meet are listed as follows:

Staffing-safe evacuation

Coordination of care — medicine

Rights of residents

Emergency preparedness and response

Preceding the removal, HHSC ordered an emergency suspension of license and closure June 25, due to the facility being in violation of Texas Health and Safety code, thus creating “an immediate threat to the health and safety of residents.”

Symphony of Wimberley had the opportunity to appeal the emergency order and submit a plan of correction. This would include information on how the facility will: accomplish corrective action, identify other residents with the potential to be affected and monitor its corrective actions, as well as the measures the facility planned to put in place and when.

Investigative documents did not show an appeal or plan presented to HHSC. Therefore, a letter informing Symphony of Wimberley of the proposal for revocation of its license was sent Sept. 9.

"Our top priority is protecting the health, safety and well-being of people served by the facilities and providers we regulate. HHSC's final notice revoking the Symphony of Wimberley's facility license was effective Nov. 2, 2025,"  confirmed Thomas Vazquez, HHSC assistant press officer.

This week-long culinary event invites locals and visitors alike to enjoy the flavors of Wimberley, while supporting local restaurants and giving back to the community.

During the event, participating eateries will showcase special menu items, promotions or signature dishes, encouraging residents and visitors to explore the area’s dining scene. Proceeds from the event will benefit Crisis Bread Basket and the Wimberley ISD School Lunch Program, in an effort to help address food insecurity within the community, according to a news release.

Each visit to a local eatery earns a punch on the Taste of Wimberley card. Collect punches from five participating businesses, then turn in at the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce for a chance to win gift cards and prizes donated by participating businesses. Punch cards can be picked up at the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce or participating businesses during the event.

Taste of Wimberley is a way to celebrate local restaurants, while also supporting important programs that serve community members by enjoying food and making an impact at the same time, the release continued.

The event is made possible through the sponsorship of Ozona Bank.

Participating restaurants include Blanco Brew, Leaning Pear, Brookshire Brothers, Meat & Drink, Wineberley, The Dark Skies Tavern, The Kitchen at Creekhaven, Wimberley Donuts, Dairy Queen, Rocky Mountain Crepes, Monster Treats, Marco’s, The Wimberley Café, Wimberley Valley Winery, Lone Man Mountain Brewing, Twisted Treats, Hill Country Wine Shoppe, JPs Wimberley BBQ and Longleaf.

Additional eateries will be added leading up to the event, so visit the Taste of Wimberley Facebook Event on the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce page for the most up-to-date list of participating locations.

The update given by Jones follows a previous discussion that city council had last year after the flooding events that took place in several areas across the Texas Hill Country during the Fourth of July weekend. At the time, Wimberley Mayor Jim Chiles said that he had been in conversation with Jones, who had explained that the county was working to receive a grant that would help in getting sirens, as the city is interested in having those for weather-related emergency communications.

Hays County will be installing a Perry Weather system over Jacob’s Well. This system identifies when lightning strikes 10 miles from a location, Jones explained, with the possibility to narrow down that mile radius even further.

“What that does for us is when we have citizens and visitors come into the Jacob’s Well area and we have weather moving in, it will give them automatic notification to get back indoors until that lightning goes away. It goes off on a timer, so if we have a lightning strike, it’ll go 30 minutes; if we don’t have another lightning strike, then it will be safe to come back outdoors,” he said.

This system would also give the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature — critical for making heat safety decisions for student athletes, workers or outdoor events. When the weather is extreme, it would advise the local Wimberley High School coaches on when it would be a good time to go indoors for practice, rather than outdoors, Jones noted.

Perry Weather would be available through an app that is downloadable on mobile devices.

As for the sirens, Jones stated that he had a study done by an out-of-state company, who said that there would need to be 25 sirens along the Blanco River, but he believes that five would be sufficient for Wimberley’s part of the river.

Knowing that the cost of sirens is exponential, the director explained that he had grant application out — one of which was through the General Land Office that was submitted at least a year ago and that they are still considering the process.

“I think we have a good chance of getting that grant and the reason I say that is the grant is based on unallocated funds from the 2015 floods. Does anybody know who was around for the 2015 floods? Like this entire city, right? So, that’s why I say we have a pretty good chance in getting the unallocated funds from the 2015 floods,” Jones said. “It’s just waiting on the General Land Office to put it all together.”

Council member Rebecca Minnick recalled back to July 3, 2025, when she was at the Wimberley Cafe, and everyone started to receive alerts on their phones. She stated that they would pick up their phone for a quick glance, but then put them back down.

She then asked Jones how to discern the different alerts and how to create more urgency for emergency situations, like flooding or fires.

“You have different types of alerts on your phone, number one. You have the AMBER Alert that you always see. You also have the public safety emergency alerts. I would encourage people not to disengage the public safety emergency alerts — keep that current,” Jones responded. “When the National Weather Service sends out alerts, it’s going to be IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. You can’t turn that off, it’s going to come to your phone, whether you like it or not.”

Hays County does not “double down” on the IPAWS, as it’s left up to the National Weather Service, Jones said. He continued that the county learned its lesson back during the 2015 floods, when every entity was trying to alert everyone and the result was “we pretty much broke the system. When I say break it, we inundated it with so much information that it crashed, so learning from that, the National Weather Service sends out the alert systems for weather. If a citizen decides to turn that off and just disregard it, there’s not much we can do about that.”

Education is key, the director continued, as when people come to the community to vacation, it needs to be instilled in them that it’s a beautiful place to visit, but when there are weather alerts, they need to be taken seriously.

“You hear and you honor the threat, even if it means going to the cafe and having coffee and nothing happens,” Jones said. “You honor that threat. So, if we put that message out and let folks know, ‘It’s only a few minutes of your time that can save lives.’”

For the sirens and additional low-water crossings within the county, Jones said that Wimberley will be his focus, Dripping Springs will be the second and then, it will be Buda. He added that his plan for the Perry Weather system will be active no later than March 1.

To listen to the full update, visit www.cityofwimberley.com/292/Public-Meetings.

Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6.