City council set to adopt resolution against hate

The San Marcos City Council is expected to affirm the city as “a welcoming City that respects the innate dignity of all people and will not tolerate hate, extremism and bigotry,” through the U.S. Conference of Mayor's Compact to Combat Hate.

Previously, the council adopted the same resolution in 2017. At the time the resolution was adopted, local activists brought up controversial tweets made by Naomi Narvaiz, a then-member of the city’s ethics review commission. Mano Amiga voiced its concern regarding the upcoming discussion on the “welcoming city” resolution, asking the council to consider tabling the item. 

“If this pledge to reject bigotry and extremism is to be taken seriously — and not dismissed as a shallow, desperate PR move — then city council must table the vote on re-affirming the compact until after the outcome of the federal lawsuit, filed by former state Senator Wendy Davis, alleging that San Marcos recently violated the Ku Klux Klan Act by policing in a partisan manner, and allowing the dangerous perpetration of political terrorism with no consequences,” Mano Amiga said in a statement.

In other business, the council will look to further the progress related to the Blanco Riverine Flood Mitigation Project by seeking to approve a change in service to the engineering services agreement with Halff Associates, Inc.

This change would help advance the project to the advance to the bid phase and later the construction phase and final close-out. 

Councilmembers will also consider the appointment of the mayor or a city council member to fill vacancies left by the departure of councilmember Melissa Derrick. 

The boards and committees with vacancies include the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) General Assembly, Community Action Board, Core 4 Policy Group, Finance & Audit Committee, Homelessness Committee, Legislative Committee and the Sustainability Committee. 

The council will ​​consider appointments to fill vacancies on the Comprehensive Plan Rewrite Steering Committee, the committee responsible for assisting in the city’s Comprehensive Plan rewrite. 

Along with that, councilmembers will hold a discussion and seek approval  regarding the proposed 2022 city council meeting schedule.

A discussion will also be held by council regarding archaeological surveys and artifact preservation strategies for public and private development projects. 

Those looking to participate in the meeting can send comments via email to citizencomment@sanmarcostx.gov prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.

Residents looking to watch Tuesday’s regular meeting can do so online beginning at 6 p.m. at http://sanmarcostx.gov/421/City-Council-Videos-Archives or on Grande channel 16 or Spectrum channel 10.