Martindale advisory commitee still lacking council approval
Martindale’s river advisory board is ready to start meeting — except it has yet to gain approval from the Martindale City Council.
Martindale council member Sonja Villalobos, who has spearheaded the effort to form the advisory group, said the item was tabled at the Martindale City Council’s meeting on Nov. 5.
“I have been so ready to get this done,” she said.
Ten people submitted applications to be on the board, Villalobos said, and, “All I need to do is call them and have a special meeting.”
Villalobos said all the legalities and paperwork have been taken care of; the advisory board just needs approval from council. She hopes to get the group in place before the Martindale City Council votes on a can ban. Villalobos said the can ban is slated to be on the council’s agenda for next month, and she is hoping to get a special meeting scheduled for the approval of the river advisory board so the board can help guide the implementation of the can ban.
“That’s why I feel it’s so important to get this in place,” she said, adding that besides a can ban, “There are so many more things that are important to the river.”
Martindale has been pondering a can ban for some time but has waited to see how the New Braunfels can ban fared in the court system before deciding to implement one of their own. The can ban in New Braunfels withstood its most recent legal challenge and was reinstated in June. In October, the Martindale City Council had a discussion about river-related issues, including the advisory board and the can ban. Villalobos said then that she hoped members of the community would want to get involved in efforts to protect the San Marcos River.
Villalobos is asking members of the community to voice their support for the official creation of the river advisory board, which has been in the formation stage since the middle of the summer. Contact information for council members and future city council agendas can be found on the city of Martindale's website.
