Much council work looms after hiatus

After taking a break for the month of July, the San Marcos City Council has a packed agenda Tuesday, including items regarding low-income housing, workforce housing and post-flood housing rehabilitation. 

As part of its consent agenda, council will consider a resolution that would change the city’s Economic Development Policy and a policy governing use of the city’s Economic Development Supplemental Fund to allow money from that fund to be used to help develop workforce housing. On June 19, the council approved a resolution amending the city’s affordable/workforce housing policy and discussed the Economic Development Supplemental Fund as a potential source of money for workforce housing initiatives. If approved, the resolution would allow the fund to be used for real property acquisition, land planning, engineering and other activities. 

Council will also consider a resolution authorizing an application for Texas HOME Investment Partnerships funds from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for homeowner rehabilitation assistance. The HOME Program provides federal funds for local governments to use in creating affordable housing for low-income households. The application for grant money supports the city’s Workforce Housing Strategic Initiative goal of maintaining existing housing stock in safe conditions. 

Also on council’s consent agenda is the second reading of an ordinance that would, in part, allocate $60,000 for the city’s Homebuyer Incentive Program. The ordinance would also create six new positions — housing coordinator, compliance specialist, accountant, senior engineer, project engineer and inspector — to be funded completely with Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief funds to help the city implement disaster recovery projects. 

On the council’s non-consent agenda is a resolution supporting the submission of an application for low income housing tax credits to the state for the proposed El Camino Real Multifamily Housing Project. The proposed multifamily development would be located at the corner of Highway 123 and Clovis Barker Road and would provide 350 units; 280 would be affordable housing units and 70 would be market-rate units. 

Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins St. City council meetings are also televised live on Spectrum Ch. 10 and Grande Ch. 16 or 123-16 and streamed online.