Neighborhood Commission might be due for a revamp

A lot has changed since the city’s Neighborhood Commission was created in 2010, but the commission and its list of duties has largely remained the same. The San Marcos City Council and the Neighborhood Commission are both considering changes to its composition to better reflect the city’s growth and changing population, and the commission’s charge is likely to undergo a revision to clarify the body’s role.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the city council held a discussion about the Neighborhood Commission and ways to update its composition and its charge. Currently, the commission consists of seven members who are residents of Sectors 1,2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9; two members from Sector 5; two members — one of whom is an alternate voting member — from Sector 6; one member representing Texas State University’s Department of Student Affairs; and one alternate voting member representing the university’s Association of Student Government. The commission’s duties include advising the council, city manager and other boards and commissions on “issues of importance to the overall quality of neighborhoods,” fostering better relations between the university and the city, and advising on code enforcement activities and on maintaining and enhancing the visual attractiveness of the city.

“One thing that I think we might want to consider is that right now, representatives come from sectors,” Mayor Jane Hughson pointed out. “... Sectors are not being used anymore by anybody other than the neighborhood commission. Therefore, as we add Trace and La Cima and all these different places, I don’t know if the sectors are necessarily equal in population anymore.”

Council member Melissa Derrick asked whether the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) had a representative on the commission.

“I don’t recall there being a specific CONA appointee,” she said. “I just may not have been aware of that.”

“At one time there was,” Hughson replied.

City Clerk Jamie Lee Case said that so many of the commission members are also members of CONA that a specific CONA representative has not been sought out.

Council’s packet included information about neighborhood commissions in other communities. One of the duties of the neighborhood commission in Asheville, North Carolina, appealed to council member Melissa Derrick, who said she would like it added to the San Marcos commission’s charge: “Develop a plan to strengthen neighborhood identity and resilience, and to facilitate communication and cooperation between Asheville’s neighborhoods and City offices.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Prewitt said she would like to add “Advise on recommended public infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects within specific neighborhoods to enhance the safety and well-being of residents” to the list of neighborhood commission duties. She said that right now, the commission deals with the quality of neighborhoods but there is no mention of safety. 

“Sometimes when the streets are in disarray and there are potholes and bumps everywhere, that’s not one of their charges right now, and I think it would be a good charge to have for the Neighborhood Commission,” she said.

Council member Joca Marquez said she would like the commission to have more power as an advisory board for the council and have more input on more items. Case said that the commission’s role as an advisory body is already in the city code.

“Right now we’ve got the power to do it,” Hughson said of giving the commission more changes to advise council. “We would just need to bring it up at the time.”

City Attorney Michael Cosentino said if council wants input from the commission on a specific issue, city staff can arrange to get the issue put in front of the commission. 

Prewitt recommended getting feedback from the Neighborhood Commission on what it would like to see as far as changes to its duties and composition. Case said the council discussion was meant to start giving the commission direction for its own discussion of the issue.