City council looks into payments to homeowners
Reimbursement for homeowners whose residences were damaged in the 2015 floods and the creation of a city criminal justice reform committee are on tap for the San Marcos City Council today.
At the council’s workshop meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. in the council chambers, city staff will give a presentation on changes to Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding allotments that would include the creation of a $1 million fund to reimburse homeowners who spent their own money to make repairs to their houses after the 2015 floods. The change is part of a CDBG-DR Substantial Amendment that would shift funds around among different projects related to recovery from the floods. Council is not set to make a decision on the funding amendments today.
At its regular 6 p.m. meeting, council will hold a discussion on creating a council committee for criminal justice reform and give direction to city staff. Council members Ed Mihalkanin and Jocabed Marquez and Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Prewitt requested the agenda item. If such a committee is created, the city would be mirroring actions taken at the county level to address ways in which the criminal justice system could be improved.
In other business, council is set to approve changes in the city’s fire and food codes and hold a second public hearing on the city’s parks master plan.
Council is also set to consider supporting the Texas State University Department of Occupational, Workforce and Leadership Studies in its application to the Texas Commission on the Arts seeking designation of the Dunbar Arts, Cultural and Innovation District. Dr. Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, a professor in the OWLS department, intends to submit the application. She is proposing that if the state designates the Dunbar area as a cultural district, the OWLS Department and a Dunbar Arts SMTX Advisory Council manage the district together.
Other items up for consideration tonight include a resolution approving the San Marcos Commission on Children and Youth’s recommendation to allocate $63,750 for 21 youth programs that contribute to the implementation of the Youth Master Plan and items related to having San Marcos declared the “Mermaid Capital of Texas.”
Council will meet in the council chambers at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins St., at 3 p.m. and again for its regular meeting at 6 p.m. City council meetings are televised live on Spectrum Ch. 10 and Grande Ch. 16 or 123-16 and streamed online.
