Council to appoint new city attorney
The San Marcos City Council is ready to approve the appointment of a new city attorney at its next regular meeting.
According to the published agenda, the council, in its non-consent portion of the meeting set to begin in the city council chambers at 6 p.m., will vote to approve Resolution 2023-63R, hiring Samuel J. Aguirre as its city attorney.
The council is expected to briefly review the employment agreement and then authorize Mayor Jane Hughson to complete the hiring process with a date for the attorney to begin service.
Currently serving as interim city attorney is Barbara L. Qwirk.
In other action, the council will consider the approval of Ordinance 2023-29, that alters the number of term years that members may hold for the Zoning Board of Adjustments. Coming before the council as the second of two readings, if approved, will amend Chapter 2, Article 3, Division 5 - Zoning Board of Adjustments, of the San Marcos City Code. Following the Texas Local Government Code, the change will make terms two years instead of three.
The council approved the ordinance on its first reading March 7, passing it unanimously. The previous version of the ordinance was approved on Nov. 20, 2018, when the term of office for all boards and commission members was set to three years. The zoning board of adjustments (ZBOA) has five regular members with two alternates who are appointed by the city council now for two years.
Not too soon to be budget minded, the council plans to hold a public hearing during this meeting to receive comments for or against approving a Budget Policy Statement. This is part of the budget-making process in readiness for the 20232024 Fiscal Year budget.
Council members on Feb. 23 heard a staff presentation that offered direction on preparing and formulating the statement. The city charter requires the council to hold budget policy workshops no later than Feb. 27 annually. On Feb. 23, the council did hold the workshop keeping it in compliance. The charter further provides that the council approve its policy statement by March 31 each year. This statement is the document that allows the city manager to essentially organize the creation of the yet to be proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.
Affecting student workers and others who are employed by the city’s various park and recreation facilities, the council will have its second reading of the ordinance affecting Youth Programs Standards of Care for 2023.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has a series of minimum standards of care that are necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of those in San Marcos who are actively involved in youth recreation programs. With the summer right around the corner, the need to clarify and fine-tune basic childcare regulations for these activities is under the umbrella of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
This ordinance allows the department to qualify as exempt from requirements of the Texas Human Resources Code and makes setting standards more applicable to city needs specifically.
The Youth Programs affected by these standards are the Spring Break Camp, Summer Fun, Discovery Camp, Camp Quest, Holiday Camp and other non-school day programs that meet the criteria of lasting at least one consecutive week (five days) or longer, according to city documentation.
Criminal background checks are to be conducted on all prospective program staff. According to city officials, if the results of the criminal check indicate that an applicant has been convicted of any of the following offenses, he or she will not be considered for employment: A felony or a misdemeanor classified as an offense against a person or family; a felony or a misdemeanor classified as public indecency; a felony or a misdemeanor violation of any law intended to control the possession or distribution of any controlled substance; any offense involving moral turpitude; or any offense that would potentially put the city or other participants at risk.
The city also checks the Texas Department of Public Safety database for the Texas Sex Offender Registration Program for applicants. The city will not hire someone if the results of the check indicate that an applicant is a registered sex offender.
Finally, the council plans to hold a discussion on the Arts Commission recommendation in support of the Gateway Mural project proposed for the back wall of the old Hays County Justice Center.
