Council to discuss CDBG plan, attorney appointment for suspended SMPD officer’s appeal

The San Marcos City Council will receive a staff presentation and hold a public hearing regarding the approval of the Substantial Amendment Number 12 to the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan that includes re-allocating project funding and adding activities for housing projects.

The City of San Marcos received $33 million in CDBG-GR grant funds after the Memorial Day and All Saints Floods of 2015 from the U.S. Department of Housing. This amendment includes updates to infrastructure projects and housing projects that would use the grant funding. 

In relation, the council will discuss the approval of a section 3, local opportunity plan for CDBG Funded Grant Projects for the purpose of increasing employment and training opportunities for low and very low-income persons. 

Councilmembers will consider approving the appointment of attorney Julia Gannaway, with the law firm of Ross Gannaway LLC, to represent the City of San Marcos in the appeal filed by Sergeant Ryan Hartman requesting an arbitrator to set aside his indefinite suspension and reinstate him, with back pay and benefits, to employment in the San Marcos Police Department. 

Hartman was previously suspended indefinitely from the SMPD on Jan. 18. Hartman filed an appeal, through his attorney at C.L.E.A.T., requesting a third party hearing examiner (the arbitrator) to overturn his indefinite suspension and reinstate him, with back pay and benefits, to employment in the SMPD. 

Hartman was suspended indefinitely as a result of sustained misconduct related to dereliction of duty and insubordination. 

Former City Manager Bert Lumbreras made Mayor Jane Hughson and San Marcos City Council aware of Hartman’s suspension in an email sent on Jan. 18. An indefinite suspension is equivalent to a termination in the civil service environment, Lumbreras wrote. Hartman has the right to appeal the decision to either the Civil Service Commission or he can request his appeal to be heard by a third party arbitrator. 

“Although we do not routinely notify council of employee terminations, we thought it best to notify you all of this one because of the amount of media attention that has surrounded this particular employee,” Lumbreras wrote. “Sergeant Hartman’s indefinite suspension came as the result of sustained misconduct related to dereliction of duty and insubordination.”

Hartman’s employment with SMPD became mired in controversy after he ran through a stop sign and collided with the car in Lockhart on June 10, 2020, Lockhart Police Department records show. The collision resulted in the death of Jennifer Miller and caused severe bodily and brain injuries to Pamela Watts. 

San Marcos Chief of Police Stan Standridge said Hartman’s indefinite suspension stems from alleged policy violations in 2021 and not the fatal crash that killed Miller.

“Those [policy allegations] were investigated by the Office of Professional Conduct, they were substantiated and after I afforded him all the due process afforded to civil servants, his employment was indefinitely suspended,” Standridge said during January’s Chief’s Advisory Panel meeting. “Again, unrelated to the crash.”

During the meeting, the council will also consider approval to authorize the installation of speed cushions in both directions in the 500 through 1200 blocks of Franklin Drive (from Old Ranch Road 12 and Bishop Street). 

Previously, the Public Works Department received a petition from residents who live on Franklin Drive requesting the installation of speed humps between Old Ranch Road 12 and Bishop Street. 

City staff recommends approval of installing speed cushions on the 500-1200 block of Franklin Drive to improve roadway safety.

Council will also consider approval of reducing the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour in the Vista De Los Santos Neighborhood, authorize the installation of signs and traffic control devices reflecting the new speed limit and direct that the traffic register maintained under Section 82.067 of the San Marcos City Code be amended to reflect the new speed limits. 

The Public Works Department also received a petition from residents of the Vista De Los Santos Neighborhood seeking to reduce the traffic speed from 30 mph to 25 mph for the entire neighborhood. City staff recommends the speed reduction in the neighborhood. 

The council will also receive a staff presentation regarding the approval of a change in the source of funding between the American Rescue Plan Funds and the General Fund for Human Services Grants, which will maintain the amounts awarded for projects already approved by the city council. 

It is recommended to council that the funding source for Hays County Food Bank should be changed with American Rescue Plan funding and Seek Institute, Salvation Army and School Fuel with Human Services Grant funding, for awards made through the Human Services Advisory Board.

Councilmembers will hold a discussion relating to potential projects being presented to the council by anyone wanting to build or start a business in San Marcos. 

Council will also have a discussion regarding the current ordinance requirement of a needed supermajority council vote to overturn a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation of denial. 

Those looking to participate in the meeting can send comments via email to citizencomment@sanmarcostx.gov prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.

Residents looking to watch Tuesday’s regular meeting can do so online beginning at 6 p.m. at http://sanmarcostx.gov/421/City-Council-Videos-Archives or on Grande channel 16 or Spectrum channel 10.