Butterfly garden talks continue at Gonzales City Council

The Gonzales City Council continued discussions about next steps for the planned butterfly garden during the Thursday, Oct. 13 meeting.

No action was made on this agenda item, but input from the community about the direction where the butterfly garden is going was noted during the meeting.

The original butterfly garden, located at 309 St Paul St. between St. Louis Street and St. Matthew Street, was planted in February 2012 after the council passed a resolution. Gonzales Main Street was tasked in March 2022 to restore and upkeep the garden for the beautification project. The Main Street board approved unanimously in its April 22 meeting to request $25,000 funds from GEDC to hire a landscaper to restore and revitalize the garden and was approved by them in their May 23 meeting.

In the June 14 meeting, the butterfly garden was brought to the city council, but was tabled for more further discussion and research into the possible potential for other projects for the beatification of downtown.

Dee Senglemann and Connie Dolezal took to public comments about the status of the butterfly garden with city council. Dolezal mentioned the old butterfly garden that has been “neglected for five years” and Main Street and Gonzales Economic Development Board had previously passed their proposal for the butterfly garden as part of the downtown beautification project.

“I just strongly suggest that council would please give it recognition and approve the bid from Maldonado's that has already been approved by two other boards.” Dolezal said. “I think it's just needs to be done and we need to move on and move on to something else.”

Senglemann presented as the president of the Spade and Trowel Garden Club, a member of the Master Gardeners and the Gonzales Historic Homes Association.

“Collectively, these three groups, representing hundreds of people, came together and put on a historic homes garden tour over Mother's Day weekend with one specific goal of raising funds for the restoration of the butterfly garden.” Senglemann said. Senglemann continued that they have a competitive Garden Club District Grant for $500 and have raised $1,500 for the garden.

“Many citizens I've spoken to have expressed frustration that the council has not moved forward with this project. I know that art has also been proposed for this space.” Senglemann said.

Senglemann explained she is not against having art with the garden, but she doesn’t want to see the funds that has been raised for the garden funding the art as well.

“We have no real public gardens in Gonzales that I know of. A butterfly garden speak volumes about the environmental commitment of our town. We have the desire to see it continue and thrive.” Senglemann said.

The discussion of the art with the garden was tabled by the council for another time, with the general, overall, discussion during the actual agenda item about who will take care of the garden whether it’s the city or a contracted company, and which bids should the council consider.

Jennifer Kolbe, GEDC director, addressed the council regarding EDC and Main Street working on the project together, stating the garden would be “sustainable” and the city would budget to pay or contract someone to maintain the garden.

“There was never any wish that the EDC would fund any projects that would create more of a burden on the city, whether it be the parks department.” Kolbe said. “Our project approval was that we were going to give like a gift to the city and the city would maintain it.”

David DeMent, as the designer of the original butterfly garden, oversaw the construction and met with the beatification committee regarding the topic of maintaining the garden.

“Can we make the butterfly garden maintain itself cheaper than mowing? Can it require less hours to maintain a butterfly garden than just mowing it; that was my design criteria,” DeMent said.

DeMent suggests working with TxDOT. According to him, TxDOT has spent half a percent of their budget on landscaping, which has saved the organization money on mowing.

“So a well-designed public space uses less money, less maintenance than mowing the grass, and that was the criteria that I was asked to design with,” DeMent said.

The meeting went back and forth on different topics pertaining to what direction the garden should go, and Mayor Steven Sucher took control of the meeting, returning to talking about the bids for the garden.

“I'm flummoxed how these circumstances brought us to where we are, and the amount of time that we've spent on this at council.” Sucher said.

A third bid was mentioned for an amount of $5,000 from DeMent and Company LLC, which was thrown in Aug. 16, and the Main Street Board and GEDC had the bids from Maldonado Landscape and Alpha 1 Construction in May.

“It's a completely separate scope of work other than what the EDC and the mainstream approved. So, I mean, I'm flummoxed, honestly don't really know what's the best thing to be perfectly honest.” Sucher said.

Main Street Director Tiffany Hutchinson-Padilla suggested to council to approved bids for Maldonado Landscape or Alpha 1 Construction or vote for neither of them and start from the drawing board.

“I agree there's been way too much time and energy put into this. So I'm just asking you to either approve it or don't approve. Don't approve it that's okay. We can then start with a different scope.” Hutchinson-Padilla said.

A final vote on the butterfly garden will be made in the November meeting.

The council approved the following agenda items:

--approved to reschedule the Jan. 12, 2023 meeting to Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

--approved to authorize the purchase of a fire engine and related equipment for the Gonzales Fire Department and authorize the interim city manager to execute the purchase agreement and all necessary documents.

--approved to authorize the interim city manager to execute the financing agreements with Kinloch Equipment and Supply, Inc. for the mile after lease proposal of a 2023 Freightliner M-2 106 Non-CDL Broom Bear Street Sweeper.

--approved to table the agenda items related to the 2021 Sidewalk Improvement and 2022 Street Improvement Plan for another time.

--approved to authorize the Appointments and Re-appointments to the Airport Advisory Board, Gonzales Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gonzales Economic Development Corporation, Gonzales Golf Course Advisory Board, JB Wells Park Advisory Board, Gonzales Library Board, Main Street Advisory Board, Museum Advisory Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Zoning Board of Adjustment & Sign Control Board

--approved to authorize the Gonzales Junior High Athletics the Permission to close the 400 Block of St. Paul Street, and 400 Block of Smith Street and Hold the GJHS Veteran’s Day Color Run/Walk on Friday, Nov. 11.

--approved to authorize JB Wells staff to organize and hold a Spooky Trail Event on Santa Anna Mound on Oct. 28-30.

--approved Readopting the Curfew for Minors Ordinance Article 8.500 of the City of Gonzales Code of Ordinances.

--approved a Budget Amendment to the Operating Budget for the Fiscal Year Oct. 1, 2021 and Ending Sep. 30, 2022; General Fund: Moving Funds from Non Departmental to Main Street for $13,047 in Expenses

--Amending Article 9.300 Boards, Commissions and Committees; Section 9.303 Gonzales Convention and Visitor Bureau (c) Membership reducing the number of board members from 9 to 7 and (d) Term to remove the month of appointment.