Gonzales County ESD 2 speaks to Smiley City Council

The Smiley City Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday, July 17 at the Smiley City Hall.

Jason Whitten of Gonzales County ESD No. 2 spoke to the council regarding the Smiley Volunteer Fire Department and the land on which it sits.

“We had a conversation with the mayor [Lisa Benavidez] and Mr. Ellis [Villasana] here a month or so ago. Since then, the members of the fire department have been talking to some people in the community and discussing what the ESD would like to get the land and the building that sits on as well,” Whitten said.

This is related to the future Gonzales County South Fire Department; the council approved 3-1 at the Tuesday, May 21 meeting that the city release the Smiley Volunteer Fire Department and all its assets to Gonzales County Emergency Services District No. 2.

Assistant Nixon Fire Chief Michael Martinez said he hopes the city of Smiley gives the assets to ESD 2 and have ESD 2 lease out the equipment to the future Gonzales County South Fire Department.

There was confusion and miscommunication on how the transition is going to happen between the city and ESD 2.

The selling of the land the Smiley Fire Department is on to ESD will be discussed as an agenda item in the August meeting.

Gonzales County South Fire Department will have stations in Nixon (Station 4) and Smiley (Station 5).

In other business, the council approved the following agenda items:

– approved to appoint an interim municipal court clerk

– approved a new burn ordinance

– approved appointing Goldman and Hunt to perform Fiscal Year 2022/2023 audit.