Gonzales County reinstates burn ban, clarifies County Road 258 access, advances annex building repairs

The Gonzales County Commissioners Court covered a full slate of public safety, infrastructure and land-use matters during its regular meeting Monday, including reinstating a countywide burn ban, approving new Emergency Service District board members, and clarifying legal access along a long-closed county road.

The meeting opened with public comment from Commissioner Roy Staton, who thanked the Gonzales Garden Club for refurbishing and repairing benches on the north side of the courthouse grounds.

“These benches were falling apart, and the Garden Club stepped up and did an outstanding job,” Staton said.

After approving the consent agenda, the court moved to public safety concerns as Emergency Management Coordinator Jimmy Harness recommended reinstating a burn ban due to worsening drought conditions, dry cold fronts and a recent increase in burning permits.

Harness reported that 35 burn permits had already been issued in 2025 and said conditions were becoming increasingly hazardous. The court unanimously approved reinstating the burn ban effective at 8 a.m. Tuesday and indicated that stricter review standards will be applied to future burn permits.

“We’ve had a few fires this past week,” Harness said, noting that while none were major, the combination of dry conditions and cold fronts created elevated fire risk.

The court also received the Office of Emergency Management’s annual permitting report for 2025, which showed steady overall permit numbers but a decline in subdivision permits. Officials attributed the decrease to recent changes in state regulations that eliminated a two-step approval process, not to a slowdown in development.

“Subdivision activity remains strong,” officials said, adding that additional projects are expected in the future.

Commissioners then approved two new appointments to the Gonzales County Emergency Service District No. 1 board, selecting Robert Steelhammer and Dr. Humberto Rivas from a field of three applicants. County Judge Pat Davis thanked all applicants for their willingness to serve, noting that Stephanie Ramos would also be formally thanked for her interest.

Steelhammer is a retired attorney with banking experience, while Rivas is a local physician.

The court also unanimously approved a joint resolution to conduct a combined primary election in 2026, with signatures to be finalized following the meeting.

Discussion then turned to the county’s annex building project, where officials acknowledged ongoing construction delays related to slab and structural issues. County staff reported that portions of the slab required corrective work to prevent water infiltration and that change orders were approved to remove damaged concrete, reseal the structure and reinforce beams.

Although the targeted completion date remains in September, officials acknowledged that delays are likely as repairs continue.

“We’re hopeful things will pick up once the slab work is complete,” Davis said.

One of the longest discussions of the day centered on County Road 258, a road that was officially closed but not abandoned by the court in 1975. Commissioners unanimously adopted a clarifying resolution reaffirming that the county retains ownership of the roadway and that adjacent landowners maintain legal rights of ingress and egress, even though the road remains closed.

The resolution ensures that landowners — including future owners — retain legal access to their property via County Road 258, while also specifying that the county is not responsible for maintenance of the closed roadway.

The resolution will be recorded in the Gonzales County real property records.

Before recessing into executive session for personnel matters, commissioners outlined follow-up actions, including posting burn ban signage, completing paperwork for new board appointees, and continuing oversight of annex building repairs.

The court is expected to revisit annex project updates and other infrastructure matters at its next meeting.