O'Neal elected Mayor Pro-Tem

The Gonzales City Council elected a new Mayor Pro tem at its meeting Thursday, Dec. 10. District 3 City Councilman Bobby O’Neal was unanimously elected by the council to fill the position which was left vacant as a result of the most recent municipal election.

A Mayor Pro tem, or Pro tempore, is someone who can act as Mayor in the absence of the true Mayor. 

District 4 Councilman Rob Brown participated in the meeting, his first as a Councilman, via phone.

Public comment was given by Reverend Charles Roaches, who shared concerns that the street sweeper had been consistently missing streets in District 1, as well as an observed lack in enforcement of stop signs and related safety concerns. Mayor Connie Kacir referenced the council’s earlier decision to hire a new contract street sweeper and advised that City Manager Tim Patek would be in contact to follow up with Reverend Roaches about both matters.

Joe Solansky asked the city to consider adding to a future agenda a resolution calling on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to replace the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Board and executive management following the failure of the Lake Wood dam in 2016. Solansky previously had such a resolution, which became a letter to the Governor, passed by the Gonzales County Commissioner’s Court in November. Mayor Kacir asked that the item be placed on a future agenda.

The last public comment was given by Gonzales City Manager Tim Patek, who thanked the City of Gonzales and its community for support following the passing of his wife in November.

The city also received an oral update of the year in review from Victoria College Gonzales Center Manager Vince Ortiz. Ortiz said enrollment took its largest hit during the summer, a time when adult education programs which tend to require in-person instruction could not meet. In the initial days of the pandemic, when the campus first went remote, Ortiz said many students had been lost. Overall, about an 8% decrease in enrollment for 2019-2020 was observed.

In other business:

• The council approved its consent agenda, including minutes from the Nov. 16 regular meeting, Resolution #2020-131 declaring certain city property surplus and authorizing the sale, donation or destruction of said property in the manner most advantageous to the City of Gonzales, and Resolution #2020-132 authorizing the City Manager to execute contracts between the City of Gonzales and the Gonzales County Mental Health Advisory Board, the Edwards Association and the Gonzales County Senior Citizens Association.
• Ordinance #2020-23 for a request to rezone a tract of land from R-1 to R-2 Residential property was denied. The purpose of this zoning change was to allow for townhomes or apartments. Two of eight property owners filed letters of objection to the property change.
• Ordinance #2020-26 amending Chapter 9, Article 9.40 of the City of Gonzales Code of Ordinances by amending Division 1 Rules of Meetings and Order of Business was approved. This ordinance adds a fifth subsection to Sec. 9.402, making all boards, commissions and committees appointed by the city council government bodies which have to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
• Resolution #2020-134 authorizing appointments to the Main Street Advisory Board and the Gonzales Economic Development Corporation was approved. Via this resolution, the council appointed Dan Blakemore to the GEDC to fill the vacancy which was created when he lost reelection to his District 4 City Council seat, and Pamela Jackson to fill a seat on the Main Street board with a term set to expire Sept. 30, 2021.
• Ordinance #2020-27 Amending the Articles of Incorporation of Gonzales Economic Development Corporation was approved to bring them into compliance with Texas Local Government Code, to allow a resident of the city or county to serve as a director on the GEDC board, was approved.
• Resolution #2020-135 Approving the Job Description and Position Classification for a Communication Manager was passed with Mayor Kacir, District 2 Councilman Tommy Schurig and District 3 Councilman Bobby O’Neal voting aye. District 1 Councilman Gary Schroeder and District 4 Councilman Rob Brown voted nay. Brown had moved to have the item tabled to explore possible collaboration with Victoria College to create an internship to fill the position, which was seconded by Schroeder. Kacir, Schurig and O’Neal voted nay on the motion, while Brown and Schroeder voted aye, which led to a final vote on the resolution.

The resolution adds the duties to those of the city’s tourism director and increases that position’s pay by $7,217.

• The council voted to select Sandra Bennett as the new concessions operator at J.B. Wells Park, Arena and Expo. The current vendor gave notice that their final date of operation at J.B. Wells would be Dec. 31, 2020.
• Resolution #2020-136 Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement for Professional Engineering Services for the CDBG-DR Grant was approved, with Doucett and Associates being the firm selected.
• Resolution #2020-137 Authorizing an Appointment to the Gonzales Housing Authority was tabled for a future agenda, with Mayor Kacir citing new applications being turned in.
• The city received a financial report for November 2020, with finance director Laura Zella stating that around $329,061.36 in expenses for the year can be attributed to COVID-19.
• City Manager Tim Patek provided updates on the District 1 Clean Up, the Rate Study, Country Village/Harrell Addition, and the staff Christmas party. He said the Christmas party would be canceled, the clean-up was seeing around 50% response to flyers which were handed out, the rate study should see some results in mid-to-late February. He also said the Country Village Harrell Addition project had been completed.
• The council entered executive session to discuss legal matters regarding:
• In Re Estate J.B. Wells Litigation
• Patricia Bennett and Gloria Knight v. City of Gonzales, Texas Cause No. 27,500
• Other matters discussed in executive session were:
• Matters related to contracts for electric service.
• An offer to purchase unopened streets in the Original Out Town of Gonzales, East of Water street adjacent to Lots 27 and 28, Range 13 and Lots 25- 28, Range 14
• The council’s planned deliberation in executive session on “the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee” in regards to the City Manager and Municipal Court Judge was tabled for a future council meeting due to District 4 Councilman Rob Brown’s physical absence from the meeting, according to Mayor Connie Kacir.