Marble Falls City Council

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council took a stand of sorts against rising natural gas prices for some 1,325 citizens who are customers of ATMOS.

The city is a member of the ATMOS Texas Municipalities (ATM), a group of municipalities served by the ATMOS Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division. The ATM had retained legal counsel and consultants to review the latest proposed rate increases by the natural gas service company.

ATMOS was seeking a $57.4 million increase that equated to a base-rate increase of about 8.35 percent. The company settled for a $48 million hike, or a base-rate increase of about seven percent.

“Most of the cities involved have approved the increase,” said City Manager Mike Hodge. “It went into effect June 1.”

So far, however, the Marble Falls council declines approval, if only to make a point.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, May 2, approved a rezoning request that will pave the way for a new microbrewery and restaurant on Avenue G and reviewed action before the 85th Texas Legislature that could threaten Home Rule autonomy.

Assistant City Manager Caleb Kraenzel explained that changing the property from General Commercial Base District (C-3) to Planned Development District (PDD) with base zoning of Main Street District (MSD) would allow options such as on-street and landscaped parking such as the cafe has constructed.

JD and Blake Guidry of Rally Point Brewing Company were on hand to answer questions about their project at 207 Avenue G east and across the street from the Blue Bonnet Cafe. That would reduce impervious cover and dovetail with the Downtown Master Plan and the city's Comprehensive Plan.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Marble Falls City Council Members had a glimpse of "parks future" before giving the final nod to the revised Park, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan on Tuesday, March 7.

That included one massive downtown park: Johnson Park.

Director of Parks & Recreation Robert Moss conveyed the endorsement of the Marble Falls Parks & Recreation Commission for the result of the year-long process to update the master plan and introduced Gail Ferry and Matt Bucchin of Halff Associates, contractor for the revision.

Bucchin said three top priorities identified in all the survey responses and public meetings on the revision were to work in concert with the hotel/conference center project, the re-development of Lakeside Park and the consolidation of four downtown parks under one Johnson Park umbrella.

Bond interest rates a finance boon

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

If the mind's eye is still adjusting to a hotel-conference center next to Lakeside Park in Marble Falls, blink again and add a 100-unit apartment complex with ground floor retail stores.

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Jan 7, approved a zoning change to allow just that. Buck Dubray of Texas General Contractors, which is proposing The Lofts at 99 Main, was present with site plans and architectural concepts to answer questions about the project.

Main Street District (MSD) zoning will be changed to Planned Development District (PPD) with an MSD base zone for 1.99 undeveloped acres, known as Lot 1-B, Block 332, of the Marble Falls Original Township subdivision, municipally addressed as 99 Main Street. That is the long-vacant hillside southeast of the Marble Falls Public Library.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council acted Tuesday night, Dec. 6, to tie up one more detail necessary before final announcement of the hotel operater to be involved in the $25.3 million downtown hotel/conference center project.

The council and the EDC will meet again Dec. 20 to consider bonds for the project and, as EDC Executive Director Christian Fletcher has expressed the hope an announcement of the hotel operator would be a “Christmas present,” the identity of that flagship company could be close at hand.

The detail completed Tuesday by the council was approval of a five-year Hotel Occupancy Tax Reimbursement Agreement with Novak Cobalt Partners, LLC, for 50 percent of taxes collected from the hotel.

By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ridgemont Village, a retirement community at 92 Gateway North, has been named recipient of the first annual Marble Falls Community Pride Award.

The award was first on the agenda of the Marble Falls City Council in a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 16, that included also the first public hearing on a budget and tax rate and an encouraging report on the city's relationship with Baylor Scott & White.

“I want to thank Ridgmont Village for taking part in this effort to enhance the appearanceof our community,” said Mayor John Packer in welcome to Scott and Gail Matthews, owners of the gated, hilltop development, and their manager Kelly Crane.

Crane introduced Adrian and Dee Guinn, saying “Dee was the one who read about the award in the newspaper and nominated us. The Guinns are representative of our residents who care about the place where they live.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The City of Marble Falls will have to continue to depend on aspects of existing rules that regulate tree removal, following action by the city council Tuesday, June 21.

Council members voted unanimously against a revision of the Landscape Ordinance following a second hearing of the Tree Preservation and Protection ordinance proposal.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Craig Magerkurth, a new Place 1 member of the Marble Falls City Council, joined two incumbents in taking the oath of office Tuesday, May 17.

Magerkurth, Reed Norman in Place 3 and Richard Westerman in Place 5 drew no opponents this year, eliminating the need for a May 7 city election.

Jane Marie Hurst was re-elected as mayor pro tem by fellow council members after City Secretary Christina McDonald will administered the oaths.

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, April 5, attended to a wide-ranging agenda that included the first reading of its annual budget amendment, a contract for a Comprehensive Park Plan and approval to move the historic first parsonage of First Baptist Church from the west side of US 281 to the east side.