The Bandera City Council is set to begin developing a long-term resiliency plan funded by a $225,000 state grant after receiving a project update during its latest meeting, where members also wrestled with proposed permit fee changes.
Council members held a public meeting regarding the $225,000 grant awarded through the Texas General Land Office's Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Resilient Communities Program. The grant requires no local match and will fund development of a long-term resiliency plan for the city.
Jerri Conrado of Community Management Services said the plan will build upon Bandera's existing planning efforts while creating a framework that can be used to pursue future grant opportunities.
"It will not be replacing the existing plan," Conrado said. "It will be building on that and making it more leveraged for you for future grants."
The planning process could last up to 30 months, although project officials said they hope to complete it sooner. The final product will be fully digitized and designed to serve as a roadmap for the city over the next 20 years.
Conrado said community participation will play a key role throughout the process.
"It is your plan, and we want to bring it to life for you," she told residents.
Mayor Denise Griffin praised the turnout and participation from community stakeholders who met with project representatives prior to the council meeting.
"I think the meeting was probably a little bit more than what y'all had anticipated," Griffin said.
The most extensive discussion of the evening centered on a proposed update to the city's fee schedule for fiscal year 2026-27.
Council members focused heavily on a proposal that would require permits for fences regardless of height, a change city staff said would improve communication with property owners and help prevent utility strikes and property disputes.
Kunz argued that the permit process would provide an opportunity to educate residents about locating underground utilities and ensuring fences are built within property boundaries.
"The permit allows us to have a conversation with someone, make sure they are doing their due diligence, building on their property line, and have set up permits so they won't have any issues with their neighbor," Kunz said.
Council Member Jeff Flowers questioned whether requiring permits for all fences would create unnecessary burdens on residents.
"It's basically going to be an inconvenience for people," Flowers said. "I feel like it's a slippery slope because if someone's on my property doing that, the city getting involved could be a big liability because that's more of a civil matter."
Breen also opposed the proposal, suggesting educational materials could accomplish the same goal without requiring permits.
"I think maybe another option is to put something on our website that says, 'If you are building a fence, have you done this?'" Breen said. "Rather than making them get a permit and us being in the middle of it."
Ultimately, council members Tammy Morrow, Lynn Palmer, and Flowers voted for a no-fee permit for perimeter fencing.
The discussion also touched on burn permits, animal impoundment fees, and SafeBuilt inspection costs, with Kunz noting many proposed fee adjustments reflect increases in inspection and permitting expenses.
No final consensus was made for the fee schedule, and council members indicated the issue may require additional review before future action is taken.
Council members also reviewed quarterly department reports and questioned several categories included in the marshal's office statistics.
Council Member Debbie Breen requested clarification on categories such as "lost property," "other," and "miscellaneous" calls. Council members also questioned why some reported call totals appeared significantly higher than previous reports.
City Administrator Toni Kunz said recent efforts have focused on ensuring calls are routed through dispatch to improve tracking and reporting accuracy.
"We're getting back to a process where we can track them better and have a better reflection of what's actually happening," Kunz said.
During the public comment portion, Bandera resident Allen Bailey thanked city staff for their response following recent flooding events.
"I came in here, and Jill [Dickerson] helped get the city and the county road people to clean it up and fix it in under twenty-two hours," Bailey said of damage near Indian Waters Road. "That was incredible."
.png)
