[{"_1":2,"_82":-5,"_83":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6668641,"mediaKeyId","2220217-9976531159d23f28cb4ef379482f2930","parentId",2220217,"title","Votes at a glance: Lockhart council approves $2M TxDOT sidewalk application, terminates Colwell Valley MUD agreement, preserves SH-142 striping and approves Jun","audioSeconds",3687,"startMs",105000,"endMs",3792000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220217-9976531159d23f28cb4ef379482f2930&start=105&end=3792","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220217-9976531159d23f28cb4ef379482f2930/thumbnail_105000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6668641/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Lockhart-council-approves-2M-TxDOT-sidewalk-application-terminates-Colwell-Valley-MUD-agreement-preserves-SH-142-striping-and-approves-Jun","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668641-22ef5d381eed9c1ffa07c8ca5fcdd9af/orig.mp4?Expires=1776609727&Signature=MVUp-1sciGjwTuBKQMNEc7otcv0Y3g7zEIElLH8VCV0Bnu3D3VJrJfDgkJzhTk~sNTQ3K5EmLWU0MrQPeuPzXSYoUX9vJ63jm3mG5vqGpNIY4uu7gF8FuJNNiJJDZZhDb9UwB1yK-YBDfUWrMqOCbrveo3h0MaA92KvzR-klQDxFAau3qQHr4t5etmYMGzo3nZHaIoamE7xBMyelz4AyV4sbTEp3YEmzZLboriRsQDf-IeeOK6ql1jS8rkcKmnWFDIfDz6ZeEaIGcNzZv46nEz6Lb3Cdb3UM4zcc1eH7PXPOe8m3oI90eCO7qCmEXmsyJvLExhe2A1VHHXnn2EZRuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lockhart","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","Key outcomes from the Lockhart City Council regular meeting:

- The council voted to submit a $2,000,000 application to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) transportation alternatives program to fund new sidewalks and pedestrian links, with a 20% local match requirement.

- The council adopted a resolution terminating the Colwell Valley development agreement for a 426.85-acre parcel in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to allow a planned data center to proceed under standard ETJ review rather than a residential MUD development agreement.

- The council passed a resolution requesting that TxDOT preserve the current lane-striping configuration along State Highway 142 between Medina Street and Blanco Street rather than adding a continuous center turn lane.

- The council approved an interlocal agreement with Caldwell County giving the county exclusive review authority for phases 9, 10 and 16 of the Juniper Springs (formerly Clear Fork Ranch) subdivision within the city’s ETJ.

- The council considered, and ultimately defeated, a motion to adopt Resolution 2025-O3 (a repeal of Resolution 2024-37 that would have removed a December policy position on how to treat the voter-approved Lockhart Freedom Act). That motion was defeated in the meeting’s earlier business; the council left the December policy statement in place.

Votes, movers and outcomes (as recorded in the public meeting):

1) Sidewalk grant application — Motion to approve submission of a $2,000,000 TxDOT transportation alternatives grant application (20% match required).
- Mover: Council member (unnamed in the record who verbally offered the motion)
- Second: Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales Sanchez
- Outcome: Approved (motion passed; voice vote recorded as passed)
- Match requirement: 20% (city would plan to budget $400,000 over time)
- Project scope noted by staff: roughly 13,000 linear feet (about 2.6 miles) of new 4-foot sidewalks in prioritized corridors (commerce/downtown approaches, San Jacinto, State Park Road corridor). Pre-application deadline noted as Feb. 21; final application would follow if the pre-application advances.

2) Colwell Valley Development Agreement termination — Resolution to terminate development agreement covering 426.85 acres in the ETJ to allow a proposed data center to proceed without a residential MUD.
- Mover: Councilman Larson
- Second: Councilman Westmoreland
- Outcome: Approved (motion passed; recorded as passed by the presiding officer)
- Notes: Staff said the original MUD was never submitted to TCEQ and the landowner is pursuing a non-residential (data center) plan that does not require a MUD.

3) SH-142 striping configuration — Resolution requesting TxDOT preserve the existing striping (maintain on-street parking and do not add a continuous 14-foot center turn lane from Medina to Blanco).
- Mover: Councilman Larson
- Second: Councilman Westmoreland
- Outcome: Approved, 6-0
- Notes: TxDOT presented a 60% design that included a continuous center turn lane on a section of SH-142; staff and several residents expressed concern about loss of on-street parking and the local character of the corridor. TxDOT retains final authority over state highway design.

4) Interlocal agreement with Caldwell County (Juniper Springs phases 9, 10 and 16) — Resolution approving county review of those phases within the ETJ.
- Mover: motion made on the record (“So moved”)
- Second: Councilman Michaelson
- Outcome: Approved, 6-0
- Notes: The agreement formalizes previous informal arrangements and recognizes that sections were not part of the ETJ when the earlier MUD consent agreement was made; the county will take exclusive review for the referenced phases.

5) Resolution 2025-O3 (repeal of Resolution 2024-37 regarding Lockhart Freedom Act) — Motion to adopt and repeal the December policy statement.
- Mover: Councilman Larson
- Second: Councilman Castillo
- Outcome: Defeated (motion rejected in voice vote)
- Notes: City Attorney Brad Bullock explained the legal distinction between a voter-approved charter amendment (which the attorney said went into effect when the vote was canvassed) and the December resolution (a policy statement). Council members cited litigation risk and uncertainty about state/city law conflicts; public commenters urged enforcement or caution on both sides.

What the votes mean for implementation and next steps

- Sidewalks: Staff recommended pursuing the $2,000,000 application and will seek a council resolution of support before the final application; the city would plan for the 20% match across future budgets if the pre-application advances.

- Colwell Valley termination: By terminating the earlier residential MUD agreement, staff said the property may proceed under normal ETJ/subdivision review for the new data-center plan.

- SH-142 striping: The council’s request will be submitted to TxDOT; TxDOT retains final authority over the state highway project and has framed the continuous center turn lane as a safety and capacity measure.

- Juniper Springs ILA: The county will handle review of the named phases per the interlocal agreement.

Ending: Several resolutions passed unanimously; the council left the enforcement posture on the Lockhart Freedom Act unchanged while awaiting court guidance and further staff recommendations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lockhart - Lockhart City Council - Feb 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Lockhart City Council approved a $2 million TxDOT sidewalk grant application, ended a residential MUD agreement to allow a proposed data center, requested that TxDOT preserve existing striping on SH-142 and approved an interlocal subdivision-review agreement with Caldwell County; the council also rejected a motion to repeal a December policy statement related to the voter-approved Lockhart Freedom Act.","taxTitle","Lockhart City , Caldwell County , Texas","taxId",60953,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":78,"_53":79,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":80,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":81,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6668647,"Lockhart council defeats bid to repeal policy limiting enforcement of Lockhart Freedom Act","/articles/6668647/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Lockhart-council-defeats-bid-to-repeal-policy-limiting-enforcement-of-Lockhart-Freedom-Act","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6668647-fcf709e5666b8b684f5b381d9186bdca/orig.mp4?Expires=1776609727&Signature=Jn7DOkDrTRIwT4wjfu9eOTgBqgg5F3aBYErVork8gQCIWSiUaDz1O5SX22y9cRaxcZsUOE5K46~G4kvJPyl~txcYMNtU4uWPUmKS5H~0GuCKhmo~J26lBfSf2rZlQJXM08Z0Dmoqoj3L2zYhUKPGXqrgArHsdSFeqqrs8uv5IQtnyc9vbphy9M0LwwuRy7atcUVJrsgpXEyLIMgkTGKtrR0yb6wMHg2QAjy4yM2KYANjbLHYUkp0jtmnze36BxmnjzNqSv4fF0ucorsCx43j7TPK6b511BGyqiqmGjL~PGg4BkpDzp9CP2yWBinJUSVgPmJ7-73nWkMwuO5ybFf3JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lockhart City Council on Tuesday rejected a resolution that would have repealed a December policy statement and, in effect, allowed the city to move toward enforcing the Lockhart Freedom Act, a charter amendment approved by 68% of local voters in November.

Supporters of the amendment urged the council to uphold the will of the electorate; opponents warned of legal exposure and practical enforcement problems. After more than an hour of public comment and council discussion the motion to adopt Resolution 2025-O3 — which would have repealed Resolution 2024-37 — failed at a voice vote, leaving the council with its previous December position and pending court decisions as the primary source of legal clarity.

The stakes were plainly stated by speakers on both sides. Pat Stroka, a Lockhart resident, told the council, “If you do pass it this evening, I think that you should consider where your legal advice is gonna come from,” and urged council members to respect the voters who approved the Freedom Act. Samantha Benavides, director of the San Marcos campaign to decriminalize low-level possession of marijuana, said, “People continue to show up here tonight because they still believe…that there is power in their votes and in their voices.”

Opponents focused on enforcement details and legal exposure. David Peyton, who identified himself as a resident and said he was “against the Lockhart Freedom Act,” warned that the charter language would decriminalize “four ounces of marijuana” and said the measure could force police officers into conflicts between state law and city policy. “You would have either a suit from the state and a suit from an officer or a suit from those that want the Freedom Act enforced,” Peyton said.

Council debate mixed legal explanation and policy preference. City Attorney Brad Bullock told council members that the charter amendment went into effect when the November vote was canvassed and that the December resolution was only a policy statement acknowledging state law. “The moment that the vote was canvassed, the charter amendment went into effect in the city,” Bullock said. He warned council members that some provisions of the Charter could conflict with state law and that enforcement choices could produce lawsuits that would be addressed case by case.

Council members expressed divided views. Councilman Larson moved to adopt Resolution 2025-O3; Councilman Castillo seconded the motion. After further discussion, Councilman Larson later rescinded an earlier motion and made a new motion; that motion was put to a voice vote and defeated. The council did not record a roll-call tally in the public record for that vote.

The resolution’s supporters pointed to specific charter provisions they said are implementable in ways that avoid conflict with state statutes, including a “safe harbor” clause and a severability clause. Council members who opposed immediate repeal cited state law and potential legal costs. City staff and the attorney noted pending lawsuits in other Texas cities as the courts weigh similar measures.

What happens next is uncertain. Council members and commenters said the outcome will likely depend on rulings in state appellate courts and, ultimately, higher courts. City staff and the police department will need to update internal policies if the council chooses to enforce the charter amendment in whole or in part. Bullock said several cases are pending that may provide guidance, but he cautioned that a definitive statewide answer could take months or longer.

For now, the council’s December policy statement remains in place and enforcement choices will be handled on a case-by-case basis as legal questions are resolved.

Ending: Council members and members of the public said they expect the issue to return for discussion as appellate decisions circulate and as practical enforcement questions arise. The council recessed for a work session after the vote and will monitor court developments before making further enforcement policy decisions.","After wide public comment and a lengthy legal explanation, the Lockhart City Council voted down a resolution that would have repealed an earlier policy statement and cleared the way for enforcing the voter-approved Lockhart Freedom Act; the council left enforcement questions to be resolved in court and by future policy actions.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Lockhart council approves $2M TxDOT sidewalk application, terminates Colwell Valley MUD agreement, preserves SH-142 striping and approves Jun

Lockhart council defeats bid to repeal policy limiting enforcement of Lockhart Freedom Act