[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",6346009,"mediaKeyId","2247684-a578c9932a826657c351738df9a646ee","parentId",2247684,"title","Keene city manager outlines street repairs, sidewalks grant and fleet overhaul; residents raise Fourth Street safety concerns","audioSeconds",4831,"startMs",360000,"endMs",5191000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247684-a578c9932a826657c351738df9a646ee&start=360&end=5191","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247684-a578c9932a826657c351738df9a646ee/thumbnail_360000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346009/Keene/Johnson-County/Texas/Keene-city-manager-outlines-street-repairs-sidewalks-grant-and-fleet-overhaul-residents-raise-Fourth-Street-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346009-5ebcbeabf5655eda6a6531b01499ee61/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207225&Signature=eHR6Od00iTgNxgrStCLT~ogGY3SU~EDkOno-xv82g8OllKpD89OoFDRQ1WMYT6j6idbrGqglnBPWc0ow8gfaTJa8uXLqXH7qPV3aJEVEX0~~6IUDauud3UFqtFu8BPX4UownwS5C0wapKaOIIgjxNyFIb2Zj6C4U3HMggKujoqdTKWDs0jUbHcHAHD7xKhnVThSD-KLcwHEtO57rzG4FfOV2j6Y7zh-pcPnioFJxuhQE0bpgZfNfvO6xOtw0fc4uIyZA5wBbnhKkvumJ77hs3N9nGKWmxq~SXMmysRiINBXKnWLwWmksYqtG1exWocCF-Fj2hSU6PLL9~Q85ArYIxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keene TX","date","2025-02-07T13:46:12Z","article","Keene — At the Feb. 6 Keene City Council meeting, City Manager Johnny Seitz said the city has money in this year’s budget to address a badly damaged section of Santa Fe Street and is pursuing a federal grant to add sidewalks and street lighting on Fourth Street, where residents and parents say school-hour traffic and the absence of sidewalks create safety risks.

Seitz said the city is preparing a budget amendment to expand the part-time social-media contract with a part-time contractor, introduced at the meeting as Orna, and is also finalizing bids to consider moving the municipal fleet to a shorter replacement cycle through Enterprise Fleet, which could reduce maintenance costs. “I thought the average life of our vehicles was 13 and a half years. It’s actually 16 years,” Seitz said, describing an analysis that suggested moving to a 4–5 year cycle could save money.

Why it matters: Council members and residents framed the conversation as one about public safety for children and cost-effectiveness for municipal services. The Fourth Street corridor was raised during public comment by parents and residents who said vehicle speeds exceed posted school-hour limits and sidewalks are missing.

Public comments and council response
Resident Wes Schramm told the council he frequently observes children walking without sidewalks in front of Chisholm Trail Academy (CTA) and that some drivers do not observe the temporary school-hour speed limit. “We either need to address that speed limit sign, or get some sidewalks in,” he said. Another resident, Jimmy Calling, said there is no school-hours speed-limit sign between the college and FM 2280 and suggested a flashing school sign.

Seitz responded that the city has identified funding options and is looking at a grant that would pay for sidewalks and lighting; he said he prefers installing speed-calming measures in targeted places and announced he will place a speed bump on Walnut Street near a group home and redo crosswalks there. “I’d rather not do that on Fourth Street,” he added.

Street repairs, parks, cameras and fleet
Seitz said crews will address the worst 40-foot portion of Santa Fe Street when temperatures allow and that the city is evaluating a grant to extend sidewalks across Fourth Street. He also said public-works staff is preparing to install park-security cameras (the IT company is finalizing a bid) and that an initial fleet analysis indicates replacing old vehicles on a 4–5 year cycle could save maintenance costs.

Social media and community outreach
The council introduced a part-time marketing contractor, Orna, who has been producing a weekly newsletter and social-media posts the city manager says have reached thousands of local residents. Seitz said the city will consider a budget amendment to expand that role.

Land-use action
Separately on the agenda, the council approved a revised plat for Phase 1 of the Canyons residential development after staff explained changes made to remove a parcel sold to the school district and to convert two front lots to HOA property. The motion to approve the revised plat passed unanimously.

What’s next: City staff will bring grant details back to council for any required approvals, collect resident photographs about sidewalk and code issues as requested by council, and proceed with procurement for park cameras and a fleet-replacement plan. The Fourth Street sidewalk proposal remains contingent on grant approval.

Ending: Residents pressed the council for near-term action on Fourth Street, and Seitz outlined a mix of immediate measures (Walnut Street speed bump, crosswalk work) and grant-dependent projects (sidewalks and lighting) to address those concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Keene, Texas | Council Meeting | 02/06/2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Johnny Seitz told council Feb. 6 that the city is pursuing repairs to Santa Fe Street, a federal sidewalk-and-lighting grant for Fourth Street, a speed bump for Walnut Street near a group home and a fleet-replacement analysis; residents urged action on school-area traffic and missing sidewalks.","taxTitle","Keene, Johnson County, Texas","taxId",69538,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6346013,"Keene council nominates Peter Svensson to Johnson County appraisal board; several local board appointments approved, one contested Type A vacancy tabled",1958,2178000,4136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247684-a578c9932a826657c351738df9a646ee&start=2178&end=4136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247684-a578c9932a826657c351738df9a646ee/thumbnail_2178000.jpg","/articles/6346013/Keene/Johnson-County/Texas/Keene-council-nominates-Peter-Svensson-to-Johnson-County-appraisal-board-several-local-board-appointments-approved-one-contested-Type-A-vacancy-tabled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346013-18dc6bbf938b5ef6ed4043a4e169a61d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207225&Signature=cz-n-6OtaXWrgG3IQ9Y-VCXMMrIdB6kg7-5C8S8VEz7jCwfUmMyQsh~WVNAi5P2S2Snf4P2RuVxk3wn4uOy9~kE11CCptPdDQwcG4iWQcEdgt~3lwXDvjeOcHa-I5TOq3UkARTWK6cupI4scryyRCKTQU8SQMk2817BLQcchqqpcFvJ8J8boDH4ZZdCXU-~ChBorCtJrpAWJtNIYIdPS5SeXaYVDwQqhffdTF1xQjZVwd9PiG~FB0FYiOrc3T3n9YiKA5KzSuLsiQnRD-DEgRuWruWXKFna3Cf74RkPoEn8SiFKF5ESx-R43g5SuQzXNHQM4fdaOV52EOkTy6dKZ1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keene — The Keene City Council voted Feb. 6 to approve Resolution No. 2025-466, nominating Peter Svensson to the Johnson County Central Appraisal District board following public supporters’ remarks and council discussion. The council also filled or reappointed seats on multiple local boards, and tabled a contested appointment to the Keene Economic Development Type A board.

The nomination came after public endorsements from Craig Hundley and Greg Cooper, who told council members Svensson had spent more than a year participating in appraisal-district meetings and pushing for an independent audit. After the council approved the resolution, Svensson told the council, “You have my commitment, my time, my energy, and all that I’ve learned, I will put forth to help the citizens of Keene, Texas.”

Why it matters: The Central Appraisal District sets property valuations that affect taxable values across the county; the council’s nominee will be one of the voices representing Keene in the district’s governance.

Council business and votes at a glance
- Nomination of Peter Svensson to the Central Appraisal District board — motion by Chapman, second by Foster; council approved the resolution. (Resolution No. 2025-466; the city must transmit its nomination to the acting chief appraiser by March 3.)
- Keene Economic Development (Type A) board: the council considered two candidates for a single vacancy (Philip Jackson and Troy Smith). A motion to appoint Philip Jackson failed; the council then voted to table that vacancy for further consideration.
- Keene Economic Development (Type A) reappointments: the council reappointed Cody Thornton, Wes Schramm and Rolando Calindras Braun to three-year terms ending March 2028. Motion carried unanimously.
- Keene Economic Development (Type B) appointments: Nellie Youngbird was appointed to fill a vacancy with a term ending March 2026; Cheryl Schramm and Ricky Stevens were reappointed for two-year terms ending March 2027; consideration of Charles (Chuck) Easley’s reappointment was tabled until he can be present.
- Planning & Zoning Commission: Philip Jackson and Chris Rhodes were reappointed for two-year terms ending March 2027; Miguel Espinosa declined reappointment.

Council members and some board chairs debated whether elected officials should simultaneously serve on local Economic Development boards. Samantha Gillen, president of the Type A board, told council the Type A board preferred Troy Smith and urged the council to respect the board’s recommendation. Some council members and the new city attorney, Andy Messer, noted Texas statutes permit council members to serve on EDCs but that doing so can raise an appearance-of-conflict concern; the council discussed possible policy changes but did not adopt any.

Several council motions to appoint or reappoint board members were recorded on the public record; where votes were taken the clerk announced the outcome in open session.

What’s next: The city will forward the approved appraisal-district nomination to the acting chief appraiser and will return the tabled Type A appointment to a future meeting after the council receives additional applications and input.

Ending: Council handled the appointments amid broader agenda items and public comment; members indicated they may revisit policies about council members serving on advisory boards in a future workshop.

","At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Keene City Council unanimously approved a resolution nominating Peter Svensson to the Central Appraisal District board for Johnson County and confirmed multiple Economic Development and Planning & Zoning appointments. A contested appointment to the Type A economic board was tabled after debate over board-member overlap.","actionData","errors"]

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Keene city manager outlines street repairs, sidewalks grant and fleet overhaul; residents raise Fourth Street safety concerns

Keene council nominates Peter Svensson to Johnson County appraisal board; several local board appointments approved, one contested Type A vacancy tabled