[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6316579,"mediaKeyId","2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7","parentId",2376425,"title","Keene council directs staff to draft policy limiting council members’ roles on city boards","audioSeconds",2380,"startMs",7149000,"endMs",9529000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7&start=7149&end=9529","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7/thumbnail_7149000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6316579/Keene/Johnson-County/Texas/Keene-council-directs-staff-to-draft-policy-limiting-council-members-roles-on-city-boards","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316579-cdcc143cf49f5ab1352828785b170a33/orig.mp4?Expires=1777142395&Signature=mUyI~SRz1i0BnUcQW8J51mPwG1UzrFlOydvlGV~e-z-reJglYUAgFjCvV~La5mRln~87oDE-uJigALwPJJeKZEwjdr1Bx-fNuEmEr8hXh~NDK-hTBJN4NpSYvX3jRYr6gxrmAftQMcEQ3zN3zEga7CIIu2iEQmt8qvxxPz7KpPtSMEdVoKeE~Z9rkF4T4swCsmVN6OWdLTi9-UYI5nfxPaG~TZapiAPuevbKZJTrxmjVTODUujBxMElZcZTpy8~oGuFreyyJCVahcXUveaghK0PWgOaa1UjK4l6MNvl8NhA-ZogVWMkwuNgmXN3Z0Tu9LZjOb9BP6WNzHwINKxMDUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keene TX","date","2025-02-21T05:29:35Z","article","Keene City Council on Feb. 20 reviewed a multi‑part proposal about elected officials and committee membership and directed staff to prepare a written policy for future council consideration. The discussion covered three topics: councilmembers serving on city boards; members of the public serving on multiple boards; and whether close relatives (spouses, parents, children) should be allowed to serve on the same board or on boards if a family member is a councilmember.

City Attorney Andy Messer reviewed the legal framework: some boards (economic development Type A and B) may include councilmembers under state statute, while planning and zoning and board of adjustment are typically treated as quasi‑judicial or officer positions and create a dual‑office‑holding concern for councilmembers. Messer said council may adopt rules more restrictive than state statute if it chooses.

After extended discussion—including concerns from council members who said council membership on boards could undermine advisory boards’ independence—the council reached direction to staff on the draft language. The mayor broke a tie in favor of the following policy directions:

- Councilmembers should not serve as voting members on appointed city boards (staff to draft implementing language);
- Members of the public should be limited to serving on one board at a time (current dual appointees permitted to finish existing terms);
- Members of appointed boards should not be a close relative (spouse/parent/child) of a councilmember or of another board member; staff to clarify definitions and any phase‑in language.

Councilmembers asked staff to return a formal draft ordinance or policy for review and formal adoption at a later meeting; the council also directed staff to include transitional language that allows current members to complete terms where needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Keene, Texas | Council Meeting | 02/20/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Keene City Council on Feb. 20 directed staff to draft a policy restricting council members’ participation on appointed city boards and to limit public appointees to one board, with transitional provisions for current members.","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},6316583,"Keene council deadlocks on rezoning of three parcels along Highway 67 after heated public hearing",5036,1114000,6150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7&start=1114&end=6150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7/thumbnail_1114000.jpg","/articles/6316583/Keene/Johnson-County/Texas/Keene-council-deadlocks-on-rezoning-of-three-parcels-along-Highway-67-after-heated-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316583-9d4e1fa35094b67a7a451c0c370c1955/orig.mp4?Expires=1777142395&Signature=iukYsQ-Pfhvz0yTv8~YPu-NRViERewxjxb8TTfTgfxlR4tk1lrzISL1Com~rPEV3K-sr2N4ZMKhpLRUOR22dqqHiGE0SG1LJDakuwDRuBbIRAfirv7uiVqizQOptB6Y~nWmSoH8Ush1LSQP01AOqMwXBYRwcMx96tifOAz7p~c5NADYX-bFIv9wgie9hkOoSfcu7dLJCA8Ud7jXbVQrJHFl7ON-SUbX4b8OSiwaMWcQDAzbpSAVozN-kws25BQSexRmx-JWvgvTRMQX3x0hnRJKV9bAVw5YObul0MI7~jE-9JiESiO7b~GBVpfpQ5NKv4rFrUXu5-eMo6vxlh9aZPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keene City Council on Feb. 20, 2025, ended a public hearing on a request to rezone three parcels along U.S. Highway 67 without approving the application or issuing a denial. The proposal, filed by an applicant identified in the hearing as Mr. Griffin of Provident Land Investors, would change three numbered tracts from Single‑Family 2 (SF‑2) to General Commercial, C‑2.

The applicant’s attorney, real estate lawyer Steve Reed, told the council the rezoning request matches the city’s 2019 comprehensive plan for the Highway 67 corridor and said the owner had lost prior residential purchasers after the city’s guidance changed. “We’re asking you to do what you’ve told us to do with the property,” Reed said.

Residents who live along the unpaved easement that provides the only driveway access to several homes and to two city‑owned parcels urged the council to reject or delay the rezoning. Emily Samotovich, a homeowner at 201 East Highway 67, said construction would “block access during the construction process” and called the logistics of improving the road “a nightmare.” Other neighbors, including property descendants who said their families have owned the land for generations, asked the council to preserve private access and the wooded character of the area.

City staff and the city attorney explained technical and legal limits: the roadway behind the parcels is a deeded easement (not a city‑maintained street), and a developer proposing commercial uses would be required to construct a paved access meeting city subdivision and fire‑protection standards before the city would accept the street for maintenance. City staff also confirmed the existing water main feeding the area is a 2‑inch line and noted Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) guidance that limits the number of service connections on that size line.

Planning & Zoning had recommended approval of the rezoning. The council considered multiple motions during the meeting: a motion to deny the rezoning “with prejudice” (which would bar re‑application for a year) failed; a subsequent motion to deny “without prejudice” also failed after the council recorded a 3–3 tie on that motion. A later motion to accept the rezoning failed for lack of the required majority. At the meeting’s conclusion the city attorney said no final council action had passed and the parcels remain zoned SF‑2.

Why it matters: rezoning to C‑2 would allow a wide range of commercial uses and could be subdivided or sold to multiple buyers; neighbors say the change could bring traffic, alter property values and complicate the only existing driveway access. The council’s indecision leaves the status quo in place but does not prevent the applicant from reapplying or returning with revisions.

The council was advised that under city code a Planning & Zoning recommendation to approve generally requires only a simple majority to pass at council; overturning P&Z requires a 75% council vote. The applicant may pursue revisions and must, if development moves forward, submit plats and construction plans that would be reviewed for drainage, screening and road access.

No ordinance or zoning change was adopted at the meeting; the item may return to Planning & Zoning and then to council for further action.","After a public hearing and lengthy resident testimony, Keene City Council did not approve or deny a request to rezone three parcels along U.S. Highway 67 from Single-Family 2 to General Commercial (C‑2); Planning & Zoning had recommended approval.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6316574,"Council appoints Gwen Beeson to Keene Economic Development Type A board",1236,9607000,10843000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7&start=9607&end=10843","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2376425-b91213c99b5395062700a013eaf23cb7/thumbnail_9607000.jpg","/articles/6316574/Keene/Johnson-County/Texas/Council-appoints-Gwen-Beeson-to-Keene-Economic-Development-Type-A-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316574-9b9830d1cd92072a4eba3879ddb98311/orig.mp4?Expires=1777142395&Signature=A532yHU~xlyk88SY75rMhhOiQyFy8CNolPCSDv5X6IqOy16CmCW2g6OLlTcYPRmL-UZI2215I6lmy2uCa4uXTtJbywabyjgpZYo3cbfLbb6tg~4d94eu-lva7YN3Zl6rxzEBM-sUYuPtclxwsStLD4b9sDsyPg8JhExPD-waISyGajodPshLfz3fFTarNl41pLdDeuZIA5ixyKxrtOxmfBqVRzCHaJDV0mtGKH~leCxRjrAiUZxIBvkMsAWJq8xpSql7ThaEhAM47F1Arut9T-oG9-DhHH0q~MnyJAoicaBNewAiphuVnNadZNQZbBT10UZz~sVtnCCc3-T5gGMzmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keene City Council voted Feb. 20 to appoint Gwen Beeson to the Keene Economic Development (Type A) Board to fill a vacancy through March 2027. The Type A board had returned a recommendation to council at a prior meeting; Beeson’s appointment was moved and seconded during the Feb. 20 meeting and approved unanimously.

Two other candidates had previously been considered; one (Philip Jackson) currently serves on another advisory body, and council discussion earlier that night considered whether sitting appointees should be limited to a single board. Council directed staff earlier in the meeting to draft a policy on board membership; the council’s appointment of Beeson came after that direction.

The motion to appoint Beeson carried without recorded opposition; staff will notify the Keene EDC and update the city’s appointment roster.","Keene City Council appointed Gwen Beeson to fill a Type A Economic Development Corporation seat through March 2027; the appointment was unanimous at the Feb. 20 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Keene council directs staff to draft policy limiting council members’ roles on city boards

Keene council deadlocks on rezoning of three parcels along Highway 67 after heated public hearing

Council appoints Gwen Beeson to Keene Economic Development Type A board