[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6640480,"mediaKeyId","2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2","parentId",2555943,"title","Boerne council approves financial reports, public‑records ordinance, 10‑year plan and gas main change order","audioSeconds",2653,"startMs",281000,"endMs",2934000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2&start=281&end=2934","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2/thumbnail_281000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6640480/Texas/Boerne-council-approves-financial-reports-publicrecords-ordinance-10year-plan-and-gas-main-change-order","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6640480-a8fc91e9c088df0e107a67c8bf131b16/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190293&Signature=CoPRWZ5QJi2iaf-p3HfTisVHNeVm1JovQetjU3GhPvwBmsw~3HelR00JwKLeLJrVucVZtkEleMV~INLz6iz~PGxGFHcTEruN2vAQ3-2IQHfxAFFu4ZXxYeRB5WiLM7ycwGE9wi98B4XyC-FDsuag0QIRtQUk4CsJW4F56wOfUrDFR0nDQ52HO-Lb28n69E52XO89rG0v76np7H9F~TvE1Zwf6EljF9AnOR39yhas7viGW6rBCgtpywDcQ~XNa4be3o~nlttyUPzXD33-BRrIobYl7eFDUrVjvSPf5smodFeCwcEl3MLyO5viphwtfA-Bvn15jou~ly9g9THrB-Hl1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boerne","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Boerne City Council met March 11, 2025, and approved several items by unanimous votes, including receipt of the city's annual comprehensive financial report and popular annual financial report, adoption (first reading) of an ordinance implementing House Bill 3033 on vexatious public‑information requesters, adoption of the 2025 rolling 10‑year plan and authorization for a change order on the East Loop Natural Gas Main Phase 2 project.

Why it matters: the actions formalize the city's audited financial position and public‑records procedures, confirm strategic priorities for capital projects, and authorize additional construction spending on a gas distribution main that city staff said addresses recent winter peak demand issues.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (items 4a'4c): motion by Councilor Macaluso, second by Councilman Scott; vote 4'00 to approve.

- Receive Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (fiscal year ended 9/30/2024): motion made to receive the audit prepared by ABIP (lead audit partner Janet Pittman); second from Councilor Macaluso; vote 4'00 to receive the report. The independent auditors issued an unmodified opinion and reported no internal control deficiencies or noncompliance with laws and regulations.

- Receive Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR, FY 2023'24): motion to receive and approve; second by Councilman Scott; vote 4'00 to receive the PAFR.

- Ordinance (first reading) amending City Code, Chapter 2, Article 4 (records management) to add a public information request policy adopting House Bill 3033 (regarding vexatious requesters): motion by Councilor Macaluso, second by Councilor Willison; vote 4'00 to approve the ordinance on first reading. The ordinance implements Texas Government Code §552.275 time limits on personnel time (minimum 386 hours annually and minimum 15 hours monthly per requester), authority to provide written cost estimates, and limited identification verification for requesters who exceed limits.

- Resolution adopting the 2025 City of Boerne rolling 10‑year plan (Resolution No. 2025‑R13): motion by Councilor Wilson, second by Councilor Macaluso; vote 4'00 to approve. The plan consolidates adopted master plans and lists ongoing, completed and not‑yet‑begun projects; staff reported 60 ongoing projects, 40 completed projects and 69 not yet begun.

- Resolution authorizing the city manager to execute and manage Change Order No. 2 to the agreement with VITCO Boring and Utilities (East Loop Natural Gas Main Phase 2) for a total contract amount not to exceed $854,450 (Resolution No. 2025‑R14): motion by Councilman Scott, second by Councilor Wilson; vote 4'00 to approve. Staff said the additional work will improve capacity to the city's northeast quadrant and avoid recurring use of a temporary backup supply trailer during extreme cold.

Background and supporting details

- Financial reports: ABIP presented the annual comprehensive financial report and auditors told the council they issued an unmodified opinion. Staff highlighted a net position increase of about $41 million for the year and a governmental fund balance of approximately $71 million. The city also displayed a GFOA Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting for the 30th consecutive year. The PAFR was presented as a 12‑page, public‑facing summary of the larger audit document.

- Public‑records ordinance: staff explained the ordinance adopts changes from House Bill 3033 and Texas Government Code §552.275 that allow the city to set reasonable monthly and annual personnel time limits for responding to public information requests, require limited photo identification when needed to verify requester identity after time limits are exceeded, and allow the city to provide written cost estimates and require payment before further inspections by requesters who have exceeded limits.

- Rolling 10‑year plan: staff said the rolling plan groups multiple adopted master plans (2018 master plan, parks and recreation, library, drainage, mobility and the newly adopted arts and culture strategic plan) and is used to help prioritize budget and capital projects.

- Gas main change order: staff recommended the change order now to take advantage of available funding and attractive pricing. Staff described winter peak demand increases in the northeast quadrant, the temporary use of a backup natural gas supply trailer during cold weather, and modeling changes after observing higher per‑customer peak demand. Council discussion touched on meter sizing, rate structure considerations and developer responsibility for extensions.

What the council did not do

- The council did not take additional policy votes tied to growth management, developer requirements, or utility rate changes at this meeting; several related topics were discussed but were referred to staff for further modeling, information or future work plans.

Votes and motion text are taken from the meeting record. Where a specific mover or seconder was not clearly stated in the transcript, the record lists the vote tally and the names recorded on the motion as provided in the meeting minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boerne - City Council on 2025-03-11 6:00 PM - Mar 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Boerne City Council met March 11, 2025, and approved several items by unanimous votes, including receipt of the city's annual comprehensive financial report and popular annual financial report, adoption (first reading) of an ordinance implementing House Bill 3033 on vexatious public‑information requesters, adoption of the 2025 rolling 10‑year plan and authorization for a change order on the East Loop Natural Gas Main Phase 2 project.","taxTitle","Boerne, Kendall County, Texas","taxId",63804,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6640472,"Boerne staff frame water supply, reclaimed water and conservation amid resident concerns",2954,3310000,6264000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2&start=3310&end=6264","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2/thumbnail_3310000.jpg","/articles/6640472/Texas/Boerne-staff-frame-water-supply-reclaimed-water-and-conservation-amid-resident-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6640472-cddf58e014cf368128ab98f0a3f6cbb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190293&Signature=U9cpm2r2kvmiSnL5U0O-DhhA~M~4U4paFVWdoUrtFqUdiEgoE8bgu8~dTG548J8OfZmp~xs9fjNAxEZp2Y~dEyDywHLr8LGFbyAaQ1y7Yg92ibpjLfFss3y-nkGfopz0Pc-Zlvgh5vVi4MXdvRY2qwd9B~pPhtDJkQvFGfKNoiT8u31KfgTv8~Y8kcoRQxciLX60HjLC3V5ImdKNNlT3QS2ONBMyT9eOjnhlxcx0THGG02xoPAj2fX7Fc5rwaf47YRLvb-VUDvxR2o5WLL47dDoAWIsGeGC2IRdWG76K0F9rjkHYvqVgqH1wmPTJTAFckKLq~Y9m0NnhZROUQfTqDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff used the March 11 council meeting to present results from a December 2024 citizen survey and to give a detailed update on water supply, reclaimed water use, drought status and conservation measures.

Staff and council read representative survey comments raising concerns about growth and water availability. Mayor Pro Tem Willison read a district comment noting Shoreline Park residents' desire that the city supply Boerne Lake; other comments requested publicized contingency plans for running out of water, questioned approval of new plats where utilities are limited and urged removal of fluoride from the city's water. City staff clarified that fluoride in the city's water is naturally occurring and is not added by the city.

Director of Utilities Michael Mann described the city's water service territory versus the city limits, explained that some areas inside city limits are served by Texas Water Corporation or by water control and improvement districts (for example Esperanza), and reviewed supply sources and recent usage statistics. He said that in 2024 the city's water supply mix was about 72% surface water, 15% groundwater and 13% reclaimed water and that reclaimed water usage provided the largest conservation benefit by removing irrigation demand from potable supplies.

Mann described operational details and trends: service population in the water service territory has grown in the last decade (staff cited increases from roughly 13,000 to about 20,000 over ten years), per‑capita consumption has declined since 2017 (from about 162 to 115 gallons per person per day), and reclaimed water production amounted to roughly 480 acre‑feet (staff presentation equated that to 156,000,000 gallons of potable supply offset). He said average annual water use in 2024 rose only about 0.6% compared with a 6.8% growth in service population because of summer rain and conservation.

Staff acknowledged the community perception that the city may be short on water and explained several drivers of that perception: private wells outside city limits, visible development approvals in areas not served by the city's utility, and regional headlines about statewide projections. Mann said the city's permitting for Boerne City Lake has not changed (the city's permitted withdrawal from the lake has remained the same since its construction) and that evaporation, not consumption alone, accounts for a large share of summer drawdown. He also discussed GBRA supplies and noted GBRA's staged curtailments when reservoir levels fall.

On planning horizons, staff said internal modeling that accounts for reclaimed water expansion and conservation shows the city has adequate supply under a range of growth and use scenarios through mid‑century; staff noted the Texas Water Development Board uses a methodology the city believes over‑allocates regional growth to Boerne and therefore projects earlier shortfalls for the city than staff's modeling. Mann and council discussed the cost tradeoffs for acquiring regional supply: staff said locally produced surface water costs roughly $1.50 per thousand gallons, GBRA purchases are approximately $3 per thousand, and regional projects could cost materially more (staff cited estimates as high as $12–$15 per thousand for some proposed regional supplies). Mann and others cautioned that acquiring expensive regional supply would raise customer bills significantly and that reclaimed water expansion and conservation are lower‑cost ways to extend existing supplies.

Council members asked staff to return with additional information and options. Staff identified potential next steps including updating the reclaimed water expansion plan, examining incentives or programs (for example irrigation audits, rainwater catchment promotion and HVAC condensate capture pilots), and assessing whether developer contributions or other funding mechanisms should be part of long‑term water planning. No formal council action was taken on policy changes at this meeting.

Representative quotes from the meeting:

- \"The average demand that's about 1 and a half times what it historically has,\" Michael Mann said when explaining higher peak demand related to modern appliances.

- \"We do not add fluoride. It's naturally occurring,\" Mann said in response to a resident comment asking to remove fluoride.

- \"Reclaimed water instead of potable water for 156,000,000 gallons,\" Mann said as an example of reclaimed water's conservation value.

Next steps: staff will continue modeling, refine reclaimed water expansion options, return with any recommendations on rate structure or developer participation as appropriate and produce informational materials about contingency planning and conservation programs for the public.","City staff presented citizen survey results and a detailed overview of the city's water supply, reclaimed water use and drought planning; staff said the utility currently has water for projected near‑term growth but emphasized conservation, reclaimed water expansion and policy choices about future regional purchases.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6640477,"Boerne authorizes change order to boost natural‑gas capacity in northeast quadrant",1152,1786000,2938000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2&start=1786&end=2938","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555943-648ba237df4882a6a332addd70cb0ef2/thumbnail_1786000.jpg","/articles/6640477/Texas/Boerne-authorizes-change-order-to-boost-naturalgas-capacity-in-northeast-quadrant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6640477-290765fa112fdb51dacaf8ee44d50df2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190293&Signature=jJWmRxVTjx5uvdMKcoLZUkfa6TWh-1XNesYNH3W86wT4yZpfBgoKhf~toVijqLHAluh6anN6MDzqCcAaKo0EPaY0trHZ~4v6VxaayA~DbXGDu5brxFhyCGiKCuDfAKwT~e5~hdXfvXS5OwXleHAF-NqK3ya9rgy1YX-Msby~rmeM~jgD3kcgEC0i5IY0K9cQ83QyHj1r2AHthLKDziysaUIuQ8A8RqpS1dadDVGPl2NKP-ARt8dbxhXXF1LAU43STslkV2bYFXMrlriEs76jLTp8azu1NMIWC5uES5sYNluIJVVrbCQJxIZgXTmBK4UNB2fOMBBX7vFCDH7o59paDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Boerne City Council on March 11 authorized a change order for the East Loop Natural Gas Main Phase 2 project to increase capacity to the city's northeast quadrant, approving a total contract not to exceed $854,450.

Director of Utilities Michael Mann told the council the project will add a six‑inch feed tied into a newly installed eight‑inch main and nearby looped three‑ and four‑inch mains. Staff said the work will leverage recently completed capacity and reduce reliance on a rented backup natural gas supply trailer the city used during several cold days earlier this winter.

\u001cMost of that is from capital infrastructure contributions from developers,\u001d Mann said when reviewing system financing earlier in the meeting; later in the gas discussion he explained operational causes of pressure events: \u001cthe average demand that's about 1 and a half times what it historically has [been].\u001d He attributed the change largely to higher peak draw from modern high‑demand appliances such as tankless water heaters.

Staff said the system used the temporary supply trailer on eight days during the recent cold period and that on two of those mornings localized pressures dropped low enough to prevent some appliances from operating for an estimated two to three hours for a small number of customers in the Esperanza area. The proposed change order was presented to take advantage of available CIP funding and favorable construction pricing.

Council members asked technical and policy questions. Councilman Scott asked whether meter size affects billing; staff replied the utility currently charges actual meter installation cost for larger meters but does not differentiate monthly customer charges by meter size and that a rate‑structure change could be considered. Councilwoman Wright asked whether the work would eliminate the need for backup trailers; staff said it should relieve pressure issues for the near term but modeling will determine when further capacity is required.

Staff explained Local Government Code change‑order approval thresholds and said the recommendation is to authorize a maximum total expenditure set at just under 25% over the original contract amount so the city has funds to execute the change order and incidentals. The council approved the resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into and manage the change order by a 4'00 vote.

Next steps: staff listed planned follow‑up tasks including executing the change order, coordinating tie‑ins with the Hertford Ranch homeowners association where applicable and returning to council with system modeling and any recommended rate or developer‑cost proposals before the next winter season.","Council approved a change order not to exceed $854,450 to add piping to the East Loop Natural Gas Main Phase 2 project after staff reported winter peak‑demand pressure drops that briefly affected a small number of customers.","actionData","errors"]

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Boerne council approves financial reports, public‑records ordinance, 10‑year plan and gas main change order

Boerne staff frame water supply, reclaimed water and conservation amid resident concerns

Boerne authorizes change order to boost natural‑gas capacity in northeast quadrant