[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6103814,"mediaKeyId","2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7","parentId",2793090,"title","At-a-glance: Bastrop council votes on code changes, finances, contracts and community programs Feb. 11","audioSeconds",5852,"startMs",2444000,"endMs",8296000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7&start=2444&end=8296","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7/thumbnail_2444000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103814/Bastrop/Bastrop-County/Texas/At-a-glance-Bastrop-council-votes-on-code-changes-finances-contracts-and-community-programs-Feb-11","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103814-78f53f05b7d6a171b09c0d2eaa8373a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178693&Signature=SnKq7cB7iI8Td72hElIq6pRB6jp~-zvaPMq7M9ErjXSRUilFfYjAeG2mGNwZiiN0XsmMvqmbf5~VlrS9ui9GCIdpxE6CTAEU2qhJi0KQC6ytxqT9LADCqDvRnuDQmMgEIym6rTYNPR04KPoNuTEQLsQhABEzvzciCeOD3nq8hYukAdUKPgRfIKvpM7RWtfDo3PLmo1L2U07N9~QG0vTAR1dxUjfJ8M1-kRrva~Av-IYsXSXur5yebh887u8U0PWxjQpkjAyftvtJaw1x4B2NP~b9ksmPY6n67Uw2vL6hte0t5IZjaHsPwUTJAQx0ykN1-nPFtUzlYrh0nI5RzbJDqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Bastrop","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Bastrop City Council on Feb. 11 approved multiple resolutions, first readings and consent items. The meeting included executive session briefings and closed-session items; the council announced it took no action on the executive session items when it reconvened.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (items 10a, 10c, 10d, 10e): Approved in a single voice vote; no ordinances were on the consent agenda requiring readings. Motion: Councilperson Meyer; Second: Councilperson Lee. Outcome: unanimous.

- Resolution on council legal-use limits and rules of procedure (Item 10b): Council directed the city manager to bring a resolution amending the rules of procedure and set a provisional per-member legal-use cap of $5,000 for the tracking pilot. Motion: Councilperson Mayer; Second: Councilperson Lee. Outcome: approved unanimously. Note: council directed city attorney’s office to implement improved tracking and reporting procedures.

- Resolution R2025-308 — Save and Angel special-event-fee waiver and City Hall parking-lot use (Item 10f): Council approved a resolution allowing Save and Angel to waive the special-event permit fee and use the City Hall lot monthly for free rabies vaccinations. Motion: Councilperson Lee; Second: Councilperson Meyer. Outcome: approved unanimously.

- Depository and banking services (Items 11a(a) and 11a(b)): Council received staff recommendation to reissue the RFP for depository services after a single noncompetitive response and extended the current bank agreement with First National Bank of Bastrop through Jan. 31, 2026 to allow time for a broader RFP. Motions: R2025-34 motion by Councilperson Meyer, second Councilperson Plunkett; extension motion by Councilperson Lee, second Councilperson Foster. Outcome: both approved unanimously.

- Ordinance (first reading) increasing presiding municipal court judge salary and amending the contract with Caroline McClyman, JD (Item 11b): Motion: Councilperson Meyer; Second: Councilperson Plunkett. Outcome: first reading approved unanimously.

- Resolution R2025-37 — support for TXDOT Transportation Alternatives preliminary applications (Item 11c): Council approved submission of two preliminary applications (shared-use path and pedestrian-crossing improvements) and noted the 20% local match requirement if awarded. Motion: Councilperson Plunkett; Second: Councilperson Meyer. Outcome: approved unanimously.

- Ordinance (first reading) establishing a Short-Term Rental registration (Item 11d): Motion: Councilperson Meyer; Second: Councilperson Foster. Outcome: first reading approved unanimously. Key points: $25 annual registration fee, local 24-hour contact required, inspections removed from the registration requirement.

- Tree- and landscaping-related ordinance package (Items 11e–11h): Council approved first readings of multiple linked code amendments to lower protected-tree thresholds, require surveys and set replacement-tree minimums. Council adopted a friendly amendment requiring replacement trees be maintained “in perpetuity.” Motions: various (movers included Councilpersons Meyer, Plunkett and Lee). Outcome: first readings approved unanimously; amendment accepted.

- Resolution supporting tax-credit application for Pine Creek Senior Apartments (Item 11l): Council approved a resolution supporting a proposed 52-unit age-restricted (55+) low-income housing tax credit application and authorized a $250 fee reduction for the development. Motion: Councilperson Plunkett; Second: Councilperson Meyer. Outcome: approved unanimously.

Other approved items included departmental budget presentations and acceptance of unaudited monthly financial reports; the meeting concluded with citizen comment and several departmental reports.

What to expect next

Many items approved were first readings or resolutions that require follow-up: the STR and tree ordinances return for second readings on Feb. 25; staff will reissue the depository RFP; and staff will return with tracking procedures for council legal usage and with follow-up data on the proposed rideshare feasibility study.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bastrop City Council - February 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Bastrop City Council on Feb. 11 approved multiple resolutions, first readings and consent items. The meeting included executive session briefings; the council announced it took no action when it reconvened.","taxTitle","Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas","taxId",69403,"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},6103829,"Bastrop council hears feasibility pitch for rideshare vouchers to fill transit gaps",1138,1438000,2576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7&start=1438&end=2576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7/thumbnail_1438000.jpg","/articles/6103829/Bastrop/Bastrop-County/Texas/Bastrop-council-hears-feasibility-pitch-for-rideshare-vouchers-to-fill-transit-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103829-d23dc33763d8fd86b1874d2c95dd0b09/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178693&Signature=OaFf6ZwPyzaVa0gIhUQuuxIiDxfsfjOgnaxJt5RVXNPU6R8vPyFMwDtMqBkheylpZ8cymwWGXyJaPDTFsk9MN1OkFeD2pq39iLuWCNjZEE7vKmgWn5TsRwO5LBQW6uxh4l-NE8SooAoHjV74ravH7wqZLKslcVAPxhAn~1fnTdRWn09I8M3ZElmionJvQOwOc6b5EkDDPW6lqEc-Do4Y2m8BMK2CvI4HhLide2AGZQAA1m5ZDVS0~jBJ-7fSEPlOBKAGJRM0CagD-18HiyRBeMBXcme03IPnktnDEfWRk6Yp~9r6XR8t0opILfAEbJszqG6pccE4LPc9hutGtEDh0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a preliminary plan Feb. 11 to study whether Bastrop should adopt a city-subsidized rideshare voucher program to supplement existing transit and extend mobility after the local CARTS on-demand service hours.

The program would pair vouchers paid by the city with Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber or Lyft and would be managed through a consultant and an online portal. The presenter described a draft budget scenario in which a $10-per-ride subsidy with 10 vouchers per eligible household would cost about $95,831 annually just for the subsidy, not including consultant or marketing costs.

The proposal was framed as a way to meet demand outside CARTS’s 7 a.m.–7 p.m. service window and to serve areas CARTS does not reach. “We actually provide over a hundred trips a day,” the presenter said, summarizing CARTS usage, and added the city’s preliminary analytics show an estimated population of 12,286 with roughly 9,583 people age-eligible to use TNC services.

Council members focused on feasibility and driver supply. Councilperson Lisonbee said she wanted to see data demonstrating that rideshare drivers would be available and profitable in a small city: “When people are the drivers of Uber and Lyft, they're in it to make money,” she said, warning that nearby urban markets could draw drivers away and leave long waits in Bastrop.

Councilperson Lee and others asked staff to examine whether the program should be geofenced to city limits (the presenter said many municipal voucher programs are geofenced) and whether the city should subsidize trips only during hours CARTS does not operate. The assistant city attorney, Stan Springerly, told council that in his experience some vendors provided donated rides on holidays and that voucher programs were commonly treated as public-purpose subsidies that can reduce risk and assist law enforcement by giving an alternative to potentially impaired drivers.

Councilmembers also discussed pilot and targeting options: staff suggested a pilot year and using the program’s analytics dashboard to direct limited vouchers to priority groups (seniors, medical trips or special events). Several councilmembers asked staff to collect comparative metrics — per-day trip counts, driver availability and average ride distances — from similar-size Texas cities and from Lyft/Uber before returning with a recommendation.

The city manager and staff said they would research costs, driver-supply statistics and contract approaches and report back. “I can definitely look at different cities that are about our population,” the presenter told council, and later, “I will do some more research and come back with an update.”

Next steps: staff will gather usage and supply data from TNCs and peer cities, scope an RFP for a consultant to design and negotiate a voucher program if council wants to proceed, and return with options that specify hours, voucher limits and budget impact.","City staff presented a preliminary plan Feb. 11 to study whether Bastrop should adopt a city-subsidized rideshare voucher program to supplement existing transit and extend mobility after the local CARTS on-demand service hours.",{"_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},6103820,"Council approves first readings of multiple tree-code changes to protect more mature trees and require replacements",1116,5957000,7073000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7&start=5957&end=7073","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7/thumbnail_5957000.jpg","/articles/6103820/Bastrop/Bastrop-County/Texas/Council-approves-first-readings-of-multiple-tree-code-changes-to-protect-more-mature-trees-and-require-replacements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103820-c7e46b53ea4555085bbece0728f6d3d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178693&Signature=JzoMXAUReA-0XHWO6ir0wDJ4WEXNp0UW5WuOljA1NpW0Vbps0ZWqTsSok8KjOIbHi5a-y6T0iozTQR4ICYntNcNuTQ6YkVu7TZZzi43RVswJAkeTZDYVkcsFkazGroe3EQrcbfuYN5RhVKlHeonxyUcfK1pkxOcnAv89fSz5zt0mukEyLkorOvLvA645XuDyOK7NO~wguWAiXL6v4ZskdOKcA~B~aopWlFjrwyrqLUd8swJE1QDEiKNYNX-OVuQWAkSRmxQsd8g~sSk~M5JaVprxWgHfaLZPPMXGw0VC1O2Si0eSjsd570AZ4TjoA3j6JkEW1qbixChUegFmWn8HmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bastrop on Feb. 11 approved first readings of a package of code changes intended to strengthen protections for trees in new development and to clarify tree-survey and mitigation requirements.

Planning and Parks staff said the package — developed with input from the Planning & Zoning Commission, the Parks & Tree Board and local arborists — includes several linked ordinances that together change protected-tree thresholds, add survey requirements and set standards for replacement trees. The changes are focused on trees tied to new development and are not retroactive to existing, privately held trees.

Key changes that passed on first reading include lowering the size threshold that triggers mitigation from 13 inches to 10 inches caliper, and setting a minimum replacement-tree size standard (the ordinance text sets a nursery-ready replacement at a 2-inch diameter and approximately 5-foot height). Staff said experts agreed smaller nursery-grown specimens often have better long-term survival rates than larger, root-bound stock.

The council also approved language clarifying when tree surveys are required, how protected and heritage trees are identified and the process for arborist review. Councilmembers and staff discussed remedies for dead or dying trees and how the code should require replacement. Councilperson Foster asked that replacement trees be protected longer; council adopted an amendment that replacement trees be maintained “in perpetuity” rather than just for a single-year survival period.

Staff emphasized these changes apply to new development and subdivisions. “This is just for new development,” a staff presenter said when asked about scope. The city’s arborist unit will continue to work with property owners to evaluate imminent public-safety threats and to approve removals where appropriate.

The amendments will return to council for second readings and final adoption on Feb. 25; staff and board members said they will continue outreach to builders and neighborhood groups to explain the new requirements.","Council approved first readings of several code amendments to expand protections for trees in new development, lower protected-caliper thresholds, and require replacement tree sizing and longer-term maintenance. Council amended one item to require replacement trees be maintained \"in perpetuity.\"",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103824,"Council approves first reading of short-term rental registration ordinance; fee set at $25 annually",633,5697000,6330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7&start=5697&end=6330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793090-307f20682f5190f2b5f33111c2ce29b7/thumbnail_5697000.jpg","/articles/6103824/Bastrop/Bastrop-County/Texas/Council-approves-first-reading-of-short-term-rental-registration-ordinance-fee-set-at-25-annually","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103824-f832fa1c7480d534f21b3073241e41e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178693&Signature=AW9cXO3ion~JnDt3ME9NDqMXbcOvya8dCuOw~ArdHCeyIMnHVh5qlC4SOqvKlo~5GODTVXxnxJ2aYYscvngDTwvRhibqxq-y0tPVFQGa2RkgamOL69Bgm0M6My7ut1NgONAMrzdBJ2oqIMCiAupqYQl8ZLXtsKTbrNVVjbBYB0sl6E25ymDTgElvJn7kCl0qcol2l2XDC~Nymz042b2qRP5xz2Hr4s55kc06cuebjPEpXbwX~pQdQ7aVprqoKWbYltpHygbYsQzuQ2G7WTi4g6JkoVRVc3qdb42wjOulcTs8qvVJ4ePfCI-LkXIkFLuhyCmjDBhjUbfM74LemZE03g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bastrop City Council on Feb. 11 approved the first reading of an ordinance that would require operators of short-term rentals (STRs) inside city limits to register annually with the city.

The ordinance establishes a $25 annual registration fee and requires property address, operator contact information, any affiliated marketing platforms and a local 24-hour contact person to receive urgent notifications. Staff said the registration is intended to improve life-safety communications, ensure collection of hotel occupancy taxes and provide consistent information to guests.

The staff presenter explained the city will provide a packet owners can distribute to guests and that the registration number/sticker is optional after community feedback. “Originally, the major changes are initially we had an inspection process that was baked into this. We have removed that,” the staff member said, explaining that mandatory inspections raised liability concerns for the city.

Council members praised the lower registration fee relative to other large cities and the staff’s public engagement. “This is much more friendly to everyone,” Councilperson Meyer said, noting Austin’s higher proposed fees as a contrast. City staff stressed the STR registration is distinct from certificate-of-occupancy and building-code processes; those remain separate processes and fees.

Under the ordinance as passed on first reading, STR owners must provide the number of bedrooms, the proposed occupant limit and off-street parking spaces so the city and neighbors can assess quality-of-life impacts. Staff said the city will keep an online map of registered STRs as an incentive for operators to register and for marketing purposes.

The ordinance will return to council for second reading on Feb. 25 and — if adopted — the registration process will apply to STRs operating in new and existing properties inside city limits.","Council approved first reading of an ordinance requiring short-term rental (STR) operators in Bastrop to register with the city, provide local 24-hour contact information and collect hotel occupancy taxes. Staff removed proposed mandatory inspections after public feedback; annual registration will cost $25 and a registration sticker is optional.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

At-a-glance: Bastrop council votes on code changes, finances, contracts and community programs Feb. 11

Bastrop council hears feasibility pitch for rideshare vouchers to fill transit gaps

Council approves first readings of multiple tree-code changes to protect more mature trees and require replacements

Council approves first reading of short-term rental registration ordinance; fee set at $25 annually