[{"_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",6471920,"mediaKeyId","5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab","parentId",5777279,"title","Lockhart council approves economic-development incentives, airport lease and visitor-center LOI; voters’ logistics set","audioSeconds",4489,"startMs",2911000,"endMs",7400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab&start=2911&end=7400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab/thumbnail_2911000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6471920/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Lockhart-council-approves-economic-development-incentives-airport-lease-and-visitor-center-LOI-voters-logistics-set","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471920-fb20cd7b54253b8205ab4a04a4d1b4ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770957079&Signature=GkuwDd38Gpeul-VNXJq19U80yRFDnLJLfEvzLQABtBA0aeeKMDrhQy4QKvLqPw4XIJ9UuoE~VZBVRjADyFMDC4BP3FxXGFu2OoclevLBqEEqNCRuxHXYRqVCS7cG~usnQiIY2vsYjBPMJvhQ8uVcjq57nNGLsuLU24zK6y0rgQVIkbOgraBY1FCNiSIWWsjKaYSOF6A90imLa8p2zobgqawTkFQ6vFc6x7S8CoDhM~2I-RNrRGgDCyObGTd83C~56IZYxq2b7z2eABtL-HvGwV0txUQRiNlfiQo57Nnb7HLZZIJ-9C5UFSPxTIKZPgkkN79Vma1lstdvEOBJPyetzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lockhart","date","2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","article","The Lockhart City Council approved a slate of economic-development agreements, facility matters and administrative items during Monday’s meeting.

Key votes and outcomes

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 2025-28 (Balcones Lockhart 2023 LP / Project Rocksteady): Council approved economic incentives tied to infrastructure upgrades for a new industrial shell building that will house Hill Country Foodworks; improvements to the building are valued at roughly $2 million and will remain with the building. EDC recommended approval; the council vote passed 7–0.

- Resolution 2025-29 (Hill Country Foodworks LLC): Council approved a performance agreement providing up to $1,230,000 in incentives to support building improvements, equipment purchases and utility upgrades tied to a project expected to add 23 jobs; EDC recommended approval; vote passed 7–0.

- Resolution 2025-30 (Spare Change Restaurant LLC): Council approved incentives for a downtown entertainment/food business featuring arcade, pinball, duckpin bowling and food service; EDC recommended approval; vote passed 7–0. The owners plan a personal-pan pizza and sandwich concept and aim for an early October opening.

- Lease renewal for Stenger Air Services (airport hangar): Council approved a five-year renewal for the ground lease covering a 6,250-square-foot hangar at Lockhart Municipal Airport. Terms would continue the 1995 lease responsibilities (tenant maintains building, insurance, utilities); the annual rent for the next five-year option was stated as $658.54. The airport board unanimously recommended approval; council vote passed 7–0.

- Resolution 2025-31 (visitor center letter of intent): After executive session, council approved a letter of intent to secure a downtown visitor-center location (the former clock-and-watch museum building). Staff reported monthly rent of $3,500, which includes utilities, alarm and taxes; the letter of intent would start a 45-day due-diligence period. Council approved in open session following executive-session consideration, vote 7–0.

Other administrative items

- Appraisal district nominations: Council nominated Sally Daniels and Alfredo Munoz as the city’s representatives to the Caldwell County Appraisal District board for the 2026–27 term; approved 7–0.

- Citizen planning committee: Council appointed Diane Delgado to the citizen planning committee for Lockhart’s 250th-Anniversary celebration and scheduled the committee’s first meeting for Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m.; approved 7–0.

What council heard

Economic-development director Holly Malish described each project’s scope. Balcones is building a shell building in Industrial Park No. 3 and Hill Country Foodworks will occupy about 48,000 square feet; improvements will increase the building’s value and remain with the property. Hill Country Foodworks described plans for two production lines, building customizations and utility upgrades. Spare Change will convert a downtown building to an entertainment and food venue; the owners plan a ribbon-cutting and inaugural duckpin bowling on Oct. 3.

Airport director Sean Kelly reviewed the 1995 ground lease for the Stenger Air hangar and said the airport board recommended renewal. Hangar owner Joe Stenger said his flight school trains roughly 50 pilots a year and the hangar supports a Lockhart flying club with about 50 members.

Council members repeatedly thanked staff and EDC for recruitment work. The visitor-center LOI was taken up in executive session to permit negotiation of terms; the council approved moving forward with a 45-day due-diligence LOI in open session thereafter.

Next steps

City staff will finalize agreements, execute lease documents as required, and move forward with the visitor-center due diligence and negotiations. EDC and staff will continue marketing the vacated properties and supporting tenant transitions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lockhart - Lockhart City Council","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved multiple economic-development performance agreements, a five-year airport hangar lease renewal and a letter of intent to secure a downtown visitor center; all votes recorded at the meeting passed unanimously.","taxTitle","Lockhart City , Caldwell County , Texas","taxId",60953,"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},6471925,"Lockhart police roll out community crime map; department to absorb $100 monthly cost",477,925000,1402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab&start=925&end=1402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab/thumbnail_925000.jpg","/articles/6471925/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Lockhart-police-roll-out-community-crime-map-department-to-absorb-100-monthly-cost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471925-40832ebd30a5ab39a361d95e1a40042a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770957079&Signature=DBKb7wQVIq5ygilIy3J9NYVg-t0M0rKRfGWRtPfeskcAuF5vJz~4rt0YUyYj8tkkE~Wuu7itstETos2gux8b-4sAi5JCTN3fFJk~Ri0nwhu4dsnQpL6siRt-pHHVVNrTfqpncXuJS9CCcFxV9aWRl111Mn~Oh2WzNIkaU43vgVIVU9Go94YeJ0hGUyCNx8XOsWE4Zkp64tMS4ivFq6gP56Xng4IH-CDRr9H~MFDpsPpM3SXHnAzzb1f-E3Cw0tGKz8ftknruOh2Ms5eKOzgjvU0k8RLURczohSH9J87JKC9riECD8oaGVbgzvJZ3tVqyrz~Iw-cLoeXbwRZ5ZT0TsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lockhart Police Department demonstrated a new online community-crime map, built through a LexisNexis platform and currently accessible at communitycrimemap.com, that is intended to give residents easier access to recent, block-level crime reports and customizable email alerts.

Police Chief Gary Williamson told council the map displays incidents by icon and clusters, allows date-range filtering and shows a patrol-district layer. Clicking an incident yields a brief, block-level description that excludes specific addresses. Users can sign up for daily, weekly or monthly email alerts for selected locations. Chief Williamson said offender-registry information is intentionally inactive on the city map and residents should use the Texas Department of Public Safety registry for the most current data; embedding a DPS link on the map might be possible but would require LexisNexis coordination.

The department will absorb the subscription cost, about $100 per month. Records feed to the map comes from the police records-management system and is updated daily after supervisory review; Chief Williamson noted this is not real-time because incidents must complete the approval workflow. He also said certain crimes — for example, sexual assault and child-decency offenses — will not be published to avoid revictimizing people.

Council members asked about outreach and training for residents; the chief said the city will push the tool on social media and on the city website and eventually embed it on the city’s new site. Several council members recommended follow-up public workshops, demonstrations targeted by patrol district, and a brief user survey after rollout so staff can collect feedback and improve usability. Staff also suggested adding the map to utility-bill communications as another outreach channel.

Chief Williamson demonstrated map features during the work session and answered council questions about filtering, district layers and the alert bell. The city plans to publicize the tool and monitor community use and feedback after launch.","Police unveiled a LexisNexis-based community crime map to give residents block-level crime data and email alerts. The department will pay $100 per month; the map omits certain sensitive crimes and updates daily after supervisory approval. Council asked for public outreach and user follow-up workshops.",{"_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},6471930,"Council pauses on county's animal-shelter feasibility study request, refers to advisory board",1335,1497000,2832000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab&start=1497&end=2832","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab/thumbnail_1497000.jpg","/articles/6471930/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Council-pauses-on-countys-animal-shelter-feasibility-study-request-refers-to-advisory-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471930-bc992899d9f0a359716aa574dcb2f841/orig.mp4?Expires=1770957079&Signature=Oe4pa2IlFcDM5QfMWh-xjtBeDjyvW-T4Z~gBk4K0qDknzGog42ZH43YgzghKDrLlWH0T~LKaE2W9FIWOq~XvugvMi~oR48XPdmdj-~zeyNJUGVbB-Q-xQqtybP4gfK5eneec~ABm~EJjzmqbvqnUYx1boGt3KPpNYRfk6QsTVpisVtU6x1BBCyUpiUpGItUGy~VmJR~-EnEpVJXWzN400WRz9KRLh4ZNRhBug66rpo5mpTro9d-iFQ2TNXA58Y5o3iRc4um6bOeiHcKmzE3eeGTg0nkNV5xtB7uPOsSCygs8v8pJVEGQKeHqwpvQdLmX8lH3uAKG6I0xHN6zyzm4~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Caldwell County asked the City of Lockhart to share the cost of a feasibility study proposed by Broadus & Associates to evaluate options to expand the joint animal shelter or build a new facility.

Broadus & Associates presented an hourly not-to-exceed proposal of $162,288 to be completed in three phases over six months: data gathering (staff interviews and steering committee workshops), development of feasibility options (expand on-site, satellite sites, partnerships or new facility), and preparation of a final report with recommendations. Broadus representatives said the figure was a not-to-exceed estimate and that prior work in Hays County came in under projected time and cost.

City staff and council members discussed the study’s scope, the shelter lease with Caldwell County (which expires in 2029), and current local upgrades that are improving facility conditions but not adding kennel capacity. Broadus noted the shelter’s stated capacity and usage: 56 dog spaces and 24 cat spaces with an average intake of about 180 animals per month. County representatives intend the study to identify a long-term strategy: continue partnership with the Lockhart shelter, build a county facility, or partner with nonprofits.

Council members raised questions about price, the procurement approach (professional services generally exempt from competitive bidding but an RFQ could be solicited), and whether the city should pursue a joint meeting with the county before committing funds. Several council members said they wanted the city’s shelter advisory board involved and recommended referral for that board’s input. The city manager confirmed the proposal was initiated by the county and that the county would own the study deliverables; the county has asked the city to share in the cost.

The council’s direction to staff was to refer the request to the Bridal Shelter Advisory Board for study and recommendation; no final financial commitment was made at the meeting. Broadus representatives offered to revise the scope and fee if the city requested a narrower scope tied to Lockhart’s specific circumstances. City staff noted the advisory board has a meeting later in the week and could consider the item.

Speakers included James DeMeritt and Alex Gonzales of Broadus & Associates, City Manager Joseph Resendez, and several council members. Broadus stressed the study’s role as an informational feasibility assessment to guide owner decisions and said prior engagements had produced actionable recommendations for other counties.","Caldwell County asked Lockhart to split an hourly not-to-exceed $162,288 feasibility study for an expanded or new animal shelter. Broadus & Associates presented the scope; council asked staff to refer the matter to the Bridal Shelter Advisory Board for recommendation before committing funds.",{"_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},6471934,"Lockhart council votes to remove manufactured homes from two residential zones",1817,5012000,6829000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab&start=5012&end=6829","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5777279-295d4ef72ee56075b5570b51b6ff72ab/thumbnail_5012000.jpg","/articles/6471934/Lockhart-City/Caldwell-County/Texas/Lockhart-council-votes-to-remove-manufactured-homes-from-two-residential-zones","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471934-ab770405ed2a3f0fef82f07fb97b3cb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770957079&Signature=VOoeqAOjbbWfnfhSL4KVz8WujXt1ToTZtQia-GDdxhWEBDDGxWLeclXGiPUT2VVK0Rzg3qAYelYTAGvu1~BISiZ703NbvY~vAic1Xc0Xu6APeVC5owtY-2hJmkXA~hKgpNP11oRVQH1tqEJMAA4E4IU33jllHj1AQtKMltS0IuVPsf9C4MfXj3FlE4jeHtfml1s72yUDukRbQ8RN~i9OleS0Hqv~BMaVAkJU7cceZiS524ij5naDxAh4SnjpZM0uOscSBBD-NOA~BnhdEiP2w~CCdQ7MamNxwftfZA6LkxVeTDdmRtDZOzR3lts7lajiEh2lhU19Xwmc3orycwgFwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lockhart City Council on Monday approved an ordinance removing manufactured homes from the list of uses that can be approved by specific-use permit (SUP) in the city’s Residential Medium Density and Residential High Density zoning districts.

The change amends Chapter 64 of the city code, striking language in section 64-196 that permitted manufactured homes in those districts only with a SUP and removing a sentence in section 64-200 that described requirements for placing manufactured homes on individual residential lots. Modular homes — built to the International Residential Code and assembled on site — will continue to be permitted where compatible with surrounding development.

The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval 6–0. At council, the motion to adopt the ordinance was made by Councilmember Anthony Castillo and seconded by Councilmember Larson; the ordinance passed on a 6–1 vote. The council record does not name individual yea/nay votes in the transcript.

City staff told council the change responds in part to recent local appeals of SUP denials and to a new state law, Senate Bill 785, that takes effect Sept. 1, 2026. Under SB 785, cities cannot require SUPs for manufactured homes in zoning districts where other housing types are allowed by right; staff said one approach consistent with the statute is to confine manufactured homes to the city’s existing MH (manufactured home) district, where manufactured-home parks already exist in Lockhart.

Council debate mixed two themes: several members said the change helps protect established neighborhoods and property values, while others raised affordability concerns and urged the city to ensure there are viable places for manufactured homes to locate. Staff noted there is at least one vacant parcel already zoned MH north of Silent Valley Road and that developers have inquired about manufactured-home parks, but no new park projects were underway.

Under current state and local rules, existing manufactured homes generally remain lawful and may be replaced once; the ordinance will affect where new manufactured homes may be sited going forward. Councilmembers also confirmed modular homes — which are built to the same building code as site-built houses — remain an option in residential zoning.

The ordinance is the council’s chosen local approach to the issue; staff told council the city would still need to act before SB 785 becomes effective next year to avoid a potential conflict with state law.

Councilmembers who spoke during the discussion included Councilmember Castillo (mover), Councilmember Larson (seconder), Councilmember Fielding, and Councilmember Westmoreland. Planning & Zoning testimony and staff analysis were presented by David Fowler (staff member).","City Council approved an amendment to Chapter 64 that removes manufactured homes as a use eligible for a specific-use permit in Medium- and High-Density residential zones; modular homes remain allowed. The 6–1 vote follows a unanimous Planning & Zoning recommendation and comes as state law changes loom in 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lockhart council approves economic-development incentives, airport lease and visitor-center LOI; voters’ logistics set

Lockhart police roll out community crime map; department to absorb $100 monthly cost

Council pauses on county's animal-shelter feasibility study request, refers to advisory board

Lockhart council votes to remove manufactured homes from two residential zones