Council reviews mid‑year goals: water partnerships, outreach, tech upgrades and Blue Hole Nature Center RFP

The Wimberley City Council received a mid‑year report on fiscal‑year 2025 goals and priorities, covering water‑conservation partnerships, youth engagement, public‑safety alerts, technology and infrastructure improvements, and the Blue Hole Nature Center procurement schedule.

On water conservation, staff summarized partnerships with the Watershed Association, Net0 Water and Texas Water Trade engineers and said the city is coordinating with Marissa (Hill Country Alliance) to “advance water supply resilience and protect ground water and surface water flows.” Staff also confirmed regular contact with Jonas Rosenfeld, the county water coordinator, and said his work is being integrated into city efforts.

On youth engagement, staff reported two practicum/intern students from Wimberley ISD are working with public works and parks to pilot a youth advisory council model; Parks and Recreation Director Richard Shaver is leading the effort.

Emergency alerts: staff said the city’s alert subscribers have increased by more than 100 users and that current subscribers are “a little over 500” (staff also referenced a broader range around 900 during discussion). The city will promote signups at an emergency preparedness fair scheduled for March 29 and at a community cleanup on April 12.

Technology and customer service improvements discussed included upgrades to the community center audio/visual equipment, improvements to the city website and a new development‑services page that lists permits and application flowcharts, and exploration of paperless bill options and online permitting. Staff said electronic permitting, online signatures and broader process improvements remain priorities to reduce paper handling and in‑office transactions.

Transportation and infrastructure items include planning for electric vehicle charging stations at three locations (Oak Drive, visitor center and a third site near Blue Hole Nature Center). Staff said each charging pedestal requires a dedicated 200‑amp service and noted conduit and power upgrades will be needed; placement and trenching costs will affect schedule. The council also discussed replacing delineators with curbs on Ranch Road 12 and the existing HAWK crosswalk there.

Staff announced that the RFP for the Blue Hole Nature Center went out and will be published next week; the council is scheduled to select a bidder on May 1. Council also reported solar lighting recently installed in a city parking lot and on the square and said interactive kiosk planning is underway.

Ending: Councilors listed upcoming events and items: an emergency preparedness fair on March 29, a community cleanup on April 12, the Blue Hole Nature Center RFP and a planned resolution supporting SB2660 on a future agenda; staff said legal review and code‑enforcement items will appear on the next meeting agenda.