Boerne leaders review results of "Boerne Listens" survey and discuss growth, permitting and customer service improvements

City staff reviewed results from the "Boerne Listens" community survey and addressed resident concerns about growth, tree preservation, historic preservation and permitting timelines at the April 8 Boerne City Council meeting.

Ben (city manager) introduced the item and asked Director Crane to present findings and follow-up actions. Director Crane said the city received just under 1,600 survey responses, of which about 75% were from residents within city limits. "We asked a broad range of questions covering quality of life, city services, infrastructure, safety and importantly, development and growth," Crane said, and he presented categorized qualitative comments and suggested staff responses.

Crane summarized Boerne's regulatory framework, noting the interplay of federal and state law, the city's Home Rule authority, the comprehensive plan and the Unified Development Code (UDC) adopted in November 2020. He said many of the active subdivisions and commercial projects were approved before the UDC took effect and therefore do not reflect the 2020 standards. He addressed moratoriums and said those are governed by state statute; staff examined examples where other Texas cities adopted moratoria tied to utility capacity constraints. Crane said Boerne currently has utility capacity for additional growth and therefore does not qualify for a moratorium.

Staff described multiple operational changes intended to respond to public concerns: assigning planners as project managers to provide continuity from pre-application through building permit; promoting Liz Uvalde to development coordinator to assist both commercial and residential applicants; simplifying some drainage-study and accessory-building requirements; creating a searchable online UDC portal; and implementing MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) with step-by-step guidance to speed common permits. Crane said the city aims to reduce first-review plan times (goal: 30 to 20 days) and is working to create a "24‑hour permit" pathway for simple items like fences.

Council members and staff also discussed outreach to developers and residents. Crane said staff has run developer roundtables and is planning training for homeowners and small business owners on the new online permitting tools. Council members praised staff improvements, noting measurable reductions in review times: staff reported an 84% faster review for major plats and improved permit-review times despite roughly a 25% year‑over‑year increase in new home permits. Crane said commercial plan review still requires more work but that the city has brought in consultants to help reduce review time.

Council discussion touched on the influence of state legislation on local land-use regulations. Council members reiterated that the city must follow state law and that much of the visible development was approved under older standards. Several council members commended staff for progress while acknowledging continued resident concern about density, trees and construction impacts.

Staff said the city is exploring AI-based tools on permitting pages and intends to load FAQs and process guidance into a chatbot and the permitting system; staff cautioned that any AI tool will include disclaimers and remain coupled with staff oversight. Crane concluded by saying the city will continue to present targeted metrics and to refine customer-service training.

Speakers quoted in this article are listed in the meeting transcript.