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Resident alleges city sought to buy his homestead; council and code enforcement say they'll follow up
Summary
Longtime Bandera resident Robert Keith Preston told council he received a contract and notice he says approves work on his property; earlier Patty Rapp raised animal‑control concerns about a vacant house with many cats. Staff said code enforcement is working the animal issue and the administration will follow up on the property claim.
Robert Keith Preston, a Bandera resident who said his family has lived on the property since the 1940s, told the City of Bandera council that city staff visited his home Sept. 20 to offer to buy his land and that he later received a letter dated Oct. 31 informing him the council had approved work on his property. ‘‘The letter that I got was dated October 31. The contract was dated to expire November 1,’’ Preston said. He told the council he had declined earlier offers and said he felt pressured, asking, ‘‘Why am I gonna be expected to just be have to give up my place?’’
Mayor and staff declined to discuss the matter in detail during the public comment period because it was not on the agenda; the mayor told Preston staff would follow up after the meeting. The transcript does not include a staff response or a council vote on the subject, and no ordinance or formal acquisition action is recorded in the meeting excerpt.
Earlier in the public comment period, resident Patty Rapp told the council about a vacant house near her home where dozens of cats have been fed and allowed to breed; she described it as a nuisance that affects neighbors. ‘‘There’s abandoned vehicles. There’s open sheds...you pull up and it smells like a cat litter box,’’ Rapp said. Council members asked staff for factual follow‑up, and code enforcement officer John Davis reported that the address had been identified and that the department had issued letters and notices; he said the city lacks a place to house cats long‑term after trapping and that the typical practice is to have cats neutered and then released when an outside facility is not available.
John Davis explained how residents can report violations anonymously via a form that can be dropped off at city hall or emailed, and he encouraged complainants to complete the complaint form to assist enforcement. The transcript records no enforcement outcome at the meeting; council directed staff to pursue the matters outside the public comment period.
What happened next: council indicated staff would investigate the property claim and follow up with Preston, and code enforcement said the animal‑nuisance complaint was being worked. The council did not take a formal vote or adopt a policy change on either issue during the meeting.
