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Council weighs dissolving Saunders Springs advisory board as volunteers dwindle
Summary
Council members and board representatives said Saunders Springs has transitioned from volunteer-led projects to staff-managed operations; they discussed mothballing or dissolving the advisory board and creating a 'Friends' nonprofit to sustain programming and fundraising.
The presiding official opened a work-session discussion about the future of the Saunders Springs advisory board, which council and board members said has lost members and now shares many duties with a hired naturalist and city staff.
Board representatives said the advisory group helped establish trails and programming after the property was acquired in 1996 but now counts only four active members and struggled to hold a quorum in 2025. "We're down to four folks," one board representative said, adding that volunteers still run trail maintenance, field trips and fundraising events but that planning and many operational tasks are now staffed by the city.
Why it matters: Council members noted the board's original purpose was to create improvements the city couldn't staff during early years; with city staff and a naturalist in place, the board's planning role has diminished. Council members and board representatives proposed several options: mothballing the board temporarily, changing term lengths or meeting schedules to encourage participation, opening membership to active nonresidents, or forming a 501(c)(3) "Friends of Saunders Springs" organization to handle fundraising and volunteer engagement.
Council staff reviewed the codified ordinance for advisory boards and reported that the current text does not explicitly require board members to be city residents. That means the council could, if it chooses, recommend ordinance edits to allow nonresident participants or alter appointment terms. The staff member said a recommendation from the board and a council action would be required for formal dissolution.
Board members emphasized that volunteers remain engaged in programming and maintenance: they host bike and running fundraisers, support school field trips and plan educational events. "We're still gonna be an active part of programming," one volunteer said, while also noting there are tasks volunteers cannot perform, such as rebuilding major trail structures that require paid professionals.
Next steps: Councilmembers asked staff and the board to prepare specific recommendations (ordinance language options, term lengths, and a possible Friends-group structure) so the council can decide whether to amend residency rules, change meeting frequency, or pursue a formal dissolution or temporary mothballing. No formal motion or vote was taken at the session.
