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Affordable‑housing resolution tabled after collaborative presents countywide plan
Summary
A Bastrop County housing and health collaborative presented policy recommendations and a multi‑agency proposal to build 134–179 rental homes; Smithville council agreed the issue is important but sent the draft resolution to legal for review and more public meetings following Planning & Zoning’s recommendation to table.
Janice Bruno, executive director of Career Tracks and a member of the Bastrop County Collaborative for Housing and Health, told the Smithville City Council the collaborative’s year‑long effort produced seven policy recommendations aimed at expanding affordable, attainable housing across Bastrop County.
Bruno said the collaborative’s 2024 grant work and community meetings identified local needs: rising rents, a growing share of cost‑burdened households and workforce wage gaps. "There are 35,000 total households and the median income for renters is about $58,000," she said, summarizing the county data the group reviewed. Bruno described models under consideration, including community land trusts, reduced minimum lot sizes, allowing accessory dwelling units as a right and eliminating minimum square‑footage rules for small homes.
Monica, a policy team member with the collaborative, asked council to support a resolution establishing an affordable‑housing advisory committee to recommend next steps and said the group is seeking site acreage (18–20 acres) and a capital stack to fund projects that could produce 134–179 rental homes. "We’re looking to raise about $75 million," she said.
Planning & Zoning had earlier recommended postponing adoption until more public meetings and additional legal review; the commission voted unanimously to table the action and urged broader public outreach. Councilmembers echoed that view in debate: several said they support the concept but want more community engagement and legal guidance before any ordinance or formal board is created.
John Schindler, a public commenter, said he was "totally against this," asked for more transparency about prior spending on the initiative and urged the council to follow P&Z’s recommendation. "They've already spent $750,000 on this," he said, asking for an accounting of the grant funds.
Council did not vote on the resolution. Instead, members directed staff to forward the draft resolution to the city attorney for legal review and to work with the collaborative on additional town halls once land‑use changes and the city’s comprehensive plan updates are available. Councilman Jenkins and others emphasized that any ordinance revisions would still require review by P&Z before council action.
The collaborative said it will continue local site selection and capital‑raising efforts; the council asked for a legal assessment and additional, widely publicized community meetings before taking formal action.
