The San Marcos City Council met for its biweekly meeting Aug.18 to announce the opening of two free COVID-19 testing sites, discuss a possible return to in-person council meetings and discuss various resolutions and land ordinances.
Director of Public Safety Chase Stapp announced that San Marcos High School will perform 300 COVID-19 tests a day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning Aug. 24, and will last six consecutive days. In addition, a location in Kyle will also be transformed into a testing site and will last seven consecutive days. However, a date and location are still to be determined. Free testing continues for the uninsured and underinsured at Live Oak Clinic on Broadway Street.
During the citizen comment period, several citizens called in to express their discontent over a potential rise in property appraisals and taxes, and the impact Resolution 2020-177R, Cape’s Dam and its proposed rehabilitation will have. The resolution passed 4 to 3.
The council discussed a potential return to in-person meetings in the near future, as well as a potential shift to a hybrid model that would require some members and city employees to be physically present with safety measures in place while others remain at home. No definitive conclusion was reached after several council members voiced their discomfort with the proposal.
The council approved an increase of $180,002 for a contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for additional equipment and annual software maintenance, hosting and plan fees for the Police Video Upgrade Project. The increase occurs after concerns from Councilmember Maxfield Baker regarding Axon’s business practices and privacy policy—which postponed the resolution during an Aug. 5 meeting—were addressed in a statement from Axon.
An amended agreement providing utility bill funds to qualifying customers with Community Action, Inc. expanded eligibility criteria to include emergencies such as COVID-19 and increase the administration fee paid to Community Action.
A resolution to rezone approximately 0.34 acres of land located at 724 Alley St. from Single Family-6 District to Neighborhood Density District-3 failed to pass after several residents from the area expressed disapproval during public hearings.
The council expressed unanimous approval of a resolution installing curbside pickup parking spaces for several small businesses in downtown San Marcos as a response to the effects of COVID-19.
The San Marcos City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. over Zoom; the meeting can be viewed on its website. The agenda can be accessed through the Agenda Center on the City of San Marcos website.