Fredericksburg City Council Regular Meeting – December 16, 2025

The Fredericksburg City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 9:00 AM at New City Hall at East Campus. The meeting included a consent agenda, several public hearings, discussion of fees, annexation and zoning requests, a report on the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival, and an informational report on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Council voted to deny a controversial annexation request, tabled a leaf and brush fee ordinance, and tabled a funding request for the Food & Wine Festival.

Consent Calendar

• Approved City Council minutes of December 2, 2025.
• Approved the appointment of Vickie Bonewitz to the Gillespie County/City Health Board.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Leaf and Brush Collection Fees: Residents Mo and Eric spoke in opposition. Mo stated the proposed $10/month fee was excessive, suggested an opt-out for non-users, and noted that county residents use the city's recycling and drop-off centers for free. Eric also advocated for an opt-out. Both urged council to reconsider the fee.
• Annexation/Zoning at 612 Hollmig Lane (Sonoma Oaks Phase 2): Numerous residents spoke against the annexation and development, citing unresolved drainage issues from Phase 1, increased runoff volume (estimated 1.1 million additional gallons on a 2-year rain event combining both phases), property damage, lack of developer communication, and the need for a comprehensive drainage study before further development. Speakers included George Studer (pedestrian safety concerns), Gina Enderland (thanked facilitator but opposed timing), Grant (alleged miscalculations and diversion of water), Kyle Segner (detailed volume impacts, urged holding off), Tom (asked for solutions before annexation), Uko (family property concerns, no developer outreach), Joe de Canesi (no solutions presented, property affected), and Michael Moffitt (erosion and contamination concerns). Many emphasized that while the developer meets current code, the volume of water and downstream impacts are not adequately addressed.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 2025-53 – Health Department Fees: Director Kelli Olfers presented an update required by Senate Bill 1008, eliminating the institutional permit and replacing it with a $100 per inspection fee for nonprofits, schools, etc. Retail and temporary permits unchanged. Council passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 2025-54 – Leaf and Brush Collection Fees: Staff proposed a $10/month per solid waste customer fee to cover costs, with a new bulk waste service. Council debated the amount, the lack of an opt-out, and that the budget already included $531,000 for the service. A motion to table the ordinance for up to 90 days to allow further study and public input passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 2025-37 – Annexation of 612 Hollmig Lane (Mark Cornett): The applicant and staff presented. Public comment was heavily opposed. City Manager Clinton Bailey reported on facilitated meetings, noting no short-term solution was reached. He stated the developer meets city requirements but acknowledged increased runoff volume affects downstream properties. Council discussed the need for a countywide drainage study (estimated 3 years) and long-term solutions. A motion to deny the annexation, with a directive for city engineers to continue working with the county on a solution, passed unanimously. Subsequently, the related land use change (Ordinance 2025-38), zoning change (Ordinance 2025-39), and ROW annexation (Ordinance 2025-40) were also denied without separate votes, as they were contingent on the annexation.
• Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival – Annual Report and Funding Request: Jim Mikula of the Chamber of Commerce presented highlights: 3,900 attendees at the grand tasting, 95 vendors, 1.9 billion media impressions, and $121,000 net revenue before donations. He requested $250,000 in HOT funds for 2026 (up from $185,000), citing plans for a national PR firm, a restaurant week in May, and educational sessions. Council requested a detailed breakdown of the $65,000 increase. A motion to table the funding request to the January 6, 2026 meeting passed unanimously.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) – Impact on City Emergency Services: Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell presented an informational report. He explained that a BESS fire is a hazmat event; firefighters must let it burn out (potentially weeks), requiring full protective gear that may be non-reusable ($10,000 per suit). Mutual aid from all county departments would be needed, with backfilling of city stations leading to overtime costs. Evacuations could affect the city depending on wind. The failure rate is about 9%. Council took no action; the report was for awareness.

Key Outcomes

• Health Department Fees: Ordinance 2025-53 adopted unanimously.
• Leaf and Brush Collection Fees: Ordinance 2025-54 tabled for up to 90 days (unanimous).
• Annexation at 612 Hollmig Lane: Ordinance 2025-37 denied unanimously; related land use and zoning ordinances (2025-38, 2025-39) and ROW annexation (2025-40) also denied. City engineers directed to work with county on drainage solutions.
• Food & Wine Festival Funding: Request for $250,000 tabled to January 6, 2026 meeting (unanimous).
• BESS Report: Received as information; no action.
• Future Agenda: Items noted for upcoming meetings, including HOT funding awards (Jan 20), citizen university, and move to new council chambers in February.
• Executive Session: Council met in executive session on legal, real estate, and personnel matters; no action taken publicly, but city manager was instructed to pursue a city attorney in-house.