Kerrville City Council Meeting - April 28, 2026

The Kerrville City Council met on April 28, 2026, at approximately 6:10 PM (following a workshop that adjourned at 6:10 PM) at City Hall, 701 Main Street. The meeting featured numerous recognitions and proclamations, a financial update for March 2026, approval of the consent agenda, a new agreement with the KROC Center to provide public pool access, acceptance of a Community Foundation grant for Louise Hays Park, a board appointment, and an executive session with no action taken.

Announcements of Community Interest

• Mother's Day (May 10): Free day use for mothers at Kerrville Shriner Park with purchase of child pass; free range tokens at Scott Shriner Golf Course.
• Greenskeeper's Revenge golf tournament (May 23, 9 AM) – four-person scramble, $220 per team.
• Skateboard competition at Singing Winds Park (May 23, registration 9:30 AM, competition 10 AM).
• Suicide prevention training (May 2, 9-1 PM) at 250 Cully Street, hosted by Hill Country Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, free lunch provided by Guadalupe Bank.
• Smithsonian exhibit at Hill Country Arts and Cultural Center (May 16 – June 28).

Recognitions and Proclamations

• Blue Envelope Program: Police Chief McCall launched the program for individuals with communication challenges (e.g., autism). Envelopes serve as a visual cue for officers. Integrity Towing donated envelopes; Herring Printing printed them. First envelope presented to Riley Booth. Megan and Micah Booth advocated for the program.
• Good Samaritan Award: Fire Chief Maloney presented to Ashton Bolton for performing CPR on a cardiac arrest victim (Mr. Ford) on March 6, 2026. Bolton also assisted in July 4th flood evacuations. Mr. Ford was present and thanked Bolton.
• Hill Country Quilt Guild Spring Fling Exhibit: Recognized for citywide quilt display (27 quilts at City Hall, Doyle, The Croc, Nature Center, Arcadia Live). Guild has over 250 members.
• National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (April 13-17): Dispatchers introduced, including supervisor Garrett (10 years) and manager Kat Larson (8 years).
• Small Business Week (May 3-9): Chamber representatives spoke about supporting local businesses. Chamber represents over 800 members.
• Texas City Secretary Week (May 4-8): Honored Shelley McElhannon (19 years of service).
• National Prevention Week (May 10-16): Leah Westra (HCCADA) described prevention as community activities; Sarah (youth prevention coordinator) and others spoke.
• Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month (May 2026): Advocate Deanna lost her brother in a 2024 crash; others shared experiences with left-turn and drunk driver accidents. Members from Combat Veterans and Booze Fighters spoke.

Financial Update (Item 3A)

Director of Finance J. Behrens presented the financial update for the month ended March 31, 2026 and a preliminary budget outlook.

• General Fund: Performing well; property tax on track after $600,000 budget amendment for flood relief; sales tax better than year-to-date estimates; service revenues slightly behind but expected to recover. Expenses $700,000 under budget. Personnel costs constitute 71% ($39 million) of the general fund.
• Sales Tax: Budgeted conservatively at 1% growth; rolling average is rising. Sales tax is 42% higher than 2019 levels.
• Water Fund: On track; water sales and sewer revenues close to budget. Water model working well.
• Enterprise Funds: Kerrville Shriner Park behind due to flood impact on rental revenue; golf course meeting budget.
• Hotel Occupancy Tax: Expected flat due to flood recovery uncertainty.
• Audit Compliance: Senate Bill 1851 requires cities to file audits within 180 days; Kerrville met the deadline (March 29) despite an AG public information request.
• Flood Recovery Update: FEMA remains paused on new projects; $914,000 received so far for obligated projects; total flood-related expenses to date: $2.8 million. Remaining projects include water treatment facility, Kerrville Shriner Park, River Trail, Louise Hays Park.
• Budget Challenges: Personnel cost increases, constraints on operating budgets, asset replacement needs (estimated $2.3 million needed for FY2027, with only $850,000 proposed transfer). Long-term forecast shows funding gaps mitigated by interest revenue but not sustainable.
• Possible Solutions Discussed: Fee increases (KPUB franchise fee currently 3% vs 5% standard; water fund franchise fee 4%), new revenues (crime/fire control district requiring voter approval, stormwater fee, road fee, developer impact fees), greater grant focus, fire recovery fee (currently only for non-residents), and potential service reductions as last resort.
• Councilmember McKinney requested metrics to measure efficiencies and benchmarks.

Consent Agenda (Items 5A and 5B)

Approved unanimously without discussion.

• 5A: Resolution authorizing grant application to the Public Safety Office for body-worn cameras for KPD.
• 5B: Approval of April 14, 2026 City Council meeting minutes.

Discussion Items

• 6A: KROC Center Agreement – Citizen Pool Use – City proposed $100,000 agreement for the KROC Center to open its pool to the public for $1 entry (matching prior city pool fee) during summer 2026. The KROC pool will be open 73 days (vs. city's 69 in 2024), 1-7 PM daily except July 4th. Capacity: 150 in pool, 100 on deck. Motion to authorize city manager to finalize and execute passed unanimously.
• 6B: Community Foundation Grant for Louise Hays Park – $8.4 million grant offered to construct the upper park (Lehman Murray area) including splash pad, playground, dog parks, and parking. Estimated total park reimagination cost $13-15 million. Motion to authorize acceptance and execution passed unanimously.

Board Appointments (Item 7A)

• Building Board of Adjustment and Appeals: Timothy Davis appointed unanimously.

Executive Session (Item 8B)

• Council discussed the City Attorney employment agreement under Texas Government Code 551.074. No action taken. The sale of property at 429 Sidney Baker (former police station) was deferred and not discussed in executive session.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent agenda (body-worn camera grant application and April 14 minutes).
• Authorized the KROC Center agreement for public pool access.
• Accepted the $8.4 million Community Foundation grant for Louise Hays Park.
• Appointed Timothy Davis to the Building Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
• No action taken in executive session.
• Council requested further research on metrics/benchmarking and potential revenue solutions; staff to bring back more information.