April 28, 2026 City Council Workshop: Recovery, Drainage Fee, Water & Zoning Updates

The Kerrville City Council held a workshop on April 28, 2026, at 4:00 PM at City Hall. The workshop covered updates from the Kerr Together long-term recovery effort, a proposed stormwater drainage fee, revisions to Chapter 110 (Waterworks and Wastewater), and amendments to Chapter 60 (Zoning). No public comments were registered, though one citizen spoke during the stormwater discussion. The council also entered executive session to discuss the potential sale of the former police station property.

Kerr Together and Flood Warning System Update

• Tara Bushnoe, UGRA General Manager, reported on the flood warning system: the Guadalupe River Flood Warning System Working Group meets monthly; a state grant (SB3) funds sirens; Federal Signal sirens have been delivered and installation is underway in western Kerr County near youth camps, using private property easements for placement above the 500-year floodplain; a public data viewer will be released soon; a new USGS gauge is online at Lynx Haven Crossing; predictive modeling is in progress. The system will include multiple notification tools beyond sirens. Council members asked about siren triggers, sound levels (70 decibels at range), and public education.
• William Whitson, Long-Term Recovery Consultant, provided a broader update: approximately 200 projects across all disaster recovery areas; estimated total recovery cost $102 million, with a $170 million shortfall; 50,000-tree river restoration initiative (800,000 seeds collected); dive teams (San Antonio Search and Support and Rampart Vigilance) have been contracted for 90 days with $150,000 funding from H-E-B to remove debris; one-year anniversary planning is underway with a public calendar of events. Council discussed balancing memorial observances with July 4th celebrations (250th anniversary) and noted the importance of safety and coordination.

Stormwater Drainage Fee

• D. Barrera presented a proposed tiered stormwater utility fee. The current flat fee ($1 residential, $2 multi-unit, $3 commercial) generates $156,600 annually but operating costs are $267,262, creating a deficit. The proposal uses an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) of 4,876 sq ft based on rooftop area. Residential tiers: Tier 1 (≤2,350 sq ft) starts at $1.50/month in FY27, rising to $3.64 in FY31; Tier 2 (2,351–4,876 sq ft) starts at $2.00, rising to $4.85; Tier 3 (>4,876 sq ft) also starts at $2.00, rising to $4.85. Multi-unit and commercial fees = (building sq ft ÷ 4,876) × rate. Example: a 40,000 sq ft shopping center would pay $16.40/month initially. Rates would increase annually to $4.85/ERU by FY31. Revenue would cover O&M and build a fund balance for capital projects. Implementation targeted for October 1, 2026, pending ordinance readings on May 12 and 26. Council requested estimates for large retailers (e.g., H-E-B, Lowe’s, Home Depot) and institutions (e.g., Schreiner University) and discussed potential rate caps. A visitor (Brinkman) questioned whether the fee applies to all impervious cover or just rooftops; Barrera clarified it is based on rooftop area only.

Updating Chapter 110 (Waterworks and Wastewater System)

• D. Barrera reviewed planned revisions: directing all fees to the annually adopted fee schedule; updating definitions; removing outdated or redundant sections; adding clarifications for water wells, reclaimed water, and year-round conservation measures. A major change is a simplified 5-stage drought contingency plan (Stage 1 = normal, mild, moderate, severe, emergency), with consistent watering times (starting at 7 p.m. as requested by council). Council discussed the definition of development costs and the use of “recommend” vs. “require” for best practices; staff will monitor effectiveness and consider enforcement if needed.

Updating Chapter 60 (Zoning Code Amendments)

• D. Paxton presented amendments regarding battery energy storage systems (BESS) and data centers. Staff recommends allowing them only as conditional use permits in industrial districts, with setbacks: 500 feet from 100-year floodplain, 1,000 feet from Nimitz Lake, 300 feet from residentially zoned areas, parks, schools, and hospitals, and 300 feet from major/minor arterials (with access requirement). Additionally, an 8-foot masonry screening wall and a water usage agreement/capacity analysis are required. Council members expressed strong concerns about fire safety and water use, with several favoring making the regulations so restrictive that such facilities would be infeasible within city limits to avoid state preemption. Council suggested increasing setbacks (e.g., to one mile) and requested staff to analyze whether the proposed regulations would effectively prohibit BESS and data centers. Staff will provide further analysis.
• Also discussed: parking ratio revisions for multi-tenant retail. The current ratio is 1 space per 250 sq ft for public area only; staff proposed reducing to 1 per 300 sq ft for all multi-tenant retail over 2,000 sq ft. Alternatives included a three-tier system (1:200 for <10,000 sq ft, 1:250 for 10,000–30,000 sq ft, 1:300 for >30,000 sq ft). Council preferred the three-tier option but requested further data on peak times (weekends, evenings) and discussed whether restaurant parking should exclude back-of-house areas. No final action was taken.

Preliminary FY2027 Budget Information

• This item was deferred to a later workshop or regular council meeting at the request of City staff due to time constraints.

Executive Session

• Council unanimously voted to enter executive session under Texas Government Code Section 551.072 to discuss the potential sale of real property at 429 Sidney Baker (former police station).

Key Outcomes

• Staff will provide a sample of stormwater fee impacts for large commercial properties and institutions prior to the May 12 reading.
• The flood warning system and dive team contracts are moving forward; one-year anniversary planning will continue with a coordinated calendar.
• The Chapter 110 revision will be presented for first and second readings in May.
• For Chapter 60, staff will refine BESS/data center regulations to be more restrictive and analyze whether proposed setbacks effectively prohibit them within city limits. Parking ratio amendments will be further studied with additional data.
• The executive session discussion on the former police station property did not result in public action.