Kerrville City Council Meeting - July 28, 2026

The Kerrville City Council met on July 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM in City Hall, 701 Main Street. The meeting included a proclamation for ALSP Awareness Week, a financial report, a flood recovery update, a public hearing for a distance variance, and two construction contracts. A major discussion centered on the Granger MacDonald Park project, which was tabled for six months after a divided vote. The meeting adjourned at 7:34 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Items 5A (purchase of Granular Activated Carbon from Calgon Carbon Corporation, not to exceed $197,000), 5B (City Council workshop minutes of July 14, 2026), and 5C (City Council meeting minutes of July 14, 2026) were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Citizens Forum (Item 4): Multiple residents spoke against a proposed tax increase and urged spending cuts. Barbara Ferguson criticized the $1.7 million road project for MegaCrete (which was abandoned) as a waste of taxpayer funds. Jacqueline Murkey stated that flood victims are still recovering and opposed a second consecutive tax increase, arguing for budget cuts before new taxes. Janet Chen, a physician, requested transparency on flood-related funds, aggressive pursuit of federal aid, use of volunteers to cut recovery costs, and a pause on lower-priority capital projects. Rodney Bacon advocated focusing on fire, police, streets, and utilities, and opposed building in floodplains; he also expressed concerns about water reuse and rapid development.
• Public Hearing on Resolution 30-2026 (Item 7A): One citizen asked about river channel deepening, which was ruled unrelated to the topic.
• Item 8B (Granger MacDonald Park): Several residents testified. Barbara Ferguson opposed using public funds for a parking lot in a floodplain, noting the city faces a $55 million flood damage bill. Charlie McElvain, Matt Goodwin (VP of Student Affairs at Schreiner University), and Lang Guerrero (Chairman of the Upper Guadalupe River Center Foundation) supported the project as a long-term community asset. Judy Aitner suggested a short delay to allow the city to focus on flood recovery.

Discussion Items

• Item 2A: Proclamation declaring the week of August 3-7, 2026, as ALSP CSF1R Awareness Week. A representative from GLIAConnect accepted the proclamation, noting its importance for raising awareness of this rare neurological disease.
• Item 3A: Director of Finance Jennifer Behrens presented the June 30, 2026 financial report. Property tax collections were at 98%; sales tax was $326,000 above budget. Personnel costs in the general fund were below budget. Flood-related overtime costs will be reported next month. The proposed budget presentation was moved to August 25, 2026.
• Item 6A: Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes provided an update on the 2026 flood event. Key statistics: 240 homes reported as destroyed or with major damage; total damage within Kerrville is over $55 million. Immediate needs include road repairs (Arcadia Loop bridge, Town Creek), sewer line restoration, and debris cleanup. A federal disaster declaration has been sent to the President. Staff is working with FEMA, TDEM, and volunteer groups. Recovery is expected to take significant time.
• Item 7A: Resolution No. 30-2026, a variance to the 300-foot distance requirement between an outdoor event venue at 400 Thompson Drive and a church property. The church submitted a letter of non-opposition. The applicant, Heather McClung, presented plans for Miller's Place Event Venue for private and special events with alcohol service. Council discussed precedent and noted the venue's activities would be set back from the church. The resolution passed unanimously.
• Item 8A: Director of Engineering K. Burow presented the construction contract with Keystone Construction Services, LP for the Lois Ground Storage Tank and Pump Station project (base bid plus alternate for a 1-million-gallon tank), totaling $4,645,178. Project funded from prior allocations. Approved unanimously.
• Item 8B: The construction contract with JK Bernhard Construction for the Granger MacDonald Park project (base bid only: parking lot and boat ramp) for $1,838,819.29 was debated extensively. Councilmembers expressed concerns about staff capacity, flood recovery priorities, and the $55 million in city damage. A motion to table until the first meeting in September (about 6 weeks) failed on a 3–3 tie. A second motion to table for six months passed 3–1.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda (Items 5A, 5B, 5C): Approved unanimously.
• Proclamation (Item 2A): Approved unanimously.
• Financial Report (Item 3A): Received as information.
• Flood Update (Item 6A): Received as information.
• Resolution 30-2026 (Item 7A): Passed unanimously.
• Construction Contract – Lois Tank (Item 8A): Approved unanimously.
• Construction Contract – Granger MacDonald Park (Item 8B): Tabled for six months (motion carried 3–1). The project will be revisited around January 2027.