Kerrville City Council Meeting – October 13, 2026

The Kerrville City Council met at City Hall, 701 Main Street, Kerrville, Texas, on October 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM. Mayor Joe Herring Jr. presided, Councilmember Jeff Harris gave the invocation and pledge, and the Mayor noted that no action was taken in executive session. The meeting adjourned at 7:09 PM.

Announcements and Presentations

• City staff highlighted upcoming events: Art in the Park on Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at Butt Holdsworth Memorial Library; Firefighters and Neighbors workshop series starting October 19, 6–7 p.m., with a Stop the Bleed session; Tours 1 exterior enhancement and parking lot grants online information session October 22, 3–4 p.m., with applications due October 30; Kerrville Mountain Bike Festival October 24–25 at Kerrville Shriner Park, with Hillside Trail closed October 25 from 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; Water Street Festival October 24, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. with 60+ vendors and six musicians; Family Fright Night October 31 at 4:30 p.m.; and a prescription drug take-back event October 24 at the Public Safety Facility.
• The Mayor proclaimed October 2026 as Fire Prevention Month, highlighting lithium-ion battery risks and the theme safe charging as a superpower. Fire personnel with 7 to 24 years of service were recognized.
• The Mayor presented a Certificate of Recognition to Jeffrey Brown, outgoing executive director of Playhouse 2000, for facility renovations, financial stewardship through COVID-19 and two floods, and theater achievements. Amy Goodyear was introduced as incoming executive director; board members and volunteers praised Brown's leadership.

Consent Calendar

• Items 4B (Resolution 50-2026, 2027 State Legislative Priorities) and 4C (Riverhill Elevated Storage Tank construction contract with BRZ Coatings Inc., $370,900) were pulled for separate discussion. The remaining consent items — 4A (Resolution 47-2026 canceling the November 24 and December 22 regular meetings), 4D (revised August 25, 2026 minutes), 4E (September 22, 2026 workshop minutes), and 4F (September 22, 2026 meeting minutes) — were approved collectively and unanimously.
• After a citizen comment on 4B, council voted unanimously to approve Resolution 50-2026.
• After council questions about the water tank's history, maintenance, and possible additional costs, council voted unanimously to approve the $370,900 contract.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Clay Bennett, Kimber Malcolm, and Mary Ann Lady spoke in opposition to the city's automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, describing them as warrantless mass surveillance. They asked council to terminate ALPR contracts, delete collected data, disclose third-party sharing, and adopt an ordinance barring future contracts. They cited court rulings, other Texas jurisdictions ending ALPR programs, and privacy and safety concerns.
• George Barudi raised concerns about several items in the proposed state legislative priority list, including tax cap, hotel occupancy tax flexibility, parkland dedication, and Economic Development Corporation fund flexibility. He argued that changes to voter-approved revenue and spending rules should go back to local voters.
• George Barudi also spoke during the Tivy Mountain discussion, applauding the council's direction to stop pursuing acquisition and urging council to halt all remaining work.

Public Hearings and Resolutions

• 5A: Council held a public hearing on Resolution 51-2026, a conditional use permit for a truck stop with fueling station on 12.4315 acres at Highway 16 North and IH 10, within C-3 General Commercial and Planned Development (Whiskey Springs) districts. Conditions include adherence to the site plan, no expansion of truck parking without city approval, screening if validated noise complaints occur, and compliance with fueling-station development requirements. No citizen testimony was offered. Council approved unanimously.
• 5B: Council held a public hearing on Resolution 52-2026, a conditional use permit for the convenience store with fuel sales and truck stop because the project would be within 500 feet of the floodplain (about 325 feet from the floodplain). Staff described storm sewer capture and filtration before discharge into the Whiskey Springs stormwater system. No citizen testimony was offered. Council approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

• 6A: Tivy Mountain. Councilmember Kent McKinney said years of title research and acquisition efforts had not succeeded, the property is steep and unsuitable for development, it contains graves, and the city's flood recovery obligations make purchase unaffordable. He proposed stopping further spending. George Barudi urged a complete halt, saying the mountain is already inaccessible and a park road would cost more than $1 million. Council reached consensus to stop work and bring a future resolution rescinding the earlier authorization to pursue acquisition; no vote was taken on 6A at this meeting.

Board Appointments

• Lena Doherty was appointed to the Recovery Community Coalition by unanimous vote.
• Amy Choccley (as pronounced in the transcript) was appointed as alternate to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals by unanimous vote.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent items 4A, 4D, 4E, and 4F collectively.
• Approved Resolution 50-2026, the 2027 State Legislative Priorities.
• Approved the $370,900 Riverhill Elevated Storage Tank contract with BRZ Coatings Inc.
• Approved Resolutions 51-2026 and 52-2026, the two conditional use permits.
• Appointed Lena Doherty to the Recovery Community Coalition and Amy Choccley as alternate to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
• Reached consensus on Tivy Mountain to discontinue work and place a rescission resolution on a future agenda, without a formal vote.
• No action was taken in executive session, and the meeting adjourned at 7:09 PM.