New Braunfels City Council Special Workshop Meeting - April 6, 2026

The New Braunfels City Council held a special workshop meeting on Monday, April 6, 2026, at City Hall. The meeting, called to order at 5:00 p.m. and adjourned at 8:16 p.m., featured five presentations and update items covering civic/convention center expansion, an arts and culture master plan, the housing authority annual update, a new fire department telemedicine program, and a reorganization of the transportation and construction services department. No votes were taken during the workshop, which also included public comment periods for each item.

Civic/Convention Center Expansion Feasibility Analysis (Phase 1)

• Assistant City Manager Jared Werner and Brandon Dowling of Johnson Consulting presented findings from Phase 1 of the four-phase feasibility study for expanding the Civic/Convention Center and potentially co-locating a hotel. Key findings included: the existing facility is well below average in exhibit, ballroom, and meeting space compared to peer markets; only 11% of current visitation is from non-local visitors (100+ miles), versus about 45% at attractions like Schlitterbahn; hotels within a 15-minute walk total only 120 rooms, below average; a gap exists for a 20,000–50,000 square foot continuous space; and 62% of surveyed state associations expressed interest in a future New Braunfels venue. The consultant recommended at least doubling exhibit hall size, expanding ballroom and meeting rooms, and adding a headquarters hotel. Phase 2 will refine square footage and test site options over approximately 12 weeks, potentially concluding by end of 2026.
• Council members expressed support, noting alignment with prior planning and the need for hotel proximity. Public comments included Richard Kelsheimer (resident) asking about current revenue/loss and potential taxpayer costs, and Larry Lane (resident) cautioning about resident impact and noting the stakeholder list did not prioritize residents.

Arts & Culture Master Plan

• Mandi Scott (Economic & Community Development Manager) and Jasmine Metcalf (Designing Local, LTD) presented the Arts & Culture Master Plan, a 10-year long-range plan developed from over 1,200 community touchpoints, including surveys, workshops, and interviews. The plan identifies six goals: expand creative spaces, strengthen visibility, connect culture and tourism, encourage collaboration, invest in belonging, and tell a cohesive story. Four priority areas cover programming and community experiences, spaces and places, visibility and tourism, and operations and capacity building. Recommendations include creating a cultural district, developing a public art strategy, expanding the Art House event, exploring a purpose-built performance hall, and considering an additional cultural arts program manager and/or coordinator. A new Cultural Arts Commission would replace existing ones.
• Council discussion included questions about staffing positions (noted as options) and a request for a focused action plan. Councilmember Edwards noted the economic value of arts tourism. Ten public speakers—representing the Greater New Braunfels Arts Council, New Braunfels ISD, local theaters, artists, and downtown businesses—all expressed strong support, emphasizing the need for creative spaces, collaboration, and the plan's role in community identity and economic growth. MANDI SCOTT stated the plan would be brought back for adoption later in April 2026 with a staff recommendation.

New Braunfels Housing Authority Annual Update

• Henry Alvarez (Executive Director) presented the annual update on the New Braunfels Housing Authority. The authority operates 170 public housing units and is authorized for 308 vouchers, but currently administers about 225 vouchers due to rising housing assistance costs reducing capacity. The annual public housing budget is approximately $1.2 million, with a HUD subsidy of $51,143 (receiving only 88% due to proration). The voucher program budget is about $2.4 million, currently operating at 96.3% utilization due to a HUD spending cap. Key challenges include an aging boiler, the need to reposition public housing (Villa Serena, 360 units on 16 acres) through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, and increasing affordable housing. Two major projects are underway: Lyndon Ranch (303 units, privately financed, 50% market rate and 50% at 80% AMI or below) and The Park at Dogwood (a tax-credit project adjacent to Villa Serena, unit count reduced to overcome proximity rule). The authority will pay payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) equal to 10% of gross revenue to the city, and for Lyndon Ranch, a minimum of $75,000 annually. The Public Facilities Corporation (PFC) board will hold its first meeting on April 23, 2026.
• Council members thanked Alvarez for his presentation and passion. Public commenter Jim Holster (resident) thanked Alvarez for improving the housing authority, but questioned the PFC structure, tax breaks, the authority's jurisdiction beyond city limits, and the lack of NBISD involvement in PILOT discussions. Council noted these as open questions needing further detail.

RightSite Program

• Fire Chief Ruy Lozano, along with Larry Movick of RightSite and AI Specialist Ashley Kemmock, presented the new RightSite telemedicine program. Starting April 10, 2026, all firefighter paramedics will be trained to use a tablet with a QR code to connect patients with a board-certified ER physician for non-emergency calls. Options include transport to urgent care (via Uber/Ride), prescriptions delivered, appointments scheduled, or behavioral health support. The program is at no cost to patients or the city; costs are covered by insurance or a foundation. Statistics presented: 93% of patients offered RightSite accept; 84% of firefighters' decisions to use RightSite are correct (doctor agrees); 80% of barriers to using 911 as primary care are eliminated; patient satisfaction is 9.7/10; average time to return to service is 20 minutes vs. over an hour for transport. The program aims to address the 50% of EMS calls that do not require an ER. Future expansion to dispatch-level triage is planned.
• Council praised the program for innovation and cost savings, noting it will be tracked monthly via a scorecard. No public comments were received.

Transportation & Construction Services Department Reorganization

• Deputy City Manager Jordan Matney and Transportation & Construction Services Director Garry Ford presented the reorganization of the Development Services Division within TCS. Changes include: hiring an Assistant Director (Gwen Estrada, formerly with San Antonio); reclassifying positions (development coordinator, permit specialists); reassigning duties to create capacity for plan reviewers; reducing review timelines for residential resubmittals from 10 to 7 days and for certain commercial permits (signs, fences, etc.) from 20 to 10 days; proposing to hire an in-house engineer funded by savings from third-party review (to be brought to council for approval); converting a part-time permit specialist to full-time; and improving tracking and reporting of performance measures (monthly scorecard, MB Stat). Additional efforts include a website refresh, cross-training plan examiners, and upcoming code changes (unisex bathrooms, unimproved parking, residential drainage clarification). The Land Development Ordinance (LDO) adoption process is ongoing with a focus group.
• Council discussed challenges with third-party review, internal communication with NBU and TxDOT, and the need for specific feedback rather than general complaints. Councilmember Edwards offered suggestions including pre-construction walkthroughs, express review for simple permits, and ensuring consistent inspections. Council emphasized the importance of tracking outcomes. No public comments were received.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or actions were taken during the workshop. The following next steps were identified: The Arts & Culture Master Plan will be brought back for Council adoption in April 2026. Phase 2 of the Civic/Convention Center feasibility analysis will proceed over approximately 12 weeks, with an update expected by end of 2026. The New Braunfels Housing Authority's Public Facilities Corporation will hold its first meeting on April 23, 2026, to consider the RAD repositioning. The RightSite program will begin training on April 7 and go fully live on April 10, 2026. The Transportation & Construction Services reorganization will continue with a focus on hiring an in-house engineer, implementing performance scorecards, and refining processes; further updates will be provided to Council.