It’s been a while in coming, but the long-term benefits to the City of Spur will be worth the wait: at its March 21 regular meeting, city council heard the final presentation on a package of digital mapping tools funded by a grant three years ago. According to Kenneth Coignet of Public Management, the firm that has undertaken the project, the GIS map layers provided in hard copy and on disk show locations of every water line, sewer line and road within the city limits and also indicate the location of those limits. The data will supersede the inexact papermapsthecityhaslong relied on and pave the way for future improvements and more effective repairs.
As a sidebar to his presentation, Coignet strongly recommended that city council begin immediately planning for funding its next round of infrastructure improvements, specificially sewer and water line relocations and replacements that could cost some $750,000.
Fundingcouldbeaccomplished through a combination of grants, zero-percent loans, or other financing, Coignet said. “The federal infrastructure bill recently passed will get funneled through the states, probably through water development boards,” he explained, urging the city to “get with engineer in early January so it’s ready for application early March.”
The grant package could also cover the cost of “smart” water meters with radio drive-by reading, of the kind Ron Henslee of Premier Water Works had just demonstrated to the council. Installng such a system would improve accuracy and save labor, Henslee said.
In Coignet’s presentation, healsoaddressedways in which the new maps can aid council and staff in planning and zoning decisions, such as those related to RV parks, tiny houses, and commercial businesses.
As a side note, Coignet explained that zoning is a separate matter from an ordinance governing how an RV park would be developed, and that the city would continue to have to decide where such parks would be allowed within its zoning categories. “You could also add other districts besides General Commercal,” he said, “to encourage lighter retail, as opposed to allowing all commercial uses. You could develop one for RV parks.”
Reworking citywide zoning ordinances, he said, would be a tall order: “You’re going to notify every property owner in the city.” He said that in general, noncomforming uses (such as a variance to allow a multiresident RV park within a residential zone) expire six months after discontinuation, and variances have to be sought again after expiration.
“Once you start governing byvariances,younolonger have zoning,” said Coignet. “It’s going to be harder right now to fix your zoning ordinance; you’ll do better to start over” as it takes a long time for the uses to change over to match the zoning.
Another area of possible concern, where the digital mapswouldprovevaluable, is subdivision regulations. An ordinance might be proposed to lay out guidance in this matter, said Coignet. Council posed some questions and thanked Coignet for his work. No action was taken.
Next on the agenda, council adopted Resolution 684, associated with a planning grant.
Speakingonbehalfofthe Big Dog Barbecue Cookoff, an annual event in Spur for seven years, Betsy Arnold answered questions from Mayor Jones and others regarding costs to the city in providing the Swenson Park Show Barn and related utility needs during the event. While fees have been waived for the event in the past, said Jones, the city is incurring some expenses and is in the red.
Arnold explained that the event raises money for a local cause each year (this year, it will be the Spur Golf Course) and also incurs outside expenses such as those for port-a-potties, supplies, and fees to sanctioning bodies. It does not turn a profit and would have to increase entry fees to participating cookers to cover any increase in cost. After brief discussion, council member Rhea Melton moved to waive the security deposit for the event and charge a nominal $50 per day for use; the motion carried.
In departmental reports, the Spur Police Department documented 30 calls for service in February 2023.
This report is incomplete due to the length of the meeting; additional matters on the agenda will be included in next week’s coverage.
Present were Mayor Louise Jones, Mayor Pro Tem Glenda White, and council members Rhea Melton, Hope Ortiz, Laidy Vasquez and Don Wright. Fronye Morris was absent.
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