More than 20 people from all sectors showed up on a snowy evening at last week’s Spur city council meeting to voice strong feelings about a variety of municipal services. Feelings ran especially high on planning and zoning matters that the city of Spur proved ill equipped to deal with, despite a hefty presentation of sincere work in progress.
“This is all new to us,” said Mayor Pro Tem Glenda White as Mayor Louise Jones walked back a proposed zoning ordinance governing RV parks that audience members thought was about to be put to a vote.
Spur RV park developer Kevin Walkup, tiny house resident Neel Sanghi, solar energy project manager Chris Chappell and retired banker Eric Swenson found common ground in speaking out against provisions of the ordinance, numbered 721, that they said seemed better suited to a major metro city or a large recreational RV development.
Swenson, who commented, “We are in an economically stressed area; a lot of Mortenson (Construction) people are here because they benefit our merchants,” went on to urge grandfathering in those RV residents and park owners who are already established in the city.
“This took us by storm,” said Jones. “We hadn’t had an ordinance for RV parks.”
Over recent months, the council has been approached with numerous requests to create new RV parks, often within existing residential zoning blocks, and, lacking specific ordinances for guidance, has made case-by-case decisions.
By the close of the public comment period and the regular agenda discussion, Jones said the city would undertake further study on the ordinance, which was intended “for planning years ahead; in case we do grow,” and would schedule a future session to hear citizens’ feedback. Council voted to table the matter.
On a different agenda item, Spur resident Norma Stoneman asked for reimbursement of 20 days’ worth of garbage collection services on her bill, amounting to a sum she called “very trivial” but was making on principle due to the inconvenience caused by the recent gap in waste removal providers.
Mayor Jones responded that all citizens were equally inconvenienced by a matter that was not the city’s fault, and saw no way to reimburse one without refunding all. Council voted to take no action on the request.
Related to the RV Park zoning question— and other matters that have occupied council members’ attentions in recent years—was a presentation of a draft city plan and maps from Ken Coignet from Public Management.
Coignet showed large-scale renderings of preliminary maps that will aid in long-range planning. The maps, funded via CDBG Planning Grant #7220144, will eventually be delivered to the city as pdfs and GIS layers, helping to precisely identify existing city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction, zoning boundaries, street conditions, water and sewer lines, and other information. He briefly described sections of the draft plan covering a housing survey, an overview of building codes, land use recommendations, water and sewer needs, street improvements, and parks.
Coignet strenuously recommended that the city begin considering low-cost borrowing to finance much-needed long-term improvements to water/sewer/drainage and streets, in addition to any grants it may pursue. (The Texas Water Development Board, for instance, was one outlet Coignet identified for low-interest loans: “They’ve got money and are wanting to do these projects,” he said.)
Spur, like many small West Texas cities, must find alternatives to only making patchwork repairs, he recommended.
On the agenda was also discussion of providing nominal compensation for city council members and mayor, who currently receive no pay or benefits for their service. Council raised the possibility of a $25 to $40 range for a monthly stipend, but took no action.
Regarding other agenda items, Mayor Jones reported she had recently met with representatives Galaxy Digital, the firm that in December bought out Argo Blockchain’s Helios facility in northern Dickens County, and that company representatives of Galaxy expected to continue pledges made by Argo regarding repairs to Spur’s swimming pool.
A variance for a temporary RV on North Parker Street was granted to Zach and Christina Cirrincione, who said they are currently remodeling a house there in which they plan to live.
Council improved the employment of Barry Ferguson as code compliance officer starting Feb. 1, 2023. Ferguson, who serves as president of the Spur ISD school board, said his goal in the new part-time position would be to “have good conversations and good relationships with people.”
Department reports were presented, minutes of council meetings of December 20, 2022, December 27, 2022, and January 4, 2023 were approved; invoices were approved for payment.
Regarding a future date for a public session on the RV Park ordinance, city secretary Ashley Carothers said Monday that staff were looking to identify a date at which the city attorney could also be present to assist with questions.
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