Elections, a fire that destroyed a historical building, weather, festivals and more made 2016 another busy year in Fredericksburg and Gillespie County.

As the clock ticks down the final hours of 2016, the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post takes a look back at the news-making front page headlines this past year.

Government

A number of issues kept city, county and school officials busy in 2016.

City of Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg City Council in January voted to deny a request from the Texas Historical Commission (representing the Admiral Nimitz Foundation) to waive building and development fees. The $14,757.82 in waivers requested by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation dealt with electrical support and water and sewer impact fees in both phases of the current project to update the Pacific Combat Zone Reenactment Battlefield and surrounding buildings.

Twenty-eight applications for disbursements of Hotel Occupancy Tax funds were reviewed by the city council in January. The city had budgeted $430,000 and the requested funds totaled $691,890. In February, the city distributed $430,000 in HOT funds to 29 groups.

A joint meeting between the city and the Historic Review Board was held in January. Also attending were realtors, builders, architects and concerned citizens who discussed large and oversized houses already built or proposed to be built in the historic district and other areas of the city.

The city in February approved a resolution of support for housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for the proposed Rolling Hills Apartments, southeast of the Fredericksburg Elementary School campus. Credits from the state will allow the 72-unit project to get underway to help alleviate the affordable housing shortage.

HVS Convention, Sports and Entertainment Facilities Consulting received the okay from the city in February to assist with the development of a detailed request for proposals that will be sent to hotel developers for a conference center.

The city council in March unanimously approved the purchase of wastewater lift station equipment for the Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course and RV Park from All American Pump and Machine, Inc. Cost for the two lift stations was $90,030.

The city council in March approved the city’s Parks Master Plan.

Fredericksburg was officially open to the idea of a conference center, but developers shouldn’t expect a city partnership, it was announced in April. The city received a presentation from Tom Hazinski, managing director for HVS Convention, Sports and Entertainment Facilities about the request for proposals for the hotel conference center that will have a minimum of 150 rooms and useable meeting space of roughly 17,500 square feet which would include a 12,000-square-foot multi-purpose ballroom and approximately 5,500 square feet of meeting space for a total of around 40,000 square feet.

Twenty-six citizens who had concerns about a proposed revision of the city noise ordinance packed the April city council meeting. The council heard from both sides of the mic, but no action was taken. The ordinance, put in place in 2008, consists of three different time periods with varying decibel levels.

An annual presentation of the city’s water supply was given in April by Clinton Bailey, director of public works and utilities. The city water supply is 100 percent groundwater with nine active wells in three well fields.

In May, the city approved consulting services with Dunkin Sims Stoffels, Inc., for a new sports complex and trails development in the city’s parks. Plans are to build the complex on land adjacent to Oak Crest Park.

Fredericksburg City Council in May approved $784,200 for five of six mid-year budget amendments while leaving out an amendment for $423,877 as a deficit from 2014-2015 for the golf course. The five amendments included $524,200 to purchase property at 301 Friendship Lane; Marktplatz expense (drainage improvements) $100,000 from tourism fund; $65,000 for computer software maintenance; $75,000 for Fort Martin Scott utilities extension (tourism fund), and $20,000 for the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest (tourism fund).

The city in May considered expanding the historic district, parking issues and the city’s visioning process during a workshop/retreat.

A rate increase for Atmos Energy Corporation was approved by the city in June. The average bill for residential homes will increase by $1.26 per month.

Construction plans for a new business development and burger joint were approved by the city in June for the southwest corner of the intersection of State Highway 16 and Milam Street.

The city council in July heard a presentation on the first two stages of the Capital Improvement Plan from various departments. Over the next 20 years, a total of $100 million will need to be allocated for 13 departments.

A bid of $2,112,900 for the new Fredericksburg Animal Shelter was approved in July by the city. Of that, $700,000 will be paid by a donation from Mike and Mary Porter. The city approved “wrap-around” financing for the animal shelter project, which will use limited tax notes to pay it over a seven-year period.

A 25-member anniversary committee was approved in August for Fredericksburg’s 175th birthday celebration in 2021.

Appointed were Connie Crenwelge, Tim Dooley, Debbie Farquhar, Lester Frantzen, Steven Harris, Krista Gratigni, Barbara Heinen, Marty Kaderli, Joe Kammlah, Tony Klein, Timothy Koock, Amanda Koone, Linda Langerhans, Ernie Loeffler, Penny McBride, Gary Neffendorf, Chris Nevins, Karen Oestreich, Hector Pedregon, Loretta Schmidt, Chris Schoessow, Troy Sifford, Will Stehling, Glen Treibs and Marion Wiggins. 

A property tax rate of 24 cents per $100 valuation was approved by the city in September. The rate is slightly higher than the previous rate of 23.13 cents per $100 valuation.

Representatives of Freese and Nichols, a Texas-based consulting first that does engineering work, spoke to the city council in September about the water and wastewater master plan. They discussed areas of needed improvement and short- and long-term goals for the water and wastewater systems.

Fredericksburg will combine its fire and EMS departments, it was announced in October. The consolidation won’t cause any change for the taxpayers except that it’s expected to decrease response times.

Adjustments to the golf course fees for high school students was approved by the city in October.

Online rentals may be cutting into the city and county hotel occupancy tax revenue, it was discussed in late October at a city council retreat. Other topics included short-term rentals, the sound ordinance, parks bond project, the Fredericksburg CVB budget, a new trolley service, the hazard mitigation plan and the visioning process.

A request for hotel occupancy tax funds of $85,104 for a trolley service owned by Becky and Joe Howard was denied by the city in November. The council plans to draft a contract to help the trolley service with signage around town and to allow the trolley accessibility to the city’s gas facility.

At their next meeting in November, the council approved an agreement for the trolley services. The trolley will offer 12 stops throughout the downtown area.

A nursing education facility, hotel/conference center and future Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts are potential elements of a revised master plan for the Hill Country University Center that was discussed in a special meeting before the city council and the HCUC Foundation board of directors.

The council in December approved the Ufer Street Hotel economic development agreement between the city and HAMUK, LLC. The proposed 120-bed, four-star hotel with a restaurant will be located across the street from H-E-B.

Fredericksburg ISD

Dr. Eric Wright, superintendent of the Fredericksburg Independent School District, in January expressed multiple frustrations over miscommunications and “red tape” that he and other officials have encountered while dealing with BCFS Education Services, the new entity handling Fredericksburg Primary School’s Head Start program.

Citing student growth, the FISD in February put a freeze on granting student transfers into the Fredericksburg Independent School District.

It was announced in February that Fredericksburg High School Stadium would get a new video scoreboard. Trustees voted, 5-0, to purchase the board for $490,234.

Fredericksburg High School will switch to a proposed “accelerated block” that would change the school’s day from eight to six periods. A presentation on the proposal was made to the school board in April.

The FISD in April chose Weatherford-based Imperial Construction to complete the district’s 2015 $16.5 million bond project. Because the bid came in at $16.89 million, Dr. Wright and Bobby Kincaid of Pfluger Associates will work with the company to determine what plans to modify to get the bid under budget.

A contract with Imperial Construction for bond work was approved in May by the FISD. Changes took the bid from $16 million to $14.6 million.

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