Burnet city council members announced at their meeting Tuesday, May 24, that the city would issue certificates of obligation amounting to as much as $7.455 million to finance a new city hall, pay for street construction and improvements and finance improvements at the Burnet airport.
They also filled two spots on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and approved an application for annexation of 75.87 acres on the west city limits.
Burnet is looking to either build a new city hall, which would mean also buying the property, or to buy a building and repurpose it. City Manager David Vaughn is looking into all possibilities, so the exact amount and purpose isn’t tied down in the announcement.
Both a specific amount and the reason for the bonds would be required if the city had gone the route of general obligation bonds, besides the expense of holding a required election for bond issuance.
Vaughn said he couldn’t discuss details of the city hall possibilities because the city is still looking at properties and doesn’t want to inflate prices.
The council appointed Glen A. Gates and Glen Teague to the Planning and Zoning Commission, leaving one vacancy and another opening looming in the near future. Commissioner Ricky Langly resigned when he was elected to the council; Gates will fill that position. Teague will take the place of Jena Wind, who resigned effective immediately.
Commissioner Cesar Arreaza has said he will leave the board but agreed to an extension of his term through June, and a board slot formerly held by Craig Lindholm remains vacant
The commission holds hearings on zoning changes and applications and recommends actions to the city council. While council may override the recommendations, that’s not the usual case.
The annexation application, from Hilltop Oaks LLC, is for a proposed development that would include 92 lots, each of half an acre or more, with prices ranging from $150,000. The city would provide water service but streets would be private and sewage would be handled by individual septic systems.
Actual annexation requires an ordinance; a hearing is scheduled for Aug 10.
