Note: City Hall Briefs, written and edited by Bob Flocke to inform the citizens of Wimberley about city activities, is neither an official nor an authorized publication of the City of Wimberley. City Hall Briefs is distributed by email to anyone who wishes to receive it. Anyone who wishes to be added to the distribution list should send their email address to Mayor Flocke (below). The RoundUp has edited the Briefs for length and style.Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. Flocke at rflocke@austin.rr.com, 512.847.5421, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the report
The Wimberley City Council Thursday evening Nov. 3 unanimously rejected a local family's request to disannex that family's 96-acre tract of land.
In a letter to the city, Cedar Stump, LP--a Johnson family limited partnership--requested that the 96-acre Sabino Ranch be disannexed from the city. The lettter was signed by Cedar Stump LP president Scott Johnson and general partners Bill, MF and Lynn Johnson.
Provisions of the Texas Local Government Code permits general law municipalities such as Wimberley to disannex sparsely-populated areas of the city under certain conditions. The area a property owner asks to be disannexed must be at least 10 acres in size, be contiguous to the city limits, contain fewer than one occupied residence or business structure for every two acres and fewer than three occupied residences or business structures on any one acre.
Because of the property's significant size and critical location, Mayor Bob Flocke placed the item on Thursday's city council agenda for council action.
Monday's moon walk is the last of the year
The next Wimberley full moon walk will be on Monday, November 7, at 6:30 in the evening. Walkers and their pets meet at the Wimberley Cafe on the Square. This will be the last full moon walk for 2011. The walks will resume in March. The full moon walk is sponsored by the Wimberley Mayor’s Fitness Council as a fitness program for the community. All are invited to this non-competitive, family-oriented walk of about two miles. Bring your pets on leashes too.
The November full moon is the Full Beaver moon. This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty moon.
See you at the Wimberley Café on Monday evening.
8 comments:
This excerpt is from a recently published article by Jim McMeans which inadvertently tells the truth as to why the Council denied the Disanexation:
"Importantly, the future of the city's financial base must be considered. Today Wimberley exists on sales tax revenues, franchise fees, permit fees, etc, but no property tax. Most citizens recognize that at some point in the future Wimberley will need to adopt a modest property tax to support its operations and to finance improvements needed for the city. That time is not now. Currently all area citizens help to finance the city by shopping and paying sales tax at Ace Hardware, King Feed, etc. However, when a property tax is ultimately needed and agreed upon by our elected officials, the tax burden will be less if many property owners share it. Shrinking the city and removing property from its future tax base is not in the best interest of the citizens of Wimberley and the surrounding area."
You see it is all about creating an Ad Valorem Tax for Wimberley. It is always about power and money to those "Barons of the Square" on the Council.
Mc Means writing that article is the most hypocritical thing he has done in recent days, and that's saying a lot. He does not live anywhere close to Wimberley. He lives in a little unincorporated area way out on Fischer Store Road and would rather eat his children than be incorporated or pay an ad valorem tax himself. That is however what he wants for you. He knows that an ad valorem tax would slow growth.
Anomymous is another one of those kool-aid drinking mindless growth folks who represents the demise of the Wimberley Valley.
This Anonymous person is the hypocrite, because in fact the deannexation of the elite Johnson family property would in fact slow growth as having less money to use for infrastructure development to attract small businesses in Wimberley would be the result.
That McMeans letter was quite appalling.
Apparently speculating on the possibility that Wimberley will someday have an ad valorem tax, McMeans wants a homeowner/rancher on 150 acres to be held captive to the city into perpetuity? What does the city do for the homeowner/rancher? The city might be more willing to accept such requests if the city actually had some liability to provide services to those it might someday tax.
As to McMeans comment: Wimberley was created as a city in 2000 and has survived challenges to its creation. The original boundaries of the city were established to allow the city to grow and to protect the interests of property owners and residents within the city.
The city was incorporated on wholly fraudulent representations as to its population and territory - and its conduct hasn't improved since the initial fraud. Obviously the city isn't protecting the interests of those who want nothing to do with it such as the requester.
Apparently all property owners are expected to bow to the whims of the planners of Blue Hole? So now that taxpayers have allowed this abomination in the first place, the taxpayers are also doomed to lose their land and other property rights as well? Wow, sounds like a good reason to not ever allow another Blue Hole or Jacobs Well area to become a park - they just decided to extend the park to your land without compensation.
Master Plan? Sounds like what villains create. The homeowners are always the victims of the "master plan".
This shrinkage would allow unregulated development and inadequate infrastructure in areas that might in the future be annexed and could thus become a financial burden to the city.
What a crock. On the speculation that an area "might" be annexed in the future and that it "might" create a liability at that, de-annexation should not be permitted today? What?
The city of Wimberley doesn't provide any infrastructure to speak of. Second of all, the alleged potential liability could easily be avoided at the future time simply by avoiding annexation.
If the City of Wimberley were to ever try and include an Ad Valorem Tax there would be no City of Wimberley. You would see the largest anti Corporation movement-vote ever in Central Texas. Having lived here and living with one of the main pro incorporation people. The vote barely passed in the first place. To the City Council ( If you like your JOB NO NEW TAXES!)Or you will be given a pink slip! Also read What Jim say's, He's not indorsing the City or taxes he's stating the facts. Kick
Mr. Mc Means' article is an example his Audacity which is only overshadowed by his Hypocrisy! He lives nowhere near Wimberley but resides in a tiny little unincorporated area on 36 acres way out off of Fischer Store Road, hidden by a grove of cedar trees. He likes his seclusion, freedom and privacy; something he would deny to others to accomplish his goal of "No More People".
He like so many of us, prefers to live in an area not encumbered by another layer of government and its ever-present rules and taxes. His gushing credits to the City and his concern for their possible inability to add an ad valorem tax is another example of his inconsistencies.
His long standing hypocrisy regarding private water wells has been documented for the last few years. Again, McMeans has an exempt private water well on this property but he supported the County rule forbidding nearly everyone else in the County from having one and forcing them to be captives of the likes of Aqua Texas. He does all of this to inhibit growth in Hays County. He says that he supports "Responsible Growth" but has never defined any growth which he supports.
The Mayor and City Council are what they are and what you get when you create a City out of a peaceful unincorporated little village. Maybe it will be unincorporated again; we can always hope.
I hope the Johnson Family will appeal this anti-freedom decision.
Without the rule of law there is chaos.
Why don't we all try to work together instead of all this bitter nitpicking & complaining. At least Jim is trying to do something. All I ever hear is people complaining about other peoples opinions and never doing anything.
Put up or shut up!
If people want to leave the city, they ought to be able to,they own the land. Deannexation is a wonderful idea! If you can not leave, you are not free.
Deannexation is a way of telling the city politburo that they are making too many regulations and overstepping their responsibilities. We need more deannexation and de-evolution of power hungry government structures.
Last Anonymous says:
"If people want to leave the city, they ought to be able to,they own the land. Deannexation is a wonderful idea! If you can not leave, you are not free."
This is pure nonsense.
The Johnson property has been part of the City of Wimberley for years. All of a sudden they want to de-annex their property - probably to sell it to some developer; but the developer won't buy the property unless it is unencumbered by city regulations.
And to use the work "politburo" just shows what an ignorant person you are.
Freedom? Yeah, freedom from your ignorant rants.
Now that's freedom.
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