Boerne Star A1 by Gretchen Dyson

B OERNE S T THE

Covering the community since 1906 BoerneStar.com

Friday, July 9, 2021

Thank a veteran or a military person every day for their service to our country.

NOW IN BOERNE E Featuring #1 Selling Ag Tractor in the World Fence | Pipe | Metal Buildings | Structural Steel Steel & More!

3960 Hwy 16 South, Bandera, TX 78003 830.460.0118 • Uvalco valcoTTractors.com

39700 I-10 West, Boerne, TX 78006 830.755.4948 | Uvalco.com

Est. E t 1884 Bakery & Bistro 210 N MAIN ST

Happy birthday,

America!

Boerne, Texas

Boutique

Venue

TEL 830-331-2225 FAX 830-331-2554

BISD eyes third bond issue in 9 years Goal is to put question to patrons on May 2022 ballot KEITH E. DOMKE Managing Editor

The Comfort Independence Day celebration kicked off July 3 with the Children’s Bike Parade, the parade and a flyover by the Boerne Stage Patriots in vintage military planes. The Kendall County Fairgrounds and Boerne City Park were filled with spectators as the city of Boerne hosted its annual fireworks show after sunset July 4.

Voters within Boerne ISD boundaries may get the option whether or not to approve the district’s next bond project as early as next May. During the June board of trustees meeting, an update was given on a potential timeline for the prospective 2022 bond proposal. It was emphasized that nothing has been set in stone at this point, but discussions on what to do and when to do it have progressed to the point that a bond planning committee will be put together soon to discuss options. The committee will consist of at least 50 individuals, some of whom will be members of the community. If approved, the bond issue would be the third for BISD in nine years. Trustee Rich Sena led the discussion during the June meeting and basically provided an expected timeline. He started by reviewing what’s happened to this point in time. The discussion was pretty vague. “During the successful bond election in 2016, BISD forecast that based on growth projections it would likely need an additional bond effort in May of 2021 or 2022,” he said. “We will be forming a citizens long range planning committee of approximately 50-60 members with broad-based representation of community residents with diverse skill sets, parents and appropriate staff members. Their task will be to

Star photos by Cindy Bormann (Comfort Parade) and Sarah Lyons (Fireworks)

See BISD, page 8A

FOR civic center comes to halt Governor Abbott announces ZACHARYTAYLOR WRIGHT Staff Writer Construction of the new civic center and renovation of the current city hall in Fair Oaks Ranch officially has been put on hold because the construction bids came back at twice the $1.2 million amount city officials earlier approved. But several city council members instructed city staff to look at the cost of bifurcating the two projects to prioritize the city hall renovation for staff. City Manager Tobin Maples said the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cost of materials and labor to increase, meaning the city couldn’t get the bottom line for the proposed civic cen-

ter close to the allocated $1.2 million, even with a rather simple design. He said to lower the construction cost to the desire amount would lead to a much less desirable facility. A stop-work order was issued to S Architekts, which was designing the new civic center and city hall renovation after Maples said the construction bids came in at about $2.7-$2.8 million. Place 2 Councilmember Roy Elizondo expressed a sense of urgency in getting the city hall reconfigured to expand the city staff offices, saying it’s challenging for staff to be productive in their current workspace. When Place 4 Councilmember Laura Koerner recommended tackling the city hall renovation

separately from the civic center construction to move forward with expanding the city staff offices, a representative from the construction manager at-risk company, Waterman Construction, said it was tough to separate the two costs as the price of both lumber and steel have jumped during the past year. He said the city hall renovation price jump is due to the lumber market, and the civic center cost is due to the steel market. The Waterman Construction representative said he didn’t foresee the cost of materials coming down to where they were pre-pandemic, but he said it will eventually come down as the market often fluctuates.

See FOR, page 8A

INDEX Celebrating the Arts . . . . . 4B

Write of Center . . . . . . . . 4A

Church Page . . . . . . . . . 7A

Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2B

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . 3B

Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . 3A

Coffee with Keith . . . . . . . 4A

Business Guide. . . . . . . . 6A

Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5A

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B

Financial Focus. . . . . . . . 8A

Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . 4A

Special Session agenda

AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation that identifies eleven agenda items for the Special Session that began 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 8. “The 87th Legislative Session was a monumental success for the people of Texas, but we have unfinished business to ensure that Texas remains the most exceptional state in America,” said Governor Abbott. “Two of my emergency items, along with other important legislation, did not make it to my desk during the regular session, and we have a responsibility to finish the job on behalf of all Texans. These Special Session priority items put

DEATHS

Vonda Lou De Spain Judith Delanie Hammock Mary Virginia Butler McFee For complete obituaries, see Page 2A and online at www.boernestar.com.

the people of Texas first and will keep the Lone Star State on a path to prosperity. I look forward to working with my partners in the Legislature to pass this legislation as we build a brighter future for all who call Texas home.” See the full press release at www.boernestar.com.

INSIDE: PAGE 1B We pay tribute to Boerne High School and its athletic success during the 2020-21 year. See sports, Page 1B.

UPsizing? Downsizing? Rightsizing? Here to Help you Navigate this Unprecedented Real Estate Market!

Call us Today! 830.816.7200 | cbharper.com | CBHARPERLUXURY.com