SDN, December 29, 2022

City’s storm water utility fee starts in 2023

(Seguin) -- The new year will bring with it a major change for how the city of Seguin goes about funding drainage projects. In January, the city will begin collecting a drainage utility fee from all properties within the city limits.The fee will allow the city to create a new storm water utility. Those projects have been funding primarily by property taxes in the past, but the new fee is expected to be a more equitable and better way to address some the drainage needs throughout the city.

Mayor Donna Dodgen says this is something that’s been in the works for a long time.

“So before COVID, the city manager and the council decided to begin to pursue and look at this,” said Dodgen. “And then of course COVID came and we went into a holding pattern. And right after COVID...we started ramping back up. We started this process again. And it truly is a new utility.” Fee, pg. 2

Darren Dunn

Photo by Lizz Daniels

Fee, continued.

Most customers will be charged $3 per month, with most non-residential properities paying more based on the amount of impervious cover at each site. Mayor Dodgen says they’ve carefully studied this issue, and she believes it’s the best way to handle necessary improvements to the city’s drainage system.

“What we wanted to do was to provide a utility and provide a funding source -- a sole supported funding source to help with our drainage. We have issues with drainage and infrastructure. We have issues with the drainage and what it does to our roads. So we wanted to help have enough money to do those sorts of things and to do the studies that (are needed). We need to see where we need to put our monies and (where to) put our emphasis, and then begin to do that. We wanted to plan and we wanted to be able to work that plan and have funding to answer that plan. So that’s what this is going to do. And when we initially talked about this, we looked at it (and) we we talked about a higher fee. We didn’t like that. So we settled on $3 a household unit...and we wanted to give it a year to phase in, because manufacturing (facilities) were going to be affected, schools were going to be affected, (and) other governmental entities were going to be affected. We wanted to talk about that and tell them, so that people could start budgeting for it. So that’s how it all started. Looking for out for our future and beginning to do exactly something for our drainage and for our streets,” said Dodgen.

The fee was formally proposed in January of 2022, but Dodgen says they wanted to make sure that folks had nearly a full year to have their questions answered before the fee was collected -- starting in 2023.

City Manager Steve Parker spent months helping to educate the community about the need for the fee and the new utility. Parker says city not only has some significant drainage problems in some areas, but he says those drainage issues are also creating some additional expensive problems when it comes to maintaining the city’s streets. Fee, pg. 3

Fee, continued.

“We’re spending a lot of money on getting our roads up to a better condition. There was – and I’ll be honest -- there were years and years where these roads were neglected. And this City Council over the last several years has made a dedicated effort to fix the roads, repair them. and get them up to the standard that everybody wants. But the problem is, is that if we have the same drainage system, then that water is just going to stand on those roadways. So instead of lasting 20 years 25 years, they’re going to last six to eight years. It does not matter how well we construct them, without getting that water off of there. And so this is a dedicated funding source that we can use to do those improvements to get that water off,” said Parker.

Parker says the city needs to begin investing more in its overall drainage system. He says if those improvements aren’t made, they’ll continue to see roads damaged unnecessarily.

“If you remember last year, we had a lot of rain over a several month period. I got more complaints about potholes and in that one to two-month period than I’ve ever gotten in my whole city management career. And that’s just because the water was not draining and it was, you know, it was just chipping away at the infrastructure. So when I explained it to citizens like that -- they really do get it,” said Parker.

Seguin is lagging behind some other cities when it comes to creating a storm water drainage utility and the fee that helps to fund it. Parker says the city has to be more deliberate about addressing these problems.

“If you look at other communities, they have already taken the initiative to implement a drainage utility fee, where we can have a dedicated funding source to take

care of these drainage issues as they arise. It’s going to allow us to do more mowing. It’s going to allow us to do more street sweeping. It’s going to allow us to do more projects related to all the things that we need to do to make us, you know, more sustainable,” said Parker. “That’s the message for the for the residents, the money that we’re spending on roads to repair them, will be wasted if we don’t find a way to get that water off of them at a quicker rate than they have now.”

The money generated by the fee will intially be used to help pinpoint an overall plan of attack. Parker says the city needs to determine what needs to be done, and which projects need to be prioritized based on any available funding.

“And we also will continue to develop the CIP plan, which is a capital improvements plan, because people will ask -- when is my drainage going to be fixed? You know this will be also a tool as we go through and develop these projects that allow us to do a cost benefit analysis. If I have $500,000 to spend on a project and I can get 100 people out of the floodplain in one area, or I can get 2,000 people out of the floodplain and it still cost me $500,000. We’re going to...help 2000 people versus 100 people. So it may take some time to work through all these,” said Parker.

The city received some pushback on the fee from some residents, who suggested that the city continue to use property taxes to pay for these drainage improvements. Parker says it’s just not the best way to fund those projects. He says property taxes fund only a fraction of the city’s total operation. So the money just wouldn’t be there based on current ad valorem tax collections. He says they had to create a dedicated funding source that would not only help the city now, but in the future as well. Fee, pg. 4

Fee, continued.

“This will be a fee that will go on in perpetuity. It’s not something we will just finish all our drainage projects, and (then) it (will) be done, and we’ll be able to remove it. You know, there’s always going to be needed maintenance. We’ve got to clear these. You know, if you drive through any of these places in town and you see these drainage culverts and how they get overgrown, how the creeks get overgrown -- you know, these will be the ways that we’ll use that money to make sure that those drainageways are cleared and maintained the way they should be,” said Parker. “It’s a great tool and we’re very excited, but this is not something that’s new. Many, many cities...already have this fee and their fee is higher than ours is, but it is something that was probably very well needed. We always hate to recommend new fees, by any means. Whether it’s a tax or whether it’s a fee, it’s a thing I hate doing. But this is something that’s going to have a great benefit for our community. It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but it it’ll really pay off in the long run,”

The city’s GIS (geographic information system) office has created an online interactive tool that will allow customers to look at their properties to determine exactly how much they will be charged. City Engineer Melissa Reynolds again stressed that residential customers will pay $3 per month. She says the GIS tool will help people see the proposed fees for other sites.

“For residential areas, when you click a residential parcel, you’ll see that

regardless of what your impervious cover is, (and) your estimated fee is $3. When you click a commercial parcel or a non-residential parcel, you’ll see what their impervious cover is and then that is divided by the 2500 square foot, which was the equivalent residential unit (ERU), (and it) comes up with a new your your new ERU and that times $3 is what your fee is. And all of that calculation is laid out for you on the screen so you can see it. And we are going to implement appeals process as well. It will be webbased as well and that is for if we mess up. If we say it’s not residential and are showing something other than $3, yet the site is residential. There’s an appeals process for that. If you disagree with our assessment on what the impervious cover is of your site, we will have that option for you as well on how you can submit an appeal to that,” said Reynolds.

This is a large undertaking by the city, which is why officials say they have spent so much time on this in preparation for next month’s collection of the new fee. Reynolds says most folks will just see the new fee attached to their regular utility bill from the city of Seguin.

“If you get a standard city of Seguin water, sewer or trash bill, you will have a new line item. If you happen to be one of the few properties that does not have a utility bill yet, you will get one,” said Reynolds.

If you have questions about the stormwater utility fee, you can find a number of resources on the city’s website seguintexas.gov. You can also access the city’s GIS tool by visiting https://tinyurl.com/find-mystormwater-rate.

Photo by Lizz Daniels

Area High School Basketball Results

Chris Austin

Houston Christian 67, Seguin 24

Seguin — Jazmine Missildine 7, Ashlie Aguilar 5, Regan Schmidt 4, Jada Howard 2, Marissa Martinez 2, J’Leese Mendez. 2, Desiree Zuniga. 2.

Seguin 57, Anderson-Shiro 38

Seguin — Jazmine Missildine. 24, Desiree Zuniga. 13, Ashlie Aguilar. 8, Arianna Shular. 4, J’Leese Mendez. 4, Daisha Shular. 3, Vivian Infante. 1.

Seguin

Non-District @Marion 60, Charlotte 47

Marion — Kaelyn Taylor 15, Sarah Cook 15, Signe Rabenaldt 12, Laney Osborne 8, Breelon Allen 8, Kamryn Parsons 2.

Efren Salazar Jr., know to family and friends as “Boy” was called Home to the Lord on December 16, 2022, at the age of 49. He was born on June 16, 1973, in Seguin, Texas to Efren Salazar and Rosa Gomez.

Efren is preceded in death by his father, Efren Salazar Sr., and grandparents, Jose and Locadia Ramos, and Genero and Severiana Salazar.

Left to cherish his memories is his loving mother, Rosa Gomez, and stepfather Jose Gomez; his sisters, Anita

Gomez-Alvarez (Jamie), Priscilla Gomez, and April Gomez; his brothers, Mark Salazar (Myra), Jose Gomez Jr. (Stella), and Jose Louis “Joey” Gomez (Luz) as well as numerous nieces and nephews that he loved and admired, along with many special family members and friends.

Efren was a graduate of Seguin High School, class of 1992. He lived a life of simplicity and gratitude. He enjoyed watching movies, cooking the best meals, and had a special talent for any arts and crafts project. He will be greatly missed for his generosity, kind heart and warm presence.

A Celebration of Efren’s life will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Big Red Barn, 390 Cordova Road, Seguin, Texas 78155. Family and friends are kindly invited to attend. A private graveside service will be held the following day.

U.S. Considers New COVID-19

Rules For Travelers

From

China As Virus

Spreads (Washington, DC) -- The U.S. is considering new COVID-19 rules for travelers from China as the virus continues to spread. NBC News reports two U.S. officials said there’s concern that China isn’t transparently reporting COVID data that’s needed to assess the spread of the virus. The Biden Administration is reportedly considering steps already taken by Japan, which is testing all travelers from mainland China on arrival. The restrictions would be applied to any travelers that come from China regardless of their nationality. The U.S. is not considering a “travel ban” at this time.

Climate Warnings on Fast-Food Menus

(Undated) -- There are all sorts of warning labels on food and a new study suggests one more label could help avert climate change. A poll asked five thousand adults nationwide if they thought placing climate-impact labels on fast-food menus might steer customers towards making choices that are better for the planet. The poll found that 23 percent of respondents were less likely to order red meat if there was a climate warning label on the menu. Those who responded as such were also 10 percent more likely to order more climate-friendly chicken or fish. The poll results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Potential Nurses Strike Inches Closer

(New York, NY) -- Nurses at hospitals across New York are inching closer to a strike if contract negotiations aren’t resolved by this Saturday. More than 17-thousand nurses at public and private hospitals say they’ll walk out of the job if they aren’t granted pay raises and better benefits. They also want hospitals to make more hires to meet adequate staffing needs. The strike wouldn’t start immediately, rather it would go into effect ten days after current contracts expire. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Hochul say they are monitoring the situation.

Arizona’s Weekly COVID-19

Update

Adds 4,973 Cases, 144 Deaths (Phoenix, AZ) -- The Arizona Department of Health Services’ data dashboard weekly update is reporting 49-hundred-73 new COVID-19 cases and 144 additional deaths today. That brings the total amount of known infections to over two-point-three million since the pandemic started affecting Arizona over 35 months ago. The number of fatalities attributed to COVID-19 complications stands at 32-thousand-182. Over 75-percent of the state’s population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Over four-point-six million Arizonans are now fully vaccinated.

Brought

EXPERT

PAINT,

at 620 W. Court St. in Seguin. All tips and donations will benefit the Lifegate athletic program.

Chamber General Membership Luncheon

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce will have its January General Membership Meeting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4 at the Silver Center, located at 510 E. Court St. in Seguin. The speaker will be Gina Moore with GRMC about Advanced Care Planning. The lunch is $20 per meal for members in advance and $25 for non-members and after Friday, Dec. 30.

Geronimo VFW New Years Eve Dance

The Geronimo VFW will have a New Years Eve dance featuring Jimmie Bolado and The Country Sounds from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Dec. 31 at 6808 N. Hwy. 123 in Geronimo. Admission is $20. Bring your snacks. There will be party favors and black-eyed peas. For more information or reservations, call or text Lea at 830-305-8829.

Seguin Youth Services NYE Dance

The Seguin Youth Services will have a New Year’s Eve Dance from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Dec. 31 at the Geronimo Community Center, located at 280 Navarro Dr. The doors open at 7 p.m. with limited seating. Presale tickets are $20 and $25 at the door. Limited advance table reservations with purchase of 10 tickets by Wednesday, Dec. 28. The event is sponsored by Guadalupe Regional Medical Center. For table reservations and tickets, call 830-214-4722. Tickets are also available at KWED, Shanafelt Auto, Joe Cool’s AC, and Seguin Youth Services.

The program will give residents an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the inner-workings of city departments and services. For more information and an application, visit https://bit.ly/ seguincitizensuniversity. Space is limited and the application deadline is Sunday, Jan. 1. For more information, call 830-386-2590 or email jsourdellia@seguintexasgov.

Seguin Premier Toastmasters

Seguin Premier Toastmasters will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at the Geronimo VFW, located at 6808 Hwy. 123 in Geronimo. Toastmasters is a place to practice your speech for work or school where friendly people encourage and give tips to help you improve your communication skills. For more information, call Dina at 423-227-9610.

Geronimo Lions Meeting

The Geronimo Lions meet at 6:30 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at the Big Red Barn on Cordova Road. Breakfast is provided. For more information, call Steven Hughes at 870949-5003.

Business Improvement Grant Program

The City of Seguin is accepting applications for the Business Improvement Grant (BIG) Program. BIG Program applicants may be eligible to receive up to a 75 percent matching grant, with a maximum grant awarded to an applicant not to exceed $10,000. Eligible items include facade improvements, sign improvements, site improvements, and other real property improvements. Applications are available at www.SeguinTexas.gov or at www.SeguinEDC.com. Applications must be

Learn more and register at www.NAMIGuadalu peCounty.org.

Hermann Sons Life Seguin Meeting

The Hermann Sons Life Seguin meets every third Wednesday of the month. The social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by a meal at 7 p.m. Members are asked to bring a side or dessert.

Mental Health Online Course

The NAMI Guadalupe County will host a free online course for adults with mental health conditions. The eight-week program begins Jan. 19. Learn more and register at www.NAMIGuadalupeCounty.org.

Ahora Puedo Respirar – Now I can Breathe Lunch & Learn

The Seguin Public Library will have a free Lunch and Learn, “Ahora Puedo Respirar – Now I can Breathe,” at noon and 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 in the Community Meeting Room. The special program will be presented by Dr. Yvonne M. De La Rosa as she shares her research about the resiliency of the Mexican American community in Seguin as they attempted to maintain, teach and celebrate their roots, customs, knowledge, and celebrations through community education.

Seguin Art League Watercolor Class

The Seguin Art League will offer a Watercolor Class from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at 104 S Austin St. in Seguin. The cost is $30 per adult. Bring your own paint, brushes, and paper. For more information, call 830-305-0472.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

call 830-305-0472.

Seguin Art League Valentine Card Class

The Seguin Art League will offer a Valentine Card Class from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 at 104 S Austin St. in Seguin. There will be live music provided by the Michael Hale Trio, featuring Mac Macintosh and dinner provided by Next Door Catering. The cost is $30 per couple (date, friend, or family member). Supplies will be provided. For more information, call 830-305-0472.

Sweethearts Scholarship Dinner & Dance

The Seguin Sunrise Rotary will have its Sweethearts Scholarship Dinner & Dance from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Big Red Barn, located at 390 Cordova Rd. in Seguin. Tickets are $50. Attire for the evening is red, black, and white. For table sponsorship and tickets, call 210-834-1240. For more information visit www.Seguinsunriserotaryclub.com.

Mid-Texas Symphony

The Mid-Texas Symphony will present, “Classical Masters,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19 at the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre in New Braunfels. The event features Akiko Fujimoto, conductor, and Andrew Warfield, horn.

No One Left Behind Community Recovery Awareness Event

There will be a No One Left Behind Community Recovery Awareness Event from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20 in the gym at Hillcrest Church, located at 1440 Eastwood Dr. in Seguin.

ter at Canyon High School in New Braunfels. The event features Akiko Fujimoto, conductor.

Mid-Texas Symphony

The Mid-Texas Symphony will present, “Symphonie Fantastique,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, April. 30 in Jackson Auditorium on the campus of Texas Lutheran University in Seguin. The event features Akiko Fujimoto, conductor, and John Henry Crawford, cello.

Free Accredited Adult Homeschool Program

The Life Changing Church is now offering a Free Accredited Homeschool Program for adults wanting to earn their high school diploma. It is a self-paced, no classes to attend program. You work around your schedule and at the end of the program you will receive an accredited diploma that is acceptable for college. Tutors are available at no charge. Free placement testing, no previous records required. For more information call or text Crystal at 325-956-1155.

Salvation Army New Office

The Seguin Unit Salvation Army office is located at 205 North King Street. The office is open to receive requests for assistance weekly from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Volunteers Needed

The Guadalupe Valley Young Marines need volunteers. They promote a healthy, drug-free program and need males, 19 years and up who would like to see the program grow by contributing time to help future citizens, boys and girls 8 to 18. Positions available include computer input, physical fitness training, planning/logistics, and medical.

Pantry located at the corner of the church at 306 E. Gonzales St. in Seguin. The Blessing Box is filled with items to help those in need.

The Country Church Attic

The Country Church Attic is now open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday.

Clothing Ministry

The Refuge III Clothing Ministry continues to give away clothing, some furniture, dishes, and other items at 7535 Elm Creek Road in Seguin. For further information call 830-303-6478.

Free Bible Course

The World Bible School is offering free Bible correspondence courses. Answer questions from the Bible and send in for grading. Visit studygod.info for further information.

Heritage Museum Calendars

The Heritage Museum is selling 2022 calendars for $10 featuring historical buildings and information about Seguin. There is a limited supply and they are available for purchase at the Heritage Museum, Gift & Gourmet, the Aumont, the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce and Parker’s City Pharmacy.

To ensure non-profit organization’s meetings and events appear in this calendar, send information to: communitycalendar@kwed1580.com, or drop off the information at the Seguin Daily News/ KWED offices located at 609 E. Court St. in Seguin. For best results, submit information at least two weeks prior to the event.

The SEGUIN DAILY NEWS was begun as a single page flier in 1972 by the radio station and was distributed to local restaurants and coffee shops at the request of local businessmen who wanted something to read while they had their morning coffee.

It grew in size over the years, up to 4 pages, until 2002, when it was expanded to a 32 page small tabloid size news magazine.

The SEGUIN DAILY NEWS is now a free digital newspaper published every business day.

The SEGUIN DAILY NEWS offers a wide variety of ad sizes and advertising plans and contact information is available on our website.

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