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2016-1 Remembrances Special Edition1 City of Schertz Remembrances Special Edition Article 2016-1 Presented by: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Schertz in the 1980s – Expanding Borders and Governance The first Remembrances publications issued at the beginning of the previous two years (2014-1 & 2015-1) have had as their subject the history of Schertz through the decades from the first decade following incorporation (1960s) until the 1980s. This article continues the tradition and the timing of reporting Schertz history decade by decade and in this instance specifically for the decade of the 1980s. The decade of the 1980s began where the decade of the 1970s left off, i.e., poised to continue city growth through means of annexation when and where feasible. At its August 19, 1980 Council meeting, the city council approved ordinances that dealt with annexation actions of small acreages in Guadalupe (34.032 ac), Bexar (74.99 ac) and Comal (207 ac) counties. On December 15, 1980, the Council endorsed a proposal to pursue further annexations along the Interstate 35 corridor. The stage was set for another aggressive decade of city boundary expansion. The extent of the 1980s annexation actions and the consequential outcomes for population and territorial growth are expressed in Exhibits A and B below: Exhibit A: Annexation numbers by County 1980-1989 Bexar County Guadalupe County Comal County 5 @ 6,080.233 acres 5 @ 1,168.723 acres 14 @ 2,921.806 acres Exhibit B: Population and Territory Growth 1980-1989 (45% population growth) The high Bexar County acreage numbers were the result of a single annexation action on July 1, 1986 of 5,428.993 acres in the Schirmerville area of the county (south of Randolph Air Base). The Schirmerville community had petitioned San Antonio to release them from its extra territorial jurisdiction and requested Schertz to annex them. That single annexation increased the 2 territory of Schertz from 13.24 square miles to 23 square miles. The City’s annexation agenda was commented upon by then Mayor Earl Sawyer at the January 20, 1987 City Council meeting: “The longer we wait on annexations, the sooner San Antonio, Cibolo, and New Braunfels can encroach on our extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ).” The annexation pursuits were in some instances complicated by boundary disputes with neighboring communities of Cibolo, Garden Ridge, Selma and San Antonio. As the decade began, the following persons were in place to see to it that city growth happen: Mayor Robert Bueker (till 4-5-1980); Mayor Jack Stomackin, Sr. (beginning 4-5-1980 to 1982); City Council representatives – Richard Howe; Gail Hyatt; Walter F. Schneider; Jack Stomackin Sr.; City Manager Jimmy G. Gilmore; and City Secretary June G. Krause. During the decade, additional persons were to join these men and women in service to the community as governing representatives to include the following city council representatives: Mrs. Jackie Lawler; Barbara Taylor; Jeff Duffield; Adolph Aguiler; Charles Sharp; William G. Courtney; Herald “Hal” D. Baldwin; Earl Sawyer (elected Mayor April 14, 1982 served until 1994); Ross Hoover; Ken Greenwald; Raymond Stanhope; Earl Harzog; Steve Simonson (councilman/acting City Manager); Kerry Sweatt (City Manager); Barbara Stanhope; and Mary Marsh. Mayor Earl Sawyer The need for organizational development to guide the city’s future was well recognized and the Council acted quickly to assure the need was filled by establishing committees such as the five member Industrial Development Committee (3/18/1980) and the Charter Review Committee (5/10/1980). Development of city ordinances (housing code; electric code; plumbing code; tax assessment and fees; fire prevention code; etc.) filled the City Council’s calendar week after week throughout the decade as rules were established for the multitude of activities involved in the operation of the city. Most prevalent among the ordinance issuance agenda were those relating to zoning and rezoning issues. As the city grew, the Planning and Zoning Commission kept busy laying out city boundaries for business, residential, industrial and general commercial activities. In mid-year 1980, the city faced a severe drought situation brought on by exceptionally hot and dry weather. A city-wide water shortage was announced at the July 1, 1980 Council meeting and subsequent attempts to obtain additional water sources from neighboring communities met with negative results. The City realized it had a water shortage circumstance that needed fixing. In February 1983, a new water well was added in Universal City that serviced Schertz. The real fix for the City’s water needs was to await until the decade of the 1990s when land was purchased in Gonzalez County and water supplied to Schertz from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. Early in the decade it was obvious that the City was in need of increased funding to meet its growing needs. In September 1980, the Council announced that the city tax rate needed to be raised from .72/$100 rate to $1.00/$100 rate. A resolution raising the tax rate passed on a 3 to 1 Council vote on October 7, 1980. Bond issuance was recognized as another important source of City financing. In April 1981, City Council authorized issuance of a Certificate of Obligation in the amount of $150 thousand for construction of improvements, extensions, enlargements and repairs to the City’s wastewater system. On May 3 1983, the Council (by ordinance #83-B-3) 3 authorized issuance of $1.25 million in Certificates of Obligation for improvements and extension of the city’s combined water works and sanitary sewer systems. Not only was the geography of the city changing as the months passed by, but the titles of the main highways running north and south also changed. Before its expansion from FM 78 through to Interstate 35 (4-30-1988), the highway we know today as Schertz Parkway was then known as Live Oak Road. In December 1984, City Council approved changing the name of Live Oak Road to Schertz Parkway and the change officially occurred on June 1, 1987. On March 19, 1985, Council dubbed FM 3009 with the name Jack Hays Blvd. in honor of the legendary Captain Jack Hays of the Texas Rangers. The latter highway was destined to have yet another name change (Dr. Roy Richard Blvd.) in the years beyond the 1980s. The pace of the city development in the first half of the 1980s was reflected in comments of City Manager Gilmore to Council on August 2, 1983 when he advised as follows: “We’re averaging about five or six developers per week coming in to discuss developments of various types of businesses.” One such business arrival was Garden Ridge Pottery which opened on November 10, 1983. Yet another statement by Mr. Gilmore to Council made on March 19, 1985 bespeaks of the city’s advances since the beginning of the 1980s. Paraphrasing Mr. Gilmore’s statement, it contained the following report of city progress between the years 1979 and 1985: In 1979, there were no city capital improvement funds, whereas in 1985 there were $350,000.00. The City purchased two new fire trucks within the period. A new furnished library and an animal facility had been established. The Schertz Area Facility for Emergency Services (SAFES) program had become self -sufficient. New sewer lines had been installed from Maske Road to IH 35. A new water storage site had been established along IH 35. The Schaefer Road water system had been incorporated into the city’s system. Reconstruction of Live Oak Road had occurred at a cost to the City of less than $10,000.00 out of a total $165,000.00 cost. Further commentary on the City’s progress during the 1980s was provided by outgoing councilman Charles Sharp, who on May 17, 1988, reported as follows: In 1982 city tax rates were at $.64 per $100 property evaluation versus $.2405 per $100 valuation in 1988. For the same period taxable property rose from $57 million to $177 million. Sales tax revenue accounted for 18% of general fund expenditures in 1982 but for 25% of such expenditures in 1987. Building permits doubled between 1982 and 1988. Schertz was awarded Certificates of Achievement in financial reporting three out of six years between 1982 to 1988. In 1989, Schertz citizens passed a bond issue for improving city streets and parks. In the same year the city library was extended by 3,000 square feet and two water tanks were installed in the city (Schirmerville area and East Live Oak Road area). A new city manager (Kerry Sweatt) and a new police chief were installed. The Council approved a tax rate of $.3183 and adopted guidelines and criteria for tax abatements and establishment of tax re-investment zones. By the close of the decade the SAFES organization had equipped itself with four advanced life support 4 ambulances, 19 intermediate and emergency medical technicians and 18 paramedics. SAFES was responding to 180 calls per month by the close of the decade. Undoubtedly, in the decade of the 1980s, the City of Schertz made great strides towards becoming a recognized leader among the many metropolitan communities surrounding the larger city of San Antonio. The city leadership recognized the need to expand the city’s territory, settle boundary disputes, provide for financing of city water and waste water facilities, establish zoning regulations and provide for the health and welfare of its citizens. There were more volunteer citizens engaged in promotion of city activities than ever before in the city’s history.