06-03-2025 Council Workshop MinutesMINUTES
COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING
June 3, 2025
A Council Workshop Meeting was held by the Schertz City Council of the City of Schertz,
Texas, on June 3, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the Hal Baldwin Municipal Complex Council Chambers,
1400 Schertz Parkway, Building #4, Schertz, Texas. The following members present to -wit:
Present: Mayor Ralph Gutierrez; Mayor Pro-Tem Allison Heyward; Councilmember Mark
Davis; Councilmember Michelle Watson; Councilmember Paul Macaluso;
Councilmember Ben Guerrero; Councilmember Robert Westbrook; Councilmember
Tim Brown
Staff City Manager Steve Williams; Deputy City Manager Brian James; Assistant City
present: Manager Sarah Gonzalez; Deputy City Secretary Sheree Courney
Call to Order
Mayor Gutierrez called the workshop meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
Hearing of Residents
This time is set aside for any person who wishes to address the City Council. Each person
should fill out the speaker's register prior to the meeting. Presentations should be limited
to no more than 3 minutes.
All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body, and not to any individual
member thereof. Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks while
addressing the Council may be requested to leave the meeting.
All handouts and/or USB devices must be submitted to the City Secretary no later than
noon on the Monday preceding the meeting. Handouts will be provided to each
Councilmember prior to the start of the meeting by the City Secretary. All USB devices
will be vetted by City IT staff to ensure City property is protected from malware.
Yasmin Moreno, 4814 Castle Stream -Ms. Moreno invited City Council to the 1 st Annual
Happy Kids Foundation Gala Dinner.
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Discussion
1. Council Professional Development Policy Review (Councilmember Westbrook)
Councilmember Westbrook would like to discuss a Professional Development
Policy for City Council.
Items of discussion:
• Review of Councilmember Professional Development Training requests
• Analysis of the City Charter, Council Rules, and Travel Policy
• Focus: fairness, transparency, and codified governance process
Councilmember Westbrook analyzed the City Charter, Council Rules of Conduct
and Procedure and Travel Policy (employees) and did not find any information
about the City Council Travel and Training Policy. Councilmember Westbrook
would like to have a discussion on a broader principle of how we govern ourselves
pertaining to professional development training.
Two key questions to discuss:
1. Does anyone on this city council have the authority to approve or deny any
professional development?
2. Do individual councilmembers have the capacity to determine what
training best equips them to serve the City of Schertz?
This discussion is not about circumventing oversight, but rather creating a policy
that the oversight is transparent, consistent and rooted in respect for each other's
roles.
An additional question: can councilmembers place agenda items on the agenda?
Mayor Gutierrez's statements included:
• City Charter Section 4.08: Powers vested in Council (as a body).
• City Charter Section 4.09 (d) Council (as a body) sets its own rules.
• Council Rules: No unilateral authority to the Mayor
• Charter Section 4.05" The Mayor shall be the official head of the City
Government"
• Ordinance 23-M-28 Section 2.13 "Matters not addressed by Rules, the Charter
or State law shall be determined by the Mayor"
• The absence of a defined policy for elected officials highlights the need for the
Council as a body to establish a policy that governs the use of public funds for
training and travel.
Councilmembers have a stake in professional development, but it must be balanced
with fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability to the public. When
taxpayer dollars are used, it is the Council as a body who must decide what is
appropriate, beneficial, and equitable.
Mayor Pro Tem Heyward handed out a cost breakdown of what travel /training she
has been able to attend this year as TML President. She has spoken with several
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cities about council travel/training, costs and policy. Mayor Pro Tem Heyward
stated the City Council needs to decide on a training policy.
Councilmember Davis sees the value of professional development as a municipal
official. Ultimately, he states this is a budget issue. Councilmember Davis
recommended that at the next budget retreat (for FY2026), the Council should
discuss having a line item that addresses Council training, education and
development.
Councilmember Watson and Councilmember Guerrero agreed that the Council
needs to discuss this issue and decide on what would be allowable and agreed upon.
The Council's consensus was to decide on a policy before discussing a budget for
travel and training. City Manager Williams suggested that staff and volunteers from
the Council meet and create a framework to bring back to Council. Mayor Pro Tern
Heyward and Councilmember Watson volunteered to work with staff and bring
back a draft for Council discussion.
Adjournment
Mayor Gutierrez adjourned the workshop meeting at 5:43 pm.
ATTEST:
Sheila Edmondson, City Secretary
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