Loading...
02-17-2026 MinutesMINUTES REGULAR MEETING February 17, 2026 A Regular Meeting was held by the Schertz City Council of the City of Schertz, Texas, on February 17, 2026, at 6:00 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 Rodriguez; Mayor Pro Tern Mark Davis; Councilmember Michelle Watson; Councilmember Paul Macaluso; Councilmember Ben Guerrero; Councilmember Robert Westbrook; Councilmember Allison Heyward; Councilmember Robert Sheridan Staff City Manager Steve Williams; City Attorney Daniel Santee; Deputy City Manager present: Brian James; Assistant City Manager Sarah Gonzalez; City Secretary Sheila Edmondson; Deputy City Secretary Sheree Coumey Call to Order Mayor Rodriguez called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Opening Prayer and Pledges of Allegiance to the Flags of the United States and State of Texas. (Councilmember Guerrero) Councilmember Guerrero provided the opening prayer and led the Pledges of Allegiance to the Flags of the United States and State of Texas. Special Announcement • Hal Baldwin Scholarship - Students attending for the Hal Baldwin Scholarship need to sign in on the sheet located on the back podium. If you are watching remotely, please email Sarah Gonzalez at sonzalez@schertz.com to virtually sign in. Please direct any questions to Ms. Gonzalez. Proclamations Government Communicators Day- February 20, 2026 (Councilmember Watson) Councilmember Watson presented the Government Communicators Day —February 20, 2026 Proclamation to Public Affairs Director Krystal Haynes and members of the Public Affairs team. Engineer's Appreciation Week- February 22-28, 2026 (Councilmember Macaluso) Councilmember Macaluso presented the Engineer's Appreciation Week — February 22-28, 2026 Proclamation to City Engineer Kathy Woodlee and members of the Engineering team. 1 Employee Recognition 25 Year Tenure Service Pin: Shelley Krauss City Manager Steve Williams presented Finance Department Administrative Assistant Shelley Krauss with a pin in honor and gratitude for her 25 years of dedicated service to the City of Schertz. City Events and Announcements • Announcements of upcoming City Events (B.James/S.Gonzalez) Deputy City Manager Brian James provided the announcement of upcoming city events. • Announcements and recognitions by the City Manager (S.Williams) City Manager Steve Williams had no announcements or recognitions. • Announcements and recognitions by the Mayor (R.Rodriguez) Mayor Rodriguez had no announcements or recognitions. 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. Mayor Pro Tern Mark Davis recognized the following residents: • Maggie Titterington, 1730 Schertz Parkway, thanked City Manager Steve Williams and Deputy City Manager Brian James for meeting with her to clarify the situation with the flyover and the closure of FM 3009. Ms. Titterington requested Union Pacific Railroad and TxDOT meet with the City stakeholders and business community to discuss plans for the future. • Daniel Jameson, 1000 FM 78, Schertz, invited resident to attend the monthly VFW breakfast. • Holly Richard, 11633 Arbor Park Lane, expressed concerns about the city's financial stability when nearly all the general fund is committed to personnel costs. Annual compensation rose from $40 million to $53 million in recurring costs. With a budget of $54.5 million, this results in a $1.5 million deficit for which reserves are being used to 7 balance the budget. She urged Council to prioritize long-term financial stability and responsible budgeting to protect residents and maintain essential city services. • Jim Wolverton, 3416 Estate Dr., Schertz, provided updates on the Elbel facility; issues at the Service Center on FM 78; partnering with the City of Schertz for 15,000 square feet of space; future public safety expansion; and the County's lack of authority to act without formal request. • Billie Langhus, 2489 Jane Addams Dr., Schertz, expresses continued concerns regarding the legality of a Councilmember remaining on the dais after filing as a candidate for County Commissioner. • Raquel Gutierrez, 1016 Silvertree, provided her background and reasons for running for Council. She stated that if elected, her key priorities will be public safety, infrastructure, and protecting the quality of life Schertz offers. Ms. Gutierrez stated the growth is inevitable and can be beneficial. However, it must be responsibly managed through careful planning and accountable leadership. • Dana Eldridge, 2628 Gallant Fox, stated he is disgruntled about division in the city. He further stated that the City Attorney has already addressed the issue of a Councilmember continuing to serve until the special election. He also announced his support of Ms. Heyward's candidacy for County Commissioner. Consent Agenda Items The Consent Agenda is considered self-explanatory and will be enacted by the Council with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless they are removed from the Consent Agenda upon the request of the Mayor or a Councilmember. 1. Minutes - Approval of the minutes from the Regular Council Meeting on February 3, 2026(S.Edmondson/S.Courney/I.Chavez) 2. Appointments, Re -appointments, and Resignations - City of Schertz Boards, Commissions and Committees Resignations Planning and Zoning: John Carbone Parks and Recreation Advisory- Robert Sheridan, III 3. Resolution 25-R-145 — Authorizing a Task Order Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., for Professional Engineering -Related Services for the Pecan/Schertz Parkway Signalization Project (B.James/K.Woodlee/J.Nowak) 4. Resolution 26-R-017 - Approving a Schertz Main Street Local Flavor Economic Development Grant for 533 Main (S.Williams/B.James) 5. Resolution 26-R-0.15 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds from the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) to enhance regional water rescue capabilities (S.Williams/G.Rodgers/B.High) 3 6. Resolution 26-R-024 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) - Enhancing Rapid Response Capacity, Mobile Area Command Initiative (S.Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 7. Resolution 26-R-025 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) - Regional Special Operations Response & Resilience Initiative (S.Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 8. Resolution 26-R-026 - Authoring the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) - Regional Rescue Response & Resilience Initiative 9. Resolution 26-R-027 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) - Regional Hazardous Materials Response & Resilience Initiative (S.Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 10. Resolution 26-R-028 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Community Development Partnership Program (CDPP) Grant Program (S.Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 11. Resolution 26-R-022 — Authorizing a contract with RL Jones, LP, for construction of the Bell North Sewer Relocation Project (B.James/K.Woodlee/E.Schulze) 12. Resolution 26-R-029 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) Power Up Grant Program (S. Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 13. Resolution 26-R-030 - Authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept funds for Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant Program (S.Williams/G.RodgersB.High) 14. Resolution 26-R-031 - Authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with Live Oak for Emergency Radio Communications Services (S.Williams/J.Lowery) Mayor Rodriguez removed Consent agenda item #3 for separate action and asked Council if any other consent agenda items needed to be removed for separate action. Councilmember Heyward requested agenda item #2 be removed for separate action. Mayor Rodriguez asked for a motion to approve Consent Agenda Items #1 and #4-14. Moved by Councilmember Allison Heyward; seconded by Councilmember Ben Guerrero AYE: Mayor Pro Tern Mark Davis, Councilmember Michelle Watson, 4 Councilmember Paul Macaluso, Councilmember Ben Guerrero, Councilmember Robert Westbrook, Councilmember Allison Heyward, Councilmember Robert Sheridan Passed Mayor Rodriguez recognized Councilmember Allison Heyward to open discussion on Consent Agenda Item #2, Appointments, Reappointments, and Resignations - City of Schertz Boards, Commissions, and Committees. Ms. Heyward stated she removed this item to correct the spelling of Commissioner John Carbon's last name. No other discussion occurred. Mayor Rodriguez asked for a motion to approve Consent Agenda Items #2 with the correction to the spelling of Mr. Carbon's name. Moved by Councilmember Allison Heyward; seconded by Councilmember Paul Macaluso AYE: Mayor Pro Tem Mark Davis, Councilmember Michelle Watson, Councilmember Paul Macaluso, Councilmember Ben Guerrero, Councilmember Robert Westbrook, Councilmember Allison Heyward, Councilmember Robert Sheridan Passed Mayor Rodriguez opened discussion on Consent Agenda Item #3, stating that the resolution number listed on the agenda as 25-R-145 did not exist. The correct resolution, which is consistent with the documentation in the agenda packet, is 26-R-033. No other discussion occurred. Mayor Rodriguez asked for a motion to approve Consent Agenda Items #3 with the correction of the resolution number to reflect 26-R-033. Moved by Councilmember Allison Heyward, seconded by Councilmember Ben Guerrero AYE: Mayor Pro Tem Mark Davis, Councilmember Michelle Watson, Councilmember Paul Macaluso, Councilmember Ben Guerrero, Councilmember Robert Westbrook, Councilmember Allison Heyward, Councilmember Robert Sheridan Passed 5 Discussion and Action Items 15. Ordinance 26-M-028 - Amending City Council Rules of Conduct and Procedure (Mayor/S. Edmondson/S. Coumey) Mayor Rodriguez recognized Deputy City Secretary Sheree Courney who introduced Ordinance 26-M-028 amending City Council Rules of Conduct and Procedure. Ms. Courney provided a summary of the amendments to include the addition of the City Council Training and Travel Policy. Mayor Rodriguez opened the floor to Council for discussion. No discussion occurred. Mayor Rodriguez asked for a motion to approve Ordinance 26-M-028. Moved by Mayor Pro Tern Mark Davis, seconded by Councilmember Michelle Watson AYE: Mayor Pro Tem. Mark Davis, Councilmember Michelle Watson, Councilmember Paul Macaluso, Councilmember Ben Guerrero, Councilmember Robert Westbrook, Councilmember Allison Heyward, Councilmember Robert Sheridan Passed Workshop 16. Workshop on Schertz PD TCOLE 2025 Racial Profiling Report (S. Williams/J.Lowery) Mayor Rodriguez recognized Police Chief Jim Lowery who presented the Schertz Police Department TCOLE 2025 Racial Profiling Report. Chief Lowery explained that this report is required by Texas state law. He explained the difference between racial profiling and criminal profiling. Chief Lowery provided historical data related to legislative requirements; department policy and training; an overview of traffic stops; use of force and injury data; search and contraband data; enforcement ration analysis; strategic policing approach; and key outcomes. He stated there were no racial profiling complaints in calendar year 2025. Mayor Rodriguez opened the floor to Council for discussion. Councilmembers asked how flock cameras factor into the information that was provided and if all vehicles were equipped with one. Chief Lowery explained that flock cameras don't take pictures of drivers, just license plates, so they do not factor into data collection for racial profiling statistics. They are stationary and located at major intersections where individuals would egress and ingress into the city. They are not attached to vehicles. 6 Closed Session Mayor Rodriguez recessed to Closed Session at 7:02 p.m. 17. The City Council will meet in closed session pursuant to Section 551.071 of the Texas Government Code. The City of Schertz will consult in closed session with its attorney to receive legal advice regarding pending or contemplated litigation, a settlement offer, or matter in which the duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this chapter, to include lease agreements with Dish Network. 18. The City Council will meet in closed session in accordance with Section 551.072, Texas Government Code deliberation regarding the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of Real Properties for city facilities; drainage and detention; and general municipal uses. Reconvene into Regular Session Mayor Rodriguez reconvened to Regular Session at 7:25 p.m. 19. Take any action based on discussion held in Closed Session under Agenda Item # 17. No action was taken on Agenda Item # 17. 20. Take any action based on discussion held in Closed Session under Agenda Item # 18. No action was taken on Agenda Item # 18. Information available in City Council Packets - NO DISCUSSION TO OCCUR 21. February 2026 Major Projects Updated Memo 22. Check Report - January 2026 (S.Gonzalez/J.Walters) 23. Update on 12th Flying Training Wing Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard Program (S . Gonzal ez/K. Hayne s) Requests and Announcements • Requests by Mayor and Councilmembers for updates or information from Staff --Councilmembers Heyward and Watson requested a visualization of FM 3009 grade above grade, and a traffic impact analysis. --Mayor Rodriguez requested an update on the road construction of the Dove Meadows Project and the road construction behind Sonic on First Street and Lee Street. --Councilmember Watson requested an update on the ordinance for Schertz Parkway Traffic Control. • Requests by Mayor and Councilmembers that items or presentations be placed on a 7 future City Council agenda No requests by Mayor or Councilmembers for an item or presentation to be placed on a future City Council agenda. • City and Community Events attended and to be attended (Council) --Councilmember Watson attended the NEP luncheon. --Councilmember Macaluso attended the Gym ribbon -cutting and The Chamber luncheon. --Councilmember Guerrero attended the Gym ribbon -cutting, Police banquet, and the Strategic Planning Retreat. --Councilmember Westbrook attended the Strategic Planning Retreat and the Gym ribbon -cutting. --Councilmember Heyward attended Strategic Planning meeting, Annual Trailriders lunch, and the Cibolo Bingo at the Cibolo Senior Center. --Councilmember Sheridan attended the NEP luncheon, The Chamber luncheon, and the SCUCISD School Board Meeting. --Mayor Rodriguez attended the NEP luncheon, The Chamber luncheon, and the Rotary Gala for SCUCISD leaders. Adjournment Mayor Rodriguez adjourned the meeting at 7:29 p.m. ATTEST: She' a Edmond on, City Secretary � Y /. ��FAZ- "il Ili 8