[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6559711,"mediaKeyId","3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812","parentId",3194669,"title","Votes at a glance: Aransas Pass council actions on fees, contracts, projects and events — May 5, 2025","audioSeconds",5585,"startMs",1620000,"endMs",7205000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812&start=1620&end=7205","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812/thumbnail_1620000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6559711/Aransas-Pass/Nueces-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Aransas-Pass-council-actions-on-fees-contracts-projects-and-events-May-5-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559711-855886d2755749b33c00c668594377f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197177&Signature=kCDISbqncsSEJCTSV3bOMpB6kDhaFP0sngEOjUDTcZ3qQJVCzrdW1xDgzcus4CqYGBJwyhE79mdU2NHMH9kTFOH3Cke4GTe8WkpS4nU5D4HuxdNkRMm-tSSnsNxFlvm-~KNmDNWZ97dGvbiMbqesTm5aAoNErDJN67Qtm-C2UhiqBroYnIPaUJVR0p1LkJHsFuv6RV82Tdbsvr3Tf0Wer4v-N8Psxe9mHcdzsrvsEoUBtzLMN2Eoyki0D17s5SQSrPDhI0O5iIwqWoYOneeMp2iRtQ1r09bc5qmxw6NIwt6zJ6KYE9tybXcjdKUPsy0kmgCLRC5ZVuR5x7WjhY~Chw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Aransas Pass TX","date","2025-05-06T00:55:43.13Z","article","Summary: At its May 5 meeting the Aransas Pass City Council approved or acted on a series of consent and action items including fee changes, a training agreement renewal, transfer‑station scale fees, a kayak ramp contract, engineering negotiations, funding/reimbursement guidance for hotel‑occupancy tax applicants, youth aquatic sponsorship, a fireworks location change and a municipal lease following executive session. Several items passed by motion and voice vote; one agreement was tabled.

Key outcomes (votes and short details):

- Development‑services fees: Council approved an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 24 (planning and development fees) to remove base fees for variances and conditional‑use permits and establish a flat $200 fee for each. Outcome: approved by voice vote.

- American Red Cross training agreement: Council approved a 36‑month renewal allowing the city’s training coordinator to continue a licensing/provider arrangement for CPR and related training for police and fire personnel. Outcome: approved.

- Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) property transfer program agreement: Council voted to table renewal/participation in the Department of Defense property transfer program (formerly 1033 program) to allow incoming leadership to review; item tabled.

- Transfer station fees: Council adopted an ordinance updating refuse/transfer station fees to a $5 base charge plus per‑pound charges (residents 10¢/lb; nonresidents 12¢/lb) and moving transactions to electronic payment; days of operation were set as Tuesday through Saturday. Outcome: approved.

- Lighthouse Lakes kayak ramp: Council awarded the construction contract for the Lighthouse Lakes kayak ramp to Derek Construction Company (low bidder) for $120,909; funding sources include a $72,000 Porta Corp contribution and interest‑accrued funds for the remainder. Outcome: contract award approved.

- Sherwood Forest Way Water & Wastewater (Phase 3): Council authorized staff to begin contract negotiations with K. Freeze & Associates after RFQ scoring identified the firm as highest ranked; final contract price to return to council for approval. Outcome: permission to negotiate approved.

- Hotel‑occupancy tax (HOT) reimbursement process: Council agreed to allow applicant Hector Rios to proceed with two planned events (a kayak expo and a migratory‑species festival) and to reapply for HOT reimbursement after the events by submitting receipts; the council emphasized that reimbursement must meet HOT guidelines. Outcome: council approved reimbursement consideration procedure.

- AP for Youth aquatic‑center sponsorship: Council approved a city sponsorship request allowing the Aransas Pass for Youth organization to use the aquatic center on Tuesdays, 12–4 p.m., from June 10 to July 22, 2025. Outcome: approved.

- Fireworks relocation and temporary road closure: Council approved relocating the July 5 fireworks show to Con Brown Harbor and temporarily closing Allen Boulevard from Aransas Marine Way to Turnbull Avenue for the event; safety plans and coordination with police/fire were described. Outcome: approved.

- Lease with Aransas Marineways: Following executive session counsel and negotiation, council approved a lease term with Aransas Marineways for 25 years with an additional 25‑year option, effective July 1, 2025, pursuant to terms agreed in closed session. Outcome: lease approved in open session following executive session.

Administrative/consent items: Council approved the April 23, 2025 special meeting minutes as part of the consent agenda.

What it means: Most items were routine administrative or capital decisions (fees, contracts, project awards and event logistics). The council chose to table at least one item (DLA/1033 program) to allow incoming leadership to review and to require documentation before HOT funds are released to new event applicants.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting 05/05/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved several routine ordinances, agreements and project awards, tabled one defense logistics agreement, and set reimbursement rules for hotel‑occupancy tax applicants; a contested rezoning/extension was tabled after extended debate (covered separately).","taxTitle","Aransas Pass, Nueces County, Texas","taxId",57358,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559715,"Aransas Pass council approves budget amendment to buy fire equipment, replace hydrants and pay Olson contract",199,1406000,1605000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812&start=1406&end=1605","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812/thumbnail_1406000.jpg","/articles/6559715/Aransas-Pass/Nueces-County/Texas/Aransas-Pass-council-approves-budget-amendment-to-buy-fire-equipment-replace-hydrants-and-pay-Olson-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559715-488c3e75b9f5702a802ff70b51e525ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197177&Signature=J9oVP9ovtKNI4dVDTWZoFSn3uBReo9B~FKk3g3leqFxtWpkelw457elptNqA9B3LEdX8wRx043qvCk3CaOjO-YX2sqThHAGbY0LVFV98gqBUD-ZLf~NWvxXnbu8IOdc9HLzIZytf-YVNWXZtSORMX7pmMqwEhMV5MYNMG6INPFCZuun-ZiEfGIkphChUbLFmeFrS-TBzbfYoEnUjzGi1Ub0yNtKpUrc8YmAjEnU1GjPVJ6lDBMfKdvbqPdbJ5OUykFv-jtOVpOB4LYHj54Nu8kw0ckEBkxXCoGXg01UpnGgPfEQB0XyI2iBAiavnkjS4TzWOk54jF6QlTZRoojcTeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Aransas Pass City Council approved an ordinance May 5 amending the fiscal‑year 2025 budget to fund several public‑safety and infrastructure items using accrued interest from the 2024 certificates of obligation and a supplemental draw on bond proceeds.

Key figures: staff recommended purchasing an engine truck ($960,000), a brush truck ($265,000), seven sets of structural bunker gear and 24 sets of wildland gear (recommended bunker gear total $57,036.10), and replacing four fire hydrants ($11,104). Staff also recommended paying Olson $110,000. Council staff said the items together totaled “just over $1.4 million.” The city reported accrued interest of $908,981.81 for April; to fully fund the recommended purchases the city would draw approximately $494,000 from bond proceeds.

Why it matters: the purchases fund immediate equipment and safety needs for the fire department and fund limited system repairs. Council members raised procedural questions about timing and whether approval should wait for the newly seated council; others said delaying would postpone necessary safety investments.

Discussion highlights: one councilmember moved to table the amendment until the new council was sworn in; that motion was seconded but did not carry. After debate, a motion to adopt an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 budget passed by voice vote.

Vote and outcome: the council approved the ordinance to amend the FY2025 budget and authorize the purchases as presented. Staff said more accrued interest is expected in the coming months, which may reduce the amount of bond proceeds needed.

Implementation: staff indicated the city will proceed with the vehicle purchases, bunker gear order, hydrant replacements and the Olson payment as budgeted. The council did not adopt any additional conditions tying purchases to further reporting at this meeting.

","Council approved a fiscal‑year 2025 budget amendment using accrued interest from 2024 certificates of obligation to fund an engine truck, brush truck, bunker gear, hydrant replacements and an Olson payment; some council members asked to postpone but the ordinance passed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559718,"Aransas Pass council tables request to reinstate manufactured-home rezoning and extend RV-park timeline",2986,1680000,4666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812&start=1680&end=4666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194669-0cdb88785332fbf980f28363334c4812/thumbnail_1680000.jpg","/articles/6559718/Aransas-Pass/Nueces-County/Texas/Aransas-Pass-council-tables-request-to-reinstate-manufactured-home-rezoning-and-extend-RV-park-timeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559718-49195cc4aae00d8ef582542cdc5363a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197177&Signature=k2E4sb1gIM0~hpxeAlYSLWukYFopyYq77i1elsR4Q0tRPoSHSLwSCtTUB4ED8W57yYGjdZc0lT~cWigYU72La3TQkoSfmQTvgsNaAlHXWLW0lmrzCVbjBV-i4hbKp9g9B4SiTPW6o8gHFSeKkBtSotdIS8yP~sCFK4Br-Qw51KVQIdvQFfBbK6h2ZtdBJDVfoNuQIFc6VFN8gcFFsejmejstdiCtvCkVp3DbVv~IFKq9IDf44CDdSLIclt34LWuxWHul~ToxZf7BI6gSmukPvASVR43BrM~H8y7~3VDRYk55QIpNEPL2OYjxVQSJBPwdJ0QCS~ofJfn1yiy6t28uPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Aransas Pass City Council on May 5 debated whether to reinstate a manufactured-home (MH) district rezoning granted in 2020 for a proposed recreational-vehicle park at the southwest corner of North Commercial and West Guile Avenue, and whether to grant a multi‑year time extension to begin construction.

The proposal would reinstate a rezoning originally approved on April 24, 2020, for a roughly 12.8‑acre parcel and would allow the property owner to develop an RV park (the approved site plan showed 41 units). Proponents asked the council to adopt an ordinance giving the project a fixed time window to start construction — developers initially requested five years — to restore the entitlements and help secure financing.

Why it matters: developers said lenders and equity partners will not commit sizable construction financing unless zoning and permitting entitlements are assured. Opponents and several council members pressed the developers for clearer evidence of financing and faster timelines; neighbors raised traffic and safety concerns about the project site’s approach from the highway.

Tom Furlough, the landowner, and Brent Conlon, a San Antonio‑based developer, told the council they had completed prior steps including replatting, environmental‑sensitive‑area board approval and, in 2022, a building permit and a TxDOT right‑of‑way permit (the transcript records those permits and later indicates the permits have since expired). Conlon said the project is estimated to cost “$5 million to $6 million” and that construction costs and interest‑rate spikes since 2020 forced the team to rework financing. He said the team has invested “well over a million dollars” to date and sought a time-limited reinstatement so they could approach banks and investors with the entitlements in place.

City staff said conditions previously attached to the rezoning required construction to commence within set timeframes and that some of those time limits had lapsed. Staff presented a draft ordinance that would reinstate the MH rezoning for a defined extension period and include conditions: a start‑construction deadline (the council would set the length), nontransferability restrictions limited to the extension period, and reversion to prior zoning if the developer failed to meet the deadline.

Neighbors and at least one longtime resident warned about safety and traffic at the intersection near Haslet and North Commercial, saying the approach from the highway is hazardous and that any additional traffic could worsen the situation. A resident urged the council to study the traffic implications and cited local driving behavior at the intersection.

Council discussion focused on three issues the developers could control: (1) how long an extension should run, (2) whether the city would require periodic progress reports, and (3) what milestone would constitute “start of construction.” Several councilmembers said a shorter extension (three years) with regular updates would be more acceptable than a five‑year period. Developers said they would prefer five years but said they could accept a shorter period if it resolved the entitlement dispute.

Action and outcome: a motion to table the reinstatement/extension — to allow further review and to gather additional information — was made and seconded; the council voted in favor to table the item. The council did not adopt an ordinance reinstating the rezoning or setting an extension at this meeting.

Next steps and context: staff said that, if the council later approves an extension, the developers would still need to reapply for any building permits that have expired and meet current code and the city’s RV‑park design standards; TxDOT and other third‑party permits would still be required. Developers acknowledged those steps and said they would reapply for permits and update plans as needed. The council suggested periodic status updates if the item returns.

","Developers of a proposed 12.8-acre RV park on North Commercial sought reinstatement of a 2020 rezoning and a five-year deadline to begin construction; after lengthy public comment and developer testimony the council voted to table the matter for further review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Aransas Pass council actions on fees, contracts, projects and events — May 5, 2025

Aransas Pass council approves budget amendment to buy fire equipment, replace hydrants and pay Olson contract

Aransas Pass council tables request to reinstate manufactured-home rezoning and extend RV-park timeline