Cities & Counties
City Council to hold special meeting to weigh possible fall election on Spurs arena funding
By Edmond Ortiz City Council will have a special meeting at 9 a.m. Aug. 17 on whether to call a Nov. 3 election on the city’s previous pledge to allocate nearly $500 million in specific-use funds for the San Antonio Spurs’ planned downtown arena. The meeting is to be held at City Council chambers, 114…
1 community center opens, 2 more centers in the works
By Edmond Ortiz Harlandale neighborhood residents recently marked the opening of a new community center while the city is beginning the replacement of two other community centers in Midtown and on the South Side. Harlandale ISD Leaders with the Harlandale Independent School District gathered Aug. 7 to formally dedicate Edmundo M. Zaragoza Multipurpose Center at…
San Antonio leaders want a pause on data center growth
By Edmond Ortiz Three San Antonio City Council members have signed a memo, asking for a council vote on a moratorium on new data centers by the end of August. Council members gathered Aug. 7 outside of City Hall for a press conference, seeking an ordinance that establishes a three- or six-month pause on the…
Council creates Project Marvel advisory panel; county advances coliseum grounds deal
By Edmond Ortiz The city of San Antonio is proceeding with the creation of a resident-driven committee that will help to offer ideas on key aspects of a proposed downtown sports and entertainment district, which would be anchored by a new San Antonio Spurs arena. Planning towards the Spurs’ scheduled departure from its current home,…
News Briefs: Bexar County OK’s jail intake plan; Balcones Heights council mulls mayoral no-confidence vote; zoning panel backs Southtown rezoning; free bus rides to school available
By Edmond Ortiz Bexar County Commissioners are committing to a series of long-range plans designed to reform how arrestees, especially those with medical or mental health issues, are initially processed upon arrival at the Bexar County Jail, and how they are addressed in custody. Elsewhere, Balcones Heights City Council entertained recent attempt to vote no…
Spurs arena, Wolff Stadium and the new Missions ballpark: Where do things stand?
By Edmond Ortiz The beginning of August is accompanied by plenty of public discourse involving funding for the proposed new San Antonio Spurs’ arena, the construction of a new San Antonio Missions’ ballpark, and what should happen with Wolff Stadium once the Missions leave that venue. Project Marvel debate arises Talks among local residents and…
Shavano Park, neighboring counties, agencies aim to make strides on water supply issues
By Edmond Ortiz Shavano Park is enacting a new fee designed to help shore up the town’s water supply. Elsewhere in the San Antonio-area, a handful of local governments and water supply agencies along the Interstate 35 corridor recently secured more than $140 million to support various initiatives meant to protect or improve their water…
November election filing underway in 3 San Antonio suburbs, 3 school districts
By Edmond Ortiz Three San Antonio-area suburbs and three school districts are accepting applications through Aug. 17 for city council and school board elections that will be held Nov. 3. The application period started July 20. The elections scheduled in Converse, Schertz, Windcrest, and East Central, Edgewood and South San Antonio independent school districts will…
Universal City has a place to pay tribute to departed pets
By Edmond Ortiz Pet owners are familiar with the “rainbow bridge,” a concept offered in various written works over the years that describes an other-worldly place where pets go when they die and wait to be reunited with their owners. While pet cemeteries do exist, there are rare instances where members of the public can…
Can Texas communities such as Cibolo find ways to regulate data centers?
By Edmond Ortiz Cibolo is one of the many Texas communities to recently try adopting regulations for data centers, whose proliferation nationwide has sparked neighbors’ worries about environmental impacts. But as the number of data centers increases, local governments, grassroots groups and concerned residents wonder whether they have any true, significant authority to stop such…