New Braunfels City Council gives initial OK to increasing NBU’s water-related impact fees

Water and wastewater impact fees could increase next year after New Braunfels City Council members voted 6-1 on Monday to approve the first reading of a New Braunfels Utilities request to amend the fee schedule.

Council member Jason Hurta cast the sole vote opposing the measure.

The NBU proposal increases the maximum impact fees for water from $7,989 to $19,448 per living unit equivalent and the maximum impact fees for wastewater from $3,251 to $6,244 per living unit equivalent.

A living unit equivalent, or LUE, is defined as the typical flow that would be produced by a single-family residence located in a typical subdivision.

According to NBU, the maximum impact fee increase would assist in recovering the cost of about $314.25 million in infrastructure projects needed to serve new development in the next 10 years.

Impact fees are charged to new or expanded water and wastewater service within corporate limits, the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, and other new customers served by contract with NBU.

The impact fees will not apply to existing NBU customers who do not request an expansion of service through larger meters or extended or larger diameter lines or to properties that do not receive water or sewer service.

NBU’s last impact fee program update was approved by council members on Aug. 13, 2018, with an effective date of Nov. 13, 2018. State statute requires a governmental body that has previously adopted an impact fee to update its land use assumptions and capital improvements plan at least every five years.

As part of a 2022 impact fee study, NBU contractor Freese and Nichols used land use assumptions, growth projections and water/wastewater loading criteria to develop ten-year load projections for both the NBU water and wastewater systems for the planning period of 2022 through 2032.

Freese and Nichols also developed an impact fee capital improvements plan for both the water and wastewater systems to serve projected growth through 2032.

The second reading of the proposed ordinance is scheduled for Nov. 14 and, if approved, the proposed maximum impact fees will become effective on Feb. 1.

Also during Monday’s meeting, firefighters, friends and family members gathered to recognize the retirement of New Braunfels Fire Capt. George Amen III. The retirement ceremony also included a performance by the New Braunfels Firefighters Pipes and Drums

In other action during Monday’s meeting, council members:

• Postponed until Nov. 14 the first reading of a proposed special use permit to allow an RV park in the “C-1AH SUP” Local Business District Airport Hazard Overlay with a special use permit for a mobile home park and “M-1r10 AH SUP” Light Industrial District Airport Hazard Overlay with a special use permit for a mobile home park at 1670 Arndt Road.

• Denied for lack of a motion on a resolution consenting to the creation of Springen Meadows Municipal Utility District located on the southeast corner of the intersection of State Highway 46 and Link Road, across State Highway 46 from Plantation Drive and Las Brisas Boulevard.

• Postponed action until Nov. 28 on the first reading of a proposed rezoning from “APD” Agricultural/Predevelopment District to “C-1A” Neighborhood Business District with a special use permit to allow the development of multiple dwelling units in a townhouse style configuration at 254 E. County Line Road.

• Voted 5-2 to approve the first reading of an ordinance regarding a proposed rezoning of approximately 21.85 acres from “APD” Agricultural/Predevelopment District to “R-2A” Single-family and Two-family District with a special use permit to allow multiple single-family dwellings on a single lot with related development standards at 485, 501, and 521 Ron Road. However, the item failed for lack of a supermajority requiring six votes for approval.

• Approved the first reading of a proposed rezoning from “M-2” Heavy Industrial District to “R-2A” Single-Family and Two-Family District at 956 Broadway.

• Approved the first reading of a proposed rezoning from “APD” Agricultural/Predevelopment District to “R-3L” Multifamily Low-Density District at 261 Alves Lane.

• Approved the first reading of a proposed rezoning from “SND-1” Special Neighborhood District 1 to “C-O” Commercial Office District at 166 Clemens Ave.

• Approved the first reading of a proposed rezoning from “R-2” Single Family and Two-Family District and from “C-1” Local Business District to “C-1A” Neighborhood Business District at 1421 N. Walnut Ave.

• Approved Mayfair Sector Plan 2, about 221 acres, located within the Comal County Water Improvement District No. 3, within the Mayfair Project, at the southwest corner of Woods Path and I-35 N.

• Approved the first reading of a proposed rezoning to apply a special use permit to allow short-term rental of a residence in the “C-3” Commercial District at 323 Kessler Street.

• Indefinitely postponed action on the first reading of a proposed rezoning to apply a special use permit to allow short-term rental of a residence in the “C-1” Local Business District at 1508 State Highway 46 South.

• Approved a resolution to consent to the creation of Sky Ranch Municipal Utility District in Comal and Guadalupe Counties, consisting of 310.332 acres, including 59.331acres located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Kroesche Lane and Westmeyer Road, adjacent and south of the Stars & Stripes drive-in theatre, and 251 acres located on the south side of Westmeyer Road and east of Airport Road and a development agreement with East Park Place, LLC.

• Approved a resolution to consent to the creation of Guadalupe County Municipal Utility District No. 5, consisting of about 300 acres located on the north side of FM 725, west of The Bandit Golf Course in the Long Creek Subdivision, and south of the intersection of Altwein Lane and FM 725 and an agreement with Highlander NB One, LLC.

• Approved the $74,143 purchase of a rescue utility vehicle for the New Braunfels Fire Department from Alternative Support Apparatus LLC, utilizing funding provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, State Homeland Security Program — Regular Projects Grant for program year 2022.

• Approved a contract with Verizon Connect for an annual subscription for vehicle tracking and information devices. The initial contract term is 12 months for 302 vehicles at a total annual cost of $68,674.

• Authorized the city manager to execute a lease agreement with Texas State Technical College for a 24,788 square-foot building on the Central Texas Technology Center Campus at 2189 FM 758, Building A on the New Braunfels National Airport property.

• Approved a budget amendment in the fiscal year 2022 General Fund, Airport Fund, and Golf Fund.

• Renewed the following annual contracts, as allowed for by their contract language: on-call third-party building inspections, durable equipment preventative maintenance services, maintenance and license for CAD and records management system, EMS billing interface software, legal services, non-native animal species control, EAHCP floating vegetation management, dissolved oxygen monitoring and management, native riparian habitat restoration-riffle beetle, Old Channel aquatic vegetation restoration and maintenance, Comal River/Landa Lake aquatic vegetation restoration and maintenance, river recreation litter removal and floating vegetation services.

• Approved annual routine recurring expenditures for the remaining fiscal year 2022 closeout per city charter.

• Approved annual routine recurring expenditures for fiscal year 2023 per city charter.

• Approved a $52,521 contract with GTS Technology Solutions, Inc for wireless technology infrastructure upgrades in city-owned buildings.

• Approved an expenditure with Comm Fit for purchasing fitness equipment for $99,288 utilizing a BuyBoard contract.