Poteet city council annexes Strawberry Fields Subdivision




 

 

Poteet City Council members approved the ordinance annexing the 183 acres known as Strawberry Fields Subdivision within the city limits, at the Jan. 5 meeting. Abstaining was council member Denise Sanchez, who said some citizens had talked to her so she wanted to do some research first.

Others comprising the council are Mayor Willie Leal Jr., Mayor Pro Tem Nicholas Sanchez and council members Rick T. Flores Sr., Richard Castillon and Jesse Leal. Castillon was not in attendance.

Before council’s vote, a public hearing was held on the proposed annexation of the subdivision with no one speaking. However, Mayor Willie Leal Jr. received an email from Abigail Buck, who reviewed and thought carefully about the housing tract. Leal read Buck’s email which listed the four risks she identified in annexing the land: 1.) Limitation to the city’s existing infrastructure regarding water and sewer, 2.) Inability to sell 381 homes, with vacant homes causing a risk to fires and criminal activity, 3.) Lack of green space for housing tract occupants and 4.) Increase cost to residents via taxes and or quality of life.

Mayor Leal also clarified that as per guidelines from the Texas Government Code, “Open public hearings are for citizens to express their concerns or statements they wish to make. It is not a questionand answer session between the individual and city council members.”

No action was required on the performance evaluation of City Administrator Eric Jiminez, pursuant to section 5.1 of the City Administrator Contract and Approval of a favorable reviewwitha4or above average rating to be given to this performance evaluation period.

Mayor Leal explained that according to section 5.1 if the council fails to provide the administrator with performance reading under this paragraph, the administrator shall be deemed to have achieved a rating evaluation of 4 or above average which generally exceeds the performance standards. The city attorney sent an email on Dec. 17 to all of the council and mayor asking them to complete the attached annual performance evaluation for Jiminez and return by Dec. 23 to be on the Jan. 5 agenda. Only Mayor Leal completed it within the timeline. No action was required to be taken by council.

As Mayor Leal explained later, “According to his [Jiminez’s] contract, that if council members fail to submit the evaluation, he automatically gets 4s all the way across.”

During Council Comments, council members wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Flores said as they brought in the new year, on behalf of the fire department there was only one electrical fire on a power line. He commended Poteet residents for doing a wonderful job.

Mayor Leal ended the meeting expressing, “We have a lot of things coming our way this new year. We’ll make it a positive one, 2021. We’re getting off to a great start with a lot of positive things coming to our community. So with that said, Happy New Year everybody and stay safe.”

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