San Marcos Mercury | Local News from San Marcos and Hays County, Texas
Email Email | Print Print --

December 23rd, 2009
Council waits on campaign finance limits

cityhallSan Marcos City Hall. Photo by Andy Sevilla.

By ANDY SEVILLA 
Associate Editor 
  
The San Marcos City Council declined once again to take up campaign finance limitations last week. However, the council made numerous appointments to most boards and commissions they didn’t sunset at the same meeting. 
 
Almost unanimously, the council tabled discussion on individual campaign contribution limits for the second time. The general drift of the council was that it wanted to finish the final meeting of 2009 in timely fashion, though outgoing Councilmember Pam Couch said she wanted the discussion so she could have something to say about it in her final meeting. 
 
Ryan Thomason will take Couch’s seat in January after winning a run-off election against Lisa Marie Coppoletta earlier this month. The results of the election will be canvassed Wednesday at noon. At the first meeting of 2010, the council will take up campaign contribution limits from individuals to specific candidates. The  
 
The council also voted unanimously to turn back the hands of time, and re-christen San Marcos Fire and Rescue by its original name, San Marcos Fire Department. Fire Chief Les Stephens said the change would come about without cost to the city, though equipment and uniforms would take on the new name once upgrades and replacements were needed.  
  
In other council business, acting under the recommendation of the Sunset Advisory Commission, councilmembers retired the city’s Beautification Commission, Drainage Advisory Board, Minority Tourism Development Board, Transportation Advisory Board, and the Youth Commission. 
  
The council also named several appointments to the remaining city boards and commissions. Most notably, the council filled three seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) to add Bryon (Bucky) Couch, Jude Prather and Christopher Wood. 
 
One of the new commissioners replaces Thomason, who steps down to join the city council. Thomason ran for city council with Pam Couch as his treasurer. Bucky Couch is the outgoing councilmember’s husband. Wood is Thomason’s business partner. Prather is a one-time city council candidate who has since returned from military re-deployment in Iraq to champion veterans’ issues. 
 
Other appointments to boards and commissions include: 
  
·         Airport Commission: reappointed John A. Diaz, Ronald Dickens and Shaune Fraser, and appointed Dan Gibson and Shaune Maycock. 
·         Animal Shelter Advisory Board: reappointed Mark Brinkley and Bert Stratemann. 
·         Arts Commission: reappointed Dianne McCabe and Arlis Hiebert, and appointed Jennifer Roby. 
·         Construction Board of Appeals: appointed Clark Huff and Mathew Swihart. 
·         Convention and Visitors’ Bureau Board: reappointed Michelle Carswell, Richard Weik, and appointed Bryan Miller, T. Cay Rowe and Ann DuPont. 
·         Economic Development Board: reappointed Wayne Becak, Debbie Ingalsbe and Perry Moore. 
·         Historic Preservation Commission: reappointed Kevin Romig and appointed Polly Wright. 
·         Housing Authority: (Council changed board from five to seven members) reappointed Rev. Samuel Montoya and Earl Moseley, and appointed Paulette Wallington and Richard Mercado (the remaining Housing Commissioner representative will be reappointed when a volunteer is available). 
·         Human Services Advisory Board: reappointed David Case, Anita Fuller, Bill Daniels and Thomas Rhoades, and appointed Gregory Foster. 
·         Library Board: reappointed Michael Hennessey, appointed Linda Coker, John Meeks and Betty Nagy. 
·         Main Street Advisory Board: reappointed Ralph Meyers and Dave Newman; and appointed Bill Cunningham and Rob Robertson (remaining 2 positions will be appointed when volunteers are available). 
·         Parks and Recreation Board: reappointed Bill Taylor and Steve Sunquist; and appointed Peter Ingwersen, Robert Mooney, Chad Williams and Sheila Torres-Blank. 
·         Planning and Zoning Commission: appointed Christopher Wood, Jude Prather and Bryon (Bucky) Couch 
·         San Marcos/Hays County EMS Committee: appointed Mayor Susan Narvaiz. 
·         Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee: reappointed Clay Patterson, and appointed David Adams. 
·         Zoning Board of Adjustments: reappointed Saul Gonzales, Pax Chagnon and Gary Gooch as voting members, and appointed Augustine Agwele (first alternate) and Joes Hessalroad (second alternate). 
 
The council decided to make appointments to the Ethics Review Commission once volunteers were available, and will make appointments to the San Marcos Industrial Board at a later time.  
  
The Dec. 16 meeting marked Couch’s last meeting as a public officer after serving on council for three years. A ceremony honoring Couch’s service took place during a council recess in the City Hall foyer.

Email Email | Print Print
--

Recommended for you

0 thoughts on “Council waits on campaign finance limits”

  1. It would be nice if there can be a link at the City website that tells us who serves on all the different committees, boards, commissions. So, I sent that suggestion over to the “Ask a Question” feature at the City website this evening.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Not a MercuryPro client?

Get full access to the San Marcos Mercury, posthaste. Sign up here.

Weather

MERCURY MEDIA ON FACEBOOK

MERCURY MEDIA ON TWITTER

back-to-top
:)