It was a good weekend for the New Braunfels Fire Department.
On Friday, firefighters, city staff and elected officials and residents gathered at the construction site on city-owned property on Water Lane for the departmentâs future Fire Station No. 2 for a topping -out ceremony, which included an opportunity to sign the final roof beam before it was placed on the building.
New Braunfels Fire Chief Patrick OâConnell addresses attendees during a topping-out ceremony for the future Fire Station No. 2 on Friday. The $7.4 million fire station, approved by voters as part of the 2019 bond program, will include living quarters, a kitchen, a day room, a gym, and room to house four apparatus.Â
New Braunfels city leaders are looking into realigning the terms of the cityâs boards and commissions so appointments would occur only twice yearly â in the fall or spring.
The city now maintains 31 boards and commissions. Each board and commission have term dates, term lengths and requirements for eligibility unique to the creating ordinance, state law or by-laws of the body.
City Secretary Caitlin Krobot told New Braunfels City Council members on Monday that her office brings board and commission appointments for city council consideration every month of the year except June and July.
âThis process oftentimes can be confusing to the community about when weâre appointing folks, when do the terms start,â Krobot said.
New Braunfels City Council members last week gave an initial OK to an ordinance defining efficiency and studio apartments and identifying vehicle parking standards for those types of housing units.
Jean Drew, the cityâs assistant planning director, told council members city staff had identified a need to determine an appropriate parking standard for efficiency and studio apartments that consist of one common room for living, with a separate room allowed only for the bathroom.
âOver the course of the past several years, weâve had several projects come before us in pre-development meetings with an interest in efficiency apartments, including new build apartments and reuse of existing structures, addressing both a nationwide trend and the need for one-family housing,â Drew said.
Independence Day falls on a Sunday and celebrated Monday this year, and itâs a sure bet many New Braunfels and Comal County residents will toss in Friday for a four-day holiday weekend.
The area will truly experience a new sense of freedom this July 4th period â exactly one year since the height of COVID-19 and executive orders began mandating protective face coverings in most private and public areas throughout Texas.
Social distancing didnât subdue attendance at county and city parks last year, and all will be open throughout the weekend. City and county offices and businesses will be closed Monday, but many other venues will have amended hours.
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