City council election results from major precincts

Precinct 125 (Kensington Trails, turnout: 4.43 percent)

1. Koch 26.36 percent
2. Parsley 25.45 percent
3. Kaufman 20.91 percent
4. None of the candidates 18.18 percent
5. Willis 9.09 percent

Precinct 126 (Waterleaf, turnout 5.85 percent)

1. Koch 29.69 percent
2. Parsley 23.96 percent
3. Kaufman 23.44 percent
4. Willis 12.5 percent
5. None of the candidates 10.42 percent

Precinct 127 (Bunton Creek, turnout 4.43 percent)

1. Koch 34 percent
2. Parsley 24 percent
3. Kaufman 18 percent
4. Willis 18 percent
5. None of the candidates 6 percent

Precinct 128 (Post Oak, turnout 5.64 percent)

1. Koch 43.24 percent
2. Kaufman 17.57 percent
3. Parsley 14.86 percent
4. Willis 12.16 percent
5. None of the candidates 12.16 percent

Precinct 129 (Amberwood, turnout 4.99 percent)

1. Kaufman 25 percent
2. Koch 23.44 percent
3. Parsley 23.44 percent
4. None of the candidates 20.31 percent
5. Willis 7.81 percent

Precinct 130 (Steeplechase, turnout 6.18 percent)

1. Koch 28.79 percent
2. Parsley 20.71 percent
3. Kaufman 17.68 percent
4. Willis 17.1 percent
5. None of the candidates 16.16 percent

Precinct 220 (Plum Creek, turnout 13.39 percent)

1. Koch 39.27 percent
2. Parsley 31.95 percent
3. Kaufman 21.95 percent
4. None of the candidates 4.63 percent
5. Willis 2.2 percent

Precinct 221 (Plum Creek/Spring Branch, turnout 7.47 percent)

1. Koch 34.6 percent
2. Kaufman 28.91 percent
3. Parsley 26.07 percent
4. None of the candidates 6.64 percent
5. Willis 3.79 percent

Precinct 223 (Silverado/Old Town, turnout 7.4 percent)

1. Parsley 27.18 percent
2. Koch 24.76 percent
3. Kaufman 21.84 percent
4. Willis 16.02 percent
5. None of the candidates 10.19 percent

Precinct 419 (Hometown Kyle, turnout 9.72 percent)

1. Koch 35.32 percent
2. Parsley 29.36 percent
3. Kaufman 14.68 percent
4. Willis 12.84 percent
5. None of the candidates 7.8 percent

Precinct 420 (Blanco River Crossing, turnout 21.9 percent)

1. Willis 54.55 percent
2. Koch 27.27 percent
3. Kaufman 9.09 percent
4. None of the candidates 6.06 percent
5. Parsley 3.03 percent

Four more roundabouts planned for Kyle’s east side

The city has negotiated a road extension contract that will ultimately result in four additional roundabouts on the city’s east side.

The contract would extend Lehman Road north from its present terminus at Bunton Creek and then west so it would ultimately connect to Dacy Lane at the intersection of Seton Parkway. It would also involve extending Kyle Parkway east to that extended Lehman Road.

The plan calls for roundabouts at the intersections of Kyle Parkway and Dacy Lane, Lehman and Bunton Creek, Lehman and Kyle Parkway and Lehman and Dacy Lane.

Voters consider city council (a) irrelevant, (b) incompetent, (c) both

Admittedly, odd-numbered-year elections don’t attract that many voters. Over the last 20 years, the average statewide turnout in odd-year elections (those elections without a candidate seeking a U.S. House or Senate seat on the ballot) is just a little over 9 percent of registered voters. Compare that to a presidential election which attracts more than 60 percent.

So perhaps it should come as no surprise when the official canvass of the Nov. 2 election revealed only 7.36 percent of Kyle’s registered voters took the time to vote, even though that was still 2 percent below the statewide turnout. But it was also markedly lower than was registered by our neighbors to the south (San Marcos’s turnout was 9.92 percent) and the north (Buda’s was a comparatively robust 13.65 percent).

But Kyle’s numbers become even more alarming when you examine them more closely.

In the citywide District 5 city council contest, incumbent Mayor Pro Temp finished first, receiving the support 32.6 percent of those who voted. Daniela C. Parsley finished second with 24.8 percent, Leah Kaufman was third with 20.6 percent, Donny J. Willis was fourth with 12 percent and (wait for it!), None of the Above finished fifth with 10 per cent.

That’s right! One out of every 10 voters said “A pox on all your houses. None of these four candidates has earned the right to receive a vote from me.” Were those voters saying (a) “I’m only interested in voting for the constitutional amendments and I don’t give a damn who wins the city council race” or (b) “Not one of these four candidates has done a damn thing to earn my vote”?

No exit polls were conducted at any of the 10 voting precincts that participated in the Kyle City Council election, but it really doesn’t matter. Either answer, when added to the dismal turnout among Kyle voters compared to our neighbors to the north and south, demonstrates just how irrelevant or incompetent (perhaps both) voters view the council.

The story doesn’t get any better (it could even be successfully argued it gets worse) when you look at the District 6 race in which incumbent Michael Tobias received 75.5 percent of those who cast ballots in the district. That may look like an overwhelming mandate except for one fact: He was unopposed! That means one in every four District 6 voters said basically the same thing, either “I don’t care about the city council race” or “I’m not that fond of Tobias.” Of course, many of those candidates could have skipped the race thinking “He’s the only candidate in the race, why should I waste my time voting for him since he’s obviously going to win anyway.” But, if that was the motivation, those voters were still considering taking a mere millisecond to vote for someone for the Kyle City Council “a waste of my time.”

And there’s one more piece of evidence that illustrates the “I-could-care-less” attitude of District 6 voters: Only 5.25 percent of the district’s registered voters even bothered to take the time to cast a ballot. That’s more than 2 percentage points lower than the city’s pathetic overall showing.

The message is clear: Residents care about what the city staff does. They want navigable streets, safe neighborhoods, decent and convenient shopping/restaurant options, park/recreational facilities and a safe/economical/reliable water supply (not necessarily in that order of importance). But they don’t care one iota about what the city council does or, for that matter, who even sits in the council. I’ve heard that message and The Kyle Report’s coverage of city government will follow those dictates.

Name that school

 The Hays Consolidated Independent School District School Naming Committee is asking district residents, taxpayers, or service providers to submit possible names between now and noon Nov. 29 for the district’s 15th elementary school, scheduled to open next August in Buda’s Sunfield subdivision. Nominations can be submitted by clicking here.

“New schools in Hays CISD can be named for historical or geographical sites or communities; subdivisions; significant local, state, or national figures (living or deceased); people who have made significant contributions to education in the district (living or deceased); local, state, or national historical events or places; or people who have donated land or money for the property or facility,” the district said in a statement released today.

Sometime after the nomination process closes on the 29th, “the naming committee will meet to begin narrowing name options,” according to today’s announcement from the district. “The committee could suggest a name, or slate of possible names, to the board of trustees as early as December. The board could then choose a final name for the school in January 2022.”

The district added the following criteria for submitting nominations:

• Nominations must be in good taste, and not generally considered offensive, silly, or embarrassing.
• If the nominated name is an historical or geographic site, the name submitted must be accompanied by a written summary and/or a description of the significance of the name.
• If the nominated name is an individual, the name submitted must be accompanied by a written rationale and/or description of the named person's accomplishments. 

Each name nominated must fulfill the following criteria, according to the district:

• The nominee shall be widely respected, regardless of any partisan affiliation.
• The nominee shall be a person of character who embodies a wholesome image that would be expected to stand the test of time.
• The nominee shall have a background of service to people of the district, Texas, or the United States.

Koch, Parsley headed for council runoff

In an election that featured a dismally low turnout — less than 5 percent of Kyle’s registered voters — challenger Daniela C. Parsley forced incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Rick Koch into a Dec. 7 runoff Tuesday night in the race for City Council District 5.

Koch finished with 99 more votes than Parsley in an election in which only 1,302 persons voted. That’s 4.98 percent of the registered voters in Kyle and only 8.4 percent of the total number of voters who cast ballots in last year’s city council election.

The final tally showed Koch leading with 463 votes, or 35.56 percent of the total votes cast. Parsley had 364 votes, or 27.96 percent. Leah Kaufman finished third with 290 votes (22.27 percent) and Donny Willis was fourth in the four-candidate race with 185 votes (14.21 percent).

Last year, which admittedly featured a presidential race at the top of the ballot, saw 15,473 votes cast ballots in a city-wide council race.

Koch has slim lead in early voting, appears headed for runoff

Mayor Pro Tem Rick Koch, seeking his second three-year term on the Kyle City Council, is slightly ahead of Daniela Parsley in the four-candidate council election race following the tabulations of the early and absentee voting, but is falling significantly short of a majority.

Koch leads Parsley by a scant 34 votes. Koch collected 34.17 percent of the 720 early ballots cast. Parsley has 28.75 percent, Leah Kaufmann is third with 21.81 percent and Donny Willis is currently in fourth place with 15.28 percent.

How the City Council voted Monday night

 Annexations

   Accept the withdrawal of the petition for annexation of 37.99 acres located at 301 Bebee Road; setting annexation schedule; providing for open meetings and other related matters.
   Approved 6-0 (Mayor Pro Tem Koch absent when vote taken)

   (Second Reading) An ordinance annexing 2.548 acres located at 4750 Dacy Lane, including the abutting streets, roadways, and rights-of-way into the corporate limits of the City, at the request of the property owner; approving a service plan for the annexed area; making findings of fact; providing a severability clause and an effective date; and providing for open meetings and other related matters.
   Approved 5-1 (Flores-Cale dissenting, Mayor Pro Tem Koch absent when vote taken)

PIDs

   Approve a resolution accepting a preliminary service and assessment plan for the Plum Creek North Public Improvement District; directing the filing of proposed assessment rolls for said public improvement district; approving the publication of notice of a public hearing to consider an ordinance levying assessments on property located within said public improvement district that is specially benefitted by the improvements being financed; directing city staff to publish and mail notice of said public hearing; and resolving other matters incident and related thereto; and providing an effective date.
   Approved 7-0

Zoning

   (Second Reading) An amendment to Kyle’s zoning ordinances for the purpose of assigning original zoning to 318 total acres (PUD Zoning, 256 acres to Single Family Attached [R-1-A]; 43.92 acres to Apartments Residential-3 [R-3-3]; and 18.38 acres to Retail Service District [RS]) for property located at 700 Bunton Lane and 800 Bunton Lane.
   Approved 6-1 (Tobias dissenting)

   (Postponed 10/4/21) (First Reading) An amendment to Kyle’s zoning ordinances for the purpose of assigning original zoning to 10.81 acres to Retail Service District (RS)' and 34.83 acres to Multi-Family Residential-3 (R-3-3) for property located at 20139 IH-35.
   Motion to deny approved 6-0 (Mayor Mitchell recused)

Other items for individual consideration

   Consider approving an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between the City of Kyle and Hays County for the city's funding obligations of each entity for the Center Street Union Pacific rail siding project.  The city's total funding obligation shall not exceed $1.23 million this ILA.
   Approved 6-0 (Mayor Mitchell absent when vote taken)

   Authorize the city manager to execute site specific declarations of covenants, restrictions and easements for the Heroes Memorial tracts, approve letter agreements authorizing the conveyance and addressing drainage and restrictive covenant obligations, and authorize the city manager or mayor to execute all documents necessary to accept conveyance of Heroes Memorial tracts.
   Approved 5-1 (Flores-Cale dissenting, Mayor Mitchell absent when vote taken)

   Approval of change order No. 4 to Cadence McShane Construction Company LLC of Austin, in an additional amount not to exceed $438,030, increasing the total contract amount to $8,388,030 for the purpose of funding value engineering items that were later denied and kept in Heroes Memorial Park.
   Approved 6-0 (Mayor Mitchell absent when vote taken)

   Approval of change order No. 6 to Cadence McShane Construction Company LLC of Austin, Texas an additional amount not to exceed $99,002, increasing the total contract amount to $8,487,032 for the purpose constructing eight-inch reclaimed waterline underneath Kohlers Crossing.
   Approved 6-0 (Mayor Mitchell absent when vote taken)

   Authorize award and execution of a purchase order to Rushworks in an amount not to exceed $29,600 utilizing PEG funds, for the upgrade of servers and AV equipment used to record and broadcast public meetings on the internet and public access channel, inside council chambers.
   Approved 7-0

   Authorize the Police Department to purchase four Haenni Instruments WL101 wheel load weigher scales in an amount not to exceed $21,000 from Loadometer Corporation. (These scales will allow police officers to weigh potentially overweight commercial vehicles travelling on streets, roads, and highways within the city limits.)
   Approved 7-0

   Consider amending the project management services contract with K Friese & Associates, Inc., of Austin to add two additional roads to their scope of work for various upcoming road improvement projects. (The two additional roads to be added are the extension of Seton Parkway north to connect to Kohlers Crossing and the extension of Lehman Road north and then west connecting to Dacy Lane at the intersection of Seton Parkway.)
   Approved 6-0 (Flores-Cale absent when vote taken)

   Development agreement establishing development standards for the RPC Kyle, LLC and Kyle 120, LLC development.
   Approved 7-0

   Consideration and possible action to update the stormwater regulations ordinance to include more stringent requirements for the construction of concrete washout pits.
   Motion to direct staff to update  the stormwater regulations ordinance approved 6-0 (Mayor Pro Tem Koch absent when vote taken)

   Discussion and possible action regarding the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
   Motion to bring the item back on the Jan. 4 council meeting agenda approved 6-0 (Mayor Pro Tem Koch absent when vote taken)

   Take action on items discussed in Executive Session.
   No action taken.