Dating Violence Awareness Month, redistricting, Wayfinding Committee final report, zoning change for Mill Scale Metal Works, a zoning text amendment, board/commission/committee nominations and qualifications were discussed in Tuesday’s City Council Meeting.

Dating Violence Awareness Month: Mayor White issued a proclamation designating February as Dating Violence Awareness Month to members of the Lockhart Police Department’s Victim Services Division and Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center.

Redistricting: City Council approved two resolutions to adopt the criteria to develop new districting plans and the guidelines for public participation in the redistricting process after Mr. Syd Falk of Bickerstaff, Heath, Delgado & Acosta—the City’s redistricting special counsel—presented the firm’s Initial Assessment showing Councilmember districts are sufficiently out of population balance, requiring redistricting.

To address the difference, three map drawing sessions—where the firm’s tech crew will be drawing proposed district lines on a map to achieve population balance--have been scheduled for February 8, 22, and March 8. A public hearing on the Redistricting plan is tentatively scheduled for the March 15 City Council meeting.

A dedicated webpage on the City’s redistricting efforts has been created to provide more information throughout the process.

Wayfinding Committee: Council accepted the Wayfinding Committee’s final report, regarding a system of signage for city gateways and directional/interpretive signage for both pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding.

City Board and Commission Nominees and Appointments Ordinance: Council approved an ordinance amending the number of days that a Councilmember is allotted to nominate and appoint members of City Board and Commissions from 90 days to 45 days.  

City Board and Commission Nominee Qualifications: Council directed City Staff to bring back an amended list of qualifications for City Board and Commission nominees. Councilmembers agreed that any nominee should be over the age of 21, a Lockhart resident, a registered voter and can reliably attend board/committee meetings. Council will continue discussions on nominee qualifications in the next regular Council meeting, February 15.

Zoning Change: City Council approved Matthew Johnson and Mill Scale Metal’s request, made on behalf of Keith Schmidt, for a zoning change from Commercial Business to Commercial Heavy Business on a 1.363-acre property on 711 N. Colorado St./U.S. 183 to make way for a barbecue smoker manufacturing and retail facility.

Zoning Text Amendment: City Council approved the Zoning Text Amendment requiring each dwelling unit of the SF-1 and SF-2 development type shall provide covered vehicle parking in the form of a carport or garage having a usable parking area, exclusive of storage or other functions, of at least 440 square feet (two vehicles) for the SF-1 development type or 220 square feet (one vehicle) for the SF-2 development type. Carports shall be provided with an integral enclosed storage room of at least 40 square feet. Garages and carports shall not extend closer to the front property line that the wall or covered porch of the front of the house that is closest to the front property line. Front-facing garage doors shall not occupy more than 40 percent of the width of the house for one or two-car garages, and no more than 50 percent of the width of the house for three-car garages.

The Planning and Zoning Commission also approved the amendments in last week’s committee meeting.