Six candidates are vying for three two-year terms on the Village of Salado Board of Aldermen for the May 6 general election. They appear on the ballot in this order: D. Jasen Graham, Bert Henry, Linda Reynolds, Rodney W. Bell, Lennox J. Alfred, and Samuel Morris. Cody Coufal withdrew from the race on April 10.
This week, Salado Village Voice asked the following questions about roads and parks to the candidates.
Question 1: How would you rate the overall condition of roads that are within the Village right of way (not state or county)? Are the upcoming projects enough? What would you support to improve the road infrastructure of the local roads in the Village? (200 words)
Question 2: Further on this topic, would you support implementation of Road Impact Fees for future developments that feed into or connect to existing Village-owned roadways? What other funding mechanisms would you support for road improvements? (150 words)
Question 3: What can the Village do to address parking within the business district and downtown area of Salado? (150 words)
Question 4: What do you think of the Village maintenance, improvement and expansion of its parks system? Do we have enough parks and recreation facilities in the Village? If not, what can the BoA do to improve this quality of life issue in Salado? (150 words)
D. Jasen Graham
Question 1: On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the roads the Village is responsible for maintaining as a 6. Collectively the surfaces of our roads are serviceable for residential traffic. The major issue our roads face is twofold. The majority of our roads are too narrow for anything more than two vehicles passing each other in separate directions. This is a complicated issue to address because of space limitations. The only way to widen many of our roads is to expand them into private property. The other challenge we face is the weight rating of our roads. Most of our roads are only rated for residential traffic and are not constructed to support prolonged movement from heavier construction vehicles.
While upcoming projects the Village has for the next 18-24 months go a long way toward making improvements to our infrastructure, they don’t fully address the long-term sustainability of our entire road system. We need a true capital improvement plan that lays out a maintenance plan for every road prioritized by the volume of traffic and the condition of the road. This is an area needing improvement in the way our Village manages operations and maintenance related projects.
Question 2: Yes, I would support the implementation of Road Impact fees for future developments that feed into or connect to existing Village-owned roadways. This would include developments in our ETJ that apply to those criteria as well. We have reached a level in our residential growth rate that the volume of traffic on our roads justifies these fees with new residential and commercial development contracts.
The Village already seeks federal, state and country funds in the form of grants and other partnerships to support funding of road maintenance and improvement. These are efforts we need to continue to offset costs incurred within our annual budget. The Village budgeted $362,500 for this fiscal year and we have already committed close to 90% of that with under half of the budget year remaining. Fortunately, most of the upcoming projects include outside funding but it does show the need to seek alternative funds.
Question 3: Much like the residential road width, this is a complicated issue to address. Property lines within the business district and downtown area were established long ago without consideration to growth and the space required to provide adequate parking, particularly during peak season events (Christmas Stroll, Wildflower Art Festival, Scottish Gathering, etc.). This is a challenge the vast majority of municipalities our size face.
Potential solutions include additional temporary offsite parking during peak seasons with shuttles providing transit service to more congested areas or purchase of additional land to construct parking lots on the periphery of the business district. However, the purchase of additional land and parking lot construction would be cost prohibitive and the benefits would not outweigh the cost.
Question 4: Our current annual budget for parks is $68,500. The budget also allocates $34,770.60 for maintenance worker wages. This funding supports some improvements but is mainly focused toward maintaining what we have.
The acreage of private and public parks we have for a municipality our size is sufficient. However, the number of parks we have is not as important as what we are or are not doing to maintain and improve the existing parks we have. The addition of a new playground in Pace Park will improve our existing facilities and with that project now being fully funded we can move forward in making that a reality.
New development agreements contain language for developers to provide funds to support our community’s parks or build parks internal to their developments. This helps keep parks maintained. However, we must ensure these funds have the biggest impact where they are needed most.
Bert Henry
Question 1: I would rate the overall road conditions in the Village as poor. The number of potholes suggest they have been neglected for years. When repairs are made, they are not done properly (I received a text message on April 6 about the Village Maintenance Foreman patching a pothole on Smith Bluff, with cold mix, while it was raining. I drove over and confirmed it myself and it wasn’t sufficiently compacted).
I’m pleased about the upcoming road projects scheduled for this summer, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. I do, however, have some concerns about the Royal Street project, which begins at Main Street and continues to Drake’s Landing. The original price tag for the full restoration was $2 million, but was negotiated down to $1.2 million, according to the Village Administrator. The cost savings is certainly a plus, but what will we lose with the approximate decrease of $800,000?
I would like to revisit a partnership with Bell County, in which Village roads were chip sealed by the County, at cost (materials, equipment and labor). It’s not the most ideal solution, admittedly, but it’s cost effective and would be a significant improvement to existing conditions.
Question 2: As I stated during the recent Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum, I would fully support Road Impact Fees for future developments that feed into or connect to existing Village-owned roadways. In fact, I would encourage it. This is not a foreign concept. Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code authorizes impact fees to be imposed against new development, so I don’t see a reason to not pursue them as an option. The residents of Salado are certainly bearing more fiscal responsibility than they should with the Sanctuary Development Agreement, which has been proven to benefit the Developers, not the Village or its residents. Those types of deals cannot happen again.
Another option would be to continue to seek grants for road improvements in the Village. Additionally, as stated above, I would revisit a partnership with Bell County to assist with road improvements.
Question 3: It’s difficult to make additional parking spaces where no space exists. One possibility would be to look into changing the diagonal, back-in parking along Main Street to traditional parking. It wouldn’t fix the lack of parking on a large scale, but every added space would help. Additionally, I would suggest a continued partnership with the local churches to utilize their parking lots, if permission were granted. Furthermore, opening the gated area along Salado Creek at Pace Park would offer a great deal of additional parking, especially on the weekends and during peak seasons.
Question 4: I am disappointed with the Village’s maintenance of our parks. When repairs are needed, they are done improperly and in a way that leaves the Village open to liability. The residents deserve better and it’s not a good first impression for visitors. Also, there needs to be an improved process to ensure the restroom facilities are open when necessary.
In my opinion, we do not have enough parks and recreation facilities in the Village. In order to expand our current options, the Village needs to acquire more open space and not allow developers a “buy out” option to prevent them from including these areas.
On a positive note, the long-awaited construction of the All-Abilities Playground is scheduled to begin in “6-8 weeks.” Additionally, the Parks Advisory Board is currently in discussions about some exciting new additions. The potential additions include Pickle Ball Courts and a Dog Park.
Linda Reynolds
Question 1: Our Village residential roads range from outstanding (Natasha St) to Donkey Cart paths….most at the low end.
More commercial roads are on the list, and I will support both the county and village spending more funds on our roads instead of going in together on the new village offices outside the Village.
Question 2: The taxpayer pays a hefty amount to Bell County and Bell County Roads. We need Commissioner Whitson to partner with the Village to do what Tim Brown use to do when we were not incorporated.
Also, the taxpayer pays franchise taxes every month on garbage, water, electric, phone and cable bills. Those dollars should go to the road repair.
In other words, the village taxpayer is already paying road repair taxes. Will the leaders spend it on new Village Offices, or repair our roads?
In the past 9 years I have attended nearly all PNZ and board meetings. Except for the fact that the Village manager does not encourage speakers to be heard, or improve outside lighting or safe handicap accessibility, I have been comfortable.
Question 3: The Civic center, Brookshires, and the Churches have been very generous about opening their lots.
Business owners need to identify parking areas for employees, so one business does not infringe on another businesses’ customer parking.
The Chamber and Tourism folks must work to better advertise a free Trolley ride at events, and even spend some $$ to hire teens with drivers licenses?
Effort and creativity are needed on this issue, since land is at a premium.
Question 4: The Village needs a pool to teach swimming to little ones, and allow the elderly a safe place to exercise. We need to look ahead to the day when Hidden Glen may be for sale. There is a great deal of land still to be developed at that site.
When the developer of Hidden Glen gave the Village $10,000 for parks, instead of creating park space on the development, the money melted away into the budget.
When our Ordinance required a development the size of Mustang Springs to give the Village $800,000 for our park system, our mayor negotiated us down to a $300,000 donation (tax deductible for the developer) and Mustang Springs kept $500,000 in pocket.
Also, we all support the schools financially. I’d like to open discussions about a partnership to negotiate use and improvement of playgrounds when school is not in session.
Rodney W. Bell
Question 1: I would rate the overall condition of roads within the Village as fair.
I believe the upcoming Royal street and West Village road projects will be successful road projects, but they are only part of a bigger issue. Continual road projects and budgeting for projects each year is the answer to solving this problem.
To solve the problem, we need to continue our efforts to capture federal and state dollars similar to the Royal Street project. In addition, we need to continue to budget Maintenance & Operations (M&O) allocations into road projects. As additional developments are added to the village, the pool of money from tax revenue will assist in solving this problem.
Question 2: I would support a Road Impact Fee on future developments, however that needs to be up-front on the developer. The implementation of the fee structure needs to be evaluated and does not need to be a tax on the home owner after the developer has sold the lot. The developer will pass the fee to the buyer, however the fee needs to be assessed only one time.
As mentioned above, continuing our efforts to capture federal and state dollars to address road improvements is a key strategy. This allows us to improve roads and not bear the burden of using M&O allocations. Therefore, additional projects can be initiated by using the village tax dollars through the normal budgeting process. These additional projects are typically smaller in size and can be addressed quicker.
Question 3: The village needs to work with businesses to see if we can create a more centralized parking environment. As more businesses and activity come into the village, we need to establish a long-range plan for solving this problem. Utilizing property off of Royal Street may be a partial solution, but we need to identify additional space to solve this problem.
With big events, there needs to be more planning and utilization of the shuttling services from remote parking locations. Better communication of where the parking exist may need to be added to digital platforms for ease of use. In addition, more signage may assist in this issue
Question 4: In my opinion maintenance of our parks system is poor, and is solely the responsibility of the Village. I believe the parks board has been working hard on future projects, and progress is being made on Pace Park. Once completed, the Village needs to prioritize the necessary funds to maintain the area to match the new equipment and quality expected in Salado.
I believe we have enough parks and recreational facilities. The new sidewalks on Main Street have added to the quality of life and enhanced our village. As new neighborhood developments are established, parks are also a part of the development. Again, the Village will need to prioritize funding for the proper maintenance of each park.
Lennox J. Alfred
Question 1: Many of the roads within the Village right of way are in need of repairs, maintenance or upgrades. We are experiencing a dramatic increase in vehicles of all sizes and types using the roadway which is not rated for such daily usage. Their overall condition can be considered unsatisfactory. Some roadways are deteriorated to the point of potholes, lost curbs, uneven surfaces and poor drainage. The Village Administration recently identified numerous road improvement projects, restorations and upgrades which includes a $1.2 million road improvement project from Main Street to Drake’s Landing. Many other road improvement projects were also identified throughout the Village for completion this summer. These upcoming improvement projects are well needed but overdue, and reflects only a small portion of the amount of work needed to improve and maintain our roads and infrastructure.
Question 2: It may become necessary for the Village Administration to implement a Road Impact Fee on future property developers to offset the financial burden the Village will have to bear to maintain public infrastructure i.e roads, water and sewers. I will be more inclined to entertain a discussion and support a Public Improvement District (PID) as I see this more beneficial to the Village and the subdivision being served. The financial burden to maintain the infrastructure will be paid for by the members of that community with an assessment which can be set for years in the future.
Question 3: It would be a challenge to address parking within the business district and the downtown area. I am certain every business owner in the downtown area has a major concern about customer parking, which is compounded on weekends and whenever there are special events. Because of the physical layout of the downtown area and the concentration of local business it is difficult to see an effective solution. An option would be to designate alternative parking areas at off-site locations and maintain a shuttle service.
Question 4: The Village Administration and the BoA have a genuine desire to improve the quality of life for the community by their desire to enhance, expand and improve the current parks and recreational facilities. I believe these improvements will benefit our citizens, create a family-oriented facility which can be used and enjoyed by all to include visitors to our Village. I believe the parks and recreation facilities within the Village are adequate. The recent donation of $365,000.00 for the completion of the All Abilities Playground will provide another facility that is dignified, well maintained and offers and exceptional experience to everyone. Whether the park’s usage is for pleasure or moments of relaxation our citizens deserve the best facilities we can provide.
Samuel Morris
Question 1: Throughout the Village, the streets exhibit signs of neglect, despite some efforts made in the past few years to address this issue, such as the improvements made to Park Drive. Unfortunately, the Village still grapples with poor street conditions due to inadequate drainage, insufficient maintenance, and heavy construction. Although the plans for Royal Street represent a step in the right direction, significant projects like this take time to complete. Therefore, we require a stopgap solution to address these problems, even if it is only temporary.
To this end, I propose creating a forum on the Village website where residents can submit and track road and vegetation issues in real-time. We must also review our existing agreement with Bell County to ensure they are fulfilling their responsibilities. Additionally, we should assess the current staffing levels within the Village Maintenance department to provide the administration with the necessary resources to respond promptly to issues.
Overall, we must take a comprehensive approach to improve the state of our streets and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs of our community.
Question 2: In short, yes. When planning development projects, it is essential that the burden of infrastructure impact does not fall on the taxpayer. We must insist that new developments pay their fair share. Whether it’s new housing areas or businesses, developers must ensure that they are doing things correctly. This includes implementing turn lanes if necessary and installing proper curb and gutter systems. We should not limit our focus to just roads but also prioritize drainage.
Although the county and state have personnel responsible for monitoring these developments, it is crucial that the Village has someone who is dedicated to ensuring our best interests are being upheld. Moving forward, we must make sure that things are done right the first time around.
In conclusion, it is imperative that developers take responsibility for the impact their projects have on the community’s infrastructure. By holding them accountable and providing proper oversight, we can ensure that future developments do not place undue financial strain on the taxpayers.
Question 3: After speaking with people about Main Street, it is apparent that parking has become a significant issue over the years. Although the Main Street project was supposed to address this, I am unsure if it has been effective. The back-in parking areas have not worked as intended, and the sidewalk/parking on the south end of Main has created additional problems. Even small SUVs extend out into Main Street make it difficult to see traffic and pedestrians at the Royal Street intersection. As we strive to develop the north side, the need for a solution will only increase. Therefore, we must work with Village businesses to find both public and private solutions.
While the Royal Street project is a step in the right direction, I do not believe it will solve the issue entirely. We need to identify an area on the north side of Main that can accommodate lined parking for visitors, and we should consider creative uses of Village property for the south end.
I am committed to working with the Village and local businesses to address this problem. We must prioritize finding a solution that works for the community and ensures that our streets are safe and accessible for all.
Question 4: Parks and green spaces are vital to any community, offering a range of benefits from playgrounds and ball fields to walking paths and more. Salado is fortunate to have some fantastic areas, but there is always room for improvement.
If elected to represent the community of Salado, my first priority would be to focus on improving Pace Park. However, it is equally important to ensure that new developments coming into the area set aside green space to maintain the charm that makes Salado so unique. We should also encourage developers to incorporate walking and bike paths into their designs for residential and mixed-use areas.
Furthermore, we must continually explore ways to enhance and create new community spaces. These spaces bring people together, which is critical for promoting social cohesion and a sense of belonging. Ultimately, by investing in our parks and green spaces, we can help to create a thriving, healthy, and connected community for everyone to enjoy.