Marble Falls passes rewritten development code, postpones zoning map action
STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS
Marble Falls City Council took a half-step toward replacing its development code and zoning map during the rescheduled regular meeting Oct. 23.
With only the two items on the agenda, the council met for more than three hours and passed the rewritten development code while postponing action on the zoning map to Nov. 20.
Discussion on the development code, which replaces the city’s current land-use regulations, focused on specific recent developments that have taken place and whether they would meet the new ordinance.
The back and forth between City Council members and Valerie Kreger, director of Development Services, covered topics such as setback lengths, construction materials, parking, landscape, and roofing regulations.
Residents at the meeting spoke against some of the regulations and supported a pause on the agenda item.
After a brief executive session, council member Dave Rhodes made a motion to pass the development code. The motion included a caveat that the new code not take effect until Jan. 1, 2019.
The item passed by a 4-1 vote. Council member Craig Magerkurth voted against. Richard Westerman and Megan Klaeger were absent.
Moving on, City Council and Kreger discussed requests made by property owners to consider changes to parts of the updated zoning map. As council and city staff discussed the decision-making process and considered changes, the need to continue working on the map became apparent.
Instead of voting Oct. 23 on the map, council decided to have city staff make adjustments as discussed at the meeting and to come back with those changes at the Nov. 20 meeting. A motion was made to postpone the item, which passed by a 5-0 vote. The draft version of the proposed zoning map can be viewed on the city’s website.
In the consent agenda, council approved amending its ordinance regarding rates and charges to recoup lost revenue to credit card fees.
Effective Dec. 3, the city will begin charging $2.65 for every credit card transaction processed by the city. Previously, the city has absorbed that cost. This year, however, that cost is estimated to be $45,600. From June 2017 to May 2018, the city made 17,287 credit card transactions.