Petition leader asks Horseshoe Bay council to halt airport plans pending election
HORSESHOE BAY — The City Council has rebuffed a request by a neighborhood leader to halt any plans on the airport until after an election that could give residents more say-so on large-scale acquisitions.
At the same time, after being presented two validated petitions April 17, the council agreed to put a pair of propositions on the November ballot including one that would give residents a larger role in decisions on big acquisitions, such as a proposal to buy the airport owned by the Horseshoe Bay Resort.
The other proposition deals with changes to the city charter.
Bill Wines, who helped lead the petition effort, asked the council to agree to a delay on votes involving the airport until after the election Nov. 6.
But his request did not generate much support.
"The council’s actions to certify that we will hold an election speaks for itself," Councilman Tom Schmersahl said.
Indeed, any decision would be months away, said Mayor Bob Lambert.
"If the city does receive a proposal, the process would take at least six months," he said.
More than a year ago, a city committee began researching the feasibility of acquiring the airport after being approached by resort officials.
"The Horseshoe Bay Resort has indicated they would still like to sell the airport to the city. . . It’s been dormant for almost a year and a half," Lambert said.
There are many steps to the process, the mayor said.
It involves a formal written request from the resort, a review by a committee and at least two publicized workshops prior to a potential vote by the council.
If the airport is acquired, a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will be used, city officials said.
"Several council members have not been briefed by the FAA," Lambert said.
The two referendums do not mean there is a problem brewing between residents and city leaders, Wines said.
"This is not a case of the people versus the council," said Wines, who also conducted a public forum on the referendums. "Obviously, there cannot be a vote on every issue. Why not encourage the people to vote on the issue of the airport project?"
Five percent of registered voters were required to sign each petition — or about 140 each — for a ballot initiative; the city has 2,735 registered voters.