By Moses Leos III
Deciding on priorities for a possible Buda bond was a challenge for resident Nancy Hart. She had three topics – roads, drainage and the parks system – at the top of her list.
“It’s important for Buda to invest in infrastructure, even though it’s not particularly sexy,” Hart said. “Over the long term, it will make a difference in the success of the community.”
Input from citizens such as Hart was exactly what Buda and its bond steering committee were looking for at last Tuesday’s public input meeting at Buda Elementary. The feedback is needed before August when the city council will decide whether or not to call the city’s first ever bond election.
But before council decides, the steering committee, led by Gap Strategies, wanted the public’s reaction.
“We tried to come in with a blank slate. We were waiting to hear what people wanted,” Jeff Barton, managing principal at Gap Strategies, said. “We wondered where people would be [in terms of the bond].”
Reactions spanned five topics – roads, facilities, downtown, parks and recreation and draining. They stem from the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, which is an $80 million list of projects aimed to help the growth of Buda.
In February, city council gave the committee a $30 million threshold to work with for the bond.
While citizens’ reactions went across the board, downtown improvements and facilities gained the most traction.
Focusing on improving traffic flow, while maintaining what she called the “downtown feel” concerned resident Carolyn Pate.
“Traffic is terrible [downtown] – It’s almost too dangerous to drive,” Pate said. “But old buildings are gorgeous and can’t be replaced. We have to concentrate that Buda is a beautiful old building town. We have to make it safe.”
Resident Jeff Lehman held a similar opinion. He believed not fixing downtown traffic could keep the area from being vibrant.
Facilities garnered the most attention during the meeting. The possibility of a new library and police department spurred Pate to attend the open house.
Barbara Chapman said that drainage issues, particularly near the ESD No. 8/Buda Fire Department headquarters and the Buda Elementary Lower Campus, should be priority.
Other comments included making Main Street one-way, along with moving ahead with Buda’s membership in the Lone Star Rail District – a regional commuter rail project that would put the city on the hook to give away 50 percent of its property and sales taxes in a half-mile rail zone for the next several decades.
Barton said the steering committee would present all comments to the Buda Bond Committee – a 12-person group of citizens tasked with helping prioritize projects.
However, he said some suggestions, such as Lone Star Rail, focus on a regional aspect, and may not be included in the Buda bond.
Meghan McCarthy feels the rail project is necessary to meet the city’s burgeoning population.
“We are growing more aggressively than our projections said a few years ago,” she said. “If we don’t keep up with it, the whole ‘don’t do anything approach’ is wrong. “If they stay on top of it, I’m in support of it.”
While improving infrastructure is necessary, Chapman expressed reservations on the bond. She fielded concerns that some projects could turn Buda into another Austin.
Councilmember Eileen Altmiller said the time is now to begin planning for many of the city’s improvement projects.
“The tax rate is really low; low for a long time,” Altmiller said. “We need to make these investments.”
While turnout was sparse – only 15 residents attended – Barton and Altmiller believe more will attend the next meeting in June.
By that time, the steering committee hopes to have concrete numbers to present.
“The next few weeks are critical,” Barton said. “Several studies will be done; consultant and citizen led efforts will be complete and we’ll make recommendations for the future of downtown and facilities for city.”
