City of Mertzon December 15 2025

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting

The south end of the new IC ISD transportation facility as of December 10. The City's alley is immediately to the right of this facility and borders the IC ISD tennis courts, shown here by the light poles.

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A. Agenda Analysis

1. Executive session, item 5: This is the same item posted last meeting - real estate, litigation and personnel. It's clearly significant, especially now that it has been repeated twice. Note that, unlike IC ISD agendas, there is no posted item for "actions items from closed session". In theory, since there is no voting in executive session and there isn't some form of the language "action items from closed session", then this is a "no action" executive session. In practice, however, "voting" in executive sessions can happen without the traditional voice or hand vote. Mere "discussion" during an executive session can resolve a whole lot in private. I treat every executive session as if significant matters are being resolved regardless of whether a traditional vote is taking place.

2. Ordinances, repeal and replace, items 6 and 7. Go here for the City's ordinance bank. Not all are online. Chapter 14 deals with Municipal Court, and nothing is online. Nothing can be said about the content of 14.05.04. My interest is high because of the City's last meeting. As to 15.02, it relates to game rooms under the offenses and nuisances chapter. The only game room in town shut down a few years back, best I can tell.

3. Training helps: From discussion over several meetings I have gathered that one reason we are seeing these agenda items on updating ordinances is that City Administrative Assistant Nate Padilla attended some TML training on ordinances recently. Hopefully this continues; the updating is sorely needed. And, this is difficult work - it takes attention to detail just to read ordinances, but to learn to read them critically is above and beyond. So, here's to Nate for his diligent efforts! Thank you.

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The north bay of the new facility. Keep in mind that well before this time of the construction the design team knows how much stormwater runoff will occur from the impervious cover at this site. It's a math formula that depends on the porosity of the surface. The general rule of f thumb is that .60 of a gallon of water per 1 square foot of impermeable surface runs off with 1 inch of rainfall. That’s a significant amount of water.

B. Meeting Review

Pending

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I remember a day when you could see Javelinas within the city limits of Mertzon. You don’t see them around these days. My game camera took this photo recently.

C. Commentary

Pending

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Copyright 2025 G. Noelke