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The San Marcos City Councilmembers will discuss sending a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott requesting more aggressive public safety and health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. They will also consider passing their own emergency orders during Tuesday's regular meeting.
Following the Jan. 19 council meeting, councilmembers voted to bring the agenda item for a city ordinance either by the emergency order of the city council or an executive order of the mayor to close down more of San Marcos in an attempt to stop further spread of COVID-19.
In writing a letter they may try to find regional support for more of a shutdown.
Similar efforts by other governmental bodies, City of Austin and El Paso County, have been stopped by the Texas Supreme Court and an appeals court after defying the governor’s order by ordering restaurants close in the days around New Year’s Eve and limiting what businesses were deemed essential.
Councilmembers Mark Gleason, Shane Scott and Mayor Jane Hughson want to avoid a lawsuit and are concerned that would be the outcome in San Marcos, should they attempt to make further restrictions.
In other business, the councilmembers will also vote on the second of two readings, to approve an ordinance amending Chapter 2, of the Code of Ethics of the San Marcos City Code. The amendments include requiring ethics complaints to be sworn before a notary public and establishing a 12-month time period to file a complaint regarding an alleged violation.
The amendment’s first reading passed with a vote of 6-1, all but Councilmember Shane Scott in favor.
The councilmembers will also vote on approving an agreement with Keep Texas Beautiful to provide for the award to the Keep San Marcos Beautiful Initiative, as a subrecipient, of up to $100K in Trash Free Waters Grant Funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Tuesday's city council meeting will be held virtually, beginning at 6 p.m. and can be viewed at www.sanmarcostx.gov/videos or on the Grande channel 16 of Spectrum channel 10. Anyone wishing to participate during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting must email [email protected] prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.
