With an eye toward future needs, the City of Edna City Council approved the first of two readings of a proposed ordinance updating the city’s Comprehensive Plan and its zoning requirements.
The ordinance will receive its second reading during the next council meeting, set for 6 p.m., Thur., April 2, at City Hall. If the second reading is approved, the ordinance will take effect.
Thursday’s public hearing and first reading of the proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning.
City officials began holding public information meetings and public hearings a year ago to get residents’ input and allow for public discussion about the city’s needs and how best to meet them in the coming years. Thursday’s public hearing and first reading of the proposed ordinance marked the culmination of those efforts.
“It’s all coming together now,” City Manager Gary Broz said. “This was (funded by) a grant so we didn’t pay for it. It was from the General Land Office (GLO) so it didn’t cost the city anything out of pocket.”
Broz outlined the proposed updates during the public hearing, such as changing zoning for property along the state thoroughfares to be commercial; processes for any changes in use for residential property; processes to follow for commercial building for things such as Urgent Care Clinics, data centers, and electric vehicle charging stations; buffer yards for commercial and industrial property; minimum lot sizes for residential dwellings; parking spaces and on-street parking; and for subdivision development.
In other business, the council:
· Approved the minutes of the March 5, 2026 meeting;
· Was introduced to Officer Steven Gonzalez, a newly hired patrol officer for the Edna Police Department;
· Approved a proclamation declaring April to be Child Abuse Awareness Month as requested by the Golden Crescent Children’s Project;
· Suspended Centerpoint Energy’s new rates for 45 days;
· Approved the second reading of Ordinance 2026-03, cancelling the municipal election set for Sat., May 2. The municipal election was canceled due to lack of opposition to incumbents Chris Jackson, Mike Dodds, and Amanda Friedrich;
· Approved payment of current city bills; and
· Heard city staff reports.
During the City Manager’s Report, Broz said that the ongoing CO project is hung up on Brackenridge Street as contractors try to locate water valves that aren’t in expected locations. A pre-construction meeting for the Kleas Water Generator Project will be held on Thur., March 26. The CivilCorp survey is winding down for the Mitigation Grant Project, while GLO Reallocation Project is in the bid stage, and staff will be submitting the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Water Line Replacement Project application next week. City staff also are looking into a possible grant from HEB for trees.
Broz also said that the city is working on getting the city’s swimming pool ready for summer and has contacted the YMCA regarding operating it. The week of April 27-May 1 has been designated as the spring citywide Cleanup Week. One-on-one meetings were held with department heads last week to discuss budgets as to what they plan on completing the rest of the fiscal year. Staff is continuing to develop plans for the City of Edna’s 100th Birthday Celebration on June 13, with the next planning meeting at 5:30 pm., Tue., March 31 at City Hall. A Building and Standards Meeting will be held next Tuesday with nine structures on the agenda. Staff is continuing to work on the cat issues and the animal shelter.
City Finance Director Valerie Callaway expanded upon the planning underway for the 100th Birthday Celebration, which will include an antique car show, live entertainment, coloring books, inflatables and small carnival rides for children, dominoes, croquet, LNRA’s reptile exhibit, food, and historical exhibits.
In addition, Callaway said that the city received $119,268.94 from the State Comptroller’s Office in March for Sales Tax Revenue, which was approximately $11,500 more than the city received for its March payment last year. The city also received mixed beverage tax of $624.47 and ad valorem tax revenue of $21,127.15.
City Streets Supervisor Andy Brzozowski said that street crews had patched potholes all over town. They are in the process of correcting a drainage issue on Erie Street, replacing three driveway culverts, and plan to clean the ditch from Cedar Street to M.L.K. They also removed a couple of trees on Erie Street. Crews have replaced culvert pipe at Guadalupe and Houston Street and will be cleaning the ditch from Guadalupe Street to S. Colorado Street. They trimmed trees on Vale Street and at the U.S. 59 frontage road and North East Street. Crews also finished cleaning a ditch on CR 118, replaced a culvert pipe on the east side of the Little League field at Shelby Park and cleaned the ditch from the first driveway to the main drainage ditch. He also said that TxDOT is finishing up the drainage issues on the southbound frontage road between Whataburger and Dry Creek.
Public Works Director Brad Ryan said that his crews have replaced three bearings at the orbital; power washed the paddle wheels; cleaned the clarifier; located lines for AEP; replaced the meter cutoff at 202 Robinson; located and dug up valves for the contractor on Brackenridge Street; made sludge boxes at the sewer plant; mowed the entire sewer plant; repaired a water leak on Washington Street; replaced batteries on the blue dump truck; and installed a sewer tap on Eura Marie Street.
City Police Chief Kenneth Pyle said that his officers had conducted 80 traffic stops, written 32 citations and 76 warnings, made six arrests, and responded to 427 calls for service, with 63 reportable offenses over the past two weeks.
He said that the department received a call of a suspicious male subject with a Middle Eastern accent asking about a local Christian church, which was a concern during the month of Ramadan, and was investigated by Chief Pyle and Lt. Matlock. No active threat to the community was found.
In addition, officers responded to a reported shooting at Homes on Colorado, formerly known as JK Estates. It is an ongoing investigation at this time, with no risk to the community. Police believe it was an isolated event. Response time was less than two minutes, even though the officer was working a DWI. Numerous officers were called in to assist.