By David DeKunder
Staff Writer

A new police station, a new fire station and a new recreational center are part of a $27.9 million bond package that will be put before Cibolo residents in November.

The Cibolo City Council approved putting the five proposition bond package before voters on Nov. 4 during its Aug. 18 budget workshop meeting.

The bond package put together is meant to address the city’s needs in the areas of public safety, streets, roads and drainage and a demand for more and adequate recreational facilities.

Proposition 1, which is $6.4 million, calls for the construction of a new 6,000 square-foot police station and a new fire station. Proposition 2, $4.2 million, includes street, sidewalk and related drainage improvements in the city. Proposition 3, $9.2 million, addresses drainage improvements for the Town Creek watershed. Proposition 4, $3.3 million, covers the construction of new ball fields and land acquisition for them and Proposition 5, $4.8 million, calls for the land acquisition for and construction of a 20,000 square-foot recreational building.

If Proposition 1 passes, the new police station would be built behind the Cibolo Municipal Building on Main Street, which is across the road from where the Cibolo Police Department is currently housed at, the former city hall building. The new fire station, which would be located at Cibolo Valley and Green Valley Drives near Veterans’ Memorial Park, will complement the Cibolo Volunteer Fire Department’s central fire station on Loop 539.

City Manager Todd Parton said the proposed addition of a second fire station will help the fire department deal with increasing call volumes and response times due to the growth in the city.

“We need this facility (new fire station) because of the growth on the north side (of Cibolo),” Parton said. “We need space to house the equipment the fire department is purchasing. This will allow us to have the central station, which will cover the central and southern portion of the city, and a north side station, which will cover the northern and central part of the city.”

Proposition 2 includes the expansion of Cibolo Valley Drive from two to four lanes from its “S curve” at Green Valley Road north to the city limits on Old Wiederstein Road. Starting at Borgfeld Road, Cibolo Valley Drive would also be extended south to the intersection of Main Street and Fm 1103.

The construction of the Town Creek Central Detention Facility would be constructed as part of Proposition 3. Parton said the detention facility would address existing and future storm water issues along the Town Creek water shed and have the capability to handle a 25-year storm. The Town Creek water shed covers an area south and north of FM 1103.

Under Proposition 4, the city would construct four baseball/softball combination tournament level fields and four soccer/football combination fields on a 40 to 45-acre site that has not been determined yet. The $3.3 million price tag in the proposition would include lights and restroom and concession sites for the fields.

Finally, Proposition 5 calls for the construction of a recreational center that would provide for several uses in the community.

If the recreational center proposition passes, Parton said the city will hold a series of town hall meetings to gather input on what the center could be used for.

“We are looking to build a multi-use recreational facility,” Parton said. “We are looking at a 20,000 square-foot building that could house everything from basketball and volleyball courts to community meeting and reading spaces. There all types of things this facility could house.”

Mayor Pro Tem Mark Winn said the council considered combining the recreational center and ball fields into one proposition, but felt it would be better if citizens had a chance to consider the projects on separate propositions

“We feel that gives the public the option of deciding how far they want to go,” Winn said. “We thought it would be fair to the public to do it that way instead of all or nothing.”

Winn said more ball fields are needed because as the city’s population has grown from 3,000 to nearly 17,000 over the past decade, the need for more recreational facilities has also grown.

The city’s only ball field and soccer field is located at Niemitz Park on FM 78.

“We almost have 17,000 people, and we still have only one ball field,” Winn said. “We want to start more youth activity leagues (in Cibolo).”

The proposed recreational center, if approved, would be put on the same site as the ball fields that are part of Proposition 4.

Parton said in the case Proposition 4 would fail and Proposition 5 were to pass, the city would still have enough funds to build a scaled back 15,000 square-foot recreational center and acquire land for it, which would be 5 to 10 acres, and still meet the multiple needs of the community.

Parton said the city would sell the bonds in different years over a four-year period starting in 2009 to 2013.

The first bond sell in 2009 would increase the city’s interest and sinking, I&S, tax rate by 5.5 cents. Additional impact fees could also help the city reduce its debt service from the bonds.