The Kerrville Economic Improvement Corporation’s regular meeting Monday produced one item that went beyond what was posted on the public agenda: a signal-funding vote that came in $20,000 above the amount described in the board’s own posted notice. The board also returned to closed-door discussion of the EIC-owned tract once destined for the Megaacrete plant.
The board voted unanimously to commit $160,000 toward SH-27 (San Antonio Highway) traffic signal at James Avery Craftsman’s facility, up from the $140,000 cap the board set in 2024 and the same figure listed in Monday’s posted resolution and public notice. Actual construction costs came in at roughly $363,000, meaning the EIC’s $160,000 commitment covers close to 40 percent of the total.
Board members cited James Avery’s long-standing economic partnership with the city and what they described as the company’s quiet generosity during flood recovery in approving the increase. TxDOT completed its final inspection and formally accepted the signal in March 2026. The resolution also sets the required public hearing for 4 p.m. Oct. 19 — worth noting that the hearing notice itself references the lower $140,000 figure, which may need to be corrected or re-noticed given the funding increase.
The board’s closed-door deliberation under Texas Government Code 551.072 revisited potential uses for the 87-acre EIC-owned tract at 300 Peterson Farm Road — the site originally set aside for Megaacrete before that deal collapsed in November 2025. The discussion is tied to what’s been referred to internally as “Project Wolf Creek,” a prospect that’s been under discussion for a while and doesn’t appear to represent a new development. No further detail on the project’s nature or a prospective tenant was disclosed.
KEDC Update
Kerr Economic Development Corp. (KEDC) President Todd Bock told the board the corporation has onboarded three new business representatives to its board — Chris Hughes of Broken Arrow Ranch, Pete Calderon of Guadalupe Bank and Raymond Gallego of Prime Metal Buildings — aimed at broadening small-business representation in KEDC governance.
Bock also updated the board on four business retention and expansion prospects, referred to internally by project names:
• Project SAVE, a local fall-detection wearable-tech startup, has signed agreements with pharmaceutical companies, hired two employees and is seeking additional investors.
• Project K2, described as a local primary manufacturer, is moving ahead with expansion designs and pursuing grant funding for an on-campus welding school to address workforce shortages.
• Project River Paddle has narrowed site selection to three local locations.
• Project Meridian, an air-service prospect, is working on a letter of intent to purchase an aircraft.
Bock also flagged ongoing activity at the Kerrville airport and with Mooney, without further detail. KEDC remains the temporary fiscal sponsor for the Kerr Together long-term flood recovery group while that group awaits its own IRS 501(c)(3) determination.
• Capital projects: Olympic Pool nearing completion, funding gap to be covered by parkland fees.
Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes gave the board a project-by-project update:
• Olympic Pool renovations are about six weeks from completion, targeting late October 2026. Of the $7.75 million total project commitment, roughly $6.18 million had been spent as of late August. Opening up old underground infrastructure during construction added about $175,000 in unforeseen costs. Because the EIC had already kicked in an extra $750,000 earlier in the project, city staff opted not to go back to the EIC for the shortfall — instead, the City Council is considering covering the $175,000 gap with parkland dedication fees collected from developers. Staff is also exploring year-round or early-morning pool hours, complicated by a state requirement for certified lifeguards whenever the pool is open; staff is looking at how to recruit part-time lifeguards to cover those shifts.
• Cailloux Theater renovations are complete aside from a final Fire Marshal inspection of the alarm system.
• Quinlan Creek Interceptor Sewer Line: surveying is underway toward 30 percent design drawings. Hornes clarified that yellow piping visible along the golf course belongs to a separate Atmos Gas pipeline project, not the sewer line. A $6 million federal EDA grant application for the project goes to regional review in October 2026; if approved, it would unlock sewer capacity for developments including Whiskey Springs and Tivy Commons.
• Granger MacDonald Park: beyond the six-month hold the City Council placed on the project July 28, the city is now exploring divesting or gifting the property to a nonprofit — the Upper Guadalupe River Center was named as a possibility — to operate as a public park.
• River Trail and flood recovery: the city is planning a slight realignment of the damaged River Trail near the Francisco Lemos Bridge and is still working out how to allocate $5 million in flood insurance proceeds against the full scope of infrastructure repairs, supplemented by volunteer cleanup crews. A replacement bridge over Camp Meeting Creek, funded by the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, is scheduled for installation by December 2026.
Finance report
Assistant Director of Finance Trina Rodriguez reported August sales tax revenue (reflecting June sales) at $476,759, up 13.7 percent from a year earlier; adjusted for prior-period collections, retail trade was up 8 percent with a significant jump in construction-related spending. Year-to-date sales tax collections stand at $4.834 million, about $152,000 ahead of budget.
The EIC’s operating cash balance is $5.24 million, with total operating cash and investments at $7.22 million; the TexPool yield climbed to 3.90 percent following recent Federal Reserve rate moves.
On the 2023 Quality of Life bond package: $15.18 million of the original 19.65 millionhasbeenspent.Bondcovenantsrequire85percent(17 million) spent by December 2026. The EIC currently holds $4.46 million in unspent bond cash; once the Olympic Pool allocation is fully drawn down, about $2.897 million is expected to remain unspent by the December deadline — within the 15 percent allowable cushion. Any remaining bond funds must go toward quality-of-life park projects under the bond ordinance.
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