Alpine

Previews of agenda items to come were the main attraction at the January 20 Alpine City Council meeting.

Items discussed for future action included:

• Alpine hosting a Governor’s Small Business Summit, which could bring 300 visitors to the area.

• Issues with the Skyway Gardens II subdivision project that puts the city’s tight schedule at risk of meeting water demands.

• An ordinance regulating golf carts and minibikes.

• Amendments to the city charter that could change who hires and fires the city secretary.

The city has been selected as the site of one of the 2026 Governor’s Small Business Summits, said Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves.

“The Governor’s Small Business Summits is a statewide initiative administered by the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office within the Office of the Governor,” city officials wrote. “The program brings business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders together to receive training, resources, and guidance on topics such as access to capital, workforce development, marketing, cybersecurity, business growth and resiliency. The summits are designed to strengthen local economies and support small businesses across Texas,” said city officials.

Brewster County Judge Greg Henington headed the effort to bring the Summit to the city, Eaves said. Members of the City Council expressed support for the effort, stating that it could attract visitors and contribute to economic development in the area. 

City Council members estimated the cost to the city at $3,000. The date for the summit has not yet been determined. Henington has submitted three possible dates—September 17, October 1, and October 15.

Will there be water?

City Council members instructed city staff to put work on the Skyway Gardens II water project on hold after expressing concerns about the new direction of the project. Council members were unanimous in their concerns and desire to have more information regarding the changes, despite knowing the project’s tight timeline.

“I’m not liking the way this could go,” said Councilmember Robert Rückes, who was specifically concerned with the system’s ability to handle higher pressures.

Their concerns echoed the concerns of Alpine Director of Utilities Michael Maciaz. “I don’t like it,” Maciaz said. “I just don’t know if this is the right way to go about it.”

The water project was approved in November 2025 to improve water pressure to the Skyway Gardens II development, which is under construction and scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026. Water pressure to the development does not currently meet state requirements.

Information learned about the workings of the city’s water system requires a change in the project, said officials with Jacob Martin (JM), the company contracted to do the work.

“As we began the survey and design phases of the water system improvements project to help serve Skyway Gardens, I became aware of some of the additional city water system information that was previously unknown to JM. This information, learned through meetings and discussions with city staff, has an impact on the potential recommended solution,” said a JM manager in a memorandum to the city.

Golf carts under scrutiny

An ordinance which would regulate golf carts, pocket bikes and mini motorbikes within the city and was scheduled for its final vote, was pulled back after council members heard concerns from Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Johnathan Rutledge.

Rutledge’s concerns with the ordinance included its compliance with state laws that already regulate such vehicles, the city’s establishment of a registration system that is not allowed and the possibility that they would be allowing golf carts without seat belts on the roadways.

Rutledge explained that cities cannot pass laws requiring vehicle registration. That is done by the state, he said. “I would change that to permit.”

Rutledge also recommended that the City Council require that golf carts allowed on roadways be required to have seat belts, since that is not currently required. “If you pass this ordinance, you have to put that in or otherwise, I could drive around with my one-year-old granddaughter with no seat belt,” he said.

Who can hire and fire?

The City Council also discussed the possibility of changing the city charter so that the position of city secretary falls under the supervision of the City Council. Currently, it is supervised by the city manager. That change would put the council in charge of hiring and firing secretaries. No action was taken on the proposed change.