Dec 09, 2025 Commissioners Court Work Session

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GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD MORNING.

I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE OUR BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT WORK SESSION FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2025.

TODAY, OUR PRIMARY ORDERS OF BUSINESS WILL BE 2 AGENDA ITEMS CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDER PROHIBITING THE SALE OF THE USE OF RESTRICTED FIREWORKS TO CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO ALLOCATE BEXAR COUNTY'S VOTES FOR OUR NOMINATED CANDIDATE TO SERVE ON THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING CITIZENS WHO SIGNED UP TO REGISTER TO SPEAK AND REPORT.

NO CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.

[2. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of an Order prohibiting the sale or use of restricted fireworks effective on the date of adoption of the order. ]

MR. LOPEZ, GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.

THIS IS A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, SIMPLE REQUEST.

WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE RESTRICT THE SALE OF THE ROCKETS WITH STICKS AND MISSILES WITH FINS BECAUSE OF OUR DROUGHT SITUATION EVEN WITH THE RAINFALL THAT WE'VE HAD, WHICH HASN'T BEEN MUCH CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO THAT 575 LEVEL.

BUT ACROSS THE COUNTY, WE'RE STILL ABOVE 600 RIGHT NOW IN OUR KBI.

AND BETWEEN NOW AND THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, WE'RE REALLY NOT EXPECTING ANY RAINFALL OR ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THAT.

SO THAT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE COURT THIS MORNING.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HAD A POINT OF INQUIRY. YES.

CHRIS, WE ALWAYS SEE SO MANY ILLEGAL FIRINGS THAT GO OFF, SOME OF WHICH END UP IN PROPERTY DAMAGE.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT A TASK FORCE FOR THOSE? I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S EVERYWHERE BUT A TASK FORCE TO TRY TO MAKE PEOPLE BE MORE COMPLIANT WITH THE WITH THE WITH THE FIREWORKS BAN.

SO WE ACTUALLY CHIEF ORTEGA HAD BEEN WORKING AND IS CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IN REFERENCE TO THAT.

AND I'LL LET HIM SPEAK TO THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD HAD SOME ISSUES WITH STOLEN FIREWORKS AND LIKE YOU SAID, ILLEGAL STUFF, BASICALLY THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE STOLEN OR BEING SOLD WITHIN THE CITY.

BUT I'LL LET HIM SPEAK MORE TO THAT. GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. SO BASICALLY, YEAH, WE WE DO WORK WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OF COURSE, OUR PARTNERS AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO TARGET FIREWORKS THAT ARE BEING SOLD ILLEGALLY, MANY OF WHICH ARE BEING SOLD AS A DIRECT RESULT OF FIREWORKS THEFT OUT IN THE COUNTY. AND THEN ARE BEING RESOLD.

SO WE DO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS TARGETING THOSE WITH RESPECT TO ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, QUOTE, UNQUOTE. THE STATUTE IS VERY CLEAR, AND WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT FIREWORKS WE CAN BAN OR RESTRICT.

SO THERE'S JUST 2 SPECIFIC TYPES, BASICALLY BOTTLE ROCKETS THAT WE THAT ARE ABLE TO BE RESTRICTED RIGHT NOW AND ALL THE REST OF THE AERIAL FIREWORKS ARE ARE STILL PERMISSIBLE BY STATE LAW. SO WHILE WHILE THE THE RESTRICTION ON THE BOTTLE ROCKETS DOES HELP TO CURB SOME OF THE MORE DAMAGING FIRES, BECAUSE THESE ARE PROJECTILES THAT KIND OF GO ON ON ERRANT TRAJECTORIES SOMETIMES AND CAN LAND IN FAR AWAY FROM THE ORIGINATING PROPERTY.

BASICALLY PROPERTY OWNER, PROPERTY MANAGER CAUSING THE DAMAGE THAT YOU THAT YOU REFERRED TO.

WE WILL HAVE WE DO HAVE OUR PERSONNEL OUT ON PATROL AS WELL AS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OUT ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE ILLEGAL USE OF THOSE TYPES OF FIREWORKS THAT WILL BE RESTRICTED PURSUANT TO THE ORDER THAT YOU ALL ADOPT HERE TODAY.

BUT WITH RESPECT TO ANY OTHER ILLEGAL FIREWORKS THAT ARE THAT ARE BEING SOLD ILLEGALLY, WE DO WORK WITH SFAD, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AS WELL, TO TRY TO TARGET THOSE ILLEGAL OPERATIONS WHEN WE DO FIND THEM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

YEAH. LAST THING I'D SAY IS JUST ANOTHER RENEWED SPECIAL EFFORT WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKETING OF THE SAFE GROUNDS.

PARDON ME, THAT WE CORDON OFF FOR FIREWORK USE, WHERE YOU CAN HAVE SOMEONE CLOSE BY THAT'S MONITORING, YOU KNOW. MARSHAL'S OFFICE OR WHAT HAVE YOU. BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SO MUCH POPULATION THAT'S MOVING INTO THE.

MORE TYPICALLY, TRADITIONALLY UNINCORPORATED RURAL AREA.

AND PEOPLE THINK, WELL, I'M KIND OF IN THE COUNTRY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE UNINCORPORATED, BUT IT'S BECOMING MORE DENSE.

AND WE SAW, I THINK ONE YEAR, 5 HOUSE FIRES OR SEVEN HOUSE FIRES, I CAN'T REMEMBER.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOW WITH THE DROUGHT, A HUGE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE FIRE WINDS BEING WHAT THEY CAN BE IT JUST OCCURS A MORE ROBUST PR THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY THINK YOU ARE IN KIND OF RURAL AREA THERE'S

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AND MAYBE WE CAN PARTNER WITH THE FIREWORKS COMPANIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS.

IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING SO MUCH THAT SO MANY OF THESE PARCELS ARE GETTING BOUGHT UP.

BUT ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE CAN RAMP UP OUR MARKETING EFFORT IN THE NEW YEAR? YEAH, I THINK WE DEFINITELY HAVE A A PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM THAT THE PIO OFFICE HAS DEVELOPED CALLED THE DESIGNATED DOZER PROGRAM, THAT HAS WE'VE SEEN MEASURABLE RESULTS IN CURBING THE THE INCIDENCE OF RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURAL FIRES RESULTING FROM IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF FIREWORKS DEBRIS, WHICH IS BASICALLY OUR NUMBER 1 CAUSE OF FIREWORKS RELATED FIRES IN BEXAR COUNTY.

SO THAT'S HELPED. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY INCORPORATE THE ELEMENTS OF THE THE SAFE ZONES THAT REALLY THE FIREWORKS VENDORS THEMSELVES PUT UP AND ARE COORDINATED WITH THE ESD DEPARTMENTS. WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SURE TO INCORPORATE THOSE ELEMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AS WELL.

AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER YOU KNOW, LARGER URBAN COUNTIES LIKE LIKE BEXAR COUNTY, I THINK THERE'S A THERE'S A BIT OF A YOU KNOW, THERE'S ROOM FOR FOR POSSIBLY CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATIVE CHANGE TO HELP ENSURE SOME OF THE SAFEGUARDS OUT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

WE HAVE A LARGE INFLUX OF POPULATION OUT INTO THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, AND THE UNINCORPORATED AREA HAS TYPICALLY BEEN SEEN AS THE SAFE AREA FOR POPPING OF FIREWORKS. BUT MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH ARE MORE DENSELY POPULATED HAVE A GREATER AUTHORITY TO REGULATE THEM.

AND UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T OUT IN THE COUNTY. SO THERE'S THAT DISCONNECT RIGHT THERE THAT I THINK THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR US TO MAYBE DURING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE CYCLE, LOOK AT POSSIBLY DOING NEXT YEAR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHRIS.

AND OUR FIRE MARSHAL AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR WORKING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

TAKE UP DISCUSSION. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 3, DISCUSSION.

APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF. OH, I'M SORRY.

THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES.

[3. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of a resolution allocating Bexar County's 304 votes to Rev. Dr. Ralph Barksdale to serve on the Bexar County Appraisal District Board of Directors for the next term. ]

AT OUR OCTOBER 14TH MEETING, COMMISSIONERS COURT APPROVED A RESOLUTION NOMINATED REVEREND DOCTOR RALPH E BARKSDALE FOR THE NEXT TERM OF THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

I BELIEVE HE'S BEEN ON THERE NOW FOR A COUPLE OF TERMS. AFTER ALL, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NOMINATE THEIR PREFERRED CANDIDATES.

THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT PROVIDES A SLATE OF CANDIDATES AND ASKS EACH BODY TO ALLOCATE THEIR RESPECTIVE VOTES TO THEIR PREFERRED CANDIDATE.

THIS YEAR, BEXAR COUNTY HAS A TOTAL OF 300 VOTES, 304 VOTES.

THE ACTION I'M REQUESTING TODAY IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ALLOCATING THESE 304 VOTES TO THE CANDIDATE WE NOMINATED IN OCTOBER.

DOCTOR BARKSDALE HAS BEEN PRESENT AND ENGAGED AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE WELL SERVED WITH HIM, FULFILLING ANOTHER TERM AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES.

I BELIEVE WE'VE COMPLETED THE AGENDA. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ABSTENTION. MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.