Boerne council clears annexation, rezoning, and dealership permit on IH-10; adopts AI ethics code
The October 13 Boerne City Council meeting produced seven unanimous votes and not one public speaker.
The council gave first-reading approval to three linked items for a new automobile dealership on about 13.4 acres in the 31300-31400 block of IH-10, just south of Ford of Boerne. The site, owned by Tusculum Two LLC, was annexed into the city (Ordinance No. 2026-15; motion by Ty Wolosin, second by Bret Bunker). It was rezoned from interim holding zoning to C3 Community Commercial (Ordinance No. 2026-16; motion by Joseph Macaluso, second by Joe Bateman). And it received a special use permit, an extra approval the city requires for certain uses, for automobile sales with accessory service (Ordinance No. 2026-17; motion by Bateman, second by Macaluso). All three passed 5-0, and each had a public hearing that drew no speakers.
The permit carries 10 stipulations, and the one that drew the most discussion was the billboard. Staff recommended that all existing signage on the site, including a billboard with no TxDOT permit record, be removed before a certificate of occupancy is issued. That came after the applicant asked for time to terminate the billboard lease properly. Macaluso said removing pole signs and billboards along I-10 through Boerne is a priority for him. The site plan calls for a building of just over 43,000 square feet and 371 parking spaces. It includes rainwater and air-conditioner condensation capture to irrigate landscaping, a 20-foot buffer next to the neighboring homes, and preservation of 88 of the site's 136 trees, including 44 heritage trees. The applicant told TxDOT its car-carrier trucks will enter through the Ford of Boerne site off Cascade Caverns and will not unload on the frontage road or any road.
In other action, the council adopted the Texas Department of Information Resources AI Systems Code of Ethics (Resolution No. 2026-R53; motion Bunker, second Macaluso, 5-0). The step is required by Senate Bill 1964, and the council named IT Director Mike "Rowdy" as the city's AI Risk Officer. Council members questioned how much one person can police citywide AI use and whether software vendors are quietly adding AI to existing products; staff said vendors must now disclose AI components through a new questionnaire.
The council also renewed its agreement with the City of Fair Oaks Ranch for use of Boerne's animal control facility (Resolution No. 2026-R54; motion Macaluso, second Bateman, 5-0). Fair Oaks Ranch averages about 50 animals a year and pays at least 10 percent of the facility's annual operating costs; the contract now renews automatically each year, with a 30-day notice clause if either city wants a change.
The council updated the hourly rate schedule in its master services agreement with HDR Engineering (Resolution No. 2026-R55; motion Wolosin, second Bunker, 5-0), creating no new work or spending.
In a report, Parks Director Lizette Jimenez told the council the soccer fields are about 80 percent weeds and 20 percent turf. She outlined a year-long rebuild: aerating, fertilizing, and overseeding now, with weed treatments through April, visible improvement expected by spring, and a mostly-turf field by next fall. She said the city told the soccer club but posted nothing on social media, and that the city can do better.
The council met in executive session at 7:01 PM to consult the city attorney about a development agreement and adjourned at 7:23 PM with no action announced. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, October 27, at 6:00 PM.
Sources: Swagit video, Boerne City Council regular meeting, October 13, 2026: https://boernetx.new.swagit.com/videos/403842. Boerne Legistar calendar: https://boerne.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx (minutes for the October 13 meeting were not yet published as of October 21, 2026).