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At 5:30 tonight, the Cuero City Council will meet in special session to consider an annexation study that could identify a specific area or areas to be brought into the city limits.
Consultant Ken Coignet of Public Management Inc. will present the council with a study that offers three areas for annexation consideration. These areas include land north of town along U.S. Highway 183 North, U.S. Highway 87 South, and Farm-to-Market Road 766.
Coignet, according to the study, is expected to recommend the area past Cuero Community Hospital along U.S. Highway 183 for annexation. The city can annex up to one mile outside the current city limits.
“Area 1 (along U.S. 183) appears to be the best choice for annexation at this time because there is a good mixture of developed residential development with good potential for commercial development along U.S. 183 North. In addition, the annexation of Area 1 would extend the city’s boundary northward toward other development,” according to Coignet’s proposal. The “other development” is the Cuero Industrial Park, outside the city’s one-mile extra territorial jurisdiction.
If the city council gives Coignet the green light, he will prepare a plan specific to the area to be annexed that will have to also be approved.
Cuero City Manager Corlis Riedesel answered a few questions from ranging reporter Sonny Long in advance of tonight’s meeting.
Q: Why is the city council looking at annexation?
A: To bring vacant land into the city for future development. In 2001, the city of Cuero completed its most recent comprehensive plan and one objective from the land use portion of the plan is to prepare an annexation plan.
Q: Once a plan is approved, and an area identified, what is the next part in the process?
A: How to finance it. We have an estimated cost to run water and sewer out to the area, and that will likely go up between now and the time it’s actually done.
There will also be associated surveying costs and we’ll need an attorney that specializes in annexation. We’ll need to consult with our financial advisor on how to fund this.
Q: I know there is an estimated cost for running water and sewer to the annexed area, and an estimated revenue that could be generated; what about electricity to the annexed area?
A: As I understand it, we have a certified area set by the Public Utility Commission. To my knowledge it does not mean we get the electric service in an annexed area.
Q: How long could annexation take?
A: Annexation must be completed 31 days following the third anniversary of the date the original areas were placed in the plan. If not, those areas become ineligible for annexation for five years.
Q: Will the public have any say-so in the process?
A: There will be multiple public hearings even before the plan is approved. We’re a long way from that right now. The first thing to happen is that the council has got to decide if it wants to go through with annexation or not.
Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361580-6585 or slong@vicad.com or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Consultant Ken Coignet is expected to recommend annexation of the area one-mile outside Cuero along U.S. Highway 183 North. Here are some facts and figures about that area.
Occupied Housing Units56
Vacant Units5
Media Household Income$26,517
Water & Sewer Improvements
Estimated Cost$811,250
Potential 5-year revenue from
property taxes, wastewater
and water fees in the area$184,950