Resident urges Boerne commission to consider variance for stormwater impervious-area fees

Patty Mines, who identified herself as living at 1571 South Main, used the public-comment period Dec. 3 to ask the commission to consider a different approach to stormwater impervious-area fees for large residential-ag properties. Mines said she owns 35 acres but is charged in the highest fee bracket calculated by parcel impervious area and that she pays the same amount as an asphalted RV park or a strip center.

Mines said she believes the city's parcel calculation may have counted the second floor of her home as additional footprint ("I think they took it from the CAD and they added the 2nd floor to the 1st floor and considered it instead of considering that they're stacked and here's my footprint"), and she asked whether she could appeal the square-footage determination and whether the city could offer a percentage-based adjustment for large properties. Commissioners responded that they were not permitted to discuss or act on matters raised during public comment and advised Mines about the appeal process in general terms; no formal action was taken at the meeting.

The transcript does not record any staff reply or a committed follow-up by the commission during the meeting. Mines asked whether the item could become an action item; the commission said it could not discuss it during public comment but did not indicate a specific next step.