10/18/2025
Get Your Dark-Sky Goggles On – New Braunfels City Council Recap
October 13th, 2025 – Because Local Government Needs Laugh Tracks
Forget Netflix—this City Council meeting had more plot twists and cameos than your favorite reality show. Here’s the lowdown on what went down (and why you should care):
Hill Country Night Sky Month: Stargazing for Adults 🌌
Mayor Leonard officially declared October “Hill Country Night Sky Month,” which is code for “Turn off your porch lights, please.” Dr. Rodna warned that our glow-in-the-dark neighborhood lighting is making bats go, “Bruh, where’s the mosquito buffet?” Switching to “warm” bulbs (2700K or less) is the new superhero move—because saving bats and your sleep cycle is cooler than binge-watching another true-crime doc.
Fourth Graders vs. Native Plants: Art Smackdown 🎨
The Texas Native Plant Society flexed their 165-member muscles, recruiting 130 fourth-graders for a botanical art throwdown. Winners included a watercolor showing off the lace hedgehog cactus’s spines and a masterpiece of the Lindheimer Morning Glory looking like it’s auditioning for “Plant of the Year.” Celebrate these mini-Picassos this Thursday at Lamar Elementary—because nothing says “support local art” like triangulating three locations for the ultimate school-tour.
Unplug Texas Day: Digital Detox or Bust 📵
October 21st is “Unplug Texas Day,” aka the one day you’re legally encouraged to ghost your phone. The Parks Department masterminded two events: a noon hike at Willard Canyon (nature’s version of a group chat) and an evening food-truck fiesta in Landa Park (because ). Yes, irony alert: telling people to ditch screens in the middle of a food festival for Instagram stories.
Fire Department: ISO Class 1—Basically the Navy SEALs of Firefighting 🚒
New Braunfels Fire Department snagged that rare **ISO Class 1 rating**, joining an elite club—102 out of 1,800 Texas fire departments. This rating means they’re basically the Beyoncé of fire suppression: flawless, well-funded, and your insurance company loves them. Council funding choices = fire chiefs doing happy dances in full gear.
Continental’s Expansion: Ka-Ching! 💸
Council gave a standing ovation (and a tax break) to Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC for plopping down another **$100 million** here. New goodies include 65,000 sq ft of robot-vehicle tech HQ and 100 shiny new jobs. The city is like, “Sure, we’ll give you a 65% tax abatement on new stuff,” but still wants full taxes on the original $150 million complex—because sharing is caring, but math still matters.
West End TIR Zone: Tax Magic Trick 🎩✨
The council conjured up **Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #5** for the West End—fancy speak for “we’ll take the extra tax cash from improvements and reinvest it locally.” It’s like planting magic beans that grow you shiny sidewalks and better drainage, all self-funded. Move over, beanstalk.
From cosmic conservation to fourth-grade art battles, bulked-up fire departments, and corporate ka-ching, New Braunfels continues juggling small-town charm with big-city swagger. Plus, the Mayor’s ongoing saga with his reading glasses delivered bonus comedy relief. Democracy never looked so—well, slightly nerdy.
Now go change that porch bulb—and maybe pretend you’re off social media on the 21st.*
