County, city look ahead to new projects in 2021

Dalondo Moultrie The Seguin Gazette

COVID-19 continues to hang around but doses of the vaccine already have been administered in Seguin and Guadalupe County, hopefully signaling an end in sight to the pandemic locally.

Meanwhile, city and county officials are sailing into the new year with high hopes for continued prosperity.

“There’s lots of positive things happening,” Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen said. “Even though we’ve had a very trying year, we’ve continued to move forward and we will continue to.”

Presence of the novel coronavirus changed lots in Seguin, including the way people do business, the mayor said. People in the city have and continue to adapt to the morphing environment around them, she said.

That includes expanded use of electronic meetings, curbside pickup and delivery of goods, and other “incredible, creative ways to do business,” Dodgen said.

She foresees business owners, residents and city government continuing to evolve similarly in 2021.

“I think it gives people options,” Dodgen said. “City Council going digital gives people options to watch it and be a part of it, to be involved and participate, to be informed.”

Paying attention to council’s actions will reveal more to the citizens. They will see the continued growth and economic changes she thinks Seguin is in store for in the coming year, Dodgen said.

“I know we should look forward to continued growth,” she said. “We’re at a record number of homes and subdivisions that are platted and ready to go. That will continue to happen.”

Seguin will continue to have multiple projects set to proceed at once, Dodgen said. Residents should expect road repairs and infrastructure improvements.

City leaders plan to keep a focus on the downtown area, bringing a variety of new businesses there, she said. Economic development won’t stop there, however.

New businesses are springing up in the area of State Highway 46 across from Texas Lutheran University and across the city, Dodgen said.

“There still continues to be economic development happening, retail interests on 46, probably breathing new life into the Seguin Crossroads shopping center at 123 (Bypass) and Court Street,” she said. “That’ll be rehabbed and upgraded, potentially.”

Major companies Seguin Economic Development Corporation executive director Josh Schneuker was recruiting for the city put holds on expansion and other business dealings as the pandemic spread. Once vaccines see more wide-spread distribution later in the year, things should begin to reopen and get back to a more normal feel, he said.

“Until we start seeing these infection rates and hospitalizations come down and more folks getting vaccinated, that’s when we’ll start to see a light at the end of the tunnel and things starting to get better,” Schneuker said.

One such retailer is Chick-fil-A, he said.

Currently, the company has placed a hold on new store development due to the virus, Schneuker said. Chick-fil-A leadership has told economic development corporation personnel that the holds will be lifted as we get deeper into 2021, he said.

“We know everybody wants Chick-fil-A in the city,” Schneuker said. “We’re hoping 2021 might be the year for a lot of these targeted retailers, like Chick-fil-A, once those holds will be lifted.”

The coronavirus pandemic put a damper on economic efforts and more in both Seguin and Guadalupe County. But finding the bright side now is very important, Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher said.

“You have to look at the silver lining: 2020, as we all know, was and has been extremely difficult,” Kutscher said. “At the same time, we did survive. We did make it through an extremely difficult time.”

With the new year comes a great deal of opportunity, he said. The beginning of the year likely will be dominated by talk of COVID and its vaccine, but moving forward, the business of managing the county’s booming growth will continue, Kutscher said.

Attention paid to big projects is a county focus.

“The public should know those things are still happening,” he said. “This is a desirable region and a desirable county for people to be in.”

Construction projects including a new development center for the county engineer, road and bridge department, environmental health department, GIS mapping and fire code management is in the works for 2021, Kutscher said.

County leaders recently settled on a contractor to work on improvements at the Precinct No. 1 justice of the peace and constable offices, he said.

Also, the county is working on a project to locate its veterans services officer and staff in one location with about four other agencies, Kutscher said.

“The idea is a veteran can walk in the door and get services from different agencies all in one place,” he said.

Then county officials will deal with redistricting in 2021 to conform to 2020 census numbers. Also, traffic improvements are on the horizon thanks to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Kutscher said. He and other officials are working to simultaneously move beyond the disease and help county residents.

“We’re trying to put more resources and focus back on those needed projects the county has that will affect the public for many years,” Kutscher said. “We have to couple that with our response to COVID and trying to work and navigate those challenges also.”

So, things are looking up for the coming year locally, the officials said. They believe 2021 will be a great year with good things to discuss, despite the pandemic.

“It is positive,” Dodgen said. “There’s lots happening. We haven’t stopped just because of COVID.”

Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com

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