Members of Hispanic Community Outraged in City Council Meeting
Shouting, threats of arrest, a Bexar County Sheriff Deputy, and a Univision news crew were all part of a City Council meeting held on April 13, 2016. The City Council is supposed to meet every second Thursday of the month, which would have been April 14th, but the meeting was cancelled and the April 13th […]
City Council Fails to Get Audit, Violates Another State Law
The Sandy Oaks City Council has violated another state law by not having had an audit conducted and by now having a financial statement recorded with the City Clerk. The state law is specifically for municipal governments. It requires cities such as Sandy Oaks to hire an auditor every year to audit the city’s finances […]
Book Exchange Has Permanently Closed
The community book exchange held its last exchange on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. The book exchange was originally organized from the Good Neighbors group, but eventually was run completely by Catherine Rendahl. Rendahl began hosting the exchange on her front porch starting in June of 2015. Eventually she had so many books that she decided […]
(Almost) Everything Illegal About the Park Transfer
The City of Sandy Oaks has finally accepted the offer of the park land from Jim Clement, who claims to be the Waterwood Park Property Owner’s Association president. But everything about the deal reeks of illegalities. Jim Clement Accepted the Land Illegally The park originally belonged to the Waterwood Development Company. The company wanted out […]
Citizens Skipped in First Bulk Pickup
Tiger Sanitation held its first city wide bulk trash pickup on March 19, 2016. The collection skipped over a large portion of the city, leaving heaps of trash all along city streets. Quarterly bulk pickup was part of the contract Tiger Sanitation offered the city in the fall of 2015 when the City Council accepted […]
Tired of Complainers?
At the March 10, 2016 City Council meeting the Council went into a closed session and forced audience members out of the cafeteria room where the meeting was being held. While outside the building, people chatted about various topics to pass the time. Included among them was Pedro Orduno, the Chairman of the Committee to […]
City Accepts Illegal WPPOA Offer
On March 10, 2016 the City Council accepted the assets offered by the Waterwood Park Property Owner’s Association. The assets include the land owned by the WPPOA. The Council then went into a close session, forcing everyone in the audience out of the room. However, the Council did allow certain people to enter the closed […]
City Council Gives Special Access to Closed Meeting
At the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on March 10, 2016, the City Council held an executive session, a meeting closed to the public. Mayor Ball stated the purpose of the executive session was to discuss the transfer of assets from the Waterwood Park Property Owner’s Association and to discuss City Attorney consultation. The Texas […]
City Council Holds Meeting Without Announcement; Violates Law
The Sandy Oaks City Council held a meeting on March 10, 2016 at the Braunig Lake RV Resort cafeteria. The Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA)requires notice of a meeting’s location 72 hours in advance: Sec. 551.043. TIME AND ACCESSIBILITY OF NOTICE; GENERAL RULE. (a) The notice of a meeting of a governmental body must be […]
Micki Ball: The Female Jim Clement
The City of Sandy Oaks has a new Mayor, but Micki Ball seems just like the previous Mayor Jim Clement. The similarities between the two are striking. Both Clement and Ball Work In Secrecy Both of them kept the salary of Art Martinez de Vara, the City Attorney, private for half a year. As a […]
First Formal Communication From City Council to Residents
After almost 2 years in existence, the City Council has sent its first formal communication to the residents of Sandy Oaks. On February 11, 2016 the City Council approved the creation and mailing of a newsletter to be sent to property owners in Sandy Oaks. The newsletter was delivered on March 3, 2016. The idea […]
Mayor Micki Ball Slanders Citizen In Character Assassination Attempt
At the February 11, 2016 City Council meeting Mayor Micki Ball slandered a citizen, falsely accusing her of representing the city and making threats. The agenda item the Council was supposed to be discussing was listed as Mayor’s Comment: Comment on commencement services by Tiger Sanitation to City residents and businesses The Mayor didn’t have […]
Absurd Ordinances
The Sandy Oaks City Council is now in its second year. The idea of being a city and having a city government was that city government could offer more than what the county government was doing and could do a better job addressing basic governmental services like road repair, law enforcement, fire protection, and animal. […]
Horse Killed at Entrance to Waterwood
Early in the evening on February 16, 2016 a horse was killed at the intersection of Waterwood Pass Drive and Silver Chalice. The body of the horse was alongside the road, only a few yards from the stop sign of the northern corner of the intersection. When Sandy Oaks News arrived on the scene at […]
City Rewards Those Who Violate Deed Restrictions
The people claiming to be in charge in the City of Sandy Oaks have established a habit of wanting things to work “both ways.” They want all the credit of success and all the power of position, but don’t want the responsibility and work that comes with it. For example, Jim Clement is upset that […]
Tremblay Hears Automatic Weapons, Council Bans Shooting
On February 11, 2016 the Sandy Oaks City Council banned the shooting of firearms. Alderman David Tremblay claimed he hears people shooting firearms often, saying I sit outside my home on my porch and my back yard on the weekend and I hear people firing off automatic weapons…New Years was pretty crazy. Fourth of July, […]
City Loses $75,000 CDBG Grant
Mayor Micki Ball announced on February 11, 2016 that the City of Sandy Oaks lost a $75,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). According to Mayor Ball, HUD changed the guidelines on how they judge income levels. She told the City Council that an economic census was mailed out to the community and that not enough […]
Incorporation Paperwork Never Mentioned Waterwood
Sandy Oaks News has received copies of the official incorporation paperwork submitted to Bexar County by the Committee to Incorporate Sandy Oaks (CISO). An open records request was submitted to Bexar County on the behalf of Sandy Oaks News on January 19, 2016. The request was for all forms, documents, and maps included with the […]
John Lujan Wins House District 118
On January 26, 2016, John Lujan was elected to Texas House District 118. He is the first Republican to ever take the seat. House District 118 covers much of South Bexar County and includes Sandy Oaks, Somerset, Elmendorf, St. Hedwig, Selma, Universal City, and part of South-side San Antonio. Residents in the district number over […]
Paying Money Gives A Person the Right to Complain
There has been a growing trend with politicians in the community that are trying to guilt trip people into doing more work in the community. Volunteering is great, but using peer pressure to force people into volunteering is a nasty thing to do. Part of the guilt trip comes from certain Council members whenever they […]
Tiger Sanitation Delivers Recycling Containers
Recycling pick up is now being offered in the City of Sandy Oaks by Tiger Sanitation. On January 25, 2016 the trash collection company delivered cans intended for recycling to residents who are currently customers. The cans have green lids to distinguish them from Tiger’s cans that are for trash. The service for recycling is […]
City Council Takes On WPPOA CPS Bills; Violates Texas Law
On January 14, 2016, the Sandy Oaks City Council unanimously decided to take over the CPS energy bills of the Waterwood Park Property Owner’s Association (WPPOA). The city will take on the WPPOA’s CPS accounts and will also pay money currently owed to CPS. The City Council claimed that Jim Clement, as WPPOA president, could […]
7 months later, Still No Police Cars & Another TOMA Violation
On January 14, 2016 the City Council discussed the transfer of vehicles from a Bexar County parking location to the City of Sandy Oaks. The item was not on the agenda, which didn’t stop Mayor Micki Ball, Aldermen Douglas Tomasini and David Tremblay, and City Marshal Jesse Gutierrez from discussing the topic. The City of […]
City Council Bans Riding Livestock at Night
On January 14, 2016 the Sandy Oaks City Council banned the riding of livestock at night. The City Council passed an ordinance on animal control on December 15, 2015. On January 14th the Council decided to make changes to the ordinance. While discussing changes to the ordinance, Alderman David Tremblay said people rode horses with […]
New City Council Member Without Application or Election
The Sandy Oaks City Council filled a vacancy on the Council on January 14, 2016 at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The position, Alderman Place 4, originally belonged to Micki Ball until she become the Mayor last November and the position became vacant. At a previous meeting on November 12, 2015, the City Council decided […]
Fireworks Still Being Sold
For the New Year’s season, fireworks are still being sold by Mr W Fireworks at the corner of Priest and Waterwood Pass Drive inside city limits. The City Council passed an ordinance banning the sale of fireworks on December 15, 2015. Sandy Oaks News attempted to read the ordinance, but the official city website doesn’t […]
Horses Run Loose in Waterwood
2 horses were found roaming down Waterwood Pass Drive towards the entrance of the neighborhood on December 21, 2015. Both horses were unsaddled and walking at a moderate pace. After they passed the intersection with Crystal Water, Joe “Jose” Hernandez began chasing after the 2 horses to get them off of the road. Priscilla Yarbrough […]
Jim Clement Threatens Collection of Maintenance Fee
On December 15, 2015, Jim Clement threatened sending out a maintenance fee to property owners within the Waterwood subdivision. Clement has claimed since as early as Spring 2014 that he is the president of the Waterwood Park Property Owner’s Association (WPPOA). Property owners have asked him to show proof of the record that he was […]
Animal Control Ordinance and Agreement With Elmendorf, Selma
On December 15, 2015 the City Council approved an Animal Control Ordinance. Not all of the Council members had a copy of the ordinance to read ahead of the discussion. Alderman Karen Tanguma had to get a copy to read. Early in the discussion, Mayor Micki Ball said about the ordinance “I read through it. […]
City Council Bans the Sale of Fireworks
On December 15, 2015, the Sandy Oaks City Council banned the sale and storage of fireworks. Before approving the ordinance regarding fireworks, the Council heard a presentation from Julio Martinez, a part owner of the Mr W Fireworks company that operates a fireworks stand at the corner of Waterwood Pass and Priest Road inside the […]