As the City continues to plan for the future, a newly created program will be expanding its reach.
“B.O.N.D. is a community outreach program facilitated by the City,” Planning and Community Development Director Laura Haning said of the City’s Boerne Open Neighborhood Discussion Meetings. “The B.O.N.D. meetings are not formal; they are a free-flowing conversation.”
Since its launch in 2021, the City of Boerne has been refining the process of Boerne Open Neighborhood Discussion Meetings. Currently, they are primarily focused on proposed property changes near neighboring homes or businesses. They are held on Zoom and facilitated by the City’s Planning and Community Development Department.
The person who submitted the request for a property change, or a representative, will give a brief overview of the proposed project. Neighbors can then ask questions and provide feedback, allowing the applicant to respond and answer any questions.
“I think the citizens recognize they can make a difference if they attend these B.O.N.D. Meetings and become part of that conversation early,” Haning said. “The Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council recognize how B.O.N.D. meetings provide and allow for more informed citizens, so the comments that are made at the meetings now are, ‘We talked to the developer, and we see that they have made a change,' or 'We see that they have not made a change.’"
It is important to note, B.O.N.D. Meetings do not replace the opportunity for public discussion and comments at formal public meetings, such as the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council, where a proposed change is up for consideration.
The City’s goal is to expand these meetings to incorporate citywide initiatives.
“Expanding communications with our residents has been a major focus of mine since coming into office,” Mayor Tim Handren said. “The creation of the B.O.N.D. Meetings has really allowed residents to know early on what could be happening in the City and their neighborhood.”
Click here to visit the B.O.N.D. webpage, where you can see upcoming and past meetings and learn about the multiple ways the City notifies residents of upcoming meetings. Watch the video below or on YouTube to learn more.