[6:29] We are as Hayes County Food Bank represents a county-wide effort to provide nutritious food to individuals and families facing food insecurity, made possible through the generous support of individuals, civic organizations, local government, and businesses, and whereas households with children are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, and many do not qualify for federal nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

[6:58] from SNAP. We're lying in sit on food banks and community-based food programs for supplemental

[7:03] support. And whereas Hayes County Food Bank served an average of 1,400 low-income households

[7:09] each week in 2025, with over 55 percent of all clients served by the Food Bank being residents

[7:16] of St. Marcus. And whereas Hayes County Food Bank distributed over 1.8 million pounds

[7:22] food through the client choice market, three direct off-site distributions, and 18 last-mile

[7:30] sites, and provided 1,500 holiday meal kits to community members.

[7:35] And whereas the need for food assistance continues to grow, and the Hayes County Food Bank

[7:40] is distributing over double the monthly weight of food since the previous year, making community

[7:46] donations more critical than ever.

[7:48] And whereas national hunger action month observed in September is a national campaign led by

[7:54] feeding America to raise awareness of hunger in the United States and to encourage all

[7:59] Americans to take action in the fight against hunger.

[8:03] Now, therefore, I, Jane Hucen, by virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of the

[8:06] city of Samarkas, Texas, do hereby proclaim the month of September 2026 as hunger action

[8:12] month.

[8:13] And do hereby call upon the people in the communities of Hase County to recognize and support

[8:18] the good work by the Hayes County Food Bank and providing essential nutritional needs to

[8:24] individuals and families.

[8:29] Thank you so much.

[8:30] I'm Lisa Young.

[8:30] I'm the Executive Director of the Food Bank.

[8:33] In case you couldn't guess, orange is the color of hunger action.

[8:37] And I'll be like this all month long.

[8:41] We really enjoy this time to spotlight the need in our community, but the need can be

[8:46] very sobering.

[8:47] For the first time ever, we've reached the 20% mark for the number of children in Hayes County that are food insecure.

[8:58] As Mayor Jane pointed out in the proclamation, we're serving double what we used to.

[9:05] We're so grateful for the support that we've had from local government and from our private companies and just individuals around the county around the city that we were able to build that new facility.

[9:17] We're at our one-year anniversary and we've served more through that than we ever have before.

[9:24] Just the food that goes to the market is equal to one of our past years of all food.

[9:30] And most of the people who use that are here in the city of San Marcos.

[9:34] My son is a teacher at Hayes and he sees kids in his classroom every day

[9:40] that he also sees when he volunteers at the food bank.

[9:43] The greatest thing about that is that they say,

[9:45] Hey, Mr. Young!

[9:47] Because they're not embarrassed to come to the food bank,

[9:49] because our community has made it such a welcoming place.

[9:52] A whole lot of people depend on us, and we depend on you.

[9:56] Now, there's another way that San Marcos has led the...

[10:00] Way for hunger action month. Two years ago, we started Stack the Mac, where we found the oranges shelf

[10:07] stable food that we could think of macaroni and cheese, and we raised more than a ton of it.

[10:14] Well, we're here to say, Stack the Mac is back this year. And I've already had two other mayors

[10:21] commit to accept the challenge that Mayor Huesin, when we did our first one, she donated a

[10:29] of cases that was equal to her in height.

[10:33] And so the other mayors in the county are challenged to do this as well.

[10:37] And I'll be imbued at a night to get Mayor Lee to do it.

[10:41] But the mayor of Kyle and our county judge have also accepted the challenge to do this as well.

[10:46] So we expect to see everyone even if they're just a candidate running for office,

[10:50] maybe to come donate their stack.

[10:52] But this is a great on ramp to teach people about philanthropy to get those kids involved.

[10:57] It's a pretty easy one for them that you can tell them how we're doing it and why we're doing it

[11:03] And it's a great way for them to enter the world of community service and philanthropy

[11:07] So tell your football team and your girl scout troop and everyone you can to stack them at for the whole month of September

[11:14] Thanks

[11:20] And you're around

[11:22] Donations and volunteers are always welcome

[11:27] That's the way to see the food banks to volunteer in it

[11:30] That's right

[11:31] Okay

[11:31] Thank

[12:09] you.

[12:32] Approximation.

[12:33] Whereas emergency preparedness is a national priority with the goal of shared safety and resilience.

[12:40] And whereas the state of Texas historically leads the nation and the number of federally

[12:45] declared disasters, be they natural disasters, technological or human cause.

[12:52] And whereas the emergency preparedness month is an opportunity for the city of San

[12:56] Marcus to inform and educate residents, businesses, schools and communities, and the city

[13:02] of San Marcus to be more prepared by developing the capabilities needed to prevent, protect

[13:07] against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against threats and hazards.

[13:12] And whereas emergency preparedness is a responsibility of every resident of Sam Marcus, and

[13:18] Sam Marcus residents are encouraged to take intentional precautionary measures to ensure

[13:23] the resilience of their families, homes, community, and businesses.

[13:27] And whereas emergency preparedness month is also an opportunity to reiterate our gratitude

[13:33] for the selfless service of the brave men and women who help prepare our city for disasters

[13:38] and take action when those disasters strike.

[13:41] Our first responders, critical infrastructure, and other frontline workers and disaster

[13:46] response volunteers, often take great personal risks to perform their duties.

[13:52] These individuals, personally and collectively, are essential to the security of our

[13:56] city, and we remain committed to supporting them in their mission.

[14:00] And whereas personal business, animal and private sector preparedness may serve to mitigate

[14:05] the impacts of various incidents, emergencies, and disasters in the city.

[14:10] And we're as promoting a culture of resilience through preparedness, helps enable communities and individuals to take the preparatory actions necessary to overcome the threats and hazards that present themselves.

[14:24] And we're as during emergency preparedness month, we encourage all the people of Sam Marcus to adopt a proactive mindset and take the necessary steps to prepare their families and communities to withstand and recover from unexpected events.

[14:38] We cannot always know when the next crisis will occur, but we know that we'll be prepared by committing ourselves to culture of resilience.

[14:46] Now, there are Ijane Houston by virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of the city of Samarkis, Texas,

[14:51] do here by the Claire September of 2026 as Emergency Preparedness Month and do here by

[14:58] call upon all of the people of...

[15:00] Sam Marcus to take action to be prepared for disaster or an emergency by encouraging all residents, businesses, schools and communities to develop emergency preparedness and resiliency plans and to register at warncentraltexas.org to receive emergency alerts.

[15:19] Thank you for bringing this to us and reminding us of the importance, because it's not if another disaster is coming, it's when and we don't always know when it's coming.

[15:28] So we need to be prepared.

[15:32] Thank you, Mayor.

[15:32] I just want to remind folks that September 12th, beginning at 9 o'clock, we do have the case

[15:37] kind of preparedness fair in Kyle.

[15:40] Representative from all the jurisdictions be there.

[15:43] There's a chilly cook-off.

[15:44] I think there's a concert as well.

[15:46] And we'll be passing out supplies to individuals if they want to build a bag.

[15:50] Go back to be prepared for disasters.

[15:56] A word about war and central Texas, you may not live in an area that's prone to flooding or whatever.

[16:02] but maybe a family member does.

[16:05] So when you register at Warren Central Texas,

[16:08] you're not registering just yourself,

[16:09] you can register grandparents, other relatives

[16:12] that may live in a flood prone area so that you're notified

[16:16] and you can go over and help them do what they need to do.

[16:19] So it's a great system where you should be registered.

[17:02] Let's go with Jessica and Costa Rica.

[17:47] Proclamation.

[17:49] Whereas Jessica Hathmockele at Costa

[17:51] began her career with the Sam Marcus Police Department

[17:54] in June of 2001, as any emergency communications operator,

[17:59] 2001 to 2005, rising to senior emergency communications operator,

[18:04] 2005 to 2011, and to telecommunications officer,

[18:09] 2011 to 2016, the lead officer, 2016 to 2019,

[18:16] and the 911 shift supervisor 2019 to present.

[18:19] And whereas on August 21st of 2026, Jessica will retire with 25 years of outstanding dedication

[18:28] and commitment to her colleagues and the people of Sam Marcus.

[18:33] And whereas during her tenure, she expertly coordinated National Telecommunicator's Week,

[18:38] National Night Out, the Pink Hills Hills Campaign, the Junior Fire Academy,

[18:42] and created the Department's Internal Cudos Board.

[18:45] And whereas Jessica holds five college degrees, including two Bachelor of Science degrees,

[18:52] three Master of Science degrees, spanning criminal justice, sociology, family studies,

[18:58] Homeland Security, and emergency emergency services management, and maintains master telecommunicator

[19:04] EMT and telecommunications device for the death teletypewriter certifications.

[19:10] And whereas she served as an in-house trainer for CPR and TDD, developed a critical PTSD

[19:17] presentation for the department, and was instrumental in implementing the Blue Card Dispatch

[19:23] Training Program and the Mayday Dispatch Standard Operating Procedure.

[19:28] And whereas she partnered with the 911 Training Coordinator to strengthen agency 360 daily

[19:34] observation reporting, founded and led the vital moments peer support team and actively

[19:40] contributed to critical incident stress management, victim services, and recruitment.

[19:46] And whereas described by colleagues as a compassionate listener, problem-solver, and dependable

[19:51] leader who remains calm under pressure, Jessica guided her department's growth from

[19:57] a floor staff of 8 to 23.

[20:00] And transition from paper to digital. And whereas her most remarkable challenge was the 2015 Moral Day Flood,

[20:07] where she managed a city split by flooding waters, integrated with displaced Hase County staff,

[20:14] and handled a truly staggering volume of emergency calls. And whereas in retirement, Jessica looks forward

[20:20] to prioritizing her family, spending time with her loving wife Andrea, and son Jacob, and living her best

[20:27] Now therefore I change Houston by virtue of the authority invested in me as mayor of the city of San

[20:33] Marcus Texas, do hereby proclaim the 21st day of August, 2026 as Jessica Hoffmackle

[20:39] Acosta Day and do hereby call upon the people of San Marcus to thank her for her 25 years of

[20:46] exemplary service service. Wow, that is incredibly impressive. I knew parts, but I knew parts

[20:56] of it, but I didn't know the whole entire media.

[21:01] Mayer, that is a lot, but that's certainly not everything.

[21:05] Jessica has been amazing in her service to the community.

[21:08] And so on behalf of our sister's services up here, Fire,

[21:11] and EMS, I just want to thank you for your services citizens.

[21:15] An amazing, you've seen so many changes from this

[21:20] measure being licensed and be recognized as first responders.

[21:24] It truly is.

[21:25] You've been on the front row of all that.

[21:27] And so, thank you for this and more and everything.

[21:31] This is just not enough, but happy just to close the day.

[21:36] Thank you.

[21:40] Thank you.

[21:42] And do enjoy that return.

[23:15] I proclamation.

[23:17] Whereas we believe in the joyful transformative power of the human

[23:21] K-9 bond and inclusivity of all citizens.

[23:25] And whereas in the United States, 70 million adults have a disability

[23:29] And only 16,000 service dogs from accredited training programs exist nationwide, and the need is growing.

[23:37] And whereas K9 Companions created the service dog for people with physical disabilities 50 years ago,

[23:44] in 1975, creating a new kind of support for disability.

[23:49] And whereas K9 Companions is a non-profit organization that changes the lives of people with disabilities

[23:55] by providing expertly trained service dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships

[24:02] free of charge. And whereas K9 companions and their service dogs empower people with disabilities

[24:09] to lead live with greater independence by providing best-in-class training, ongoing follow-up

[24:15] services, and a deeply committed community of support. And whereas national service dog

[24:20] aims to educate our community about the benefits of service dogs and the laws protecting their

[24:26] handlers. And whereas the city of San Marcos Texas continues to work toward becoming an

[24:32] inclusive community in which all citizens and their train service dogs are embraced. Now therefore

[24:38] I Jane Houston by virtue of the authority vested in me is Mayor the city of San Marcos Texas

[24:42] to hear by proclaim the month of September 2026 as National Service Dog Month and to hear by

[24:49] all residents of Sam Marcus, the celebrate service dogs, and be respectful of the rights to

[24:55] safe access in our community, afforded to the adults, children, and veterans.

[25:00] Who leave more independent lives because of their assistance. Thank you so much for what you do. Thanks for bringing

[25:07] on with you. This is great.

[25:14] Thank you, Mayor. As mentioned, service dogs, there's very few compared to the numbers disabled persons.

[25:21] These are, they're learning, they're learning, but they still, they're joyful.

[25:29] Can I companions was the first service dog Academy, if you'll have, and one of the great

[25:38] benefactors was Charles Schultz, it started in his neighborhood, his wife was still on

[25:43] work, and very active. Charles, not so much. But Snoopy went to the AC Academy. He had

[25:51] his training. So, nightly, Natalia, thank you for your support. And Cancun Companions gives

[26:00] their dogs to persons in need at no cost. So, you're talking about $50,000, $60,000 worth

[26:06] of dog that they're getting, and they rely on the community, and so we're very thankful to

[26:14] Sam Marcus, the City of Sam Marcus for recognizing us and we enjoy your support.

[26:20] Thank you.

[27:04] I

[27:52] proclamation.

[27:54] Whereas the recorded Hispanic heritage has been part of the DNA of American culture for over

[28:00] 480 years with undefiable influence in education, public safety,

[28:06] infrastructure, economic development, and governance.

[28:10] And whereas, the words of Caesar Chavez,

[28:13] preservation of one's own culture does not require the contempt

[28:16] or disrespect for other cultures.

[28:19] And thus celebrate the contributions

[28:21] of the revost, I'm sorry, robust, Hispanic

[28:25] this for that includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican

[28:32] Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,

[28:40] Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela. And whereas community members of the city of San

[28:46] Marcus are proud of their Mexican heritage that includes Native American and Spanish blood identifying

[28:52] themselves as Mexican-American, Chicano, Latino, Spanish, Tejano, or Hispanic, and

[28:58] there are other Latin American countries whose people have become part of the colorful

[29:01] fabric which is added to Texas culture.

[29:05] And whereas humanity and centuries of hope and sacrifice has brought us to commemorate

[29:10] the strong and visible roots of Hispanic heritage, which is contributed to the infrastructure

[29:16] in farming, business, science, and the performing arts, and the national, regional, and local

[29:22] landscape of our nation. And whereas Samarkis encourages and promotes strong and inclusive

[29:28] communities that recognize and celebrate efforts to bring people together for a greater

[29:33] good. And whereas all communities in the city of Samarkis are invited to join in unity to

[29:39] celebrate our diverse cultures by participating in the fifth annual Hispanic Heritage Exhibition

[29:46] on Saturday, September 12th of 2026, from 10 to 2 p.m. at the Hayes County Historic Courthouse.

[29:55] And whereas the annual Hispanic Heritage Exhibition Walk serves as a kickoff.

[30:00] For his banic heritage month. Now, therefore, I, Jane Hucen, by virtue of the authority vested in me, is Mayor of the City of

[30:06] Samarkis, Texas. Do hereby proclaim September 12th, as his banic heritage exhibition walk day, and September 15th, through October 15th of

[30:16] 2026, as his banic heritage month. And do hereby call up all persons of Samarkis to recognize the positive impacts of the

[30:24] Hispanic people to the whole of the city's population.

[30:30] Thank you for doing this and reminding us of we are all in this together.

[30:42] Thank you Mayor.

[30:43] Thank you everyone.

[30:45] So we are excited to once again present our Hispanic Heritage Exhibition Walk,

[30:51] a time where we can come together, honor and bring out those individuals that have settled in our community,

[31:00] that come from other places than here, then Texas. They are people who are important to our

[31:09] community, whether they're serving on as a teacher, whether they're serving in our hospitals,

[31:16] whether they're serving as your nanny, doing yard work. All of those things are important to

[31:24] to one of us in our community and in our lives.

[31:28] So again, I encourage you to come out.

[31:30] We're going to have a fun day out at the courthouse,

[31:33] and we'd love for you to come out.

[31:35] Thank you.

[31:37] Thank you.

[32:07] Thank you very much.

[32:08] Thank you very much.

[32:10] Thank you very much.

[32:12] Thank you very much.

[32:42] Proclamation.

[32:44] Whereas the United States of America

[32:46] suffered the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history

[32:50] on Tuesday, September 11th of 2001, with the hijacking and destruction of four passenger airplanes,

[32:59] the devastation of the World Trade Center in New York City, and the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

[33:05] And whereas these vicious attacks claim the lives of 3,000 innocent people wounded the heart and soul of Americans,

[33:13] threatened the security of our country, and endangered the economic stability of nations around the world.

[33:18] And whereas Americans and people throughout the world have responded to the events of September 11 with the commitment to protect our freedoms,

[33:26] the world to seek justice and the resolve to fight terrorism, where it exists in the world.

[33:32] And whereas 25 years after the catastrophe, our nation still commemorates the heroes and the innocence of this pack on our nation,

[33:41] rededicating ourselves to the principles of freedom and democracy that are the foundation of our nation.

[33:47] And whereas the city of San Marcos will hold a brief remembrance on this day to honor the

[33:52] memories of the heroic civilians, firefighters, EMS personnel, and police officers who died on September 11,

[34:00] of 2001. Now therefore I Jane Hucen by virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of the city of

[34:11] as 9-11, remember it's day in Sam Marcus,

[34:14] and to hear by call upon the people of Sam Marcus,

[34:16] to remember those lost on September 11th of 2001,

[34:21] and to rededicate ourselves as patriotic Americans

[34:23] by flying the flag at the United States of America

[34:26] and reaffirming our commitment to liberty and justice.

[34:32] We say we never forget.

[34:34] We never forget.

[34:35] Do you want to say good?

[34:37] Thank you, Mayor.

[34:39] I'll never forget where I was 25 years ago

[34:42] 911 and we hire kids now that weren't born in 2001 and so as the mayor just said we've pledged to never forget

[34:51] You'll see 343 on the back of our fire trucks keep back 343 feet that's how many firefighters were lost that day

[35:00] Obviously, all the thousands of people lost that day, fire, EMS police. We just can't remember what happened

[35:08] to our country, that our nation that day, we owe it to the younger generation to teach them.

[35:15] What happened? Friday, September 11th, here at City Hall, we'll be flying, raising the flag.

[35:21] They flew over City Hall that day, 25 years ago, so I'd encourage everyone to attend that

[35:26] and 830 that morning.

[35:28] So, thank you.

[35:30] Thank you.

[36:03] Thank you.

[36:04] Thank

[36:16] you.

[36:18] Thank you.

[36:42] Proclamation.

[36:44] Whereas September is recognized as suicide awareness month.

[36:48] A time to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention resources, including

[36:53] National Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

[36:58] And whereas this observance encourages open conversations that reduce stigma, connect individuals

[37:06] with support services, and recognize those impacted by suicide, including survivors

[37:11] of suicide loss.

[37:13] And whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute

[37:18] of Mental Health and National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is the second leading

[37:24] of death at my youth ages 10 to 24 and in 2023 one in five high school students reported

[37:32] seriously considering suicide and whereas the city of San Marcos supports the efforts of

[37:38] the core four partnership which includes Hayes County, the San Marcos School District,

[37:44] Texas State University, the Healthy Hayes Coalition, the San Marcos Texas Mental Health Coalition,

[37:50] and behavioral health professionals, educators, first responders, and community advocates,

[37:57] working to strengthen behavioral health and suicide prevention efforts.

[38:01] And whereas the City of Sam Marcus through the core for a partnership and collaboration

[38:05] with Hayes County's Behavioral Health Program and Community stakeholders, remains committed

[38:10] to advancing a coordinated approach to behavioral health that promotes wellness, prevention,

[38:16] Early intervention and access to support services for all residents, and whereas community

[38:21] organizations, including Seneca or Foundation, Greater Semarkis Youth Council, Hays

[38:27] called Wall Women's Center, the Hays called Well Suicide Prevention Coalition, Nami of Central

[38:32] Texas, Community in Schools of Central Texas, Hill Country Mental Health and Development

[38:38] Disability Centers, Community Action and Inc. of Central Texas, Local Mental Health

[38:45] providers and other partners work to reduce stigma and provide education, resources and support

[38:51] throughout Sam Marcus and Hayes County. And whereas all residents are encouraged to learn

[38:57] about mental health and suicide prevention through programs such as mental health first aid,

[39:04] youth aware of mental health, behavioral health 360, and other opportunities that promote awareness,

[39:10] resilience and community well-being. Now therefore I, Jane Houston, by virtue of the authority

[39:16] vested in me as mayor of the City of San Marcos, Texas, do hereby proclaim the month of

[39:21] September 26, 2026 as national suicide prevention and action month, and do hereby call upon the

[39:28] people of San Marcos to recognize that we need to take care of our mental health while we take care

[39:34] of each other.

[39:36] Thank you for bringing this awareness to us.

[39:42] On behalf of Sam Marcus, Texas, mental health coalition,

[39:45] I want to thank you and the community.

[39:50] While suicide awareness provision action is an incredibly serious topic,

[39:53] the core message behind it is one of profound and absolute hope.

[39:56] It is a reminder that no one has to carry the burdens alone and that help.

[40:00] As with, in reach, this statistic shared in this proclamation and in the research, represent a person who is in need of a hand, and our mission is to ensure they find it.

[40:09] To do that, we need all of our partners because no one entity can make the community, the kind of community wide impact is truly required.

[40:18] That is why so incredibly proud of how our mental health coalition was formed and worked hand with the core four partners of Sam Marcus, bringing together the city of Sam Marcus, Hayes County, including our local governments.

[40:29] STEM or CISD and Texas State University.

[40:32] Having that alignment, knowing that our local leaders are fully committed to this cause is what makes our community safety net so strong.

[40:38] Creating a safer and more supportive community takes us all.

[40:41] It takes awareness, learning, participation, and action.

[40:45] For anyone asking how they can get involved, we are offering concrete ways to make a difference.

[40:49] Become a certified lifesaver by taking the assist training.

[40:52] Sign up for mental health first aid training to learn how to identify and understand respond to signs of mental health.

[40:57] support our youth task force and their initiatives, and join us for a suicide prevention

[41:02] walk on September 26th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Plaza Park to show your support and solidarity.

[41:10] And finally, to anyone hurting today, please remember that the 9 a.m. life line is available 24

[41:14] seven and our entire local network is here for you. You are not alone.

[41:21] And let's talk about that date and time again. It is September 26th. That's a Thursday.

[41:28] I'm sorry. I was thinking I had more more attendance on a Saturday. So Saturday, September 26 from 9 to 11 AM at Plaza Park. Thank you.

Proclamations

Agenda

Transcript