Bee Cave OKs police services contract with Lakeway
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that Council Member Andy Rebber was attending his final council meeting after opting to not run for reelection.
A mutual police services agreement between the cities of Bee Cave and Lakeway was codified in a new resolution that the Bee Cave City Council approved on April 23.
The resolution allows each city’s police forces to assist the other if needed, such as in emergencies or staffing shortages, said Bee Cave Police Chief Brian Jones. He said that in his three years in the position, there has been no such agreement and the last one like it expired in 2018.
“This current proposal for the mutual aid agreement just simply puts into writing what we already do for the city of Bee Cave and the city of Lakeway,” Jones said. “That is (to) provide police services for each other’s respective cities should the need arise.”
The resolution states that through these cooperative measures, both cities will be able to provide police services more “efficiently and effectively” to the “benefit of public health, safety and welfare” of the communities.
The contract is set to expire one year from now, according to the resolution, but will renew yearly without modification or termination unless either city requests it.
Council salutes Rebber at his final meeting
The City Council also said goodbye to Andy Rebber, who was attending his last meeting as a member. Rebber opted to not run for reelection.
“I wanted to personally thank (Rebber) for his volunteerism, for his dedication to us, to the city (and) to the council,” Mayor Kara King said during the meeting. “Thank you for your past two years of service to the city of Bee Cave.“
“Bee Cave has been very fortunate to have excellent staff across the board, top to bottom,” Rebber said during the meeting. “It makes our job a lot easier.”
Rebber's spot on the council will be filled by John Cobb, who was the only person to file to run for the seat. He will start his two year term at the next council meeting on May 14th. King and Council Member Courtney Hohl also were unopposed in their reelection bids, which allowed the election to be canceled.
From 2021: Jon Cobb resigns from Bee Cave City Council; seat to remain open until May 2022
New police agreement with Lakeway
A mutual police services agreement between the cities of Lakeway and Bee Cave also was codified in a new resolution that the council approved.
The resolution allows each city’s police forces to assist the other if needed, such as in emergencies or staffing shortages, said Bee Cave Police Chief Brian Jones. He said in his three years in the position, there has been no such agreement and the last one like it expired in 2018.
“This current proposal for the mutual aid agreement just simply puts into writing what we already do for the city of Bee Cave and the city of Lakeway,” Jones said. “That is (to) provide police services for each other’s respective cities should the need arise.”
The resolution states that through these cooperative measures, both cities will be able to provide police services more “efficiently and effectively” to the “benefit of public health, safety and welfare” of the communities.
The contract is set to expire one year from now, according to the resolution, but will renew yearly without modification or termination unless either city requests it.
New social media policy developed
The city also approved a new social media policy outlining rules and guidelines for all city staff, including elected officials.
The city brought forward a request for social media guidelines at its meeting on April 9 after a Supreme Court decision concerning how city governments operate under the First Amendment. The city wanted to ensure those laws are followed while still allowing the city to convey critical information to the public, City Manager Julie Oakley said during the April 9 meeting.
The policy specifically highlights Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube as social media sites to be aware of.
The new policy institutes an archive system for all sites and a password system for all city staff, along with authorizing the communications director to disable the city’s social media sites or to prohibit posting of certain information. It also outlines an acceptable use policy, including prohibiting elected officials from commenting about or conducting city business on personal accounts so it can’t be interpreted as them operating in an “official capacity.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rebber resigns from Bee Cave City Council
