Bexar Metro 9-1-1 Network District (Bexar Metro) announced today Text to 9-1-1 service is now available to residents in the San Antonio metropolitan area and the counties of Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon customers can now send a short text message to 9-1-1 in an emergency. Text to 9-1-1 should only be used in an emergency situation, when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger or if the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech disabled.

1. If there is an emergency and you are unable to make a voice call, remember these steps:

• If you can, know your location and include it in your emergency text.
• Text what emergency help is needed.
• Be clear; send a short text message without abbreviations or slang.
• Stay calm, respond to questions, and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call-taker.
• If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech disabled, and text to 9-1-1 service is not available, use a Text Telephone (TTY) or a telecommunications relay service, if possible.

2. Don't Abuse Text to 9-1-1. Text to 9-1-1 service is ONLY for emergencies.

• It is a crime to request assistance from 9-1-1 with an intentionally false report or to harass 9-1-1 call-takers. Prank texters can be located and prosecuted.

3. In contrast to a voice 9-1-1 call, Text to 9-1-1 service currently has additional limitations.

• As can occur with all text messages generally, text messages to 9-1-1 may take longer to receive, may get out of order, or may not be received at all.
• 9-1-1 call takers will not be able to hear any background noise that could help with assisting during the emergency.
• Voice 9-1-1 calls are real-time communication and Text to 9-1-1 is not.
• Unlike wireless 9-1-1 voice calls, specific location information for the person sending Text to 9-1-1 may not automatically be sent to the 9-1-1 call-taker.
• Text to 9-1-1 service may not be currently available in all areas of the State of Texas, including counties adjacent to or nearby Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe counties.
• Currently, Text to 9-1-1 service is not available for subscribers while roaming on any carrier other than their home carrier, regardless of the subscriber's location.

If someone sends a text to 9-1-1 from an area outside of Bexar, Comal, or Guadalupe counties that has not yet implemented Text to 9-1-1 service or from a wireless carrier without Text to 9-1-1 service, they should receive a bounceback message indicating that Text to 9-1-1 is not available and to contact 9-1-1 by other means.

Bexar Metro is an Emergency Communications District that facilitates quality 9-1-1 emergency communication services to twenty-five Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) and approximately 2 million residents in the San Antonio metropolitan area and the counties of Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe.

For those of us that use Evers Road regularly, we are in for some changes! Evers Road will receive a much needed makeover, by way of base repairs, a Mill and Overlay of fresh asphalt, and re-striping. The City advertised for bids for this work on April 2, 2015 and received bids from three construction companies. Clark Construction of Texas, Inc. was the lowest bidder at $430,630.93, with an additional $150,139 to construct concrete bus pads at 13 bus stops. The funds for the bus pads are to be reimbursed to the City by VIA Metropolitan Transit.

The last time Evers Road received a Mill and Overlay was in 1998, so the street is overdue. At areas where base failures are determined, the base will be removed and asphaltic base installed to strengthen the street. These repairs are expected to last for another 10 to 15 years.

The construction will stretch from Forest Dell north to Huebner Road. The remaining cul-de-sac at Pavona Place will be crack sealed and receive a top coat of slurry seal, once the initial project has been completed.

Weather permitting; Clark Construction tentatively has set a date of April 29th to begin work. They anticipate completing the job by August. During construction, they plan to keep at least two lanes of traffic open, but expect travel delays as this project moves forward. On the bright side, Evers Road will once again be safe and smooth for our daily travels.

On July 14, 2014, the Leon Valley City Council appointed a group of prominent and civic minded citizens to study the City's governance structure. The Home Rule Commission consists of the following members: Chairman Arthur "Art" Reyna, Vice Chairman Jack Dean, Commissioner Rudy Garcia, Commissioner Kathy Hill, Commissioner David Jordan, Commissioner Liz Maloy, Commissioner Mike McCarley, Commissioner Darby Riley, Commissioner Victor Rodriguez, Commissioner Manuel Rubio, and Commissioner Al Uvietta. 

The Commission was tasked with reviewing and developing a governance structure for the City through a Home Rule Charter. The Commission has completed their work and on January 7, 2014 approved a Home Rule Charter that was presented to the City Council at the February 9, 2015 meeting of the City Council.   It is the Home Rule Charter Commission recommendation to place the Home Rule Charter on the ballot for consideration by the citizens at the May 9, 2015 general election.

Following is the approved Home Rule Charter. Click the following link to view the document:    

• Proposed Home Rule Charter. 
• Carta Orgánica de Gobierno Autónomo Propuesta.
• Home Rule Charter Fact Sheet.
• Presentation by City Attorney Zech