PEOPLE, BUSINESSES & CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Key Players

The individuals involved in the development, permitting, and facilitation of the TriTexas Logistics Park in San Marcos, Texas.

All information on this page is drawn from public records, city permitting documents, and government filings obtained through Public Information Requests. Source documents are available upon request.

Developer

Scarborough Lane Development is the firm of record for the TriTexas Logistics Park project. It is controlled by El Paso billionaire Paul L. Foster through Franklin Mountain San Marcos I, LP. The individuals below represent Scarborough Lane in city communications, permitting applications, and pre-development meetings with City of San Marcos staff.

James Feagin
Scarborough Lane Development / Landmark Interests
Founder-emeritus, Scarborough Lane; Founder & President, Landmark Interests

Founder of Scarborough Lane Development (the developer of record) and founder/president of its brokerage arm, Landmark Interests. He is not an officer of Franklin Mountain - the Foster entity that owns the land - but is listed as tax/property contact on Caldwell CAD records for all FM-I LP parcels, and his name appears in city communications and permitting records spanning the full permitting period. See Ownership Structure for the full corporate chain.

Ryan Burkhardt
Scarborough Lane Development / Landmark Interests
Principal

Burkhardt attended the May 2022 pre-development meeting with City of San Marcos staff as a developer representative and is regularly copied on permitting correspondence. He holds roles at both Scarborough Lane Development and a related entity, Landmark Interests, and is named as a "Prepared By" party on project documents.

Clayton Kendall
Scarborough Lane Development
Representative

The most frequently appearing developer representative in city records, with his name appearing in 167 documents. Kendall attended the 2022 pre-development meeting alongside Burkhardt and is regularly included on permitting and engineering correspondence between the developer team and City of San Marcos staff.

Scot Whitwer
Scarborough Lane Development
Representative

Whitwer is named in permitting coordination emails between the developer and city engineering staff, including correspondence about construction inspections and conditional permit releases for the Phase I public improvement construction plan.

Lead Applicant Engineer

Kimley-Horn, a national civil engineering firm, served as the primary engineering consultant for the developer throughout the permitting process.

Ben Ruby
Kimley-Horn
Lead Engineer, P.E. - San Antonio Office

Ruby served as the lead licensed engineer on all major permitting submissions for the project, including the Public Improvement Construction Plan (PICP), Watershed Protection Plan (WPP), Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR), and plat applications. His name and email appear more than 860 times across PIR documents - more than any other individual - reflecting his central role in the day-to-day engineering and permitting work.

San Marcos City Council

The Mayor and six Council Members are elected at-large to staggered terms and hold final authority over annexation ordinances, development agreement amendments, and zoning changes tied to the project. Below is every identified piece of City Council legislation touching the project (2019–2025) with each then-serving member's vote where it is individually recorded. The City has still not published finalized minutes for any meeting after roughly mid-2022. What it did release, in response to a public information request answered in August 2026, are the unapproved draft minutes for the 2022–2025 meetings - and those drafts do record individual votes. Every post-2022 vote below is therefore sourced to a draft, and is marked (draft minutes) to say so. Drafts are working documents that have not been adopted by Council, and the released set contains demonstrable transcription errors - most seriously, the September 3, 2024 draft scrambles Council members' first and last names throughout its roll call. Surname-only vote tallies are used here in preference to any full name appearing in those drafts. Where the record is still silent, that is marked rather than guessed at. 2026 is an election year: Mayor Hughson is not seeking re-election as Mayor and is instead running against incumbent Alyssa Garza for Place 3; Amanda Rodriguez has announced a run for Mayor.

Each card opens with a record strip - one square per contested project vote, left to right in date order, so you can see at a glance which way a member leaned and whether that changed over time. Hover any square for the item and the member's vote. Only contested votes are scored. A unanimous vote says nothing about which way someone leans, and several of the biggest decisions here were unanimous - including the 6–0 vote that expanded the project to roughly 2,017 acres. Counting those would flatten every member toward “supportive” regardless of how they behaved when the Council actually divided. Ten contested votes are scored, from January 2019 to September 2024. Votes on a motion to postpone or to deny are inverted, because voting for one of those was a vote against the project advancing. Where one question produced two votes at a single meeting - August 5, 2024, where a motion to deny failed and the approval then carried - it counts once. The strip is a summary of the itemised record below it, not a substitute for it, and it inherits the draft-minutes caveat above for everything after 2022.

The badge is a plain description of the count beside it, on a fixed scale: Consistent means every contested vote went one way; Mostly means at least two thirds did; Leans means a simple majority did, which on a five-vote record is a 3–2 margin and should be read as weak. No member currently sits at an even split. Members with short tenures have small denominators, so a badge is never stronger evidence than the number of squares behind it.

+ voted the way that advanced the project − voted the way that slowed or blocked it   not on council for that vote

On the Ballot — November 3, 2026

Three council seats and the Mayor’s office are before voters. Where a candidate has a Council voting record on this project, the same record strip used below is shown for them. Where a candidate has none, the row says No record and shows an empty strip. An empty strip means no evidence, not a moderate position — it should never be read as a middle ground between the two coloured rows. Positions taken in campaign statements, endorsements and contributions are a different and weaker class of evidence and are deliberately not mixed in here. Candidate names, filings and withdrawals are from the City’s official list, retrieved Aug. 26, 2026 (sanmarcostx.gov/4117); a field can still change.

MayorOpen seat — Hughson is not seeking re-election as Mayor, so neither candidate is an incumbent here
Amanda Rodriguez
Sitting Place 6 Council Member · not the incumbent Mayor
No contested votestook office Dec. 2024, after every contested vote
          
One project vote on record: Res. 2025-212R, Nov. 5, 2025, terminating the Cotton Center Development Agreement and releasing ~1,786 ac from the City’s ETJ — carried 7–0, so it says nothing about which way she leans. She holds Place 6 through 2027, which is itself the seat in the special election below; the City’s candidate page does not explain that overlap.
Ryan Thomason
Former Place 5, 2010–2015
No recordleft Council in Nov. 2015
          
Served entirely before the project reached Council — the first identified item is Oct. 2018. Mayor Hughson was named his campaign treasurer on his July 20, 2026 filing; an amendment on July 30, 2026 replaced her with Thomason himself, the same day Hughson filed for Place 3.
Bill Miller and Christopher “Crispy” Polanco both filed for Mayor and withdrew on July 27, 2026. Neither re-filed for this seat, unlike the Place 6 candidates below.
Place 3Incumbent challenged — the only race where both candidates have a record
Alyssa Garza incumbent
elected 2020
Consistent opposition0 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
     −−−−−
Voted against every contested project item she was present for, and moved the April 2023 postponement that stopped the Heavy Industrial rezoning.
Jane Garnette Hughson
Mayor since 2018, seeking this seat
Consistent support10 of 10 contested votes went the project’s way
++++++++++
The only person on any 2026 ballot with a full record on the project, and it is unbroken support across all ten contested votes from 2019 to 2024. Sat on the Council’s SMART Terminal oversight committee.
Place 4Incumbent challenged
Shane Scott incumbent
returned to Council 2020
Leans opposition2 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
     ++−−−
Split: backed the Feb. 2023 annexation services and the April 2023 annexation, then voted to postpone the rezoning and moved to deny the Energy Parkway annexation in Aug. 2024. A 3–2 margin is weak evidence.
Heather Hunter
challenger
No recordhas not held the seat
          
No Council voting record on the project. Nothing further is documented here, because this page scores recorded votes only.
Place 6Special election for the unexpired term to Nov. 2027
Lisa Prewitt
Former Place 1, 2013–2019
Consistent support5 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
+++++     
Voted for the January 2019 first readings and all three final approvals on March 19, 2019 — the annexation, the Heavy Industrial zoning, and the Chapter 380 / ETJ Development Agreement. Moved the Development Agreement resolution and told Council that “if we say no to these agreements, we could lose this project.” Left Council in Nov. 2019, before the later votes.
Juan Miguel Arredondo
Challenger
No recordhas not held the seat
          
No Council voting record on the project.
Bill Miller
Challenger
No recordhas not held the seat
          
No Council voting record on the project. Also filed for Mayor on July 20, 2026 and withdrew from that race on July 27 without re-filing.
All three candidates filed a withdrawal and a new application for the same seat on the same day — Arredondo on Aug. 18, 2026, Miller and Prewitt on Aug. 20, 2026. No candidate in the Mayor, Place 3 or Place 4 races did this, and the two who withdrew from the Mayor’s race did not re-file. The pattern is confined to the special election, which is consistent with a re-filing formality rather than anyone leaving the race, but the City’s candidate page gives no reason for it, and none for the vacancy behind the special election. All three are treated here as active candidates.
Jane Hughson
City of San Marcos
Mayor
Elected Nov. 2018 · re-elected 2020, 2022, 2024 · NOT seeking re-election as Mayor in 2026 - running for Place 3 against incumbent Alyssa Garza
Consistent support10 of 10 contested votes went the project’s way

Served on the Council's SMART Terminal oversight committee alongside Mark Gleason and Maxfield Baker. At the August 20, 2024 regular meeting, posed written questions about the alignment of the annexed Energy Parkway road, specifically whether it was positioned to run behind existing residential properties. Was named campaign treasurer on 2026 mayoral candidate Ryan Thomason's July 20, 2026 filing; his July 30, 2026 amendment replaced her with himself, the same day she filed for Place 3 (see the 2026 Mayoral Candidates section below).

  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation (~934 ac), 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, Heavy Industrial zoning, 1st reading: FOR (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R (Martindale ETJ agreement): FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous)
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion, and was named to the three-member oversight committee
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, appointment to the SMART Terminal oversight committee: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released. The Dec. 6, 2022 draft separately records the committee seat going to Prather on a 7–0 vote; whether that was a second appointment or the same action carried over is unresolved
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA for transfer into the SMART Terminal DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated Development Agreement (~2,017 ac): FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes) - no speaker opposed at the hearing except one adjacent property owner
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, owner-requested annexation services, AN-22-20 (619.755 ac, Caldwell County): FOR (6–1) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, Heavy Industrial zoning (ZC-23-01), motion to postpone the 1st reading to July 3: AGAINST postponement (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating review of the SMART Terminal DA and authorizing renegotiation on the community-requested amendments: FOR (7–0, unanimous) (draft minutes)
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 annexation service agreement (postponed from May 21): FOR (7–0, unanimous) (draft minutes)
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - also voted against the preceding motion to deny, which failed 3–4
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed to September: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes; FOR side derived by subtraction - the draft names only the three no votes) - this settles the conflict between secondary sources, which had reported 6–1 and 4–3
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R, Cotton Center partial release ($50K): individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, reducing the 2019 annexation from ~734.6 ac to ~733.6 ac, 1st reading: carried 5–0 with two members absent, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R, Cotton Center DA termination and release of ~1,786 ac from the City's ETJ: FOR (7–0, unanimous) (draft minutes)
Matthew Mendoza
City of San Marcos - Place 1
Council Member
Elected Nov. 2022 (defeated incumbent Maxfield Baker) · re-elected 2025, term through 2027
Mostly support4 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a): not on council yet (took office Dec. 2022 - predecessor Maxfield Baker held the seat)
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, SMART Terminal oversight committee appointment: not on council yet (sworn in Dec. 2022)
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion, and asked that the SMART Terminal DA's conditions be applied to the 660 ac being transferred in
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R: FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services: FOR (6–1) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone: AGAINST postponement (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • May 2, 2023 - DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - spoke in support, saying the road would relieve traffic on FM 1984
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes) - reversed his August 5 support. An initial vote failed while he was out of chambers; the item was re-voted on his return and passed without him
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: moved the motion; carried 5–0, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
Josh Paselk
City of San Marcos - Place 2
Council Member
Elected Dec. 2025 runoff (defeated incumbent Saul Gonzales) · term 2025–2028
No contested votesTook office Dec. 2025, after every identified project vote.

First term. Took office after every project-related item identified to date, so has no vote on record for the project. Predecessor Saul Gonzales held Place 2 through the entire 2019–2025 span.

Alyssa Garza
City of San Marcos - Place 3
Council Member
Elected Nov. 2020 · re-elected unopposed 2023, term through 2026 · running for re-election in 2026 against Mayor Jane Hughson
Consistent opposition0 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, appointment to the SMART Terminal oversight committee: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released. The Dec. 6, 2022 draft separately records the committee seat going to Prather on a 7–0 vote; whether that was a second appointment or the same action carried over is unresolved
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated DA (~2,017 ac): FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes)
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services (619.755 ac): AGAINST (6–1, sole dissent) (draft minutes) - pulled the item from consent over constituent concerns and noted she had voted no on it before
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone the 1st reading to July 3: FOR postponement (4–3) (draft minutes) - moved the postponement, which stopped the Heavy Industrial rezoning that night
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • May 21, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R postponed to July 2: ABSENT (draft minutes)
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 service agreement: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion to deny, which failed 3–4
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R, Cotton Center partial release ($50K): individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: carried 5–0 with two members absent, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R, Cotton Center DA termination: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
Shane Scott
City of San Marcos - Place 4
Council Member
Previously Place 2, 2010–2015 · returned as Place 4, Nov. 2020 (defeated incumbent Mark Rockeymoore) · re-elected 2023, term through 2026
Leans opposition2 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, appointment to the SMART Terminal oversight committee: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released. The Dec. 6, 2022 draft separately records the committee seat going to Prather on a 7–0 vote; whether that was a second appointment or the same action carried over is unresolved
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated DA (~2,017 ac): ABSENT (draft minutes) - the only member not present for the vote expanding the project to ~2,017 ac
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services: FOR (6–1) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone: FOR postponement (4–3) (draft minutes) - split his vote, backing annexation but not the rezoning timetable
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • May 21, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R postponed to July 2: FOR postponement (6–0) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 service agreement: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes) - moved to deny the ordinance; that motion failed 3–4
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: carried 5–0 with two members absent, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
Lorenzo Gonzalez
City of San Marcos - Place 5
Council Member
Elected Dec. 2024 runoff by 12 votes over Roland Saucedo · sworn in Dec. 23, 2024 · term through 2027
No contested votesSworn in Dec. 2024, after every contested vote. His one project vote, on Nov. 5, 2025, was unanimous.
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, final adoption of the Energy Parkway ROW annexation: not on council yet (sworn in Dec. 23, 2024 - predecessor Mark Gleason held the seat)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R, Cotton Center DA termination and ETJ release (~1,786 ac): FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
Amanda Rodriguez
City of San Marcos - Place 6
Council Member
Elected Nov. 5, 2024 · term through 2027 · announced run for Mayor in 2026
No contested votesTook office Dec. 2024, after every contested vote. Her one project vote, on Nov. 5, 2025, was unanimous.
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, final adoption of the Energy Parkway ROW annexation: not yet sworn in (elected Nov. 5, 2024 - predecessor Jude Prather held the seat)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R, Cotton Center DA termination and ETJ release (~1,786 ac): FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion

Former San Marcos City Council Members

These members were on council for some portion of the project's 2019–2025 legislative history but are no longer serving. Vote attribution follows the same sourcing standard as current members above. Ordered by most recently in office first, so the list runs backwards from Saul Gonzales, who left in December 2025 after serving the entire span, to Lisa Prewitt, who left in November 2019.

Saul Gonzales
City of San Marcos - Place 2
Former Council Member
On council through the entire 2019–2025 project span · defeated by Josh Paselk, Dec. 2025 runoff
Mostly support7 of 10 contested votes went the project’s way

Longest-serving member during the project's legislative history - in office for every identified vote from the original 2019 annexation through the 2025 Cotton Center DA termination.

  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: FOR (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous)
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, appointment to the SMART Terminal oversight committee: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released. The Dec. 6, 2022 draft separately records the committee seat going to Prather on a 7–0 vote; whether that was a second appointment or the same action carried over is unresolved
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated DA (~2,017 ac): FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services: FOR (6–1) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes) - pressed for a developer contribution to fire station costs and raised the impact on shallow-well residents
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone: FOR postponement (4–3) (draft minutes) - seconded the postponement
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - asked staff to seek a developer contribution toward fire station construction, beyond the donated land
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 service agreement: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes) - voted for the failed motion to deny, citing congestion on FM 1984
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - reversed his August 5 opposition; vote derived by subtraction, the draft names only the three no votes
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: carried 5–0 with two members absent, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 5, 2025 - Res. 2025-212R, Cotton Center DA termination: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - his last recorded project vote
Mark Gleason
City of San Marcos - Place 5
Former Council Member
Elected Dec. 2020 runoff · re-elected 2021 · did not seek re-election in 2024 · succeeded by Lorenzo Gonzalez
Consistent support5 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way

Previously vice-chair of the Planning & Zoning Commission, where he voted on the original SMART Terminal zoning case (ZC-18-21) before joining Council: against the initial Dec. 11, 2018 denial motion, then for approval on Jan. 8, 2019 reconsideration (carried 7–1). Served on the Council's SMART Terminal oversight committee with Mayor Hughson and Maxfield Baker.

  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes) - named to the three-member oversight committee
  • Nov. 14, 2022 - ID22-874, appointment to the SMART Terminal oversight committee: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released. The Dec. 6, 2022 draft separately records the committee seat going to Prather on a 7–0 vote; whether that was a second appointment or the same action carried over is unresolved
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - moved the motion as Mayor Pro Tem
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated DA (~2,017 ac): FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes) - moved the motion; also moved the companion Res. 2023-21R amending the Cotton Center DA
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services: FOR (6–1) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone: AGAINST postponement (4–3) (draft minutes) - asked the developer to raise TSS removal to 80% and add solid fencing along the residential buffer before second reading
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - moved the motion, and had the electrical substation struck from the community-requested prohibited-uses list
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 service agreement: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - moved the approval after the denial motion failed, and told Council he had "met the Fosters"
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes) - moved the postponement
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - moved the motion
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: carried 5–0 with two members absent, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes) - last project vote before leaving council
Jude Prather
City of San Marcos - Place 6
Former Council Member
Three terms: 2010–13, 2013–16 (consecutive), then 2021–24 after a five-year gap · did not seek re-election in 2024 · succeeded by Amanda Rodriguez
Leans support3 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way

Took over Maxfield Baker's seat on the Council's SMART Terminal oversight committee after Baker left Council in Dec. 2022.

  • 2021 – Jul. 2022 - no Council action in this window. Prather returned to Council in 2021, but no project item reached a Council vote until August 2022. His record on the project begins there.
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain: ABSENT (draft minutes)
  • Dec. 6, 2022 - appointed to the Council's SMART Terminal committee, taking Maxfield Baker's seat: approved 7–0 (draft minutes)
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901, removing 660 ac from the Cotton Center DA: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jan. 17, 2023 - Res. 2023-20R, First Amended & Restated DA (~2,017 ac): FOR (6–0, Scott absent) (draft minutes)
  • Feb. 7, 2023 - Res. 2023-26R, AN-22-20 annexation services: FOR (6–1) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-32, SMART Terminal annexation, 1st reading: AGAINST (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • Apr. 18, 2023 - Ord. 2023-33, HI zoning, motion to postpone: FOR postponement (4–3) (draft minutes)
  • May 2, 2023 - initiating DA review and renegotiation: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Jul. 2, 2024 - Res. 2024-89R, AN-24-03 service agreement: FOR (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Aug. 5, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 1st reading (Energy Parkway ROW): FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - seconded the approval motion
  • Aug. 20, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading postponed: FOR postponement (7–0) (draft minutes)
  • Sept. 3, 2024 - Ord. 2024-27, 2nd reading, adopted: FOR (4–3) (draft minutes) - seconded the motion
  • Sept. 17, 2024 - Res. 2024-195R: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Oct. 15, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction (734.6 → 733.6 ac), 1st reading: seconded the motion; carried 5–0, individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
  • Nov. 6, 2024 - Ord. 2019-01 Exhibit A survey correction, 2nd reading: the draft records consent items 1–11 approved on a single motion, 6–0, but never enumerates which item was which, so the correction cannot be tied to a numbered line. individual votes not itemized (draft minutes)
Maxfield Baker
City of San Marcos - Place 1
Former Council Member
2019–2022 · defeated by Matthew Mendoza, Nov. 2022
No contested votesTook office after the March 2019 approvals and left before the February 2023 items. His one project vote, on Aug. 2, 2022, was unanimous.

Before joining Council, Baker sat on the Planning & Zoning Commission and cast the lone dissenting vote against the SMART Terminal zoning reconsideration (ZC-18-21a, Jan. 8, 2019, carried 7–1). Later served on the Council's SMART Terminal oversight committee with Mayor Hughson and Mark Gleason; when Baker left Council in Dec. 2022, Jude Prather took over his seat on that committee.

  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R (Martindale ETJ): FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous)
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
  • Feb. 2020 – Jul. 2022 - no Council action in this window. Baker served this entire stretch. The project moved through private land transactions rather than Council votes: Franklin Mountain assembled the site across 2021–22 and the development agreement was assigned to it in Dec. 2021, none of which required Council action.
  • Aug. 2, 2022 - PDA-22-07(a), authorizing DA renegotiation with Franklin Mountain (~1,987 ac): FOR (6–0, Prather absent) (draft minutes) - named to the three-member oversight committee at the same meeting
  • Aug. 31 & Oct. 10, 2022 - SMART Terminal oversight committee meetings, held virtually with Hughson and Gleason, reviewing the draft amended Development Agreement: committee sessions, no recorded vote
  • Dec. 14, 2022 - ID22-901: the draft minutes list Baker among the seven members voting for this item, but he had already left Council and the same meeting's roll call does not seat him. Treated as a transcription error in the draft, not a vote.
Melissa Derrick
City of San Marcos - Place 6
Former Council Member
Two terms: 2016–19, 2019–21 · succeeded by Jude Prather
Consistent support5 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: FOR (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - seconded the zoning ordinance on second reading
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous) - moved the motion to postpone after executive session
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
Joca Marquez
City of San Marcos - Place 5
Former Council Member
2018–2020 · defeated/succeeded by Mark Gleason, Dec. 2020
Consistent opposition0 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way

The project's earliest and most consistent opposition on Council. Voted against both January 2019 first readings, then cast the lone no vote on all three final approvals on March 19, 2019 - the annexation, the Heavy Industrial zoning, and the Chapter 380 / ETJ Development Agreement itself.

  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: AGAINST (6–1, sole dissent)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: AGAINST (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): AGAINST (6–1, sole dissent)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): AGAINST (6–1, sole dissent)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): AGAINST (6–1, sole dissent)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - the lone no vote on all three final approvals, after questioning staff on downstream drainage to Tributary 1 and Bypass Creek and on the site's proximity to environmentally sensitive areas
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous)
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
Ed Mihalkanin
City of San Marcos - Place 3
Former Council Member
Three non-consecutive terms: 1996–2000, 2001–06, 2016–20 · defeated by Alyssa Garza, Nov. 2020
Consistent support5 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: FOR (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - moved both the Res. 2019-49R Development Agreement and the annexation ordinance on second reading
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous) - moved the initial motion to table pending executive session
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
Mark Rockeymoore
City of San Marcos - Place 4
Former Council Member
2018–2020 · defeated by Shane Scott, Nov. 2020
Mostly support4 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: AGAINST (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - switched to support on the zoning second reading after questioning staff on the 2015 flood, 200-year event modeling and Atlas 14 rainfall data
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)
  • Jan. 21, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R: FOR postponement (7–0, unanimous) - seconded the motion to remove from the table after executive session
  • Feb. 4, 2020 - Res. 2020-17R(b), Martindale ETJ boundary agreement adopted after the January postponement: individual vote not recorded - no minutes released for this meeting
Lisa Prewitt
City of San Marcos - Place 1
Former Council Member
Two terms: 2013–16, 2016–19 · did not seek re-election, succeeded by Maxfield Baker · candidate for the Place 6 special election, Nov. 3, 2026 — filed July 28, 2026, then filed a withdrawal and a new application for the same seat on Aug. 20, 2026
Consistent support5 of 5 contested votes went the project’s way
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 1st reading: FOR (6–1)
  • Jan. 15, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 1st reading: FOR (5–2)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Res. 2019-49R (Ch. 380 Economic Incentive & ETJ Development Agreement): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-01, annexation, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - Ord. 2019-02, HI zoning, 2nd reading (734.6 ac): FOR (6–1)
  • Mar. 19, 2019 - moved Res. 2019-49R and seconded the annexation ordinance; told Council that "if we say no to these agreements, we could lose this project"
  • Nov. 6, 2019 - Res. 2019-225R, moving the Katerra Ch. 380 incentive off the SH 80 site to the Whisper PDD and rescinding Res. 2018-184R: FOR (7–0, unanimous)

2026 Mayoral Candidates

Two candidates remain on the ballot for Mayor in the Nov. 3, 2026 election: Amanda Rodriguez (current Place 6 Council Member, profiled above) and Ryan Thomason. Bill Miller and Christopher "Crispy" Polanco both filed and withdrew on July 27, 2026. Thomason's prior council tenure and business history are documented below.

Ryan Thomason
City of San Marcos - Former Place 5 · 2026 Mayoral Candidate
Former Council Member
Elected in a Dec. 2009 runoff · served Jan. 2010–Nov. 2015 · Mayor Pro Tem 2011–2012 · did not seek re-election · legal name Michael Ryan Thomason

Co-owns Wood and Thomason Construction, LP with Christopher Wood, who simultaneously served as a Planning & Zoning Commissioner. Both were named as owners of the firm in permit records for Concho Commons, a Casey Development student apartment project seeking two additional floors on an already-approved 13-story downtown building. Thomason told Council he had "unanswered questions about a potential conflict of interest" and sought to recuse himself from the vote "pending further exploration." His business partner Wood did not recuse himself from a similar P&Z vote on the same project and voted in favor of the additional floors (Dec. 9 vote).

After leaving Council, petitioned the City directly as a private applicant for his own development: a plat variance (PVC-15-02, Feb. 9, 2016, P&Z) and Final Plat (PC-15-49_03, Mar. 8, 2016, P&Z) for Lodges at Parker's Pond, LLC - also associated with an Out-of-City Utility Extension request by the related entity "Parkers Pond, Ltd." for ~44.70 acres (ID#16-20, Jan. 19, 2016, City Council). Also associated with Lindsey Homes, LP; no Legistar record found under that name. (His wife works for Deloitte & Touche, LLP, which separately holds unrelated City audit/CDBG-DR consulting contracts - not a Thomason business connection.)

Filed for Mayor on July 20, 2026. Now facing Amanda Rodriguez in a two-way race after Bill Miller and Christopher "Crispy" Polanco withdrew on July 27, 2026. His original filing named Mayor Jane Hughson as his campaign treasurer; an amendment filed July 30, 2026 replaced her with Thomason himself, the same day Hughson filed for Place 3. Outgoing Mayor Jane Hughson is serving as his campaign treasurer.

City of San Marcos

Although the project site sits primarily in Caldwell County, the City of San Marcos has jurisdiction over the property through its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), utility service agreements, annexation proceedings, and a 2023 Development Agreement. The following city staff members reviewed, approved, and coordinated on those matters.

Joe Pantalion
City of San Marcos - City Manager's Office
Assistant City Manager, P.E.

Pantalion attended the May 2022 I-Zone pre-development meeting and served as a primary city leadership contact for the project. He coordinated meetings between city staff and the developer to discuss wastewater solutions - a documented constraint on the development - and responded to public concerns about the AN-24-03 road annexation.

Richard Reynosa
City of San Marcos - Engineering
Assistant Director of Engineering, P.E./CFM

Reynosa was the primary city engineering contact for all permitting on the project, reviewing and responding to PICP, WPP, and CLOMR submissions. He appears in more than 28 PIR documents and coordinated the city's response to drainage, roadway, and utility questions raised by the developer's engineering team.

Amanda Hernandez
City of San Marcos - Planning
Planner, AICP/CNU-A/CPM

Hernandez was the lead planning contact for the project, attending the 2022 pre-development meeting and handling planning review for annexations, zoning, and the development agreement. She served as a point of contact between the developer, engineering staff, and the City Manager's Office on planning matters related to the project.

Tyler Hjorth
City of San Marcos - Utilities
Former Director of Utilities (retired late April 2026)

Hjorth attended the 2022 pre-development meeting as the city's utilities authority and was a key contact for discussions about water, wastewater, and electric service to the development. He was later included in correspondence about a proposed regional sewer infrastructure plan along Highway 80 East, which would affect the project's ability to obtain wastewater service. Succeeded by Paul Kite on electric utility matters near the airport following his retirement.

Greg Schwarz
City of San Marcos - Engineering
Senior Engineer

Schwarz served as the City's primary technical reviewer for the project's watershed protection plan (WPP) submissions. He presented the TriTexas Logistics Park QWPP Phase 2 (Permit #2024-49696) to the P&Z Commission on August 27, 2024, and issued the R1 comment letter for the Edwards Aquifer parcel (Permit #2025-55457) flagging impervious cover violations, missing TCEQ permits, and peak flow increases for all regulated storm events. He also addressed floodplain and drainage regulations at the January 8, 2019 P&Z reconsideration hearing.

Julia Cleary
City of San Marcos - Planning
Senior Planner

Cleary served as the lead planning contact for the 2023 re-application phase, presenting ZC-23-01 to the P&Z Commission on March 28, 2023 with a staff recommendation of approval. She was also involved in annexation coordination for AN-24-03 (the Energy Parkway ROW annexation). In 2026, she confirmed to colleagues that only ~700 of the ~1,980–2,000 marketed acres are currently annexed and zoned into the City - a gap between the site's marketed scale and its actual jurisdictional footprint.

Helen Ramirez
City of San Marcos - Economic & Local Business Development
Director

Ramirez emerged in spring 2026 as the primary city contact fielding nearly every new prospective-tenant RFI for the site (Apex Graphite, Roller Coaster, Fiber Optics, Neighborhood Club, Skate Board, Haute Couture, Ellie, Apex Prime), coordinating directly with Hays-Caldwell EDP. She announced the rejection of Project Apex Graphite (Allied Graphite) on May 8, 2026, citing Development Agreement covenant restrictions, and forwarded the May 4, 2026 Austin Business Journal article announcing the SMART Terminal/Axis → TriTexas Logistics Park rebrand to city staff.

Rodney Gonzales
City of San Marcos - City Manager's Office
Assistant City Manager

In April 2026 internal correspondence about the Project Apex Graphite (Allied Graphite) prospect, Gonzales invoked an unwritten policy that city staff should not assist site searches for "projects and business types that are intentionally excluded in our Economic Development Policy," to avoid sending "a false signal of supporting these types of projects" - discussion that preceded the site's official rejection of that project on covenant grounds.

Economic Development

The Hays-Caldwell Economic Development Partnership (EDP) is a public-private organization that markets sites in Hays and Caldwell counties to prospective industrial tenants. Internal city records show EDP staff routed confidential Requests for Information (RFIs) for large industrial projects directly to city engineering staff, specifically proposing TriTexas Logistics Park as a candidate site.

Emily Mathes
Hays-Caldwell Economic Development Partnership
Vice President of Economic Development

Mathes sent city engineering staff a confidential RFI for "Project Vortex Wind" - a proposed battery cell and pack assembly facility with a capital investment of up to $2.3 billion and 2,000 jobs - explicitly recommending TriTexas Logistics Park as the preferred site and asking city staff to respond to utility capacity questions on a tight deadline. The RFI originated from the Office of the Governor.

Sarah Martin
Hays-Caldwell Economic Development Partnership
Project Manager

Martin forwarded a separate RFI for "Project Frontier" - an architectural products manufacturer seeking 60-80 acres with a $178 million capital investment - to city engineering staff and asked them to confirm water and wastewater capacity for the TriTexas Logistics Park site. The RFI was distributed through Opportunity Austin, a regional economic development organization.

State of Texas

The Office of the Governor's Economic Development and Tourism division actively recruits large industrial projects to Texas and connects them with local sites and incentives. Records show the office was involved in directing at least one major prospective tenant toward the TriTexas Logistics Park site.

Lauren Slusher
Office of the Governor - Economic Development & Tourism
Industry Recruitment Specialist

Slusher is an industry recruitment specialist with the Governor's Economic Development and Tourism office, which received the initial inquiry for "Project Vortex Wind" from a consulting firm representing a prospective battery manufacturing tenant. The office then passed the RFI to the Hays-Caldwell EDP for regional response, with Axis Logistics Park identified as the candidate site.

Caldwell County

The project site sits in Caldwell County. The following county official appeared on the public record in connection with the project.

Ed Theriot
Caldwell County
County Commissioner, Precinct 3

Theriot appeared at the January 8, 2019 P&Z Commission meeting and made himself available to answer questions about the county's role in the project. He referenced a county 381 Agreement, EDA Grants, and roadway projects planned by TxDOT and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) related to Loop 110, US-80, and State Highway 21 - signaling county-level coordination and support for the SMART Terminal project at its inception. The project site falls within Precinct 3.

Dual role: in his day job, Theriot (AICP-certified) is a Planner at Drenner Group, an Austin land-use consulting and real estate law firm, specializing in entitlement services for mid-rise and high-rise mixed-use developments and "government liaison work" for developers. His own firm's bio confirms both roles side by side. He was a consultant on Concho Commons (now Aspire San Marcos, 101 Concho St.) - the same Casey Development student housing project at the center of the Ryan Thomason/Christopher Wood conflict-of-interest episode (see 2026 Mayoral Candidates section) - commenting publicly on unit availability and the project's expected draw of new downtown consumers.

As Drenner Group's agent, Theriot has personally petitioned San Marcos P&Z on behalf of numerous private development clients, appearing as the named applicant representative on at least 10 land-use cases from 2020–2022: ZC-20-03 (Sportsplex, for Outlet West Investors, Ltd.), PC-20-05 (Genlyte Industrial Park Replat, for Joseph Joyce), ZC-20-10 (The Barracks, for McCoy Family Partnership One), ZC-20-24 (2400 Block of Hwy 123 / Picoma, for Jaime J. Russek), CUP-21-03 (Windemere Event Venue, for Eden Farms, Ltd.), CUP-22-01 (Fredericksburg Purpose Built Student Housing), CUP-22-02 and CUP-22-26 (Just A Closet Storage), ZC-22-08 (Hwy 123 Business Park), and ZC-22-34 (221 E. McCarty Ln / Sienna Pointe). Separately, on March 4, 2025, San Marcos City Council discussed and confirmed Theriot as Caldwell County's designated representative to the Economic Development San Marcos (EDSM) Board (ID#25-178) - a distinct body from the Hays-Caldwell EDP that fields TriTexas/Axis tenant RFIs, but still a City economic development board discussing confidential prospective-tenant matters in executive session (see "Project Bushwood" in `businesses_summary.html`).

Contractors

The following companies and individuals appear in city permitting and construction coordination records as contractors performing physical work on the project site and associated infrastructure.

HR Excavation
HR Excavation - Royse City, TX
Site Contractor - Energy Parkway

HR Excavation performed clearing and grading work on the Energy Parkway road corridor, a key piece of Phase I infrastructure. Construction coordination emails show the company notifying City of San Marcos engineering inspectors of planned work dates and sending site photos for inspection. Carlos Lopez served as field crew supervisor; Stephen Wheat also appears in construction correspondence.

Patin Construction LLC
Patin Construction LLC - Taylor, TX
Site Contractor

Patin Construction, a family-owned general contractor based in Taylor, Texas specializing in site grading, earthwork, and utilities across Central Texas, appears in project records. Oscar Tovar is the company representative named in correspondence related to the project.

Yarrington Road Materials
Yarrington Road Materials - San Marcos, TX
Materials Supplier - Concrete & Aggregates

Yarrington Road Materials, a Central Texas ready-mix concrete and aggregates producer serving the Austin and San Antonio markets, appears in project infrastructure correspondence. John Petersen, Manager of Operations, is the named representative. The company was copied on communications about the proposed Highway 80 East regional sewer infrastructure planning.