Gonzalez sworn in as Ward 5 interim; council approves parks plan

GAINESVILLE, Texas — Angel Gonzalez was sworn in as the interim representative for Ward 5 at Tuesday's Gainesville City Council meeting, taking the seat he was appointed to fill at the March 17 meeting. Gonzalez will serve until the council member elected in the May 2 election is sworn in. The council also voted Tuesday to approve the Parks and Trails Master Plan, completing the three-part Guiding Gainesville 2040 planning framework. The City Master Plan and Downtown Master Plan were approved in late January and early February, respectively. The Parks and Recreation Board reviewed and unanimously approved the parks plan on March 5 before it advanced to the full council. The plan provides a framework to guide future investment in parks, trails and recreational facilities across the city. A public draft of the plan is available at guidinggainesville.org. The council also discussed the Charter Review Commission, which has met twice and reviewed council recommendations for potential charter amendments. The commission's recent sessions have included discussion about the scope of council involvement in the process. Gainesville City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 200 S. Rusk St. in downtown Gainesville. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube at youtube.com/@TXGainesville/streams. For more information, visit gainesville.tx.us/153/City-Council.