An invitation from the Leon Springs Business Association put Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff back in his old stomping grounds.
At the LSBA's May 16 luncheon, the former mayor, who moved to Leon Springs in 1971, provided an update on Bexar County projects either under way or on his wish list, including one that's close to his heart: a light-rail system for San Antonio.
The issue has long been controversial with those in favor and those opposed often split down party lines.
“I'm a Democrat. There aren't too many old Anglo Democrats left. My son (Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff) is a Republican. I don't know what went wrong,” he joked, adding, “He's done a good job, and we get along well.”
Although not funded or “a sure thing,” Judge Wolff envisions an 18-mile commuter light rail stretching from downtown to The Rim with a streetcar link in a downtown location and a connection to Boerne, something his son has publicly opposed.
“I have a very good relationship with Union Pacific,” the elder Wolff said. “This will do a good job providing rail services. We're the only city of this size in the country without one.”
Wolff said Bexar County flood-control projects in the Leon Springs area, where flooding has hit residents hard in the past, include four high-water-detection systems and one flood-control project.
The county is in its fourth year of a $500 million flood-control program that includes 79 projects identified by the community and Bexar Watershed Management.
“More than 900 residences will be remapped out of the flood plain as a result of these projects,” Wolff said. “That represents a cost savings of $1,200 per resident a year.”
He noted that approximately 375 acres will be removed from floodplains and more than 7.5 miles of major and secondary roads will be made passable in the event of a a 100-year flood.
Wolff outlined projects throughout Bexar County, including a largest-in-the nation BiblioTech digital library. The physical address is 3505 Pleasanton Road, but any country resident can access it through www.bexarbibliotech.org. The service went live May 16, according to Bexar County spokesperson Laura Jesse.
“Hopefully, this will be the right decision for us,” Wolff said, joking that many people don't know what a county judge does. “One lady told me that she was happy that I was now a judge, so that I could handle her divorce. I told her that I wasn't that kind of judge. What I do is not judicial.”
Miss San Antonio's Outstanding Teen 2013 and Leon Springs resident Presley Price also made an appearance at the LSBA's meeting. She explained she has taken up the cause of anti-bullying because she has been a victim of bullying in school.
“I think I can relate to kids better than adults can because I'm a teen,” Price said.
“You can be pretty and still be bullied. I tell them, 'Look at me; I was bullied,' and I like to quote (former President Bill) Clinton, who said, 'You can't give other people permission to wreck your life.' You have to stand up to bullies.”
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