With support from SpaceX, city of Starbase blasts off

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — After months of planning, SpaceX launched the city of Starbase on Thursday.

Mayor Robert Peden and the City Commission held the fledgling city’s first public meeting Thursday morning at The Hub, a building owned by SpaceX.

During the meeting, which lasted about 80 minutes, they hired a city administrator, approved standard regulations for new construction and created a committee to guide the community’s long-term development.

“We’re just real excited to get things going here,” said City Administrator Kent Myers, who accepted the job Thursday morning. “A lot of work has been accomplished over the last six months or so and we’re here to celebrate the new city.”

Myers is part of an all-star team assembled by SpaceX and the City Commission to get Starbase off the ground.

They brought in Myers, the former city manager in Fredericksburg, to serve as city administrator. They asked Andy Messer, a partner at Messer Fort, which specializes in municipal law, to serve as city attorney. And they hired Halff Associates, a well-known consulting firm, to serve as city engineer.

It took “a lot of cooperation between the consultants and SpaceX over the last four to six months to get ready for today,” Myers said.

They put together a team of experienced people, Myers said, to make sure everything went smoothly.

“Which SpaceX insisted on. People that had a lot of experience. A lot of knowledge,” Myers said. “Because, again, they want to create a very high-quality community here for both the residents to enjoy — plus their workers that don’t live here that come in every day.”

Voters approved the creation of Starbase on May 3.

SpaceX owns most of the land in Starbase and employs nearly everyone in the tiny town, including the mayor.

Peden, City Commissioner Jenna Petrzelka and City Commissioner Jordan Buss all either work for or are otherwise affiliated with SpaceX, according to information published on LinkedIn. Peden politely declined to comment after the meeting and suggested reporters speak with Myers instead.

Nearly everyone who showed up for the meeting on Thursday morning either worked for the company or the city.

SpaceX allowed the City Commission to hold the meeting at The Hub, a building at the intersection of Esperson Street and LBJ Boulevard.

During the meeting, the City Commission approved a “license agreement” with SpaceX to use the building and company equipment for meetings.

“SpaceX has been very gracious to provide the city space — the space we have here today,” Myers said, along with audio equipment, a large television screen and microphones.

In a few years, Myers said Starbase plans to build a city hall.

“But, for right now, we will need to contract with SpaceX to provide these facilities so that we can conduct city business,” Myers said.

SpaceX agreed to make the building available for $100 per month, Myers said.

The City Commission voted 3-0 to approve the agreement.

“Motion passes unanimously,” Peden said. “Thank you, SpaceX.”

The City Commission is scheduled to meet again on Friday morning.