Faith Academy gets ‘OK’ for bonfire
The commissioners voted Tuesday to allow the bonfire.
“They (Academy officials) have assured me it will be a small fire,” County Environment Services and Floodplain Director Herb Darling told the commissioners during the meeting.
To be sure, the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department plans to monitor the wind before the bonfire begins, and the department will have the final word on whether the school can proceed with the blaze.
The school is in a rural area less than 2 miles east of Marble Falls on RR 1431 East. The bonfire will burn east of the Academy outside Marble Falls’ city limits, officials said.
“We’re trying to be cautious,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery, who motioned to approve the bonfire, which will be lit at 8 p.m.
Marble Falls volunteer firefighters will supervise the bonfire from start to finish and extinguish the ashes with foam and water after the event.
“That way, it is totally controlled,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner Russell Graeter.
Notwithstanding the exception for the bonfire, and even though some parts of the county received as much as 2 inches of rain Monday night or early Tuesday, the commissioners decided to keep the burn ban in effect for the county’s rural regions.
“What little moisture has hit the ground will be gone this afternoon,” Darling said.
The average Texas Forest Service Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county is now 677, about 20 points higher from last week, Darling added.
KBDI measures the potential for forest fires based on daily water balance, and the highest index of 800 indicates extremely dry conditions.
Turning to another matter, County Auditor Kevin Smith told the commissioners an invoice of $25,000 from Willis Environmental Engineering for the Highland Haven Dry Creek Crossing Culvert Improvement Project will be charged to accounts receivable, pending reimbursement from either the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Office of Rural Community Affairs.
Requests for bids on the flood mitigation project are on hold until FEMA approves the project, Darling said.
County officials have estimated the project may cost $340,000 or more with FEMA obligated to pay 75 percent of the cost and the county 25 percent.
In other business, the commissioners approved an amendment to the Burnet County Jury Selection System to allow the city of Burnet to qualify jurors for municipal trials “ahead of time” over the Internet. The county district court, the county court at law, probate courts and the justice of the peace courts are already using the electronic system, County Attorney Eddie Arredondo told the commissioners.
“It has been working very, very well,” Arredondo said. “It is a time saver for everybody.”
Also during the meeting, the commissioners:
n Declared October “Czech Heritage Month” in Burnet County.
n Approved a request from Constable Charles Caraway to place a kiosk on the Courthouse on the Square lawn to display information regarding the U.S. flag.
n Approved an invoice of $8,470 from Computer Business Associates for maintenance of computers operated by county libraries.
n Approved a purchase of $1,755 for three advertisements for visitors in Travel Host magazine.
n Approved transfer of deed from the property formerly known as the Burnet Supply Company (the former hardware store along the north side of the Courthouse next to the Herman Brown Free Library) to the library for the library expansion project.
Since County Judge Donna Klaeger and Precinct 1 Commissioner Bill Neve were absent, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ronny Hibler conducted the meeting.
Dockery referred to Hibler as the “judge pro-tem” at one point.
“You can call me judge,” Hibler quipped.
Laughter echoed through the court after Hibler’s remark.
raymond@thepicayune.com