Groundwater district hires facilitator, still seeks stakeholder committee members
The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors considers facilitator candidates to organize upcoming stakeholder committee meetings. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors approved the hiring of strategic facilitator Sarah Faust of Ross Strategic to manage upcoming stakeholder meetings. She will be responsible for mediating, managing, advising, and facilitating the meetings.
The district is still seeking resumes for positions on the stakeholder committee, which was first proposed in February by district President Ryan Rowney. Deadline to apply is Sunday, April 30.
The district notified the public of its intent to form a stakeholder committee on March 31, outlining the need for representatives from various interest groups in Burnet County to help shape future policy. To submit a resume, email the district at district@centraltexasgcd.org.
Faust was hired as facilitator at the recommendation of district General Manager Mitchell Sodek, who presented the board with three qualified candidates. Salary is $160 per hour to facilitate the stakeholder meetings. The current plan for the meetings is to hold one per month, June-October, for roughly two hours each. This could change at the directors’ discretion.
“(Faust) has a really strong background in groundwater, groundwater law, groundwater conservation districts,” Sodek told the directors prior to the hire.
As of its meeting on April 27, the district’s board has received four resumes from applicants interested in serving on the stakeholder committee. It is seeking 14 total representatives from various sectors of the community.
“Hopefully, we’ll get some more interested people,” Rowney said. “It does nothing but help us as we revise the rules.”