Groundwater district picks stakeholders for policy review
Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Precinct 1 Director Kathy Griffis-Bailey reads the 11 names of stakeholders chosen to participate in a review of the district’s groundwater management policies. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District selected 11 stakeholders to help with the district’s upcoming policy review. The district’s Board of Directors made the decision during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 16.
The district began accepting applications for stakeholder positions on March 31 with an April 30 deadline. The 22 applications received were narrowed to 11 by groundwater district General Manager Mitchell Sodek and Precinct 1 Director Kathy Griffis-Bailey.
“Given the information that we were presented with, we feel like we had a diverse representation of interests,” Griffis-Bailey told the board.
Stakeholders are John Baladez, Michael Berg, John Branigan, Michael Brown, Karen Bruett, Delbert Cain, Amber Cardenas, Andy Carson, Olen Kelly, Zach McMahon, and Darrell Peckham.
They were chosen based on their relevant experience in a variety of categories, including domestic, agriculture, irrigation, industrial, mining, commercial, and municipal uses. Also included were real estate, engineering or geology, conservation or environmental, well driller or pump installer, and general interests.
Stakeholders will work with district officials and a facilitator to review the district’s groundwater management policies over the course of monthly meetings set to run June-October.
