Burnet County will face challenges as population grows
State laws limit the scope of county government, unlike municipalities with more than 5,000 residents where zoning and permitting laws can be passed by councils.
Most of the new arrivals to Burnet County are expected to move into the unincorporated areas, where officials currently have no planning or zoning authority or power to collect sales taxes, said Lower Colorado River Authority senior planner Chris Holtkamp.
“The county is growing significantly faster than the cites,” Holtkamp said. “There is really not a lot that can be done to control that kind of growth. These folks are moving where there is no (county) control on what they do.”
He spoke at the latest Burnet County Comprehensive Plan town hall meeting, held Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church of Burnet, 909 N. Vanderveer St.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Russell Graeter and Holtkamp hosted the meeting to discuss the plan, which aims to “focus on areas where the county government can optimize opportunities to improve the quality of lives in Burnet County.”
County Commissioners have said earlier they plan to meet with state officials after the 81st Legislature convenes in January to address more control by county government.
According to the Texas State Data Center, the population of Burnet County rose nearly 21 percent during the last seven years, from 34,147 in 2000 to 41,219 in 2007, Holtkamp said.
The center predicts the county population will increase more than 70 percent, from 42,669 in 2010 to 73,912 by 2040, Holtkamp added.
Housing and income are other problems related to county population growth, Holtkamp noted.
The median value of a single-family home in the county is expected to rise 64 percent, from $85,942 in 2000 to $141,284 in 2013. Numbers of homes are expected to go up 48 percent, from 15,933 in 2000 to 23,605 in 2013, Holtkamp added.
However, median income is expected to rise 42 percent, from $37,546 in 2000 to $53,352 in 2013, Holtkamp said.
“It (housing) is growing a lot faster than incomes have grown,” Holtkamp added. “Are people getting priced out of the (housing) market?”
But not all of the news was dire. Several audience members spoke about how much they enjoy living in the Highland Lakes. Burnet County is “a lot prettier than West Texas,” according to one new arrival who recently moved to the county from barren landscapes and dust storms.
“I actually have trees here,” Mary Jane Shanes said during the meeting.
Former Hale County resident Shanes recently retired and now calls Burnet home. At her church, Shanes said she has met several fellow worshippers who have recently relocated to Burnet County from Amarillo and Lubbock and other West Texas cities.
“They’re all moving here,” Shanes quipped as she spoke to The Daily Tribune.
Besides the beautiful environment, recreation, friendly neighbors and family-friendly surroundings, several other reasons account for recent population growth in Burnet County, attendees said.
“There is a lot going on the county,” Holtkamp said.
However, the county will face several challenges as its population rises during future years, including traffic control, audience members said.
“(U.S.) 281 is really I-35 West now,” said Burnet attorney Michael Lucksinger. “They should rename it.”
Others claimed RR 1431 to Austin “is a highway now,” and several county roads may need to be widened to accommodate higher traffic levels.
Demands for water will increase significantly in the county’s municipalities, Holtkamp said.
According to the Texas Water Development Board, water usage in the cities will grow almost 200 percent, from 4,643 acre-feet per year in 2000 to 13,328 in 2060.
An acre-foot is the volume of water — 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons — that will cover an area to a depth of one foot.
“A lot more water is getting removed out of the ground for people,” said Holtkamp.
Other future issues include light pollution, regulation of boat docks and economic development for future generations, attendees said.
Perhaps no more than 5 percent of the future population is expected to fall within the 18 to 24 age group, Holtkamp said, adding youthful residents may leave the county for education and employment.
“The trick is to get these kids to come back,” Holtkamp added.
No action was taken during the meeting.
The session in Burnet is just the latest in a series of meetings designed to take the pulse of the region and to discuss the comprehensive plan. The sessions have already been held in Bertram, Bethel, Briggs, Cottonwood Shores, Granite Shoals, Marble Falls, Lake Victor, Oakalla and Spicewood, Graeter said.
During upcoming weeks, the Burnet County Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will review issues raised at the town meetings and make recommendations, Holtkamp told attendees.
Then, recommendations made by the committees will be released to the cities perhaps as soon as next month “to make sure what we put into the plan reflects what we heard through the town-hall meeting process,” Holtkamp said.
raymond@thepicayune.com