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POSTED 4-03-2010
MARBLE FALLS — April 15 — also known as Tax Day — may remain one of the most unpopular days on the calendar, but a local grassroots citizens-rights group is hoping to turn that sentiment into political ammunition.
The Highland Lakes Tea Party Coalition will hold its second Tax Day Tea Party 5 p.m. April 15 at Marble Falls’ Lakeside Park, 305 Buena Vista.
POSTED 4-03-2010
MARBLE FALLS — If the ghosts of murdered men haunt the deep cave south of town known as Dead Man’s Hole, they aren’t telling any grisly tales.
“It sounds like a good story, but I don’t know of any groups that have caught any undeniable evidence of the paranormal there,” says Amanda Foster, founder of the Austin Paranormal Group.
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POSTED 4-1-2010
MARBLE FALLS — Connie Pell says she’ll do just about anything to stop the bulldozers from inching closer to a scenic creek behind her home as part of a project to prevent future flooding.
She’s afraid the work will destroy habitats and valuable trees.
"I told him if they come down this way, I’ll stand in front of the bulldozer if I have to," she said about a Wednesday conversation she had with a project worker. "You can hear them (the work) in the background. Our neighborhood had to stop them because they were coming over into our area."
Pell, a retiree, lives in the 1100 block of Avenue G.
The creek-clearing work is part of a city project to prevent a repeat of the massive flooding that inundated the area in June 2007, when a "rain bomb" dumped 19 inches on Marble Falls, causing evacuations and closing down businesses.
Vegetation and debris built up in area creeks, which caused the water flow to back up, flooding several streets, homes, bridges and businesses, emergency officials reported at the time.
Since that time, the city has started several projects to prevent future flooding.
During the past few days, the project in Pell’s neighborhood has progressed along a portion of a runoff creek from RR 1431 north toward Twelfth Street, just east of the U.S. 281 and 1431 intersection.
City Manager Ralph Hendricks said a project representative met with area residents as soon as city officials learned of neighbors’ concerns.
"It is one of the major drainage areas in our community," Hendricks said. "We do not need trees in the middle of our creeks. It becomes a dam in a flood. Debris backs up, the water gets backed up. Properties upstream will flood because water is unable to flow because of the backup."
The city received permission to clear brush on areas of the creek that run through private property, but worked along public right of way.
Pell said though she didn’t live in Marble Falls during the 2007 flood, she understands the concerns about flood prevention. However, she’s also concerned about the destruction of habitat near her home.
She started a personal video library of the work on the creek to document her concerns, Pell added.
"They have no catch float in it to catch any debris or water to keep the water clean. We do have fish that are down here," she said. "You’re talking about animals, deer … no deer have come over here lately, and this is the reason."
She’ll also monitor the work closely with the help of her neighbors, Pell said.
"You bulldoze houses. You don’t bulldoze creek beds," she said. "If it hadn’t been for everyone in our neighborhood and the kind people, we wouldn’t keep the beauty that we’ve got."
City officials said clearing debris has many benefits.
"It’s something nobody likes to see, but when we’re done, it will look clean and neat and help with the flow of water," said Public Works Assistant Director Duane Anderson, who is overseeing the project. "That area that’s closer to RR 1431, that was probably the worst area. The rest (of the work) is just getting some trees, most already dead, half dead or broke, out of the way."
"We are done bulldozing — other than what’s on the ground to get out of the way," he added.
Meanwhile, Pell said she has closely watched the clearing project’s progress.
"I’m concerned because they’ve taken out so many trees. Some of them were even old apple trees that were on the creek bed," she said. "They have completely destroyed this area."
Crews have cleared away trees, overgrown brush, boulders and debris that has collected along the creek just off 281 at 1431.
For those concerned about potential habitat loss, Hendricks said, "We encourage people to plant trees on their property."
David Short of Short Electronics, a business adjacent to the creek near the 281 and 1431 intersection, remembered how water from the creek rose onto his property and flooded his store in 2007.
"Three years ago, when we had that ‘water bomb’ as they called it, we had about 3 feet of water in our parking lot here. I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen that much water," Short said. "I have mixed emotions about what’s going on back here."
"I enjoyed the creek how it was, but at the same time, it’s maybe going to help the water to flow quicker, maybe stop my building from flooding the next time we get 21 inches of rain," he added.
Hendricks, who was in charge of emergency management at the time, recalled the flooding near the 1431/281 intersection and the electronics shop.
"It was completely underwater in that area, and there were several cars that were trapped in that intersection, people who had to be rescued," Hendricks said.
Short believes growth and new construction may play a role in how much runoff washes into the creek. Businesses upstream of the creek behind his store include The Home Depot as well as a hair salon and a restaurant in a strip mall.
"The water used to soak into the ground, and now we have a lot of parking lots and a lot of buildings where our natural water would go into the ground," Short said. "Now it’s running off and filling up our little creek back here. I feel like as we grow, this creek’s even going to get more influx from the runoff … so maybe this (the clearing work) will help."
Swinney is the anchor and producer for Highland Lakes Headlines at www.thepicayunetv.com.
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POSTED 4-1-2010
PHOTO 1: Anna Craig races for Easter eggs during a ‘hunt’ Thursday at St. Peter’s Lutheran School. The students and even a few siblings took part in the annual event at the Marble Falls private Christian kindergarten and preschool. Staff photos by Daniel Clifton
PHOTO 2: St. Peter’s Lutheran School student Katie Dulin checks out an Easter egg Thursday. Children of the Marble Falls kindergarten and preschool program looked for eggs with their names on them during the annual event.
PHOTO 3: Kyle Moran of St. Peter’s Lutheran School in Marble Falls counts his eggs during an Easter egg ‘hunt’ this week at the school.
POSTED 3-31-2010
SPICEWOOD — Three women are homeless and three pets dead after an early-morning fire destroyed their rented home in the 4100 block of CR 410 Wednesday.
Jesse Hunt, son of one of the occupants, said neither his mother nor her two roommates were home at the time of the fire, which was reported about 6 a.m.
"I first heard about it this morning around 8:30 a.m. after one of the neighbors called my boss at work," he said. "It was one of the neighbors that first saw the fire, and he came over and sprayed it with a garden hose until the Fire Department got here."
Occupants Pamela Takahashi, Melanie Sanders and Michelle McCommas have moved to temporary lodgings at a hotel, Hunt said.
Hunt and his brother Robert, sons of Takahashi, spent Wednesday helping locate the remains of their mothers’ dogs, Tweenie and Gracie-Gray.
Another dog, a pit-bull terrier named Kratos, was pulled from the burning building by volunteer firefighters, but later succumbed to smoke inhalation after rescuers attempted to revive it with oxygen, Hunt said.
"My mom was really broken up about it," he said. "We’re just trying to find the other two dogs so we can give them a good burial."
Jamie Ludwig of Spicewood Fire-EMS said the fire consumed the home.
"When we got there, the building was fully engulfed," she said. "We had 14 members from the volunteer fire department there, along with members of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department and some family members from our department."
While the exact cause of the fire isn’t known, Hunt said faulty wiring near a household appliance may have started the blaze.
Relatives and friends of the displaced renters Wednesday helped remove belongings from the house, which had heavy roof damage.
"Some of the stuff inside just had some smoke damage, so we’re trying to remove all of that," Hunt said. "But the house is a total loss."
No other buildings were damaged.
POSTED 3-31-2010
MARBLE FALLS — After more than seven months of planning and construction, the Holiday Inn Express in Marble Falls will open its doors this month.
"It will be a very high demand hotel," said owner Brendan Gilyan. "It will do very well here."
IN PHOTO: The Holiday Inn Express will open April 9 in Marble Falls. Staff photo by Raymond V. WhelanThe hotel at 714 Corazon Drive in the La Ventana subdivision will register its first guests on April 9 — just in time for the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival, Gilyan said.
"We are hoping the hotel will be full that weekend," he added.
The hotel is just off U.S. 281 south of Lake Marble Falls and across from the Burnet County courthouse south annex.
About 100 reservations have been already been accepted through the next 50 weeks at the inn, Gilyan said.
Work on the hotel with 69 suites styled in the modern Italian spa theme began last August. By the middle of last month, Gilyan accepted an offer to change the franchise from Comfort Suites to Holiday Inn Express.
"This (Holiday Inn) brand is a little bit more of a guest-friendly name in the hotel-service industry," Gilyan said.
The name change involved many hours of re-training hotel administrative officers and staff, as well as re-doing the trademark on signs, linens, pillows, stationery, towels and other items, he added.
"It was not an easy task," Gilyan said. "In the long run, it will be cost-effective because this is a higher standard hotel."
GRANITE SHOALS — The third time’s the charm.
After two previous City Council meetings left members with a few more questions, all those blanks were answered today as the members approved an agreement that will bring a 1,500-acre mixed-use development to the Granite Shoals area.
"I think this is going to be an unbelievable moment for Granite Shoals and even Burnet County," said Todd Fox, a member of Barnett Rances LLC, which brought the development plan to the city.
The council held the meeting at a new municipal building at 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Official dedication for the building will be 11:30 a.m. April 24.
During the meeting, the five council members in attendance agreed and gave the development, annexation and utility agreement a thumbs-up. Council members Bessie Jackson and Merilyn Nations were absent.
"It’s a true win-win situation for the city," Mayor Frank Reilly said.
The city also gave its consent for the creation of Burnet County Municipal District No. 3 for the area within the proposed development.
The proposed development encompasses land on the north and south side of RR 1431 just east of Phillips Ranch Road. Another segment wraps around the new city’s municipal building on Phillips Ranch Road before coming back up to RR 1431 between Granite Shoals and Highland Haven. The third parcel is on the north side of RR 1431 along CR 120 toward Oxbow Trail.
Most of the land in the development is within the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
The concept plan calls for both single-family, multi-family and commercial areas as well as a golf course and greenbelt.
The creation of the MUD will also allow the city to pick up the pace on building a wastewater facility, the mayor said. But whether or not the development or MUD builds the wastewater plant, the city would do it down the road.
Council member Calvin Chamness stressed that the current residents of Granite Shoals won’t be included within the MUD, so they won’t fall under its jurisdiction. They also wouldn’t have to pay to hook up to the wastewater facility.
"I want to make it clear that it is my understanding that the MUD won’t cost the city of Granite Shoals anything," he said.
Council member David Dittmar and members of the city’s airport advisory committee asked that the developers consider including space for a possible airport runway extensions in their plans.
Bob Sylvester of the committee said the current grass strip is 2,000 feet long but they would like to add another 2,000-3,000 feet onto it. If the Federal Aviation Administration approves the expansion, Sylvester said, the federal agency would kick in 90 percent of the cost, leaving the city with the remaining 10 percent.
But the extension could force developers to reconsider the current conception of their plan.
"We wanted you guys to at least take it into consideration at this time," Dittmar said.
Chamness pointed out that this plan was just a concept at this time, but reminded the council that it’s a starting point. One, he said, that will make a significant impact on the city
"I’m extremely passionate about this project," he said.
Even though it spreads out over 1,500 acres, Chamness said, it provides a realistic plan for "moderate growth."
HORSESHOE BAY — A new floodplain map that could have alter some residents’ flood-insurance rates is available for public review at City Hall.
The document, submitted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is used to define which areas could potentially be threatened by floodwaters during heavy rains, according to the study.
The entire document is available on the city’s Web site, www.horseshoe-bay-tx.gov.
The new map could shift floodplains in the city, with an impact on some residents’ flood or homeowner insurance rates, Development Services Manager Eric Winter said.
The new maps could also will involve changes to city policy. Under federal law, the city must set ordinances governing construction in flood-prone areas.
Without an ordinance, the city wouldn’t be eligible for some types of federal assistance following disasters, officials said.
Residents wishing to appeal the floodplain maps can do so at Horseshoe Bay City Hall, 1 Community Drive off FM 2147.
For information, call (830) 598-9970.
COTTONWOOD SHORES — City leaders are looking for ways to pay for a new Lower Colorado River Authority water contract without passing the expected cost increase to low-income residents.
The council on March 25 held off on making a decision on the proposed rate changes, which officials said could appear on residents’ April bills. The issue will be discussed again at the next council meeting April 5.
Some council members said they want to explore ways to spare residents any increases on their bills.
“We cannot do this to these people in this community,” Councilwoman Janet Taylor-Carusi said. “These little old ladies who are retirees get $600-$700 dollars per month, and they cannot stand this increase.”
City Treasurer Rick Copple said the city is in negotiations with LCRA to reserve up to 650 acre-feet of water per year for the city’s use, a considerable increase over the current contract for 138 acre-feet per year.
An acre-foot is enough water to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot, or 325,851 gallons. An average household uses about 2,000 gallons of water per month.
City Administrator Karrie Cummings said the city for the last several years has exceeded the 138-acre-foot limit, forcing Cottonwood residents to foot the bill for penalties charged by the LCRA.
The new contract is intended to reserve enough water for 40 years, taking into account some growth estimates that expect the city’s population increase to more than 10,000 by 2050.
However, Cummings said those extra water reserves will come at a cost.
“We will pay for the water that we use, then a 50 percent reservation fee for the rest (up to the 650 acre-foot limit),” Cummings said. “We wanted to reserve enough water for Cottonwood Shores for the next 40 years.”
Figures provided by the city show an expected cost of about $27,005 for water under the new contract, with a series of stepped rate increases based on water usage to cover the cost.
Under the new rate, the average monthly utility bill for a customer using the minimum of 2,000 gallons or less will increase by $2.25 to a total of $30.40, Copple said.
Residents using more than the 2,000 minimum would pay an additional fee per 1,000 gallons used, with charges increasing depending on the amount, officials said.
The cost of the increase will be offset by recent revelations that the city’s solid waste-pickup contractor, Austin-based IESI, had incorrectly allowed the city to pay a sales tax to the state for its services.
Copple said that mistake has been corrected, adding the garbage contractor will pay the city $20,000 to cover some of the back taxes paid by the city.
“From this point on, we’ll be deducting that amount of of (residents’) bills,” he said. “We’ll be able to lower our solid-waste rates.”
The city also could use some of the extra $20,000 to cover a portion of the increased water costs, minimizing the impact on residents for at least a year, Copple said.
One of the suggested solutions included additional rate increases to residents using more than 2,000 gallons per month, while leaving the minimum cost the same.
Resident Donald Orr said additional cost decreases could be achieved by encouraging residents to conserve water.
“I recommend decreasing usage to 75 gallons per person per day,” Orr said. “If we implement a conservation program, I believe we can get close to 75 gallons.”
Councilwoman Martha Logan said future water rates could encourage conservation through fiscal means.
“We can encourage you to decrease your usage,” she said. “Those who use below (the minimum) amount, will be rewarded by a lower rate.”
The council voted to table the discussion until a later meeting. The next council meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 5 at the Public Library 4111 Cottonwood Drive.
