Several Burnet residents could soon receive long-awaited flood buyout offers on their properties nearly a year after rushing floodwaters ripped through Central Texas in the July 2025 floods.
During a June 9 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Keith McBurnett said that preliminary environmental surveys had been completed at most of the affected properties as part of the program’s requirements, and that appraisals could begin shortly.
McBurnett noted that appraisals can take roughly one month to be completed, but once the process is finished, property owners would begin to receive bids from the city on their homes.
“The appraisal process is expected to take about four weeks,” he said. “Based on our current timeline, we’re looking at late July, early August for property owners to begin to receive offers through the buyout program.”
McBurnett confirmed with DailyTrib on Wednesday, June 17, that letters scheduling the appraisals were sent out on Monday, June 15, to property owners, and that nine appraisals were already set for Friday, June 19.
So long as residents accept the city’s offers on their properties, the homes will be demolished and permanently converted into open spaces, according to the city, due to their high risk for future flood damage.
More on the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program
The NRCS’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program will assist the city of Burnet in purchasing properties that were heavily damaged in the July 2025 floods. These properties are considered too prone to flood damage, and structures on them will be demolished, leaving permanent open spaces.
The EWP Program funding was estimated not to exceed $5.75 million for the 13 affected properties combined, with the NRCS funding around $4.4 million (75 percent), and the city funding around $1.35 million (25 percent) of the project. The NRCS will additionally provide $325,500 in technical assistance funding for the project.
As part of the eligibility for the EWP Program, an affected property must contain a structure threatened by additional flooding or erosion. In the case of the properties in Burnet, like those located along the southern portion of Oak Street, many lie on one of the city’s several floodways.
Of course, a flood-prone property will continue to be one so long as the waterway nearby it continues to flow, which is why the program seeks to completely raze any structures on the affected properties rather than rebuild them.
The city reached out to the NRCS about relief in August 2025 and reached an agreement on the buyout program on March 31. Due to governmental procedures and practices, as well as multiple government shutdowns, the entire flood recovery process has taken significant time.
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Former Marble Falls city councilor Lauren Haltom is returning to the dais after being appointed to the vacant Place 4 seat, following Karlee Hubble’s resignation in May.
Haltom will be officially sworn in during a future Marble Falls City Council meeting and will serve the remainder of the current Place 4 term, which expires in May 2027.
City Council made the appointment during its Tuesday, June 16, meeting. George Russell and former councilor Bryan Walker were also considered to fill the vacancy. But, Mayor Pro-tem Craig Magerkurth moved to offer the role to Haltom and the council ultimately agreed in a unanimous vote.
Haltom served two terms as the Place 3 councilor before losing a reelection bid against former mayor Dave Rhodes in May. It was a close race, with Haltom falling short by only 29 votes.
“I am incredibly thankful for the support of the men (on City Council) I have had the privilege of working alongside over the past several years,” she wrote in a Facebook post following the appointment. “Public service is never about one person, it’s about a team working together to do what is best for Marble Falls, and I’m honored by the trust they have placed in me.”
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Dozens of Texas legislators are requesting that the Public Utility Commission of Texas slow down and reevaluate the need for a multi-billion dollar transmission line project that would cut through large swathes of rural Texas. The line would especially impact Burnet County landowners, as they lie within all possible routes proposed by developers.
The PUCT is currently in the midst of hearings on whether or not to move forward, or how to move forward, with the 765 kV projects, and a determination is expected by September.
“The amicus brief signed by me and my colleagues is a request to pause and ensure the (PUCT) fully evaluates the overall need before moving forward,” Buckley said in a Monday, June 15, media release. “The scale and cost of these proposed transmission projects warrant a complete and deliberate review before irreversible decisions are made.”
“Our office has heard from countless landowners and residents throughout HD 19 who are concerned about the lasting impact these projects could have on private property, rural communities, and Texas ratepayers,” wrote Troxclair in a public statement after the letter was submitted to the PUCT. “Before thousands of acres are impacted and billions of dollars are passed on to ratepayers, the (PUCT) should take the time needed to fully review the evidence and determine the overall need for these projects.”
Troxclair and other representatives have been voicing concerns about the project for months. Legislators took their concerns a step further on May 5 when five representatives signed a letter of opposition and then event further on May 11 when 25 legislators signed a more thorough letter requesting a delay in the proceedings until the legislature reconvened in 2027.
The motion
American Stewards of Liberty, a nonprofit that advocates for private property rights across the country, filed on June 5 a motion to “defer determination of need,” which requested that the PUCT fully assess all information within its docket on the transmission line before making any determination on the matter, regardless of the September 2026 deadline.
The American Stewards of Liberty motion argued that the analysis behind the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, which was the driver behind the transmission line plan, does not necessarily support the transmission lines as the best possible solution for bringing reliable power to West Texas.
“The asserted need for the proposed 765-kV projects is based upon the premise that the
Permian Basin lacks sufficient electrification to support anticipated load growth in the region and
therefore requires substantial new transmission infrastructure to import power from other regions of (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas),” reads the motion. “However, that premise and the analyses underlying it remain the subject of extensive briefing and dispute.”
Background on the Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line
The transmission line project’s intention is to bring power to West Texas, but many Burnet County residents believe that it would be at the expense of Hill Country landowners.
The project was mandated by the Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 5066. The bill aimed to increase the reliability of the Texas electric grid, and also specifically targeted bringing power to the Permian Basin region of West Texas.
The results of that study showed a massive increase in the projected demand for electricity from that region, mostly to satisfy an estimated addition of 11,695 megawatts to the grid from the non-oil and gas industry. Per ERCOT’s study, this load would be made up of 59 percent cryptocurrency operations, 22 percent “green hydrogen” projects, 13 percent “other” commercial and industrial projects, and 6 percent datacenters. Power would also be used to electrify the petroleum industry in West Texas.
Once ERCOT’s study was completed, the PUCT tasked Oncor Electric Delivery and the Lower Colorado River Authority with devising a plan to deliver more power to the Permian Basin. After months of planning the organizations created a preliminary plan and route for 765 kilovolt powerlines to be run from Central Texas to West Texas. Burnet County was notified of the plans, and the fact that it would likely be included in all possible routes, in May 2025.
The project, to be paid for by the state, has an estimated total cost of $33 billion, and would include three major lines, including the Bell County East to Big Hill project.
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A new waste management provider could be cleaning the streets of Burnet in November after City Council approved the selection of Texas Disposal Systems from a group of five contractors during a June 9 meeting.
Though city officials still need to negotiate a contract to be approved by council at a later date, new services should begin on Nov. 1, 2026.
City Manager David Vaughn shared a look at TDS’s proposed services during the council meeting, noting the possibility of weekly curbside bulk pickup that would replace the city’s monthly bulk-tossing event, Chunk Your Junk.
“That cost, for us to do (Chunk Your Junk), has risen tremendously from when we started it,” he said. “We’re spending about $55,000 a year. TDS was willing to offer 2 yards at the curb, every week.”
Vaughn added that the city would also kickstart a new monthly Bring Your Brush event to handle residents’ leftover leafy limbs, branches, and clippings.
The city’s selection of a new waste contractor is part of a routine process to ensure “the best quality of service available to the community,” using proposals from prospective contractors. The city’s current contractor, Al Clawson Disposal, Inc., did not submit a proposal.
A closer look at TDS’s proposal for services is as follows.
Offer commercial recycling dumpsters
Offer 2-yard and 10-yard trash dumpsters
Weekly curbside bulk pickup of up to 2 cubic yards or 1 bulky item a week
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Residents served by the Kingsland Water Supply Corporation are asked to limit outdoor watering as crews complete an upgrade to the water supply line from Lake LBJ to the water treatment plant.
The project is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, and customers are being asked to avoid outdoor watering or irrigation from 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, through 8 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to help accommodate the change.
Customers with questions or seeking additional information can visit kingslandwater.org or call the office at 325-388-6611.
Kingsland Water Supply Corp. provides water services to customers throughout Llano and Burnet counties.
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Granite Shoals will distribute venison to residents 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, at City Hall, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road.
Residents may receive up to 10 pounds of venison per household, but must provide proof of residency to be eligible.
The meat was obtained through the city’s deer management program, which yielded roughly 3,500 pounds of venison for community distribution while helping reduce deer overpopulation.
The program is overseen by the Granite Shoals Wildlife Advisory Committee, a group of residents tasked with advising the city on how to handle wildlife matters. Dozens of deer were harvested by crossbow within city limits throughout the 2025-26 hunting season by volunteer hunters after years of population counts carried out by members of the committee in conjunction with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
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According to the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, the remains likely belong to Eric William Wallace, a man with connections to San Antonio, North Carolina, and Florida that had been out of contact with his family since 2017.
“Recent forensic developments have advanced the investigation, and investigators are actively following up on new information related to the case,” reads a LCSO media release issued on June 12. “No piece of information is too small, and any information could be valuable to the ongoing investigation.”
Contact investigator Adam Guerrero at 325-247-5767 with information on Wallace or the case.
Background
Skeletal remains were found by a landowner on April 1, 2018 on a 1,500-acre ranch in western Llano County, about 8 miles west of the city of Llano on Texas 29. At the time the body was discovered, officials did not suspect foul play, and no further updates have been shared regarding the nature of the death.
Initially, investigators weren’t able to determine much about the identity of who the remains belonged to, or how they may have died. The Texas State University Forensic Anthropology Center assisted with the recovery of the remains and took them in for analysis.
In 2022, the Llano County Sheriff’s Office had a breakthrough, and released a facial reconstruction of the skeletal remains, sharing that the person they belonged to was likely a man between 24 and 39 years old and between 4 feet 11 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Despite the evidence shared in 2022, the case remained cold until recent developments.
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The body of a missing 27-year-old man was recovered on the morning of Saturday, June 13, in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson following a high-speed boating collision with a rock on Friday, June 12. The driver of the vessel involved was arrested following the incident.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials told DailyTrib that game wardens in Burnet and Llano counties responded to a “single-vessel incident” on the Upper Colorado River arm of Lake LBJ on Friday evening.
At the scene, wardens determined that the vessel, which was carrying four occupants, collided with a rock while traveling at a high rate of speed. Three of the occupants were ejected into the water, but only two resurfaced.
In tandem with the Kingsland Volunteer Fire Department, game wardens were able to use sonar scans to identify a point of interest and recover the body of the missing man Saturday morning.
The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the driver of the vessel, identified as 31-year-old Edgar Esteban Barrientos-Cruz, of Austin, was arrested by the TPWD and booked into the Burnet County Jail for a charge of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle for his connection to the incident on Friday.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time,” reads a TPWD statement sent to DailyTrib. “Texas Game Wardens encourage all boaters to wear a life jacket, use their engine cut-off switch and operate at safe speeds appropriate to the conditions.”
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The body of a boater was recovered on the morning of Monday, June 15, in Lake Buchanan following a multi-day search operation that began on Saturday, June 13.
According to statements provided to DailyTrib from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas game wardens responded to a request from the Llano County Sheriff’s Office at around 9 p.m. on Saturday concerning a missing fisherman near Shaw Island on Lake Buchanan.
The investigating wardens determined that the man, identified as Jay Staats, 55, of Buchanan Dam, had gone missing after dropping off a friend at a nearby boat ramp.
Staats was meant to meet his wife at Shaw Island, but after considerable time passed without his appearance, she and one of Staats’ friends boarded a separate watercraft to search for him. The two reportedly found Staats’ boat, beached, running, and in gear, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Search efforts from multiple local agencies began shortly after his boat was discovered Saturday night and continued until his body was found on Monday morning in the water near the shore by personnel from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Staats family and their friends during this difficult time,” reads the statement sent to DailyTrib. “Texas Game Wardens urge everyone on the water to wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.”
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