Burnet County commissioners took no solid action on the appointment of a new county judge during the Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday, Feb. 25. The commissioners are reassessing the appointment process and considering different options moving forward. A plan for how to proceed with a selection could be discussed at the next meeting, which is March 11 at the Burnet County Courthouse in Burnet.
All of the commissioners shared their thoughts on the matter with DailyTrib.com after the Tuesday meeting.
Three applicants filed for the temporary county judge appointment: former District Judge Gil Jones, Burnet County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Alan Trevino, and former state administrator Bryan Wilson. Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther and Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery chose Jones, while Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle and Precinct 3 Commissioner Chad Collier voted for Trevino.
Since the Feb. 11 vote, no decision has been made on how to break the tie. Commissioners met again in executive session Feb. 25 to seek legal counsel on the matter but did not deliberate or establish a new appointment process.
LEGAL COUNSEL: NO SET RULES FOR NEXT STEPS
The Burnet County Attorney’s Office confirmed with DailyTrib.com that no legal precedent exists for handling the deadlock. First Assistant County Attorney Colleen Davis explained that state law mandates commissioners appoint a county judge but does not specify how they must do so.
“The statute says the commissioners court appoints, it doesn’t say how,” she said. “There is no legal guidance, case law, or binding opinion on this. It’s up to (commissioners) to decide the process and vote on it.”
Among the possibilities commissioners could consider, Davis noted, are reopening the application process, voting again, exploring a tiebreaker method, or even leaving the seat vacant until the next election in November 2026. With no county judge in place, Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle has been functioning as the head of the court, a position to which he was appointed by his fellow commissioners.
COMMISSIONERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON MOVING FORWARD
DailyTrib.com spoke to the four Burnet County commissioners about the next steps.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther: “We are working through the process, and I expect it to be on the next agenda.”
Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle: “What I plan to do is put an agenda item on the next agenda to bring (the appointment process) up and discuss any and all possible options. We’re going to do it all under an agenda item in open court.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner Chad Collier: “We are working towards a solution. There is no statute or rule that says, ‘Here’s what you need to do in this situation.’ So we’re working through that and covering our bases.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery: “Personally, I would like to see one of the two (commissioners) change their vote for Gil Jones so that we can get off dead center.”
WHY COMMISSIONERS VOTED THE WAY THEY DID
Each commissioner had different reasons for their Feb. 11 votes. Commissioner Luther did not provide a comment on his vote for Jones.
Beierle (voted for Trevino): “Alan’s been at the county, and I think he’ll do a good job leading the county just like he’s done at the sheriff’s department. When I talk to my constituents, they all agree and support my decision.”
Collier (voted for Trevino): “He has honesty and integrity, is a man of his word, and is somebody who has been in the courtroom almost every Commissioners Court meeting and is up to date. There won’t be a learning curve. He can hit the ground running, and we won’t miss a beat. That’s what I’m looking for in a county judge, and I think that’s why Trevino stands out a little more than the other two.”
Dockery (voted for Jones): “He checks all the boxes. For one, he does not want to run in the 2026 primaries, which is something I wanted from the beginning. He’s a licensed CPA, was our first district judge in the 33rd Judicial District, and served for 16 years. He has the judicial background and can go to work on day one without a learning curve. That’s going to be important with the county in the middle of big projects.”
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The Lower Colorado River Authority will refund up to 50 percent (maximum of $7,500) of the cost of invasive aquatic plant removal for communities along Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, and Lake Marble Falls between specific dates in March and August, depending on the removal method. A strict schedule for herbicidal removal in 2025 also was released.
Who can get a rebate?
The rebates are limited to homeowner and property owner associations and city and county governments. They are not available to individual property owners.
The rebates are only applicable to removal projects on Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, and Lake Marble Falls.
To gain access to a rebate, applicants must use a licensed aquatic herbicide applicator, if herbicides are applied, and submit a treatment proposal to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the LCRA to obtain approval in advance. Mechanical removal projects do not require a licensed professional, but all projects must provide an itemized receipt of the work and proof of TPWD approval of the treatment plan by Sept. 15.
A TPWD treatment proposal form (found here), a map delineating the proposed treatment area, and photographs of the invasive plant issue must be sent to Patrick.Ireland@tpwd.texas.gov and water.weeds@lcra.org before any treatment plan can begin. Both agencies are required to respond within 14 days of receiving proposals.
Rebate and treatment scheduling
Highland Lakes residents may mechanically remove invasive aquatic plant species at any time of the year, but herbicidal treatments may only be performed during specific windows set by the LCRA, depending on the exact location of the proposed project.
Rebates are only applicable to herbicidal projects performed in their designated window between March 24 and Aug. 23. Mechanical projects can receive rebates if performed anytime between March 10 and Aug. 31.
The LCRA has designated three distinct zones between Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, and Lake Marble Falls that dictate four specific herbicidal treatment windows that must be adhered to, regardless of whether or not a project seeks a rebate.
To see where your property falls in these treatment zones, the deadlines to file for treatment approval, and the windows for treatment, visit the interactive map midway down this LCRA webpage.
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A Llano County driver was killed in an accident late Feb. 24 after his vehicle struck a deer on the road and careened into a tree.
According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, the victim, identified as 25-year-old Isaiah Lee Barragan, and his passenger were traveling on a remote stretch of RR 2241 in rural Llano County between Llano and Bluffton at around 11 p.m. Monday night when his Ford Escape collided with a deer. After the impact, the vehicle veered off of the road and hit a tree.
Barragan was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, fiancée Brailee Garret, was sent to an area hospital for treatment of “incapacitating” injuries. The couple are reportedly Tow residents.
Barragan’s family is raising money for funeral expenses through a GoFundMe.com account.
“We are going to need help laying him to rest peacefully,” reads the GoFundMe page. “Please send your prayers, or help if you can, if not please pass the go fund me along to others. Thank you, if you need anymore information from family, y’all are welcome to contact anybody of the family. We love y’all and God bless. Please hug your family members tightly tonight.”
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Work crews began tearing down the old Thai Niyom building at 909 U.S. 281 in Marble Falls on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The demolition is part of a larger Texas Department of Transportation project that will remove several structures on the southeast corner of the U.S. 281-RR 1431 intersection to make way for a new right-turn lane for northbound traffic on the highway.
The work includes tearing down the old Texaco gas station and the Burdett building on either side of Thai Niyom. The Thai restaurant and the other buildings have been closed since the summer of 2024, when TxDOT purchased them to make way for the intersection improvements.
Demolition is currently expected to be completed in March, weather permitting, according to TxDOT. The construction project will go out for bid in mid-2026, according to TxDOT officials, and include pavement rehabilitation and traffic signal upgrades. No solid timeline for completion of the turn lane will be available until a contractor is identified.
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The Meadowlakes City Council on Feb. 18 appointed Mike Shaw the new Place 1 councilor. He will fill the seat left open following the unexpected death of Councilor Don Wheeler.
Shaw will finish out Wheeler’s 2024-26 term. He has a construction background and extensive experience with city works due to his service on the Meadowlakes Property Owners’ Association Board of Directors.
“(During the Feb. 18) City Council (meeting), the council approved the appointment of Mike Shaw to serve out the unexpired term of Don Wheeler, whose premature death two weeks ago shocked the city,” wrote Mayor Mark Bentley in his weekly city update. “Mike also serves on the POA board, and in the opinion of the current writer, is one of the hardest workers around. He is in charge of all the parks, streets and perimeter fences. His background is in construction, which will greatly aid the city in its current endeavors.”
According to City Manager Will De Roos, Shaw was one of several applicants who applied for the Place 1 seat after Wheeler’s Feb. 3 death.
“We put out a notice considering applications, and Mike Shaw threw his hat in the ring,” De Roos told DailyTrib.com. “Based on his qualifications and interests, he was selected.”
De Roos and Mayor Bentley both noted that Wheeler’s construction expertise was invaluable to the city, and Shaw’s similar background will help fill that void.
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Marble Falls Finance Director Jeff Lazenby is leaving the job Friday, Feb. 28, and leaving the city in good shape. He was thanked for his four years of service during the Marble Falls City Council meeting Feb. 18.
“When you run a business and you run a city, if the numbers aren’t good, then the rest of it turns out not good as well,” said Mayor Dave Rhodes as he introduced Lazenby to the gathered audience at City Hall. “He has been phenomenal at what he does.”
Lazenby, who accepted a new position in Virginia, started the Marble Falls job in March 2021. In that short time, he overhauled the city’s budget system.
“When Jeff first came in, he basically inherited a very, very outdated budget system,” Councilor Bryan Walker said. “It was still Excel spreadsheets, and it was hundreds of hours to get budget meetings and amendments in. He brought our entire budget program into the 21st century.”
Lazenby reciprocated the council’s admiration.
“It certainly has been an incredible journey,” he said.
Marble Falls city administration will now look for a replacement for Lazenby.
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After two years of construction, St. Frederick Baptist Church’s African American History Museum opened its doors to the public Saturday, Feb. 22. Dozens of visitors gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, community meal, and panel discussion on Black history in Marble Falls.
The new museum, located next to St. Frederick’s at 301 Avenue N in Marble Falls, was a labor of love, built through fundraising, donations, and countless volunteer hours. Some work still needs to be done before its official grand opening, but the displays and exhibits are in place.
“There’s a lot of history in the (Highland Lakes) Black community—a lot of history—and you don’t take that for granted. It’s a blessing,” said Mattie Odem, the first Black woman to graduate from Marble Falls High School, at the event. “I’m blessed to be here today. I’m glad to be home.”
Odem graduated from MFHS in 1966, shortly after schools were desegregated when the Civil Rights Act became U.S. law in 1964. She now lives in Austin but grew up in Marble Falls, where she attended the Colored Normal George Washington Carver Elementary School prior to desegregation.
St. Frederick’s clerk and community champion Bessie Jackson, who was instrumental in establishing the museum, was honored during the soft opening.
Her grandson Bryan Smith Jr. spoke during the event, recounting his own experiences growing up Black in Marble Falls and the museum’s importance in local history.
“I’m learning things that I didn’t even know came out of this specific community,” he said. “I think that it is just (important) to show everybody that we’ve been here. Don’t forget the contributions that we’ve made.”
Photos from the Feb. 22, 2025, soft opening of the African American History Museum in Marble Falls taken by DailyTrib.com News Editor Dakota Morrissiey.Mattie Odem, the first Black female graduate of Marble Falls High School.
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The city of Marble Falls has officially locked in $45.35 million from the Texas Water Development Board to build a new wastewater treatment plant. With the funds, construction can begin soon on the $87 million facility, which is the largest project the city has ever undertaken.
The Marble Falls City Council approved four ordinances and two resolutions during its regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 18, putting its official stamp of approval on several batches of funding from the TWDB. The approval was a long time coming, with the city doggedly pursuing money for the project from the state for the past 4½ years, according to Mayor Dave Rhodes.
“We want to do it right because (the new wastewater treatment plant) is going to have to last a long time,” Rhodes told the audience at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Marble Falls’ current wastewater facility was built between 1953 and 1954 and was severely damaged in the flooding of the Colorado River in 2018. In 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ordered the city to upgrade its wastewater treatment capacity to accommodate future growth.
The current plant reached 75 percent of its total operational capacity for three consecutive months in 2019, triggering the need for a new facility or major upgrades under TCEQ regulations. The population of Marble Falls has risen significantly since then, from about 7,000 in 2020 to an estimated 8,300 in 2024, representing an approximate 18 percent increase. City officials are predicting a population of 9,500 by 2027.
“We threw a lot of duct tape, bailing wire, and other things at (the old plant), and we almost lost it in the 2018 flood, which would have been a disaster. And, it is way undersized,” Rhodes said. “We are fast outgrowing it, so we need to build a new one.”
Construction on the plant is expected to begin before the end of the first quarter of 2025. The city recently hired Place 6 Councilor Craig Magerkurth to oversee the project, which should take around three years to complete. Magerkurth recused himself from the council’s Tuesday deliberations on TWDB funding.
The remaining money for the facility will come from a combination of state and federal grants and loans as well as city-issued bonds.
“This financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board represents a major investment in the future of Marble Falls,” City Manager Mike Hodge wrote in a Feb. 19 media release announcing the TWDB money. “These funds will help us advance the construction of the One Water Marble Falls Project.”
The city’s forward thinking on funding paid off, according to the city’s financial advisor, Andrew Friedman of SAMCO Capital, who told the council the total interest to be paid on the $45.35 million from the TWDB is only 1.15 percent. That is significantly lower than the current open market rates of 4 percent to 4.3 percent and would save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I think it’s a really tremendous result,” Friedman said.
THE NEW PLANT
The One Water Reclamation Facility will be built on land adjacent to Walmart on U.S. 281 and double the city’s water-processing capacity from 1.5 million gallons a day to 3 million gallons a day, with the possibility of upgrading to 4 million gallons a day in the future.
A major feature of the new plant is the capability to process wastewater for irrigation use and potentially purify it enough to be recycled as drinking water.
The city solidified plans for the new facility in October 2024, setting in motion the acquisition of funding so construction could begin this year.
“Future phases of One Water will include piloting and building an advanced purification plant on the site to treat and recycle water to meet drinking water standards,” read an October 2024 media release from the city. “This will provide the city with an additional water resource, improving resilience against drought conditions and future water shortages.
“This state-of-the-art facility is a key part of the city’s long-term strategy to enhance water management, address growing demands, and ensure the sustainability of our water supply for generations to come,” reads the release.
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Agendas for Highland Lakes government meetings are posted 72 hours before a meeting, so they are not always ready by the time this story is published. Check the links for more information.
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