Waste Management is raising its trash pickup service rate 3.23 percent in Granite Shoals starting Dec. 1. While bills are going up, the jump is far lower than the drastic increases in 2022 and 2023.
The company cited changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and fuel prices for the new rate.
Basic monthly residential bills for garbage and recycling pickup should go up about 95 cents from $29.58 to $30.54. An additional 8 percent franchise fee for service raises the total to $32.98 a month.
The Granite Shoals City Council unanimously approved the rate increase during its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12. The change was allowable based on the city’s current contract with Waste Management, which was approved in 2022. That contract runs through Nov. 30, 2025.
The council requested Waste Management officials be present at its next meeting to offer more insight on the increase.
Granite Shoals has seen big jumps in Waste Management rates in recent years, with a 22 percent rise in 2022 and 9 percent in 2023. Residents were paying $22.03 a month for the same trash services prior to the 2022 increase.
After the Dec. 1 rise, monthly trash service in Granite Shoals will have gone up 38.53 percent since before the 2022 increase.
According to Waste Management, the 3.23 percent increase was determined by splitting the difference between:
the CPI for the monthly average of trash services nationwide, which rose 5.26 percent between June 2022 and May 2023 and June 2023 and May 2024;
and the cost of fuel, which actually went down 2.04 percent in that same timeframe.
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Inks Lake State Park officially opened its new headquarters, just down the road from the old HQ. The facility at 3480 Park Road 4 near Burnet features more parking, updated restrooms, and a design that honors the park’s history and natural surroundings.
The project was several years in the making.
“Watching this project come together over the last five years and now seeing it ready to welcome everyone has been incredibly rewarding,” said Nathaniel Nouri, Inks Lake State Park’s assistant superintendent. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re beyond excited to finally open the new headquarters to visitors.”
The parking situation at the old headquarters drove the project to fruition, Nouri said. The popular Texas State Park saw heavy traffic on the weekends and holidays, with vehicles often backed up onto Park Road 4.
“Our new location offers a spacious parking lot that can handle the visitor flow, making it easier and safer for everyone coming to the park.” Nouri said
Visitors will now find a parking spot more easily along with a large, welcoming lobby, water features, and a environmentally conscious design.
“We used natural stone that blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment for the building. … Some trees had to be removed to build, but we carefully selected them to minimize the impact on local resources and tree growth,” Nouri said. “The wood from those trees didn’t go to waste. We partnered with a local woodworker, and they reworked it into the building. Some of it can be seen at the visitor check-in desk and in the display cabinet.”
Preserving the park’s cultural heritage was also a priority during construction. Nouri highlighted the careful dismantling and preservation of Civilian Conservation Corps-era stone culverts near the new entrance, built by the CCC in the 1930s.
“The CCC left a historical mark here, even though World War II interrupted their work. We wanted to honor that by preserving their craftsmanship in our new layout.”
Inks Lake State Park, along with other national and state parks, has seen a rise in visitors since the pandemic.
“Ever since COVID, we’ve seen so many new faces coming out to the parks,” Nouri said. “People who found us during the pandemic fell in love with our trails and lakes, and our visitor numbers have only grown. With our new headquarters, we want to make sure we’re providing the best experience possible for this new generation of park-goers.”
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The city of Granite Shoals might be home to almost four times the maximum number of white-tailed deer considered suitable for a healthy population. This is according to the results of 2024 surveys conducted by the Granite Shoals Wildlife Advisory Committee.
To curb the overabundance of bucks and does in the city limits, the committee is laying the groundwork for a harvesting program that could go into effect in 2025.
The city committee was formed in 2015 to manage Granite Shoals’ deer population. Part of that effort is conducting surveys through a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program that allows the animals to be harvested outside of the normal hunting tag system.
The committee counted 2,027 total deer in surveys done on three separate Mondays in August, the highest recorded since surveys began in 2015. The previous high was 1,551 in 2023.
“I think there are that many more deer,” committee Chair Peter Hutnick told DailyTrib.com. “We haven’t had a harvesting program for years. The only deer that have been taken out of the herd have been the ones hit by cars.”
The Wildlife Advisory Committee ceased harvesting after the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack of participation. Prior to that, committee members and volunteers used crossbows to kill deer at designated city sites to thin the herd.
The committee plans to reinstate the harvesting program during the 2025-26 deer season after another round of surveys are completed in August 2025.
WHY HARVEST?
City leaders are concerned a dense deer population will lead to more animal-vehicle accidents, destruction of property, and the spread of disease.
“My biggest concern is widespread disease and deer getting hit by cars, and I would like it if they’d stop eating my plants,” Hutnick said.
“In many areas of the state, deer population densities have exceeded the land’s ability to sustain them,” reads a 2006 TPWD report. “In other areas, deer densities have exceeded society’s ability to tolerate them.These unnaturally high deer densities can present significant ecological, social, and economic problems for a variety of stakeholders.”
The 2,057 total deer surveyed in Granite Shoals in 2024 averages out to 675 animals spotted a day. With the survey covering 1,737 acres, this comes out to about 2.57 acres per deer.
According to the TPWD, the effective carrying capacity, or the number of animals that can be supported in a given area, is 50 acres per deer on the low end and 10 acres per deer on the high end.
This means Granite Shoals could be harboring roughly 3.89 times the maximum number of deer sustainable per acre.
Granite Shoals residents can have their say on the city’s harvesting plan during a town hall planned sometime in March. Visit the city’s website for more information when available.
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All but a corner of the 150-year-old Conrad Fuchs house has been torn down, months after a fire left it a shell. The home was slated for destruction in April. Negotiations between the city of Horseshoe Bay and owners Jennifer and Paul Raley led to the long delay.
The Raleys purchased the house and 2.67 acres from the city in 2020 for a symbolic $10. The deal required the couple renovate the house and allow public access to the land during regular hours. The Raleys also gave up their rights to either sell or subdivide the land.
They had planned to live in the house and maintain the property as a part-time park.
After the house was destroyed by the Feb. 25 fire, the Raleys then focused on where to build a new home while still allowing public access to the land. They worked with the city on what to tear down and what to leave alone. Demolition crews finished the job the week of Nov. 4.
“We’ll be saving some of the rock to incorporate into the new house,” Jennifer Raley said. “The city wants some, too.”
The city already removed a set of circular steps that led to the section of the Fuchs house that was a post office in the mid-1800s. The steps will become part of the new Horseshoe Bay City Hall complex, which is in the planning stages.
The corner of the house that remains will be part of a public park that will include a historical marker and signage with historical highlights.
For more on the history of the Conrad Fuchs house, see History up in flames, part I and part II, which were originally published in The Picayune Magazine.
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Dominique Hernandez, 24, of Horseshoe Bay faces a first-degree felony charge after police say he intentionally injured an infant Nov. 3. The baby is reportedly in critical condition at a Temple hospital.
On Nov. 7, Horseshoe Bay police charged Hernandez with injury to a child with intent to commit serious bodily injury. He is currently being held in the Burnet County Jail on a $100,000 bond. The felony carries a sentence of five to 99 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines with a conviction.
According to a Horseshoe Bay Police Department media release, the injury was reported in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, after which the infant was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Marble Falls. The baby was then transferred to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Specialty Clinic-Temple.
The HBPD and Texas Department of Public Safety officials conducted an investigation that led to Hernandez’s arrest. Horseshoe Bay investigators were still gathering information in the case as of Monday, Nov. 11.
Details about Hernandez’s relationship to the infant or the nature of the infant’s injuries were not available at the time of this story’s publication.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
News stories, staff photos, and other online content are copyrighted property of Victory Media. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.
Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11, arrives with government closures, special deals for military members, and celebratory events in the Highland Lakes.
WHAT’S CLOSED?
Most city, county, state, and national government offices will be closed Monday in observance of the federal holiday. Federal closures include non-essential offices along with courthouses, post offices, and banks.
“Our pancake breakfast is open to the community to come out and celebrate with us,” Post Commander Sean Jones told DailyTrib.com. “We’ll have pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, all kinds of stuff.”
The Burnet post will be open on Monday to honor veterans.
“It’s very important we stop, take time out to do what we can to honor people who have served,” Jones said. “We’re gonna be open with barbecue pits fired up and celebrating.”
Granite Shoals has a big event planned on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon at Veterans Park, 149 W. Willow Drive. Read more about it.
The Marble Falls Rotary Club will host a program at noon Monday in Rotary Memorial Park, adjacent to Johnson Park at the intersection of Avenue J and Yett Street.
DEALS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS
Many businesses are offering special deals for veterans and active-duty service members as a gesture of appreciation. Here are a few places where military members can enjoy free meals and discounts on Veterans Day:
Cracker Barrel—free Sunrise Pancake Special
Denny’s—free Original Grand Slam with a valid military ID or DD214 from 5 a.m. to noon
Dunkin’—free donut while supplies last; in store only
Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day traces its roots to the end of World War I. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice was signed, pausing one of the most devastating conflicts in history. Although the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war in 1919, Nov. 11, 1918, remains a significant date, representing peace and the service of millions who fought for freedom.
In 1954, following World War II and the Korean War, the U.S. Congress amended the holiday to honor all American veterans, renaming it Veterans Day. Since then, the holiday has been a day to celebrate and thank veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and dedication to serving.
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The Kingsland Municipal Utility District is in the final stages of designing and funding a much-needed new septic-processing facility at a cost of $14.8 million.
KMUD’s current plant, which is 20 years old, processes 10,000 gallons of sewage from customers a day, Monday through Friday. The new facility would be able to handle 15,000 to 20,000 gallons a day, up to seven days a week, due to increased storage capacity, according to KMUD General Manager J. Horry.
“The treatment capacity may not sound like that big of an increase, but we will be able to process more at a steady rate,” he said.
KMUD processes wastewater and takes in septic for Kingsland-area residents. The two operations are separate from each other.
The new septic-processing facility, which would be built next to the old plant at 241 Williamette on the outskirts of Kingsland, could be online by late 2026 or early 2027. A construction bid is expected to go out early next year.
The project will be paid for with a $14.8 million tax bond that should not directly impact rates for residents within KMUD, Horry said.
“The only increase will be in the cost of dumping the septic for the haulers, which may be funneled down to customers,” he told DailyTrib.com. “Otherwise, the residents will see no cost changes (to their rates).”
Currently, septic-waste haulers can drop off cargo for $8.25 per 100 gallons at the Williamette station. KMUD also has its own waste-hauling service for district residents at a cost of $24 per 100 gallons.
According to Horry, septic haulers are typically lined up around the corner when the current processing facility opens its doors, and storage capacity is reached by 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., leaving some tankers with no choice but to hold onto their load until later or travel as far as Austin to dispose of it.
“Currently, there are very few options for septic haulers (in the Highland Lakes) to dump their septic,” he said.
KMUD is about 95 percent of the way through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s permitting process to get the project going and 75 percent through the engineering phase.
The $14.8 million price tag is significantly higher than original estimates of $10 million to $12 million.
“(The cost jump) is just a fact of doing business. Everything is more expensive right now,” Horry said.
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The Tow Volunteer Fire Department in Llano County can soon deploy a shallow-water rescue boat on Lake Buchanan, funded in part by a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority. Matched with $17,000 from the VFD, the boat will enable faster responses to water emergencies, a critical capability given the heavy recreational use of the lake.
“We can’t do anything on the water without a boat,” said Tim Hackney, president and assistant fire chief of Tow VFD, in a recent media release. “We’ve previously relied on mutual aid for emergencies on the lake, and the closest department is about 15 minutes away. So by the time they’re able to get to us, there is a significant amount of time lost in situations where every second counts. ”
The boat will serve Tow and nearby communities, including Buchanan Lake Village, Paradise Point, and Shaw Island, where lake activity spikes an estimated 90 percent on weekends and holidays.
“Having this rescue boat stationed on Lake Buchanan is a game changer,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said in the media release.
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