The Burnet Police Department recently completed Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training to prepare officers for active shooter incidents. The training teaches officers how to neutralize a threat swiftly and effectively.

ALERRT, which took place on Aug.10-11 and Aug. 17-18, was hosted by BPD and included the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, the Bertram Police Department, and non-commissioned officers and retirees. 

In response to school shootings across the nation, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement made the training a requirement for all officers to undergo every two years.

This was not the first rapid response training that BPD officers have received.

“ALERRT has made training available to law enforcement for many years … and we recognized the need to be prepared to respond prior to the mandate,” Burnet Police Chief Brian Lee said. “Unfortunately, there have been several incidents of active shooters throughout our country.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, just a few weeks after the training, a 14-year-old student shot and killed four people and injured nine at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

The ALERRT sessions incorporate the use of simunitions, a type of non-lethal training ammunition that allows officers to engage in realistic, high-stress scenarios.

“Stress inoculation is one reason they are used,” he said. “These are high-stress situations, and anything we can do to train and understand what we may experience in real life prepares us for a better response.”

In addition, BPD has taken steps to train its own instructors, reducing the need for external resources. The department’s decision to develop instructors cuts the cost of training and makes it more readily available, Lee said.

“The training program is of the utmost importance to our agency and the community,” Lee said. “The readiness in the county is something we all take seriously and will continue to train at a level that will enable us to respond appropriately to any incident.”

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

Marble Falls financial advisor Mitch Rivers was recently named to the 2024 Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State list for Texas, ranking at No. 34.

Rivers has been with Edward Jones investment since 2007 and became a limited partner in 2015.

“I love the work I do and the people I work with,” he said in a recent media release about the list. “To be recognized by Forbes is an incredible honor and motivates me to continue helping people achieve their financial goals.”

The Forbes list recognizes financial advisors under 40 years old who have at least four years of industry experience. The ranking, conducted by SHOOK Research, considers factors such as revenue trends, assets under management, experience, and client retention.

Edward Jones is a financial advising company that serves over 8 million clients across North America and manages $2.1 trillion in assets. Rivers serves Marble Falls and surrounding areas.

For more information about Rivers and his work, visit the Edward Jones website.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

After weeks of consideration, the Marble Falls City Council on Sept. 3 voted to grant partial relief on millions of dollars in impact fees at the request of the developers of the Thunder Rock subdivision near the intersection of U.S. 281 and Texas 71.

Under the deal approved by the city, Thunder Rock will receive about $1.3 million in fee relief out of the $3.4 million initially requested during an Aug. 6 meeting of the council. In exchange, Thunder Rock developers committed to installing roughly $2 million in water infrastructure for homes in the Rocky Road area on the city’s south side at a later date.

“I think it is more than a fair deal,” Mayor Dave Rhodes told DailyTrib.com after the council’s decision. “They get what they need out of it, and we get what we need.”

Thunder Rock’s request for relief is rooted in the city’s decision to double “impact fees” after May 1, 2024. Impact fees are a one-time payment to the city to connect a property to municipal utilities, helping cover the long-term costs of adding a home to the system. 

Before May 1, the impact fee for a standard single-family home was $6,054. As of May 1, that number increased to $12,108. Thunder Rock missed the deadline for final plat approval for 516 lots across three build phases to fall under the lesser fee, which amounted to about $3.39 million in unbudgeted costs.

“I get it, it’s revenue that the city is forgoing, but we’re so overbudget on that project,” said Rob Romo, vice president of development for Thunder Rock developer Centurion American, during his appeal to the council on Aug. 6. “It’s not like we’re trying to sneak anything in here. We’re in a bind. The city has been a great partner, but we just need some help.”

The city did not immediately respond to Romo’s request but tabled the matter until it was addressed during the council’s Tuesday meeting. 

Instead of the full $3.39 million in relief, the city granted $1.3 million in relief on build phase 2a, which includes 216 homes on lots that have already been sold.

According to Mayor Rhodes, the work Thunder Rock will do on Rocky Road’s water infrastructure is valued at roughly $2 million, which the city would have had to pay at some point anyway. 

The mayor also noted that this would be the last time Marble Falls would grant a request for impact fee relief going forward unless the city is at fault in the appeal.

“We are closing the gate,” he said.

dakota@thepicayune.com

The Marble Falls City Council on Sept. 3 approved an increase in infrastructure payments due for several property owners in the La Ventana neighborhood. Some property owners will have to pay thousands of dollars in unexpected costs by 2033. The money is required to satisfy the terms of a public improvement district formed when the subdivision, located south of the U.S. 281 bridge, was developed in 2005.

The La Ventana Public Improvement District was created to help the original developer recoup the costs of installing public infrastructure, such as streets and wastewater lines. Under the terms of the original La Ventana PID, all residential property owners with a developed lot in the district were obligated to pay $8,250 by 2033 to satisfy their end of the deal.

Many residents were unaware of this obligation or believed they owed far less than what was presented in the 2024 Annual Service Plan Update the city approved. Sellers are legally obligated to inform buyers of PID terms, but this does not always happen.

Property owners with a developed residential lot (one with a house) have been paying around $536 annually toward the PID. Previous payment plans show the same amount due each year until 2033. 

The new 2024 plan adds a balloon payment of several thousand dollars that is due by the end of 2033. The balloon payments differ for everyone, but they’re all in the thousands of dollars range.

The city of Marble Falls is legally obligated to administer the terms of the La Ventana PID and ensure that money is effectively collected from residents and passed on to the owner of La Ventana PID LLC. 

“It’s our job to represent y’all the best we can as citizens of Marble Falls,” Councilor Richard Westerman said during the Tuesday meeting. “At the same time, we have a legal obligation to follow legal documents, and if we don’t do that, we put the rest of the citizens at risk.”

According to City Attorney Josh Brockman-Weber, the city has not been collecting the complete amount necessary for the terms of the PID to be satisfied by 2033, so adjustments to residents’ payment plans had to be made.

“Several months ago, it was brought to the city’s attention that some lots were not paying the proper amount for the reimbursement for the public infrastructure improvements,” Brockman-Weber said. “In this case, overall, we think that the ordinance is set up so that every residential lot is to pay the full $8,250 assessment.”

The city chose to move forward on the 2024 PID payment plan despite protests from several La Ventana residents. Council members expressed concerns the city could face legal retaliation from the La Ventana PID LLC owner and set a bad precedent for fulfilling deals with developers.

“It’s important for us to make sure that developers who come in here, they realize that we’re dealing with them straight up,” Mayor Dave Rhodes said. “Revenue is our life’s blood, and if we’re going to continue to grow, we need infrastructure. And for the vast majority of our infrastructure, developers pay for our infrastructure.”

The Marble Falls council approved the 2024 PID payment plan in a 5-1 vote, with Councilor Karlee Cauble voting against it. Councilor Bryan Walker was absent from the meeting.

“We have obligations on both sides,” Cauble said of her vote. “I was torn.”

During public comment, La Ventana property owner Randy Kruger said the PID was “badly done” and the city should stick to the 2022 assessment sans balloon payments.

Another property owner, Rhonda Brown, said the situation seemed unfair.

“We had no idea what a PID was (when we moved here),” she told the council. “I don’t think it is fair that you can help the investor get more money by ruling in their favor.”

Property owner Mark Bohlmann told the council how the PID balloon payment would affect him. It would increase his overall payment from $3,632.94 to $8,182.33.

“This is a hard pill to swallow,” he said.

dakota@thepicayune.com

It wasn’t lost, but now it’s found. Or, maybe it was lost. Either way, it’s been found. The Texas Historical Commission recently discovered historical marker No. 9714 behind a bookcase in its Austin offices. The marker tells the story of the Conrad Fuchs House, a 150-year-old, two-story rock house in Horseshoe Bay that burned in February with an identical marker inside. 

“It is not our policy to do duplicate markers,” THC Historical Marker Program historian Alicia Costello told DailyTrib.com. “But we’ve found there’s an exception to every rule.” 

The mysterious second marker turned up during a remodel of the THC offices. Costello contacted Burnet County Historical Commission Chairman Rachel Bryson to let her know they had it. 

“The Fuchs House marker is one of the first markers approved when the commission became the commission,” Bryson said during BCHC’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3. 

Established in 1953, the Texas State Historical Survey Committee changed its name to the Texas Historical Commission in 1973, the same year brothers Norman and Wayne Herd applied for the Fuchs House marker. The marker is dated 1974. 

Also dated 1974 is a marker granted for O’Henry Hall, 601 Colorado St. in Austin. The connection is that both of these markers have a duplicate, Costello said. They are two of three markers that were duplicated as samples.

“It appears this marker was created as a sample marker to take to trade shows and various other events to promote markers,” Costello said. “We’re not quite sure which is the original and which is the replica.” 

The marker found behind the bookcase has four holes in it, indicating it was attached to something, while the marker that burned with the house did not have any holes. That marker was in a closet when the house caught fire on Feb. 25, said Jennifer Raley, who owns the historic home with husband Paul. 

According to Jim Jorden, who wrote “A History of the Conrad L. Fuchs Family and the Fuchs House” published in 2020, the historical marker was kept in the house for fear it would be stolen. It was only brought out for events. 

A website for The Historical Marker Database has had the Fuchs House marker listed as missing for years. The database is kept up by a volunteer group that self-reports markers online. The group was founded in 2006 by J.J. Prats, who asked DailyTrib.com to please let him know when the marker is once again on display. 

“I’m one of those people who has to stop at every marker when I’m traveling,” he said, adding that the markers on his database are carefully vetted. “Not every sign is a historical marker.” 

The HMD websit lists 20,000 markers from across the United States. 

“Without these permanent markers, history would be lost,” Prats said. 

Just like the Conrad Fuchs marker was lost—until it wasn’t. 

“The good news is, it’s coming back to Burnet County,” Bryson told the Burnet County Historical Commission. 

Plans are underway to loan the marker to The Falls on the Colorado Museum in Marble Falls for a future Fuchs exhibit. The museum also has a millstone, a well cover, and portraits of Anna and Conrad Fuchs, who built their house in 1880. If the museum were to ever close or remove its Fuchs exhibit, the marker would go back to the Texas Historical Commission.

“The markers do not belong to anyone but the State of Texas,” said Bryson of the Burnet County commission. “THC has complete control of all historical markers.” 

This one will be preserved for history, even though it was missing (maybe), then burned, and now has turned up (again). 

suzanne@thepicayune.com

Two state lawmakers representing Burnet County have asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a public meeting on a proposed rock-crushing plant that would be built just outside of Burnet.

State Sen. Pete Flores (R-District 24) and state Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-District 19) made the request in a joint letter to the TCEQ regarding Asphalt Inc. LLC’s plan to build the permanent operation at 3221 FM 3509 in Hoover’s Valley. The site is west of U.S. 281 between Longhorn Cavern State Park and the city of Burnet’s Delaware Springs Golf Course.

Asphalt Inc. has applied for an air quality standard permit from the TCEQ.

The lawmakers requested a public meeting be held in Burnet County so residents could easily attend.

Locals concerned about another rock-crushing plant in the county held their own meeting on Sept. 1. About 200 people attended the event, which was organized by the group Save Burnet. It plans to hold another community meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Hill Country Fellowship Church, 200 Houston Clinton Drive in Burnet. 

In their Sept. 3 letter to the TCEQ, Flores and Troxclair said residents need an opportunity to voice their concerns and learn more about the project. 

The TCEQ has received 265 public comments so far on the proposed plant since its permit application was published on Aug. 20. The project has already completed the state commission’s technical review, raising the urgency for public input, said Fores and Troxclair.

Residents have 30 days (until Sept. 19) from the notice publication date to submit their written comments. Comments may be mailed to TCEQ’s Office of the Chief Clerk at MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087; or submitted electronically by entering the application’s registration No. 176835 on the TCEQ website.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

The Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance is requesting changes to Burnet County’s mass gathering permit in the wake of April’s weeklong Texas Eclipse festival at Reveille Peak Ranch, which reportedly kept nearby residents up all night.

The alliance sent officials an open letter on Aug. 26 asking that the permit for large events require “reasonable hours of operation” for amplified sound and decibel readings for compliance—and that both of those are enforced.

The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the mass gathering permit system and already in the process of amending it.

“We are definitely looking at altering (the mass gathering permit),” BCSO Chief Deputy Alan Trevino told DailyTrib.com. “One of the things we’re considering is putting a timeframe on when music can be played, depending on the day of the week. We’re also looking at different options for decibel and bass levels.”

A mass gathering permit is a county document required by Chapter 751 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. One is required when an event is expected to attract over 2,500 attendees. The Texas Eclipse festival brought in an estimated 30,000 people.

Burnet County’s current mass gathering permit does address noise, mandating it never exceed 70 decibels on the “A” sound scale at the perimeter of the permitted event, a standard set by the American National Standards Institute.

According to Trevino, the festival was likely the largest gathering the county has ever seen. 

Burnet County Judge James Oakley also acknowledged the festival’s scale in an interview with DailyTrib.com and said it was a “learning experience.”

“We’ll be better prepared for any future permits,” he added.

The county is not currently processing any mass gathering permit applications, according to Oakley and Trevino.

Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance President Wayne Shipley told DailyTrib.com he could hear the music from the eclipse festival at his home on the west side of Lake Buchanan. The event took place at Reveille Peak Ranch, a large outdoor recreation facility on the east side of Lake Buchanan at 105 Burnet County Road 114.

According to the alliance’s open letter, which was signed by Shipley, residents surrounding Reveille Peak Ranch were inundated with loud music at all hours of the night throughout the festival’s duration. 

“Several of our members reached out to us and wanted to know if we could do anything about it,” Shipley told DailyTrib.com. 

The major requests in the alliance’s letter are:

• the inclusion of reasonable hours of operation for when amplified sound is allowed to begin and when it is required to end;
• that decibel readings are taken at the property line where the event is taking place in order to check for compliance;
• and that compliance with the mass gathering permit is strictly enforced. 

The Lake Buchanan Communities Alliance is a coalition of neighborhoods surrounding Lake Buchanan in Burnet and Llano counties that was formed to represent the mutual interests of its members. To learn more about the group, email info@lb-ca.org.

dakota@thepicayune.com

Residents gathered at the Burnet Community Center on Sunday, Sept. 1, to protest a proposed permanent rock-crushing facility to be built just outside of the city limits. Asphalt Inc. LLC has applied for an air quality standard permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an operation at 3221 FM 3509.

The facility would break down large rocks and concrete for use in construction materials. Some residents are worried about its impact on the environment and community. According to SaveBurnet.com, which organized the meeting, concerns include air and water pollution, noise pollution, and increased traffic from heavy trucks carrying gravel on the farm-to-market road. 

“People like to think, ‘It’s over there. Who cares,’” said Fermin Ortiz, a founding member of Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining and a speaker at Sunday’s meeting. “But we need to stop industrialization of the Hill Country. it’s our Texas Hill Country, all of ours, and we have a responsibility to protect it. And that’s why we should be engaged and involved.”

The TCEQ is reviewing Asphalt Inc.’s permit application. The state commission will consider public input before making a final decision. Residents have 30 days from the notice publication date of Aug. 20 to submit written comments. Comments may be mailed to the TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087, or submitted electronically through the TCEQ website.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

La Ventana homeowners could be on the hook for thousands of dollars more in 2033 when a $2.18 million bill is due for public infrastructure built when the Marble Falls neighborhood was developed in 2005.

The city is currently caught between the LLC that holds the rights to the yearly payments and the homeowners who are responsible for them, and officials are seeking the best path forward.

Property owners in the neighborhood located south of the U.S. 281 bridge are obligated to pay the combined $2.18 million to the La Ventana Public Improvement District LLC by the end of the contract date in 2033 to satisfy the developer’s initial investment. The developer fronted the money to install streets and utilities under the condition that future homeowners would gradually pay it back. 

The city is responsible for collecting and managing La Ventana PID payments and ensuring the full amount is repaid. The yearly payments are passed on to whomever owns a home in the PID. Sellers are legally required to inform buyers of the payments.

A public hearing on proposed changes to the payments is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at City Hall, 800 Third St. in Marble Falls.

A recent analysis of the La Ventana PID payment plan determined the full $2.18 million would not be paid back by the end of the contract. To remedy this, the city and its contracted public improvement district administrator, P3 Works, proposed adding large, one-time payments at the end of the terms of the contract in 2033.

In total, property owners currently owe $229,312.25 to La Ventana PID LLC. Some owe as little as $35, others as high as $24,957.52, depending on the size and purpose of their property. These amounts are to be paid back in installments leading up to 2033.

Many homeowners saw large “balloon payments” tagged on to the end of their terms after making consistent payments at much lower rates for years. These balloon payments can be several thousand dollars, depending on the circumstances of each property owner.

The Marble Falls City Council held a previous public hearing on the annual PID payments on Aug. 20 but delayed a decision due to concerns of residents who felt blindsided by the proposed changes.

La Ventana homeowner Randy Kruger explained to DailyTrib.com that he was only notified about major changes to his PID payment six days before the hearing. His annual payment had been $536.67 for years, but the council added a $11,032 payment for 2033 into the proposed plan.

“I didn’t have much time to figure out what was going on,” Kruger said. 

He’s not the only one dealing with a balloon payment. Many property owners are facing swollen payments in 2033, including:

• The owner of Parcel 82660 will go from an annual payment of $571.67 to $6,381.39 in 2033.
• Lot Class A-2026 CO’s annual payment of $536.67 balloons to $7,492.43 in 2033.
• The owner of Parcel 70703 has paid an annual installment of $536.67 but will face a $6,819.03 payment in 2033.

According to Marble Falls Deputy City Manager Caleb Kraenzel, the city is legally obligated to satisfy the terms of the 2005 La Ventana PID contract and ensure the full $2.18 million is paid back. He said that without these proposed balloon payments, that can’t happen and it could open up the city to legal consequences.

“The City understands that this situation has a real financial impact on La Ventana owners, especially those that may not have been aware for whatever reason that their property was subject to (PID payments), but the City has worked hard to minimize the financial impacts of these changes to the (payment plan) on owners while still upholding its obligations under the ordinance and the (public improvement district’s) creation documents,” reads a written response to DailyTrib.com from Kraenzel. 

dakota@thepicayune.com