Burnet County employees are being encouraged to break a sweat for savings on swelling health insurance rates. The Commissioners Court approved a new policy that will reimburse employees up to $40 a month on gym memberships in the hopes a healthier staff leads to a healthier budget.
The county has seen a 7.5 percent rise in insurance costs this fiscal year. Of that, 4.5 percent is from a statewide increase by the Texas Association of Counties Health and Employee Benefits Pool, but the other 3 percent is from the high number of health insurance claims from county employees.
“If everybody got well and didn’t file as many claims, our costs would be reduced,” Burnet County Human Resources Director Shirley Bullard told DailyTrib.com. “I don’t think anybody actually realizes how much we spend on insurance.”
Burnet County has about 345 full-time employees. At its current coverage rate, the county pays $1,000 per month per employee.
“We’re working budgets now, and (the health insurance costs) affect everything; they affect all other departments,” Bullard said.
The Commissioners Court decided to adopt the gym reimbursement policy as well as a new county wellness policy on May 28 after a presentation from Texas Association of Counties Senior Wellness Consultant Ashley Whitfield.
“We’re using (the wellness policy) as risk reduction and a long-term strategy so that we’re able to reduce claims costs, which is going to then impact your year-over-year as well,” Whitfield said.
With the court’s approval, all Burnet County employees will be eligible to receive up to $40 in monthly reimbursement on a gym membership if they use the gym at least nine times a month.
Commissioners joked it could be difficult to prove employees are actually going to the gym, but the HR department’s Shelly Denton said she has coordinated with local fitness centers and determined attendance could be tracked effectively.
“I think we have a great work culture,” Denton said. “We’re just trying to encourage the employees to think with a healthy mindset.”
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission is imposing its first-ever regulations on mountain lion hunting in the state. The new rules, unanimously approved on May 23, ban canned hunts and place a time restriction on live cats in traps.
Mountain lions are still considered a non-game species, meaning they can be hunted, trapped, and killed year-round with little regulation on means or methods.
Prior to the May 23 vote, Texas was the only state of the 16 in the country with breeding mountain lion populations that had no regulations for trapping and hunting the animals.
Texas residents were asked to give their opinions on new rules during a public comment period that lasted until May 22. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department received 7,531 public comments with 91 percent in favor of regulations, according to Texans for Mountain Lions, a nonprofit coalition founded to improve the status and conservation of the state’s largest cat.
“It was inspiring to see ranchers, trappers, hunters, hippies, outfitters, biologists, and wildlife advocates from across the state all converge to support more respectful management of our cats,” Texans for Mountain Lions member and wildlife filmmaker Ben Masters said in a media release. “We are grateful for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s leadership on this issue and for the thousands of people who chimed in supporting these changes.”
The term “canned hunt” refers to the practice of trapping an animal and later releasing it for an easier, almost guaranteed kill. The new trap limit would make it illegal to keep a live mountain lion trapped or snared for longer than 36 hours.
Although the Highland Lakes area is not known for its mountain lion population, sporadic sightings have been reported in the past. No encounters have been confirmed.
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The Burnet County Commissioners Court created a certified broadband planning committee on Tuesday, May 28, in the hopes of gaining access to state resources that could get the county up to speed on its internet needs.
Informal citizen’s group Connected Burnet County has led the charge for bringing broadband connectivity to the area since 2022, but a more formal organization was required to be eligible for state resources such as expert consulting services.
“I would like to thank all the commissioners for all the support that they have given me in the last two years to help get this initiative off the ground,” said Connected Burnet County founder Herb Krasner at the meeting.
Krasner will serve on the committee alongside another Burnet County resident, Patricia Cope, and commissioners Joe Don Dockery and Damon Beierle. The committee may have up to 12 members, and more could be added over time.
“What this program allows is for us to tap into a whole set of state resources that will provide us with consulting services and other services to help us get a good solid plan in place and start executing on that plan,” he said.
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The Granite Shoals City Council has decided to create an informal working group to bring the city’s property maintenance ordinance up to date. The council’s recent attempts to amend the rules were met with public criticism due to the “subjective” nature of the proposed changes.
Granite Shoals’ property maintenance ordinance outlines the standards of how homes should be maintained. It covers things such as the allowable height of weeds and grass on lawns, the storage of defunct vehicles and equipment on properties, and more.
Former Place 6 Councilor Phil Ort brought up property maintenance amendments during his final full City Council meeting April 23. He asked that the ordinance be discussed at the next meeting to address the need for residents to cut their grass all the way to the street.
In the following meeting on May 14, the council tabled the matter after listening to public comments against “subjective” changes concerning property aesthetics that were included in the agenda packet.
“The word ‘aesthetics,’ I think, is subjective and cannot have healthy enforcement,” said resident Robin Deberard during that meeting.
At the most recent meeting on Tuesday, May 28, the council decided to form the group to dive deeper into the matter.
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” Mayor Ron Munos said. “We’ve gotten quite a bit of citizen input, and with council’s indulgence, I’d like to suggest that we form a working group.”
The council unanimously approved Munos’ proposal. City Attorney Joshua Katz was directed to create parameters for the group’s functions and organization, which will likely be proposed at the council’s next meeting on June 11.
The group would consist of no more than three city councilors, city staff, and an as-yet-unknown number of interested residents who will review the property maintenance ordinance line by line and make recommendations to the council on how it could be adjusted. The group will not have the power to implement changes.
Munos explained that the group would be able to meet informally at any time and any place and discuss its work more loosely than a city committee constrained by the rules of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
“I think (the working group) might be a way to get a better ordinance that people can live with and might be more enforceable,” he said.
Place 4 Councilor Steve Hougen made a public address prior to the council’s vote, asking for cooperation between the city’s factions.
“We are a three-part team,” he said. “We have the City Council; we have the city administration and the citizens. We should not be fighting with each other. Let’s form a group, hold hands, and come up with something that everybody would be pleased with.”
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Llano County rancher Joe Freeman was elected to serve as a member of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board on May 7. The board administers soil and water conservation laws in Texas with the aim of protecting natural resources for future generations.
“I am honored to be elected to serve on the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board to continue the admirable work of the agency and its mission to encourage the wise and productive use of natural resources across the state,” said Freeman in a media release.
Freeman was elected by directors who represent 43 different local soil and water conservation districts in the state board’s Area 2. It consists of 50 counties, including every county between Llano in the east and El Paso in the west.
He is one of six directors responsible for setting policy and distributing support to soil and water conservation districts across the state. He has served on the Llano County Conservation District board for 15 years and will continue to serve locally while on the state board.
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board members and local district directors must be actively involved in agriculture. Directors are elected by ranchers and farmers in their home districts. They then vote for state board members in their areas.
Freeman is a fifth-generation rancher with a cow/calf operation in Llano County. He is the founder and president of Cowboy Christmas for Kids in Llano and a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. He previously served as president of the Hill Country Livestock Raisers Association, Llano County Farm Bureau, and Llano County A&M Club.
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board is governed by Title 31-Part 17 of the Texas Administrative Code, which outlines how the agency is organized and operates.
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The Granite Shoals City Council unanimously voted to offer the permanent city manager position to Sarah Novo on May 28. The decision was made during Tuesday’s regular meeting following several positive comments from residents regarding Novo’s work as interim city manager and a 90-day performance review by the council in executive session.
“We will hopefully remove the ‘interim’ tag from your nameplate soon,” said Mayor Ron Munos after the vote.
The council instructed Granite Shoals City Attorney Josh Katz to enter into negotiations with Novo and hammer out a contract.
Novo told DailyTrib.com she is optimistic about her future in Granite Shoals.
“I’ve been very impressed with the city,” she said. “I’m excited about continuing to move forward, and I think the city is on a great track. We’ve got a lot of people pulling together in the same direction for the betterment of this community, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Novo was hired as interim city manager in February following the resignation Peggy Smith. Mayor Munos said she quickly and expertly took on the role, pointing to her communication skills, rapid accomplishment of goals, and the praise she has earned from residents in her short time with the city.
“We had established some criteria when we hired her that we wanted to accomplish in 90 days, and she basically accomplished all of it within the first 63 days,” he said.
One of Novo’s major accomplishments has been hiring city staff, an issue for Granite Shoals in recent years. She filled out the roster in the Streets and Parks Department and brought aboard a city finance director and building inspector. Granite Shoals has been without the latter two since 2022.
Three residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting prior to the performance review to express their support for Novo.
“I want you all to know how diligent, hardworking, knowledgeable, and diplomatic I have found Sarah Novo,” Robin Deberard said. “I am just one citizen with one opinion, but I felt it important to share as you go into her evaluation.”
Pat Bradshaw and Robin Ruff echoed that sentiment.
“I agree with (Deberard’s) comments about Sarah,” Bradshaw said. “She seems to be an asset. So when y’all go into executive session, if our voices matter, put mine in her column.”
“Go, Sarah,” said Ruff, following Bradshaw. “Be good to her tonight. She has done a great job, and she is a breath of fresh air for the city.”
Munos took note of the accolades.
“We’ve never had that (kind of support for a city manager) before,” he said. “Usually, people are wanting us to fire the city manager, and now they’re coming in singing her praises.”
Place 5 Councilor Michael Berg told DailyTrib.com that Novo’s communication with the council, city staff, and residents was “number one” for him.
“The city has needed this,” he said. “I’m excited to come to meetings again.”
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Burnet County might have to redraw its voting precincts in 2025 as population shifts are pushing some out of the state-mandated range of registered voters. The Commissioners Court plans to seek expert advice before changes become necessary.
“My recommendation to the court would be that next year (2025), in March, we begin looking at the precincts because we are already pushing it,” said Burnet County First Assistant Attorney Colleen Davis during a presentation to commissioners on Tuesday, May 28.
Davis was referring to a handful of voting precincts in Burnet County that are growing faster than the others, which could have disproportionate impacts on elections and constituent representation.
All of the county’s precincts are currently in compliance with the code, but some are approaching the limits.
Precinct 19 has the highest population in the county with 4,150 registered class A voters and 417 class S voters, which do not count toward the total. Class A voters are active, while S signifies a registered voter who does not consistently live in the precinct or who has moved out of it.
Precinct 19 includes southern Marble Falls, eastern Horseshoe Bay, Cottonwood Shores, most of Meadowlakes, and the area surrounding the U.S. 281-Texas 71 intersection.
In contrast, the lowest-population precinct is Precinct 14, which has 630 registered class A voters and 40 class S voters. It includes a wide swathe of north-central Burnet County surrounding the unincorporated community of Lake Victor.
These population differences can mean significant challenges for some elected officials, such as party precinct chairs, who must reside within their precinct. A precinct chair in District 14 would only have to win the majority of 677 voters in an election as opposed to a District 19 candidate, who would have to win the majority of 4,567 voters.
Further complicating matters is that voting precincts must be completely within the four precincts that elect county commissioners, justices of the peace, and constables. Redrawing voting precincts can change the area that each of those elected officials serves.
Redrawing these precincts is extremely complicated,” said First Assistant Attorney Davis. “You do want them to be fairly even, but you also don’t want the power of voters to be centralized in one area.”
The Burnet County Commissioners Court took no action on redrawing voting precincts during its Tuesday meeting but plans to bring in an outside expert in January before a March review of the precincts.
“(Changing voting precincts) is not something that can be done quickly or easily,” Davis said. “We are going to need some experts to guide us on how to do that.”
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.
Bienvenidos Insurance held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in Granite Shoals on Friday, May 24. The multilingual agency is located at 906 Phillips Ranch Road.
“I’ve just loved getting to know the community and the people and teaching them about insurance and what is available to them, especially the Hispanic community,” owner Nancy Ramirez told DailyTrib.com at the ribbon-cutting.
Bienvenidos offers auto, commercial, and home policies.
The Granite Shoals office is open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. This is the second location for the new agency, which opened its first office in Marble Falls in August.
Granite Shoals Mayor Ron Munos, Councilor Brian Edwards, interim City Manager Sarah Novo, and Fire Chief Tim Campbell attended the grand opening and welcomed Ramirez to the city.
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