Three incumbents and one new face will be seated on the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees on May 20, according to the unofficial results of the May 4 election.
Four places were on the ballot. Place 5 was the only contested race with board-appointed incumbent Trustee Katy Duke defeating challenger Amber Cardenas with 54.80 percent of the vote.
The Place 6 seat was open but unopposed. Newcomer David Bennett will replace Robby Robertson, who retired after 18 years on the board.
Incumbents Angela Moore (Place 2) and Ross Behrens (Place 4) also ran unopposed.
Election results are unofficial until votes are canvassed on or before May 15. Moore, Behrens, Duke, and Bennett will all take an oath of office on May 20.
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Voters went to the polls on Election Day, Saturday, May 4, to decide on city, school, and utility board races in Burnet and Llano counties. DailyTrib.com will have full stories on the following results in the coming days.
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The money will help fund the restoration of the museum’s upper level to eventually open up more space for exhibits and programs on Marble Falls history.
“This project is not just about maintaining the building’s physical structure, but also about revitalizing it as a dynamic center of learning and historical exploration,” museum Chair Amanda Seim stated in her grant application to the EDC.
Specifically, the grant will pay for window replacements on the second floor. Museum officials can then focus on refurbishing ground-level windows and improving the interior stairs.
“The museum needs to expand and develop so it can meet the needs of our growing and diversifying population,” Seim said.
That includes learners of all ages.
“School groups will be able to visit the museum and participate in hands-on learning activities, enhancing their understanding of local history and culture,” Seim said. “The museum will also offer educational programs for adults, providing lifelong learning opportunities for community members.”
The museum received $250,000 in March from the Marble Falls Independent School District, who owns the property, to help pay for structural improvements. The Falls on the Colorado building was built in 1891 and was the Marble Falls schoolhouse from 1908 to 1987. It then housed the MFISD administration office until 2004.
The museum has been a place for learning about local history since 2010.
“I think it’s a really important building,” said EDC Director Lindsay Plante. “I love that The Falls on the Colorado Museum is there. It seems like such an appropriate use of that building. I think it would be a real shame to not contribute to making sure that it stays there. It’s a historical building that’s important to the community.”
The EDC board unanimously approved funding for the restoration project at the May 1 meeting. Director Mark Mayfield was absent.
Museum Vice Chair Darlene Oostemeyer reminded directors after the vote that the museum still has over $200,000 to go before it reaches its funding goal of $500,000.
“We are selling windows for $5,000 and putting your name on the windowsill,” she said. “If anyone wants to donate or buy a window for their family or in memory of someone, talk to us, please.”
The Falls on the Colorado Museum is located at 2001 Broadway in Marble Falls. Visit its website for hours, exhibits, events, and ways to donate.
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The Colorado and Llano rivers are rising following heavy rainfall across their watersheds over the past 48 hours starting Wednesday, May 1. Both rivers could deliver badly needed relief to the Highland Lakes reservoirs of Buchanan and Travis.
The Llano River, which feeds into Lake LBJ and eventually Lake Travis, reached a peak flow rate of 1,428 cubic-feet per second at around 6 a.m. Friday morning, as measured by a Lower Colorado River Authority flow gauge in the city of Llano. The river was flowing at a rate of about 74 cfs at the same time on Thursday.
The Colorado River, which feeds the entire Highland Lakes chain of lakes from Buchanan to Travis, reached a peak flow rate of 1,255 cfs at around 8 a.m. Friday morning, according to an LCRA flow gauge near Bend. The river was flowing at about 150 cfs at the same time on Thursday.
Some areas in Burnet and Llano counties saw significant rainfall this week, according to LCRA rain gauges. Between 10 a.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Friday, Burnet received about 1.54 inches of rain, Kingsland about 1.07 inches, and remote portions of southwest Llano County about 1.8 inches. Marble Falls only got 0.33 inch of rain in the same time period.
While Highland Lakes counties had decent rainfall, the real gains for the rivers came from far heavier precipitation in counties farther north and west that hold countless creeks and draws that feed into the Colorado and Llano river basins.
At least 14 LCRA rain gauges in the Colorado River Basin north of Lake Buchanan in San Saba and Lampasas counties measured over 2 inches of rain in the same 48-hour period. Gauges measured 2.9 inches on McAnelly Creek, 2.68 inches on Kemp Creek, and 2.9 inches near the San Saba River west of the city of San Saba.
Several LCRA rain gauges across Mason, Kimble, and Gillespie counties measured over an inch of rainfall in the same period. A few standout gauges showed significant precipitation, like the Salt Creek gauge in southern Mason County with 3.59 inches and the Sheep Run Creek gauge with 2.94 inches.
The Colorado River’s increased flow could boost the levels of Lake Buchanan, which is currently 48 percent full. The lake sits at 995.59 feet above mean sea level, which is significantly lower than its historical April average of 1,012.77 msl. When full, the lake is at approximately 1,020 msl. The lowest it was ever recorded was 983.7 msl in September 1952.
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Finding Hope Wellness Center is offering free mental health assistance to Highland Lakes residents of all ages. Its grand opening is at noon May 5 on the Lake Travis United Methodist campus, 1502 RR 620 in Lakeway.
“We are a bridge to hope and healing for those in need in our community and the surrounding area,” said co-founder Danielle Lair in a media release. “Finding Hope Wellness Center was created to address the three barriers to care—availability, affordability, and accessibility.”
The center is a ministry through Lake Travis UMC.
“People are more likely to seek mental health resources from a spiritual outlet,” Lair said. “We need faith-based organizations with trained staff and laity who know how to help.”
Finding Hope will help patients navigate the mental health system by connecting them with licensed professionals. It will also offer educational opportunities such as support groups, trauma-informed care, faith-based training, and mental health readiness training for faith communities.
“Through training and education, we equip people with the skills they need to access resources,” Lair said. ”
The site’s grand opening is during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. It also follows a 2024 report from Forbes that calls Texas the “worst state for mental health care” in the United States because of its large population of uninsured residents with mental illnesses.
“The services are much needed in our community and will help address the challenging issues facing our youth and families,” Lakeway Mayor Thomas Kilgore said in the media release. “I applaud the church for taking this step.”
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discussion and action regarding an escrow and improvement agreement with Elison Roper Land Corp. for the design and construction of a 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tank to serve the Roper Ranch development
discussion and action on an economic development agreement between the city, the Marble Falls EDC, and Flatrock Development Group partners for a $130 million retail shopping center
discussion and action to adopt the 2024 Comprehensive Plan
discussion on utility bill formatting
report from the city manager on April 9 hail damage
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Meeting agendas by government bodies, boards, and commissions are legally required to inform the public of all planned discussions per the Open Meetings Act, which regulates government bodies.
“The notice must be sufficient to apprise the general public of the subjects to be considered during the meeting,” according to the Open Meetings Handbook, an annual guide produced by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.
Below is a review of the items included on the April 30 agenda:
1. Call to order
2. Approval of the minutes of the February 27, 2024, meeting
3. Downtown Economic Update
4. Discussion regarding TIRZ Financing Plan
5. Discussion and Possible Action on Future Projects
6. Announcements and future agenda items
7. Adjournment
TIRZ Chair Kyle Stripling led the charge during the Tuesday meeting to hold a vote on the $2 million bond to be recommended to the Marble Falls City Council.
“I think we need to take action on (the bond) today,” he said. “Was that part of the agenda or no?”
City Finance Director Jeff Lazenby advised Stripling that the proposed bond was part of the April 30 agenda.
“Yes, that would be ideal, because we are having our conversation with our financial advisor this Thursday (May 2),” Lazenby said. “If I can give him a number, they can start running analysis.”
Stripling replied with a request for a motion.
“I’d entertain a motion on the financing plan to adopt a $2 million bond issuance within our primary planning process,” he said.
The motion was then made by board member Joe Don Dockery, who is also Burnet County commissioner for Precinct 4, and seconded by board member Kaitlynn Williams.
Members noted that the board may consider recommending another $2 million bond in the future.
“I don’t know if it is all that important whether we put it one year out or two years out, but I definitely want to indicate that the TIRZ is thinking of $4 million in projects as opposed to $2 (million),” Stripling said.
Money from the proposed $2 million bond will fund various projects to increase pedestrian safety and walkability in downtown Marble Falls, where the TIRZ board has jurisdiction.
The ranking will occur behind closed doors during a subcommittee meeting.
“I want the project subcommittee to define rank,” Stripling said. “Once we have that definition, I’d like us to assign the projects to the $2 million.”
City Manager Mike Hodge, Deputy City Manager Caleb Kraenzel, and Assistant City Manager Russell Sander were all absent from the April 30 meeting. TIRZ board members Richard Westerman and Lori Brix were also absent.
DailyTrib.com reached out to the city of Marble Falls about the vague language of the April 30 agenda and to verify whether TIRZ board members had received Open Meetings Act training.
While city officials failed to provide their view on the agenda’s wording by publication deadline, they were able to confirm that all TIRZ board members had received the training.
“Training is historically completed within 90 (days) of their appointment to the Board,” City Secretary Christina McDonald said in an email response to questions from DailyTrib.com. “Training is provided by the Attorney General’s Office online training.”
“New legislation effective January 1, 2006, requires all elected officials to take Open Government training courses, specifically regarding the Open Meetings Act, and the Public Information Act,” the AG website says. “Watching our videos satisfies this requirement, and is done so on the honor system.”
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Most of what’s left of the 150-year-old Conrad Fuchs house in Horseshoe Bay will be torn down, the City Council has decided. The house burned on Feb. 25.
“The structure that’s left is a dangerous structure,” Horseshoe Bay City Manager Jeff Koska told DailyTrib.com in an interview a week after the council’s regular meeting on April 16. “It’s basically crumbling because there are no supports. Every day that it gets wind or rain, it gets worse.”
After an executive session on the issue, the Horseshoe Bay council voted to proceed with issuing a permit to demolish the house with three provisions.
First, owners Jennifer and Paul Raley, who bought the house and 2.67 acres in 2020 for a symbolic $10, must pay for the demolition. The purchase came with deed restrictions, which, at the time, included maintaining the house and grounds and making all but the interior of the home available to the public. The Raleys had planned to live in the house. They are also restricted from subdividing the land or selling the property.
Second, a set of circular stone steps leading to a back door should not be demolished and will remain the property of the city. The plan is to incorporate the stairs into the design of Horseshoe Bay’s proposed new City Hall, Koska said.
Finally, one corner of the house will be maintained in its original configuration “with that corner being selected at the discretion of the Raleys,” reads the approved motion.
When asked by DailyTrib.com about demolition plans, the Raleys said they did not know the city had approved a permit or even passed a motion.
“As of this date (May 2), we have not been notified by the city of their decision,” Jennifer Raley said. “We are unable to speak to what the motion says.”
The couple said they planned from the beginning to pay for any demolition required.
They also could not comment on when they can begin building a new home.
“We haven’t been officially notified by the city as to what we can and cannot do with the property,” Paul Raley said.
Koska said the Raleys will be able to build a new home on the 2.67 acres that came with the house, although that detail was not included in the motion. The couple still will be responsible for the upkeep of the property and allowing public access. What that means in day-to-day practice will have to be decided between the city and the Raleys.
“It was always our intent to have a house there if they couldn’t live in (the Fuchs) house,” Koska said. “The intent is to allow them to build on the property and still maintain part of the structure for the public to access.”
The 1974 Texas Historical Marker, which melted in the fire, would be updated to include the fire and erected in a place accessible for easy public viewing.
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The Kingsland Municipal Utility District hopes to have a new septic processing system online within the next two years. The project is still in the engineering phase, but it will more than double KMUD’s ability to process septic waste, a service in high demand in Kingsland.
“We accept 10,000 gallons (of septic waste) per day, five days a week,” KMUD General Manager J. Horry told DailyTrib.com. “A lot of times, we hit that number early in the day. We’ll have trucks lined up.”
The facility would be located near the site of the current septic processing plant, 241 Willamette Drive on the outskirts of Kingsland. Currently, septic waste haulers can drop off their cargo for $8.25 per 100 gallons at the station. KMUD also has its own waste hauling service for residents within its boundaries for $24 per 100 gallons.
Once the new plant is in place, fees could change, according to Horry, but the goal isn’t to generate a profit.
“KMUD is not getting a huge benefit off of (its septic services), but it will provide the general public a place to get rid of their septic,” he said.
KMUD’s septic processing facility is separate from its wastewater treatment plant. Horry explained that processing septic waste and normal wastewater is similar, but septic can be more “odorous,” so you don’t want it too close to residential or high-traffic areas. The septic facility receives waste by truck from tank pumping services, while the wastewater facility receives waste from KMUD’s plumbing throughout most of Kingsland.
On April 22, the KMUD Board of Directors voted to secure legal counsel from the public finance law firm McCall, Parkhurst & Horton to help generate a bond to fund the proposed septic processing plant. According to Horry, the bond is expected to run approximately $10 million to $12 million, but it won’t be finalized until engineering plans are complete. The district has ample fund reserves, but a low-interest bond would be more manageable than paying for the whole facility outright, he said.
Horry expects the board will meet again within the next three months to discuss the bond.
The engineering phase is about 70 percent complete; the overall project about 25-30 percent complete. Horry estimates it will be up and running in two years.
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