The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is hosting two public meetings to get community input on the development of Post Oak Ridge State Park, a new state park that will hug the borders of Burnet and Lampasas counties along the Colorado River.
The TPWD will use public input to inform decisions on recreational access, trail design, wildlife and habitat protection, and cultural storytelling.
Public meeting 1: June 3, 6-8 p.m. at the Bellmead Civic Center, 3900 Parrish Street in Waco
Public meeting 2: June 4, 6-8 p.m. at the Agrilife Extension Auditorium, 607 N. Vandeveer Street in Burnet
If you are unable to attend a meeting in person, an online questionnaire will be made available starting on June 3 for 30 days.
“TPWD invites you to help us plan the development of Post Oak Ridge State Park – a new 3,000-plus-acre park located along the Colorado River in Burnet and Lampasas counties,” reads a park development notice. “On this rugged, ecologically diverse landscape, we will provide outdoor access, protect sensitive habitats, and celebrate the area’s culture and heritage.”
The development plan includes:
Day-use recreation and overnight stays
Trails and scenic areas
Protection of native wildlife and habitats
Cultural and historical interpretation
Park operations and infrastructure design
Visitation levels and road access
Potential economic benefits for nearby communities
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The Marble Falls City Council saw several leadership changes following a Wednesday, May 13, special meeting, including new members, a resignation, and a mayor pro tem appointment.
New councilors Dave Rhodes and Mark Mayfield, along with incumbent Richard Westerman, were sworn in during the meeting. Councilor Craig Magerkurth was reappointed mayor pro tem, a position that fills in for mayoral duties when needed.
Rhodes defeated incumbent councilor Lauren Haltom for Place 3.
Mayfield was elected to Place 1, defeating opponent Rhonda Brown.
Westerman was reelected unopposed for Place 5.
Mayfield, Rhodes, and Westerman have all consistently served the city in various capacities and held council positions for the last several years.
Resignation
Following the meeting, Karlee Hubble announced on Thursday, May 14, that she was resigning from her Place 4 seat, which was not up for reelection this cycle, creating a vacancy on the council. She had served since 2023 and was in the midst of her second term in office.
The council is expected to vote on an appointment to fill the vacant seat in June.
“At this point in my life, my growing family and my full-time career need my full attention,” Hubble said in her resignation announcement. “While this decision was not easy, I know it is the right one for me and my family.”
New, old leaders
Rhodes, Mayfield, and Westerman have all had stints on Marble Falls City Council stretching back to the 1990s.
“I feel I have a calling for this,” Rhodes told DailyTrib. “I can’t say I don’t enjoy (serving on the council), because I do. To me it is an investment in the future of the city.”
Mayfield spent decades running the Texas Housing Foundation before retiring in 2024. Recently, he too has served as a director for the Marble Falls EDC.
“It’s great (being back on the council), I think I’m going to be able to contribute a lot more at this stage of my life now that I’m retired,” Mayfield told DailyTrib.
Westerman has served on the city council on and off since 1991. He helped establish the city’s Industrial Development Corporation, which eventually evolved into the Marble Falls EDC. Most recently, he was elected to his Place 5 council seat in 2024, following up a reelection run for mayor that he lost to Rhodes in 2023.
“I’m absolutely beside myself that the citizens of Marble Falls trust me to represent them,” Westerman told DailyTrib. “We try to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and make sure that everything we do serves the city.”
All three men shared that the completion of the city’s One Water Treatment Plant was a top priority for them, along with effectively managing growth and development.
“This (water treatment) project is probably one of the most important in the next 50 years for Marble Falls,” Westerman said.
Parting words
Haltom ran on a platform emphasizing parental and family representation on the council. She served two terms and lost her bid for a third against Rhodes.
“Families are such a huge part of what makes Marble Falls special, and having leaders who understand the day-to-day realities of raising kids, balancing careers, and investing in the community brings valuable perspective to local government,” Haltom told DailyTrib. “The gents on council now have all led before. Sad to lose a powerful young representative and voice with Karlee leaving as well.”
She also encouraged continued civic involvement among younger residents.
“More than anything, I hope people, especially in my generation, continue stepping up to be involved in our community in whatever capacity they can. Marble Falls is fortunate to have so many people who care deeply about this town, and that’s what will continue to make it thrive,” Haltom said.
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Burnet recognized the efforts of two diligent employees at its last two city council meetings, awarding them with the city’s annual City Manager Award of Excellence and Employee of the Year Award.
Burnet Police Officer Justin Ornelas was named the recipient of the City Manager Award on April 28, and city equipment operator Matt Feild was named the recipient of the Employee of the Year Award on May 12.
City Manager David Vaughn spoke highly of Officer Ornelas’ service to the city, which he has patrolled since 2023. Beginning as a non-certified officer, Ornelas worked his way through the police academy, graduating six months later in October, and later became a K-9 officer alongside his partner, Enzo, in January 2026.
“Every year we give out an award to an employee who has shown an outstanding dedication to serving our community,” Vaughn said at the April 28 meeting. “I think nobody epitomizes that more than Justin. Even though you’re (addressing Ornelas) one of the newer officers to the force, I think you’ve set an incredible example for everybody.”
Officer Justin Ornelas was presented with the City Manager Award of Excellence on April 28, by City Manager David Vaughn. City of Burnet photo
At the May 12 council meeting, Vaughn also touted Feild’s dedication to the city, which he joined in 2023, especially in times of need like the July floods and the brief ice storm in January.
“When you’re sitting with the leaders that run this city, and they say ‘this person is an outstanding employee,’ and they recognize it, it says a lot,” Vaughn said of Feild’s nomination. “Often people think (their work) is going unnoticed, and people are not seeing the effort. They absolutely see it.”
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Four members of the Meadowlakes City Council took their oaths of office on Tuesday, May 12, following a series of uncontested races in the May 2 elections. While there are no new faces on the council, some members switched seats.
The biggest change was a shift in the mayor’s seat. Former Place 5 Councilor Garrett Wood chose to not run for reelection and instead vacated his seat as a councilor to run unopposed for mayor. Former Mayor Mark Bentley chose to not run for reelection, but was then appointed by the new council to take the vacant Place 5 seat left behind by Wood.
Incumbent Place 1 Councilor Mike Shaw ran unopposed and kept his seat along with incumbent Place 3 Councilor Carolyn Richmond.
Three members of Meadowlakes City Council take their oaths of office on Tuesday, May 12. Mayor Garrett Wood (left), Place 3 Councilor Carolyn Richmond, and Place 1 Councilor Mike Shaw. Photo Courtesy of Meadowlakes
Most of the newly-sworn in council members will each serve two-year terms that expire in 2028. Bentley’s term expires in 2027, as he is just finishing out the one year remaining in Wood’s Place 5 term. These are all unpaid volunteer positions, with councilors meeting regularly to set policy, tax rates, budgets, and more for the city.
“Thank you for your trust and confidence,” reads a statement from Mayor Wood addressing the residents of Meadowlakes. “I look forward to serving you as mayor and the great things we are going to accomplish together. Let’s continue to make Meadowlakes one of the best places to live and raise a family in the great state of Texas.”
Place 5 Councilor Mark Bentley had served as mayor since 2020. He led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, fought to keep the property tax rate manageable, and he helped pass a $7.5 million bond for an overhaul to the city’s club facilities. He was also known for his weekly newsletters emailed to residents that shared city business and his own musings on the world.
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A collection of 25 Texas legislators submitted a letter on Monday, May 11, to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, all questioning a controversial state transmission line project looming over the Hill Country. This letter comes on the heels of a May 5 letter submitted by a smaller group of state representatives that have been speaking out against the project for months.
The letter is addressed to the governor-appointed Public Utility Commission of Texas commissioners and their chairman, Thomas Gleeson. The PUCT is in the midst of implementing the Texas 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, which would send hundreds of miles of high-voltage powerlines across the state to West Texas to satisfy a growing demand in power for that region.
“As the Texas Legislature prepares to review issues related to energy generation, storage, and transmission ahead of the 90th Legislative Session, it is prudent to pause further progress on this project,” reads the May 11 letter. “Taking time for a fuller policy review and broader public discussion will help ensure that any long-term decisions are informed by a complete understanding of their potential impacts.”
The primary request of the legislators is for a meeting with PUCT leadership to discuss alternatives to the transmission line project and to possibly delay it until the 90th session begins in January 2027.
The project is in the midst of standard PUCT procedure, with the state agency assessing formal protests and interventions from interested parties before it makes a final decision on how to proceed sometime in September.
The greater 765-kV transmission line project includes three major routes with a combined price tag of $33 billion. One of the primary routes, the Bell County to Big Hill line, would pass directly through Burnet County, bringing large easements, eminent domain purchases, the highest voltage power lines in Texas, and 18-story steel towers every few miles along its route.
The Bell County to Big Hill project is backed by an order from the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023, which passed House Bill 5066.
That bill, among other things, mandated that the state develop a power reliability plan for the Permian Basin region of West Texas that would “extend transmission services to areas where mineral resources have been found,” “address increasing available capacity to meet forecasted load,” and “provide available infrastructure to reduce interconnection times in areas without access to transmission service.”
One of the primary criticisms from the legislators of the PUCT’s plan is that it only provides new transmission, and does not address the need for additional power generation.
“It is our concern that increasing transmission capacity without increasing energy generation falls short of the solutions discussed in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri,” reads the letter. “In fact, it was made abundantly clear that Texas needs more dispatchable energy generation and prioritizing transmission of energy produced by renewables does nothing to address a significant problem in the mix of electrical generation we currently have in our state.”
House District 19 Rep. Troxclair was one of the five legislators signed on to the May 5 letter addressed to the PUCT. She has been voicing her concerns publicly since at least Jan. 16, when she issued a statement announcing her opposition to the transmission line plans.
Troxclair has continually voiced her agreement that Texas needs more power, but that the answer was not the proposed transmission line project.
“The proposed transmission lines would primarily move existing electricity across the state without meaningfully increasing the amount of reliable power available to Texans,” reads an excerpt from a statement she issued on May 12. “Meanwhile, ratepayers will pay billions more to finance that infrastructure without fully solving the real problem: adding energy capacity.”
Background on the Bell County East to Big Hill 765 kV Transmission Line
The Bell County East to Big Hill 765-kV Transmission Project has been on Burnet County’s radar since June 2025. Since then, public opposition and protest has risen and the county has officially taken up opposition to the state project.
The transmission line project’s intention is to bring power to West Texas, but many Burnet County residents believe that it would be at the expense of Hill Country landowners.
The project was mandated by the Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 5066. The bill aimed to increase the reliability of the Texas electric grid, and also specifically targeted bringing power to the Permian Basin region of West Texas.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas took on the task, requesting the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to conduct a study on the power needs of the Permian Basin, resulting in the Permian Basin Reliability Study.
The results of that study showed a massive increase in the projected demand for electricity from that region, mostly to satisfy an estimated addition of 11,695 megawatts to the grid from the non-oil and gas industry. Per ERCOT’s study, this load would be made up of 59 percent cryptocurrency operations, 22 percent “green hydrogen” projects, 13 percent “other” commercial and industrial projects, and 6 percent datacenters. Power would also be used to electrify the petroleum industry in West Texas.
Once ERCOT’s study was completed, the PUCT tasked Oncor Electric Delivery and the Lower Colorado River Authority with devising a plan to deliver more power to the Permian Basin. After months of planning the organizations created a preliminary plan and route for 765 kilovolt powerlines to be run from Central Texas to West Texas. Burnet County was notified of the plans, and the fact that it would likely be included in all possible routes, in May 2025.
The project, to be paid for by the state, has an estimated total cost of $33 billion, and would include three major lines, including the Bell County East to Big Hill project.
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Granite Shoals City Council appointed Place 5 Councilor Michael Berg as the city’s new mayor pro-tem, and swore in two council members on Tuesday, May 12.
Berg succeeds former Mayor Pro Tem Steve Hougen, who termed out of office and officially left the dais on Tuesday night. The mayor pro tem serves in the mayor’s absence and takes over if the mayor leaves the council before their term ends.
“Mr. Berg always does a lot of things behind the scenes,” Mayor Ron Munos said during the meeting, adding that he would do a wonderful job.
Hougen’s Place 4 council seat was filled by newly-elected councilor Mark Henshaw. Henshaw won out against opponent Todd Sifleet in the recent May 2 election.
Place 6 Councilor Catherine Bell and Place 2 Councilor Mike Pfister kept their seats, running unopposed in the May election.
Berg was first appointed to the council in November 2022 following the resignation of Eddie McCoy. He was elected in May 2023 and re-elected in May 2025 for his second term. He serves in Place 5 and is eligible to run for one additional term. His current term runs until May 2027, when he is next up for re-election.
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The Burnet City Council welcomed four new councilors on Tuesday evening, May 12, filling three seats left by exiting councilors and a fourth partial-term seat that has been vacant since December 2025. Councilors also appointed newly-elected member Crista Bromley as mayor pro-tem.
Burnet residents voted from a pool of five candidates on May 2 to appoint Lee Carney, Anthony Francisco, and Sky Hullum to two-year council terms. Crista Bromley, who ran unopposed, was selected to take on the unexpired one-year term.
After the four councilors were sworn in, the new council voted to appoint Bromley as mayor pro-tem, serving as second-in-command to Mayor Gary Wideman in the case he were to become unable to serve. Bromley previously served as mayor, terming out in 2023.
The new city councilors, including Anthony Francisco (left), Sky Hullum, Lee Carney, and Crista Bromley; and Mayor Gary Wideman.
Prior to welcoming the new councilors, Mayor Wideman took a moment to recognize the hard work put in by the three exiting councilors, Philip Thurman, Tommy Gaut, and Cindia Talamantez.
“Thank you so much for the services that you gave, and for your willingness to work and to work hard,“ Mayor Wideman said. “You guys (addressing the new councilors) have some big shoes to fill.”
The three councilors leaving their seats, Philip Thurman (left), Tommy Gaut, and Cindia Talamantez, received commemorative awards from Mayor Wideman and the city for their service.
Ex-Mayor Pro-Tem Thurman also took a brief moment to address the new councilors and share with them the weight of council work.
“To the new guys coming in, you can hear but that doesn’t mean you’re listening, and you can talk but that doesn’t mean you’re communicating,” Thurman said. “When you’re on the dais, that’s your most powerful moment, your most impactful moment. Please use every one of those moments for the city of Burnet and the people that are in it to do what the people want.”
After the changing of the guard, the new councilors jumped right to work, tackling the evening’s agenda.
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The Lower Colorado River Authority has extended the comment period for the public to weigh in on a proposed 289.5-acre quarry expansion from Collier Materials Inc. along CR 120, also known as Fairland Road, just north of Marble Falls.
Members of the public can now submit comments until May 29. The original comment window was only open until May 1.
The quarry expansion is titled “Fairland #3” and under project number 2026-6016.
Submit a comment by mail to LCRA Watershed Management P.O. Box 220, Mail Stop L106, Austin, TX 78767
Submit a comment in person at LCRA Watershed Management 3700 Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin ,TX 78703
Contact the LCRA with questions at 512-578-7500 or by email at hlwo@lcra.org
Background
According to the LCRA, Collier applied for a permit under the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance on Feb. 16, seeking approval to expand its operations by 289.5 acres on Fairland Road, near the Sims Lane intersection. The HLWO regulates stormwater management to protect water quality in the Highland Lakes area.
Collier’s application was declared “administratively complete” on March 12 and it is now under technical review by the LCRA to determine whether or not it meets the requirements of the HLWO. Notices of the application were mailed to surrounding property owners and physical copies of the notice were posted at the site by at least
The HLWO includes, among other things, parameters for managing possible pollutants, erosion control, buffer zones around mining activity, and groundwater quality protection. The LCRA cannot consider factors outside of the scope of the HLWO.
Collier already has a large mining operation that stretches along roughly 1.4 miles of Fairland Road near the proposed expansion site.
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Three more parcels of Thomas Ranch, a 3,500-home Spicewood development, were given final plat approval by the Burnet County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, May 12. The new approvals add 399 lots and 137 acres of platted land to the subdivision.
Thomas Ranch lies on the Burnet County-Travis County line along Texas 71, with 700-800 homes planned for the Burnet County side and the remaining 2,700-2,800 homes falling in Travis County. These recent approvals are just the latest in the development’s plans, which include a host of amenities and projects meant to serve thousands of expected residents.
The approved parcels are all part of a subsection of the greater 2,200-acre Thomas Ranch development, called Thomas Ranch Northwest. According to Thomas Ranch Managing Director Joe Rentfro, construction should begin on these lots by June.
“We’re working to bring the three phases that were platted today to life as soon as possible,” he told DailyTrib.
Rentfro went on to share the overall vision for the Thomas Ranch development, which includes over 500,000 square feet of retail space.
“In what we’re trying to do here, this will be destination retail,” he said. “This will be kind of a regional hub that will catch the traffic emanating out of Travis County and all the way south of the (Colorado River), South of Marble Falls.”
Plans also include at least one school. If a school was brought to the development, it would fall within the Marble Falls Independent School District, but he said that it has not yet been determined whether it would be a public or private institution.
Beyond half-a-million square feet of retail space and a new school, the development could have its own downtown district, miles of hiking trails, a resort, medical centers, a sports complex, and more.
The entire development will get its water from a 1,603 acre-foot firm water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority. One water treatment plant and two wastewater treatment plants will serve the entirety of Thomas Ranch.
The Areté Collective project is described as a luxury, master-planned community with preservation in mind. Along with thousands of homes, it will also have over 40 miles of trails, 2 miles of river frontage, and 1,200 acres of “preserved and improved open space.”
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