Agendas for Highland Lakes governments are posted 72 hours before a meeting so are not always ready by the time this story is published. Check the links for more information.
Monday, Jan. 12
Llano County Commissioners Court
9 a.m. regular meeting
Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Courtroom, 752 Andy Taylor Drive in Llano
discuss and consider action on Burnet Community Coalition
discuss and consider action on the development and/or potential sale of all or portions of the property located at the intersection at Polk and Pierce Street
discuss and consider action on Monthly Financial Report
discuss and consider action regarding City of Burnet July 2025 flood response
discuss and take action on ordering a General Election for May 2, 2026 to elect three City Council members for full terms and one to fill an unexpired term
discuss and take action on electing a firm for survey and environmental services and authorizing the City Manager to negotiate/execute agreements
Granite Shoals City Council
6 p.m. regular meeting
City Hall, 2221 N. Phillips Road in Granite Shoals
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The Burnet community rallied early in the morning of Friday, Jan. 9, in support of local native and University of Texas football legend Jordan Shipley. Dozens of friends, family, and Burnet Bulldogs surrounded Jordan and Sunny Shipley’s coffee shop, Airy Mount, offering prayers for a speedy recovery.
Shipley was hospitalized on Tuesday, Jan. 6 after suffering severe burns in an accident while working on his Burnet County ranch. According to his family, Shipley was operating heavy machinery which tipped over and caught fire, trapping him briefly, but long enough to sustain serious burns. Shipley was able to reach an employee who then took him to a local hospital, but he was later airlifted to Austin for further medical care.
According to a Facebook post shared by Jordan’s wife, Sunny, on Thursday night, the surgeon working on Shipley told the family that, “(Jordan’s) burns looked far better than anything he was expecting to find after his assessment the day before.”
Sunny simply called it “a miracle,” and she wasn’t alone in her assessment.
Many community members took a brief absence from work and school to show their support for Shipley. Staff photo by Caden Senn.
“We read about miracles in the bible, but they really do still happen,” said Kelsie Warner, who led the prayer circle. “The community is so strong and this is going to be what gets the entire Shipley family through this.”
Over the last week, Shipley’s story has gained national recognition, highlighting his stint as a famous college football and NFL player. But, in Burnet, he is still a Bulldog.
“To everyone else, Jordan is Jordan Shipley,” said Warner. “But, to us he’s just Jordan, he’s just one of us.”
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Waste Management’s bulk pickup schedule for Horseshoe Bay is now available, giving residents the opportunity to dispose of large household items through a scheduled service offered every other Friday.
Bulk pickups are available by appointment only and are limited to 25 open slots per pickup date. Residents must schedule in advance by contacting Waste Management Customer Service at 830-598-8741 to be placed on the next available bulk collection.
Authorized items for bulk pickup include household furniture, moving boxes and carpeting, provided carpet is cut into bundles no longer than four feet.
Some items are not accepted during bulk collection. Prohibited materials include batteries, tires, gasoline, televisions, paint, fluorescent light bulbs and motor oil. Items containing CFC refrigerants are also not allowed, and regular household waste may not be placed out during bulk pickup.
City officials encourage residents to review guidelines carefully before scheduling to ensure compliance and to help keep the program running efficiently.
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Marble Falls dispatchers will soon likely start taking calls for the Bee Cave Police Department. If a proposed deal between the cities is sealed, it could mean major savings for all of the partners in the Highland Lakes Regional Emergency Communications Center.
Marble Falls City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to approve an interlocal agreement between the city and Bee Cave to provide dispatch services for BCPD starting in October. City attorneys still need to review the deal before it is finalized.
Marble Falls is the home of the Highland Lakes Regional Emergency Communications Center, housed at the Marble Falls Police Department, which serves 16 different agencies throughout the Highland Lakes region. Other than Marble Falls-area agencies, it includes police departments, fire departments, and other emergency services in Granite Shoals, Cottonwood Shores, Burnet, and Spicewood. Now, Bee Cave police will likely be added to the network.
“Although this request lies outside of the original geographic footprint (of the HLRECC), it aligns with the evolving strategic direction of the regional partnerships (we have developed),” HLRECC Director Stacy Baker Marberry told the City Council on Tuesday. “Feedback throughout the process has been positive with the consensus that thoughtful, sound financial expansion benefits all of the partners and the city of Marble Falls.”
Marberry explained that the HLRECC was capable of taking on the increased workload and that operational costs for the city of Marble Falls would actually go down by bringing in Bee Cave.
As it stands, Marble Falls handles about $1.3 million, or 71 percent, of the $1.84 million in expenditures for the HLRECC, with other members contributing a total of about $533,600, or 29 percent. Once Bee Cave comes on board, that will shift to about $1.02 million, or 52.44 percent, from Marble Falls and about $932,000, or 47.56 percent, from the other members from the new total of $1.96 million in expenditures.
“Dispatch services” includes processing 9-1-1 calls throughout the HLRECC’s jurisdiction, handling non-emergency calls to included agencies, managing public safety radio dispatch, and regulating field communications during incidents and special circumstances.
Bee Cave City Manager Julie Oakley also spoke on behalf of the city during Tuesday’s meeting, explaining that this was a good deal for them as well. They currently use dispatch services from the city of Lakeway.
“The city of Bee Cave is looking for a more financially stable environment to operate in,” she said. “Costs have increased over 60 percent in the last two years and it is just not a sustainable model. We’re looking for a partner that we can budget with each year and we can rely on those numbers.”
Under the terms of the deal, Bee Cave will pay in for equipment expansions, technology upgrades, and staffing required to handle the increased workload for the HLRECC. This amounts to an estimated total contribution of $692,455 in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Bee Cave police have comparable numbers to dispatch services for Marble Falls police. In 2024, BCPD took 18,577 calls for service and MFPD took 16,254. The HLRECC took 73,192 total calls for service in 2024 and expects to take in 91,769 in 2025.
Marble Falls had an estimated population of 9,413 as of 2024 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Bee Cave had 8,510 in that same year.
According to Marble Falls Mayor John Packer, the city has been investing in the HLRECC for the last 10 years.
“The goal of the regional communications center was to spread the cost over more organizations so that everyone’s cost per call goes down,” he said.
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Horseshoe Bay is accepting applications for its Fall 2026 Dottie Anderson Citizens’ Academy, a program that educates residents about city government and operations.
The academy, named after a former graduate, offers hands-on instruction from city staff and elected officials on city council, elections, police and fire departments, and municipal services.
“This is a wonderful program dedicated to informing our citizens about the daily tasks required to run a city of Horseshoe Bay’s high caliber,” City Manager Jeff Koska said in a media release. “Not only do we provide information, we gain information from the students.”
Applicants must be Horseshoe Bay residents, with preference given to full-time residents. Applications are available online.
For more information, call 830-613-4942 or email csharp@horseshoe-bay-tx.gov.
Each class is limited to 15 participants and meets once a week for two hours over nine weeks. Participants may not miss more than two classes, though absences can be made up by attending a later session.
The Spring 2026 session, which begins in February, will mark the program’s 18th graduating class. The academy began in 2016 and has graduated 220 residents. The most recent class graduated Dec. 11. Graduates receive certificates signed by the mayor and city-branded jackets or vests.
Koska said many graduates have gone on to serve on city council and city committees.
“The Citizens Academy is a must do for all Horseshoe Bay residents. You learn about the many incredible services our City provides us,” said John Bellamy, a member of the 17th academy class.
Mayor Jeff Jones, an academy graduate, said the program helped him better understand city government.
“Upon entering citizens academy, my thoughts of city government were basically like turning on a light in a dark room,” Jones said. “We don’t think about it, and we just flip a switch and assume it’s going to work. However, upon learning about all the different aspects of the City, it became evident that it’s very complex, not simple.”
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The deadline to submit community projects for the Rick Edwards Day of Service is Feb. 4. Marble Falls Independent School District students will spread across the Highland Lakes to work on accepted projects on Feb. 20 for the day in honor of the beloved MFISD trustee who died unexpectedly in 2022.
“In cooperation with Ark of Highland Lakes, the Rick Edwards Day of Service will bring all MFISD campuses together to serve our local community,” reads a Jan. 7 MFISD media release. “From our youngest learners, to our teenagers about to set out into the world on their own, every student has the ability to serve for the greater good in some capacity.”
Eligible projects can come from businesses, organizations, local governments, or even homeowners who need a hand with anything from landscaping and yard maintenance to painting, general cleaning, construction, moving and organizing, visiting the elderly, or just general acts of kindness.
Submit your project application online at this link by Feb. 4 to be considered.
Named for local businessman and active community member Rick Edwards, who served on the MFISD Board of Trustees from 2009 until he passed away from a sudden brain hemorrhage in 2022, the day of service was created in 2023 as an opportunity for students to learn the importance of service while working together to benefit the community.
“Mr. Edwards was a servant leader in our community who dedicated himself to helping create success in those around him,” MFISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway said. “said. “Community service is an important way to develop character and contribute to the greater good of society and we want every student to experience that opportunity of working together to make a difference. We hope these acts of service will create a ripple effect of love and service in our community and carry on the legacy of Rick Edwards.”
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Burnet County officials announced the hiring of Michael ‘Mike’ T. Evans as the new county elections administrator, replacing Doug Ferguson after his retirement on Dec. 31, 2025. Evans was sworn in a day later on Jan. 1 by Judge Bryan Wilson at the Burnet County Courthouse.
The county began looking for a new elections administrator in mid-2025 after Ferguson told the commissioners court he would be retiring at the end of the year. Ferguson worked for the county for 10 years, and was able to work with Evans for two months to help smooth the transition.
“The commissioners court budgeted funds to allow Mr. Evans to work alongside Mr. Ferguson for about 2 months to ensure a smooth transition for Burnet County voters,” reads a statement from Burnet County Government. “We are grateful to have him and look forward to his service to Burnet County.”
Evans will oversee all elections held in Burnet County at the federal, state, and local levels, supervising the election staff, polling locations, and volunteers of each. His duties also include preparing ballots and programming, testing election equipment, and relaying voter results to the public and the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
Evans is a resident of Burnet with nearly 14 years of service in the National Guard, serving multiple roles in finance and operations. After retiring from military service he earned a mortgage loan officer license in Florida and a real estate agent license in Texas.
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A young man was killed and a young woman was injured in an ATV accident on Jan. 1 in Llano County.
According to a media release from the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement and other first responders were toned out to a property in the 8900 block of CR 312 at around 10:18 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
On the scene, they found that an 18-year-old male and an 18-year-old female had been involved in an apparent ATV accident in which the vehicle seemed to have rolled over after colliding with a fallen tree.
The young man was pronounced dead at the scene by Llano County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Sam Silver. The young woman was transported to Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in Marble Falls to be treated for her injuries.
The exact cause of death is still pending the final results of an autopsy from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The names of those involved were withheld from the media release. This was done out of respect for the families according to the LCSO.
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A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Spicewood Community Library is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8. The event, to be held at the current library site at 1011 Spur 191 in Spicewood, marks the official start of construction and a major milestone for the southern Burnet County community.
Burnet County officials Judge Bryan Wilson and Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery will be in attendance, along with Friends of Spicewood Community Library board members, library staff, construction partners, and community members.
“The original library is a retrofitted, nearly 47-year-old manufactured building that is deteriorating rapidly and no longer meets the needs of this growing community,” Board President Beth Cottingham wrote in a Jan. 4 media release. “The building’s condition and inadequate space is limiting the library’s ability to effectively fulfill its mission to serve this community.”
Plans for the new facility include:
Dedicated spaces for children, teens, and adults
A multi-purpose room for community events and programs
Computer areas with private spaces for tele-visits and study
Expanded seating, technology, and accessibility features
While full funding for the project has not yet been acquired, the board will complete construction in phases as fundraising continues.
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