The May 12 city council meeting gave us the opportunity to recognize great people, welcome new leadership and approve projects and investments that strengthen our community for the future.
We began the evening with one of my favorite parts of any meeting, recognizing outstanding employees.
I had the privilege of presenting Matt Feild with the City of Burnet Employee of the Year award.
His work ethic, initiative and dedication to serving our community make him very deserving of this recognition, and we appreciate everything he does for the city.
Election Results Also, the meeting marked an important transition for city leadership as council officially canvassed and approved the May 2 General Election results.
A total of 1,477 ballots were cast. Lee Carney, Thomas “Sky” Hullum and Anthony Francisco were elected to full-term positions. Crista Goble Bromley was elected to complete an unexpired term.
Following the swearing- in of the newly-elected members, council appointed Bromley to serve as mayor pro tem and as a member of the council finance committee.
City staff also took time to recognize outgoing council members Philip Thurman, Tommy Gaut and Cindia Talamantez for their service and commitment to Burnet. We appreciate all of the candidates who stepped forward to serve and every resident who took the time to participate in the election process.
City Tourism
Council received an update from the Burnet Chamber of Commerce, highlighting ongoing efforts to support local businesses, strengthen partnerships and promote community events and tourism. The chamber continues to play an important role in helping showcase Burnet as a vibrant place to live, work and visit.
City Infrastructure
Several actions approved during the meeting focused on strengthening our infrastructure and improving resiliency.
Council approved engineering services for the portable generator project funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. When complete, portable generators and electrical upgrades at critical water and wastewater facilities will help maintain essential services during power outages and emergency events.
West Tank
Council approved improvements to the West Tank that will create a stronger connection between our ground-well and lake-water systems. While not highly visible work, these types of infrastructure investments are important because they increase reliability, improve emergency response capability and help ensure consistent service during periods of high demand.
Flood recovery efforts continued to move forward with several important actions connected to the Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Buyout Program.
And, council approved The Goodman Corporation to provide grant administration services and selected Attorney’s Abstract & Title Company to handle title, escrow, and closing services.
All the approvals put important pieces in place as the city begins implementing its long-term effort to reduce future flood risk and assist impacted properties.
Finally, council approved a zoning change at 303 Bluebonnet Drive to government district zoning, which better aligns with the proposed use of the property as the office location for the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District.
As always, thank you for staying informed and engaged in our community.
Our next city council meeting will be held on May 26, and we look forward to continuing the work of serving Burnet together.
