The Central Texas Groundwater District Board of Directors determined the district should continue to impose Stage 3 severe drought status restrictions until further notice. Meaning mandatory water reduction of 10% will stay in place through the next several weeks.
Also, non-exempt well users must re-circulate water whenever possible; water for dust control only if required by law; check wells for leaks; reserve outdoor lawn and landscape watering between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.; water lawns and landscapes every five to seven days; if needed, wash vehicles only at a car wash station; cover fountains, ponds and swimming pools to reduce evaporation.
Do not use water to wash sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, streets, tennis courts or any outdoor surfaces except for animal or human health and safety reasons or fire hazard prevention; do not fill ponds, tanks, lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools or other surface impoundments with groundwater more than 100,000 gallons, less than 100,000 gallons is discouraged and watering livestock in leak-proof troughs is recommended.
Tax Rate
Also during the district meeting, the directors voted 4-0 to adopt a tax rate of .0055 cents per $100 of property valuation through Fiscal Year 2024-2025, set to begin Oct. 1.
According to district records, the rate of .0055 for FY 2025 is what the directors adopted for FY 2023 and FY 2024.
Although the rate ad- opted for the new fiscal year equals the rate for the current year, the amount of total taxes owed by some district property owners could increase, since the total property valuation in the district are up more than 6%, from more than $733,000 to more than $779,000.
Also, some “new development” has prompted higher property appraisals, District General Manager Mitchell Sodek said.
Any proposed tax rate higher than .0061 would require an election.
Bertram Variance
Turning to another matter, the district approved the request for a variance related to the spacing of Well 8739, also known as Well 4, managed by the Whitewater Springs Water Supply Corporation in Bertram at 310 Murphy Drive.
Sodek described the variance request as “administratively complete” and recommended approval.
“It is a public water supply well,” Sodek said. “I have heard no objection to the request.”
Appointed Attorney
Turning to another the matter, the board appointed attorney Lloyd Gosling to succeed William Dugat as district legal counsel. Dugat has decided to retire.
Director Griffis-Bai ley was absent from the meeting.
Cancelled Election
Also, the board decided to cancel the upcoming fall election.
Three directors of the five-member board are up for re-election Nov. 5, including Pct. 1 Director Kathy Griffis-Bailey, Pct.
3 Director Homer Will and Director-at-Large Paul King.
The other members are Pct. 2 Director Ryan Rowney (also the board president) and Pct. 4 Director Ricky Bindseil.
Since Griffis-Bailey and King are running unopposed for a new fouryear term.
Will told the Bulletin he is not seeking re-election. Last month, before the Aug. 19 deadline, the board received one filing to replace Will, from Ceferino (Reno) R. Lamb. According to District Manager Tracy Swanter, the board plans to swear-in Lamb during the December meeting, as yet unscheduled.
During the Sept. 17 meeting, the district directors voted to cancel the November election in Burnet at District Headquarters, 225 S. Pierce St.
“It is just procedure,” Burnet County Elections Administrator Doug Ferguson told the Bulletin.
“You do not have an election if all the incumbents are unopposed.”
