The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) met up and took up several agenda items. This report focuses on agenda items 2 through 11.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing, but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Consider appointing a member representing river authorities and appointing a member representing the Texas Water Development Board to the Water Conservation Advisory Council. (Josh Sendejar) Board Agenda #02 Document
- Council made up of 23 members
- Recommended -Valerie Miller to represent river authorities & Kevin Kluge to represent TWDB
- Jackson spoke in favor of the appointments
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from the North Texas Municipal Water District (District) to amend Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Resolution No. 17-078, as amended by TWDB Resolution No. 18-015 and 18-085 to extend the commitment period from the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT) for the construction of a reservoir and water treatment plant. (Luis Farias) Board Agenda #03 Document
- Jackson – very important project for Texas, just move original commitment portion forward by one year
- To accommodate the construction schedule and financing needs, it was recommended to extend the commitment of the District’s outstanding committee to December 31, 2019
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from Beechwood Water Supply Corporation (Sabine County) for $297,000 in principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for planning, design, and construction of an emergency relief sanitary sewer system project. (Lee Huntoon) Board Agenda #04 Document
- Jackson – good to see a project come forward to use those funds set up for those communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey
- Paup – next four projects are related to Hurricane Harvey recovery, thrilled board is able to offer resources to the small community
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from Beechwood Water Supply Corporation (Sabine County) for $223,510 in principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for planning, design, and construction of a water system improvement project. (Lee Huntoon) Board Agenda #05 Document
- Jackson – good to see on ability to help on both sides (potable water and sanitary)
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from the City of Bevil Oaks (Jefferson County) for $500,000 in principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for planning, design, and construction of a water system improvement project. (Lee Huntoon) Board Agenda #06 Document
- Jackson – small community, wonderful able to use the resources to help the community
- Paup – glad to get them resources they need to get up and running
- Mayor Ford – thanks them for considering the application
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from the City of Bevil Oaks (Jefferson County) for $500,000 in principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for planning, design, and construction of an emergency relief sanitary sewer lift station restoration project. (Lee Huntoon) Board Agenda #07 Document
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from the City of Kerrville (Kerr County) for $5,000,000 in financing from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for construction of water system improvements. (Dain Larsen) Board Agenda #08 Document
- Request today for construction funds only
- Expect environmental finding buy October
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider approving by resolution a request from the City of Kerrville (Kerr County) for $8,000,000 in financing from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for planning, acquisition, design, and construction of a lift station. (Dain Larsen) Board Agenda #09 Document
- Jackson – good to see request come in on waste water, good decision that include addition to drinking water
- Motion passes unanimously
Consider authorizing a transfer of funds, in an amount not to exceed $15,000, from the Water Assistance Fund to the Research and Planning Fund, to contract for facilitation services to assist the stakeholders committee of regional water planning group chairs review and/or modify the uniform standards for project prioritization for the 2021 regional water plans. (Temple McKinnon) Board Agenda #10 Document
- Jackson – thinks this is a great example of heads of all regional water groups coming together and the robust planning process
- Motion passes unanimously
Public Comments
Mark Pearson, Communities Unlimited
- Comments related to unincorporated community by Dallas, Sand Branch Community
- Reviews history of community, contaminated water concerns, and steps taken to acquire funding
- Meeting sponsored by Dallas County Judge and out of that the community members organized and sent in documents to federal government – encouraged to go to TWDB for funding as well as several other sources
- Had help looking at private wells and did well sampling and submitted prior to a certain deadline last March
- Heard project didn’t fit rating criteria at the time so made a few calls to determine what was that cause
- Continued to provide history and reasoning he is coming before the board
- Maintains health ranking and IEP are separate issue and need to make clean policy decisions among agency how to handle and implement