Friday, April 8, 2011
HTGCD Board denies prostesters' standing, contested hearing over WSP permit
As a result of the lack of requests for contested case status, the board had no reason to not act on the permit and it was granted on 02/21/2011
Note: Last night's vote was 3 to 1, with board member Joan Jernigan (District 5-Wimberley) voting against, in effect, a finding of a lack of standing by protesters (and pretty much dashing any hope of a contested hearing) over the District's groundwater pumping permit issued Feb. 21 to Wimberley Springs Partners Ltd. The permit grants WSP 250 acre-feet (81.5 million gallons) annually for three years and a one-time 250 acre-feet "Re-Growth" permit for its golf course and other development needs. When the gavel dropped at last night's meeting, it freed the District to sign the final permit agreement with WSP.
The groundwater district's office received at least 11 letters from Wimberley area residents and the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association several days after WSP's permit was approved in February. Problem is, the protests requesting a contested hearing did not conform to District rules, most specifically Rule 3.2 (Operating Permit/ Hearings Required). It states: "The Board shall schedule a hearing, which may be held at a regular Board meeting, where the Board shall consider the application (by applicant) and any evidence presented at the hearing. Any interested person may provide oral or written testimony at the hearing, or may file a formal protest against the proposed action."
You can download the District rules at this link: http://haysgroundwater.com/regulatory. Click on HTGCD Rules adopted June 14, 2007. Rule 5.6 governs contested hearings.
Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to the HTGCD office at manager2@haysgroundwater.com (512-858-9253), to board president Jimmy Skipton at jimmyskipton@gmail.com, to Mrs. Jernigan at jerniganjs@austin.rr.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
Sent by an attendee at last night's meeting, edited slightly for style:
The meeting of the HTGCD board in Wimberley was well attended last night at the Wimberley Community Center – a pre-hearing conference to determine whether a contested hearing should be granted.
At issue was whether the "requests for contested case status" filed by a number of protesters would be considered timely filed.
A substitute attorney appeared on behalf of the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association's attorney in order to argue their case. David Baker, WVWA's executive director and a member of groundwater district board did not attend although many in attendance were from WVWA.
The protesters argued that (WVWA's letter of protest) was "less than 15 minutes late," lack of adequate notice, and threatened legal action for alleged violations of the open meetings act. The board inquired as to what those violations might be, noted that the 02/21/2011 meeting was in fact well-attended and many of the protesters had attended the meeting as well as prior meetings regarding the same permit application. The notice for 02/21/2011 indicated the proposed permit and identified it as a possible action. Protesters presented opinions at the meeting but none requested to become a party in a legal proceeding. As a result of the lack of requests for contested case status, the board had no reason to not act on the permit and it was granted on 02/21/2011.
WVWA's attorney argued that there was a "lack of explicit instructions" instructing the protesters to file on or before the hearing of 02/21/2011.
The board went into executive session with its attorney (Greg Ellis) and emerged about 1/2 hour later. The board moved to find that the requests were not timely filed and would be denied. The reasoning was that none of the requests were timely filed. All of them were 7-10 days late and made well after the permit had been granted. The 12 minutes WVWA was arguing about did not explain the 10 days delay before that. In addition, there had been no provision in the rules for the protesters to file AFTER the action granting the permit on 02/21/2011.
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45 comments:
The issue of standing was not addressed at all - only the issue of timeliness of filing.
Standing was another hurdle that would have had to be addressed.
The board did not need to address standing given that the requests were not timely made to begin with.
Remember that you'll know whom NOT to vote for when you see Wimberley
Springs Partners' big sign at the
intersection of FM 2325 and Jacob's
Well Road? Well, the big blue and white sign for Erin Banks is there now. She's running for Place 4 in the Hays Trinity Groundwater
Conservation District election on
May 14.
You can hear all the HTGCD candidates at the Candidates Forum
hosted on Monday, April 18 by the
League of Women Voters - Wimberley
Valley. It will be held in the Johnson Room of Wimberley Community Center at 7 p.m. The candidates for HTGCD, Place 2 are
Steve Janda and Greg Nesbitt.
Candidates for HTGCD, Place 4 are
Erin Banks, Dirk Bauer, and Ed Pope.
Also appearing at the Forum will be
candidates for Places 1 and 3 on the Wimberley City Council.
In order for the citizens of the Wimberley Valley to have a voice at all for their community's water issues, they will need to encourage their neighbors down the road to replace the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce-controlled voting bloc that keeps slapping them down 3-2, 3-2 at every single meeting.
The district lines need to be altered to enable Wimberley to protect itself from rampant development influence in Dripping Springs.
Their being able to stop Wimberley's representatives from representing Wimberley's interests is unacceptable.
I second that motion, Water Hugger!
If I am not mistaken, the HTGCD Board members took an oath to protect, preserve and recharge the aquifer, not pump, pump, pump it dry.
What is happening with our current HTGCD board is a great example of what happens when influential money interests control a governmental body and that body begins to vote against the interests of the public.
I would like to know who is paying for Greg Nesbitt's big signs along 290W. And who owns those properties where those signs are located? I noticed that Erin Banks has joined forces with Nesbitt by putting up signs in Dripping Springs, some right to one another.
I guess we know which side of this water issue Ms. Banks is working for now, don't we?
Water Hugger, Aqua and Tired;
You guys lose because you are in the minority regarding the water issues and furthermore you are just plain wrong. The small group of rather vitriolic eco-nuts that live in Wimberley and points east will not be voting in the upcoming election since Dr. Joan Jernigan is not up for re-election. Of the 11 protestors asking for a Contested Case hearing all but 2 were from District 5. Those of you that think all the support for Nesbitt and Banks is coming from only the Dripping Springs area are in for a shocking surprise. There is certainly some support there but Banks in Particular is gaining more momentum every day in her own District (4) and will beat both of her less than worthy opponents. Baker really lost the race back in December before it started and decided not to run again. It could have been since he would be open to more criticism and a possible investigation of the Hays County/ Jacob’s Well/WVWA scandal. The rather quiet pro-property rights movement is much larger than you think.
I am all for property rights, so don't mess with mine by pumping our shared aquifer dry.
@ Tired of the Same Ol' Lies
You are apparently the victim of the scare tactics of the anti-growth crowd centered around Wimberley. I can’t believe anyone would want to pump “our shared aquifer dry”. Please explain what the motive for such a thing would be and the mechanism of such? Even if the “evil developers” could pull this off, it would cause their own business to fail. The local propaganda on this subject is very persuasive and is filled with untruths to enforce an agenda.
Actually the Trinity Aquifer cannot be “pumped dry” since it has a very robust recharge rate. I can be overtaxed however, by the loss rate exceeding the refresh rate. No one can be sure exactly what that recharge rate is. The only figures we have are scientific guesses, rainfall rates and snapshots of the water table levels obtained by well measurements.
All of the recharge is from precipitation, either percolating down from the surface to the aquifer or indirectly from runoff receptacles such as rivers, sinkholes and lakes. We are supposed to receive about 40 inches of rain per year and it would be better if it fell slowly over the period as opposed to the all at once conditions we often see here. Recharge, like outflow is hard to pin down due to natural events.
It is important to mention that the aquifer is not a big tank deep in the ground. It is made up of zones of porous rock sand and gravel of varying thickness. It is thicker in the southeast (Wimberley and Woodcreek) and thinner to the northwest (Henly and Dripping Springs). Thickness obviously equals capacity. The groundwater within an aquifer is always in some lateral motion.
When we get rain the water table rises and flooding sometimes occurs. During dry years the table falls and we have to conserve and a few of the more poorly located or shallow wells go dry. When the rains return as they always do, we get replenishment. As with most things in nature, the process is cyclic.
There are primarily three forces at work that cause losses within the aquifer; they are natural migration, spring flow, and pumping from wells. The natural horizontal migration within the Trinity Aquifer is generally to the southeast with a great portion going into the Edwards Aquifer and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. It is believed that the largest loss to the aquifer is due to this natural migration. We have little or no control of this process, nor should we. Spring flow has been described as a pressure release valve for the aquifer. While partially true, much of the spring flow actually consists of diverted rainwater recharge bypassing the aquifer and emerging to the surface through natural faults, channels or conduits. That explains why spring flow is mostly dependent on recent rainfall at slightly higher elevations.
Loss due to wells is of concern primarily because we can manage it with monitoring and good conservation practices. Alternatives such as Rainwater Harvesting and importing excess surface water from less populated areas will be a big part of our future. There is a meeting scheduled for Wednesday April 13, 6 pm to 7:45 pm, at the Wimberley Community Center about creative ways to conserve our groundwater.
The HTGCD candidate bios are posted at the HTGCD website. The district 4 bios are here:
District 4 HTGCD Bios
First, we have Banks - a licensed professional engineer with experience and knowledge of the science behind groundwater. According to the site, she has been performing groundwater studies for 19 years including water availability studies, groundwater/surface water interaction modeling (how development impacts groundwater levels and stream flows), groundwater contamination remediation and treatment, and contaminant plume analyses, and aquifer modeling.
Next we have candidate Bauer who complains about the price of water and is apparently at a loss as to how to change that. Perhaps Mr. Bauer should communicate with TCEQ, Aquatex, and the city of Woodcreek. HTGCD is not involved with rate-making.
Next, we have candidate Pope complaining about a "collapsed well" (was it properly cased to begin with?). He spent "thousands" drilling a new well only to get low volume of poor quality water. [A decent well is going to cost more than a few thousand - more like $12-18,000]. Was it properly cased this time around? Mr. Pope also admirably installed a rainwater collection system. However, rainwater collection systems only work when there is rain and there is little of that during a drought. Perhaps that money would have better been spent on drilling to a reasonable depth?
So you district #4 folks get to choose among 1) a licensed PE with considerable groundwater experience, or 2) someone confused about the source of water rates, or 3) someone whose resume suggests they did not case a well properly, dug another shallow well, and installed rainwater harvesting to provide water during a drought even though everyone knows you have no rain in a drought. Hmmmm.
Seems to me the common sense vote is Erin Banks = #1
Correct me if I'm wrong... But doesn't Erin banks make a living from development? Doesn't her income depend on that? Seems like a conflict of interest to me. You boys keep throwing out terms like "anti-growth". How about the truth.... Like "those folks for responsible growth". That's who we are! A high density development with a golf course in a drought plagued area is not responsible. Even a child would be able to assess that one quickly.
Anon April 11, 9:04 AM is throwing
out the phrases that land development lackeys always use:
"no growthers," "water fairies,"
and "fear mongers," to name a few.
Actually, "fear mongers" applies
to themselves. They stir up farmers' and ranchers' fears that HTGCD is going to strip them of some unnamed "property rights," when actually ALL agricultural water usage and ALL individual wells are EXEMPT from HTGCD regulation. Only a relatively small amount of water usage can be regulated by HTGCD, and that usage is pumping by large subdivision developers and by water sellers. The land developer shills depend on what they think is our lack of knowledge of HTGCD to keep some of us riled up.
Erin Banks is supported by WSP and other developers, and WSP has
a big sign for her on its property
at FM 2325/Jacob's Well Road intersection. Note that on the
sign there is the phrase "Protecting our water rights by facts,not fear." You see that they got 2 of their catch phrases in there -- "water rights" and "fear [mongering]."
(BTW, CON-ley started using the
"fear mongering" phrase as early
as at least 2009.)
Don't be swayed by the true fear
mongers! Vote for Ed Pope for
HTGCD, District 4.
Puhlease. "Responsible growth" sounds like a CARD slogan. The "responsible development" crowd has only suggested "no development" in an effort to create the people-free zones. You've simply replaced one word with another since you consider any development in the area "irresponsible".
You said: "A high density development with a golf course in a drought plagued area is not responsible"
Who are you insinuating is responsible, to whom are they allegedly responsible, and for what?
Considering that the development you refer to was platted long before much of Wimberley existed, it would appear that you and many, many others contributed to the "irresponsibility" you complain of by arriving here afterwards and building a home. Perhaps you should leave - or are you part of the "it's okay for me but not anyone else crowd?"
Wimberley has more water than much of the area around it due to the thickness of the aquifer in that area. The water is flowing through there whether or not it is used.
FYI, the former county commissioners court all but forced high density development with their subdivision rule amendments. You won't hear the county complaining about the higher property tax revenues it will get from high density development... I hear they need that to pay for the scandalous land purchases (Jacobs Well) and other spending they are planning to do....
Ed Pope is a charter member of C.A.R.D. in other words one of Jim McMeans’ boys. C.A.R.D. is the loudest anti-growth groups in the valley and certainly the worst at truth in advertising. Check out some of their petitions that Jim cheerfully acknowledges he wrote.
Wells don’t collapse because of “Urban Density Developments”. Ed Pope lives in a bad area, is too cheap, or doesn’t have qualified driller and wants to blame all of his problems on growth. He made the rounds of meetings where anybody would listen whining about getting his water through a garden hose from his neighbor. He blamed it all on growth. We certainly don’t need another no-growth cult whiner on the board
Erin Banks’ campaign does not get financial support from WSP. A little bird told me that they offered, she refused because she doesn’t want there to be any appearance of being owned by any one company or group. Those close to her will tell you that she is a lady with first class integrity. Besides being the most experienced and qualified of the three candidates she is honest to a fault. She is certainly an improvement over the out-going District 4 director.
To Anon @ 12:03
Wrong, mister… I’ve been here since way before that land in Woodcreek North was platted!
I’ve seen a lot of changes here… obviously more than you! But I haven’t seen so much greed and steamroller types since… well… since you moved here.
Albert Einstein said “Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."
So, since you asked, I am insinuating that we be responsible to our neighbors… you know the ones who LIVE HERE ALREADY, to the environment… you know… the one we are reliant on TO SUSTAIN US, to the other living creatures… you know the one’s THAT GOD CREATED, and to the whole of nature and its beauty…. You know… well … No… apparently you don’t.
Responsible growth is a good idea for those of us who are already here and for the people who will be moving here.
If you jerk like you’re hooked to a wire every time you hear that term I suggest you go outside and walk in some nature. And get used to it because this is only the beginning…
To Anon April 11, 2011 9:04 AM:
You said: "Actually, "fear mongers" applies
to themselves. They stir up farmers' and ranchers' fears that HTGCD is going to strip them of some unnamed "property rights," when actually ALL agricultural water usage and ALL individual wells are EXEMPT from HTGCD regulation. "
Well Anon, the Wimberley crowd and several others in the area have actively tried to
1) eliminate any ability to have an exempt well for other property owners moving forward
2) eliminate existing exempt well classification at time property is sold
These were not "imagined" attacks and they are not unnamed rights. All one needs to do is to point to the legislation that Backus wanted Rose to introduce. Similarly, one could study the Hays County "Stakeholder" resolution of 11/21/2010 that property owners were not allowed to participate in. Finally, you might investigate the objectives of the current SOAH contested case regarding creation of a super district in the Hill Country PGMA.
The attacks weren't "imaginary". They are incessant and you will find the same players over and over again trying to take away these rights by defining them out of existence.
The attempts by the local despots was thwarted by area property owners. Now all that's left of the SOAH proceeding is a train wreck. The train wreck still has inertia but it will never reach the destination intended. Property owners need to stay alert regarding these incessant attempts to eliminate their rights.
@Anon 04/11/2011 2:40PM who said....
"So, since you asked, I am insinuating that we be responsible to our neighbors… you know the ones who LIVE HERE ALREADY, to the environment…"
You've made it clear you are part of the "people that are here now" clan.
Like it or not there are other property owners who OWN PROPERTY HERE ALREADY and the rights flow with the property ownership. Respect that "neighbor". You don't have superior rights to any other property owner out here.
@ ANON 3:16
Uh, I can see you skipped the bulk of my post and focused on a certain point that makes you sound a teensy bit like a broken record.
And,no… I am part of the “People who’ve been here forever” clan! YOU are of the “people that are here now” clan. But I suppose that makes us neighbors indeed, though not in deed. I love how you say things like “guru”,” clan”, “anti-growth”, blah, blah, blah.
That is a lame attempt at marginalizing or minimalizing the perspective of others… it is an antiquated tactic that most likely bespeaks of your lack of worldly experience or open mindedness. In other words… it’s an uninformed prejudice.
Good luck with your selfish endeavors. Try not to destroy too much if you can. Try to wake up, sleeping boy... Try not to pave over everything.
For good measure I'll repeat the quote:
"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."
~Albert Einstein
Anyone notice that Erin Bank's signs forgot the word "CONSERVATION" in the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District"?
Really!!!
How astoundingly profound! And telling.....
So, hey folks... Vote for Ed Pope! Put the conservation back in the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District!!!
Друзья!!!
Если вы интересуетесь немного политикой, то должны были заметить - эти резкие волнения в странах Африки
возникли неспроста.
Есть 2 версии этих событий - "официальная" и "неофициальная", и обе версии скорее уводят в сторону от реальных фактов.
[b]Версия 1:[/b] Каддафи - тиран и самодержец, стрелял в мирных граждан, поэтому его надо бы убрать.
[b]Версия 2:[/b] на самом деле Европе с Америкой захотелось немного Ливийской нефти, и они решили навести небольшой "дебош"
Рассмотрим версию 1.
Да, Каддафи уже тот ещё старик, ему конечно пора бы и на пенсию. Но известно ли вам, что конкретно в Ливии
народ имеет весьма высокие преференции при его правлении? Учителя получают под $3.000, выплаты безработным
порядка $1000 и так далее. Да, он стал укрощать группки взбунтовавшихся бедуинов, но кто-нибудь понимает
реальные причины этих бунтов?
Эта версия не выдерживает никакой критики.
Версия 2.
Нефть Ливии? Да, она отличается высоким качеством, Ливийская нефть очень чистая. Но её там не так много.
Да и к тому же, зачем тогда будоражить Египет и прочие африканские государства, которые весь прошлый
год вообще никого не тревожили и не волновали?! А тут вдруг - "тираны", "изверги" и т.п.
Да, эта ситуация дополнительно подогрела цены на нефть. Отдельным корпорациям это выгодно.
Но истина короче.
Каддафи не так давно начал объединять ближневосточные страны под идеей перейти на расчёт
за нефть и товары НЕ долларами, НЕ евро, а альтернативой всему этому. И Египет - одна из стран,
которая это поддержала...
Подробнее - здесь:
http://sterligov.livejournal.com/4389.html
Однако в популярных СМИ это никогда не скажут.
P.S. У Саддама Хусейна, кстати, тоже были такие начинания. Вообще, после кризиса ооочень многие
страны стали задумываться об ИЗБАВЛЕНИИ ОТ ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ДОЛЛАРА. Рано или поздно
это произойдёт. ФРС уже некуда понижать ставки.
Распространите это где сможете. Люди должны знать правду.
Кстати, это тоже по теме: Франция перенесла вторжение в Ливию на сутки, МИД, СБ ООН принял резолюцию по Ливии, НАТО, Франция перенесла вторжение в Ливию на сутки, Каддафи, СБ ООН принял резолюцию по Ливии, США
Anonymous said:
"You are apparently the victim of the scare tactics of the anti-growth crowd centered around Wimberley. I can’t believe anyone would want to pump “our shared aquifer dry”. Please explain what the motive for such a thing would be and the mechanism of such? Even if the “evil developers” could pull this off, it would cause their own business to fail. The local propaganda on this subject is very persuasive and is filled with untruths to enforce an agenda. "
Well, there is money to made bringing water in from elsewhere once our groundwater is used up or rendered unfit for human consumption by pollution.
There is already a consortium working very hard to pipe in water from various places just so growth will appear to defy natural limits and so they can make alot of money on that growth.
This is an expensive "solution" to a problem we shouldn't even be having.
Conserve. Protect. Recharge.
Andrew Backus is from the Dripping Springs area, by the way, not from Wimberley.
I am noticing a decided uptick in the traffic on this blog comment site.
Could it have anything to do with the several hundred people who turned out Sunday afternoon for the Ed Pope fundraiser?
Wimberley people love their water and their watering holes and support those who will protect that water, not those who will sell it to the highest bidder.
@ Anonymous April 11, 2011 6:39 PM
You said... “Anyone notice that Erin Bank's signs forgot the word "CONSERVATION" in the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District"?
Really!!!
How astoundingly profound! And telling.....”
What is “really” “telling” is that the Pope campaign has led off with false negative claims about Erin Banks rather than anything positive about their candidate. The fact that this is the best innuendo you could come up with says a lot about your candidate’s weaknesses.
How could anyone believe Erin Banks is not for conservation due to the wording on a sign? If you read her Bio or meet with her in person you would soon realize the ridiculousness of your statement. She was the engineer on one of the only residential subdivisions in Hays County that is restricted to rainwater harvesting as the sole source of domestic water consumption. Now does that sound like she is against conservation?
The Pope campaign, such as it is, better get a grip on itself and learn how to make their candidate appear in a positive light rather than demonizing the opponent.
@ April 11, 2011 1:06 PM
"A little bird told me that they offered, she refused because she doesn’t want there to be any appearance of being owned by any one company or group."
Sorry... but the LOCATIONS of her signs give the "appearance" that she is being owned by one, maybe two companies or groups. Which makes the omission of the word "CONSERVATION" that much more poignant.
"The Pope campaign, such as it is, better get a grip on itself and learn how to make their candidate appear in a positive light rather than demonizing the opponent."
Good point! Thank for the tip.
The word "conservation" might be just any word to you. Easily missed... easily skipped or ignored.
What we are saying is that one word is what this ENTIRE THING IS ABOUT!
And the truth is... we all benefit from clean, clear waters in our aquifer, rivers, and creeks. Even you!
Conservation is not a word to be forgotten or ignored when addressing the sustaining element of water. And the omission of that word cannot be taken lightly.
I hope I’m wrong but it appears at this point we might be heading for another anti-growth leftist water dreamer for position 4 on the HTGCD Board. He has been adopted by a bunch of water hippies (kids) down in San Marcos at the University, as their standard bearer. Getting rid of the present director is a step in the right direction but this guy is nearly as bad or maybe even worse for the area’s representation. No growth has been his mantra, when he isn’t whining about his well collapsing in 2009 which he mistakenly attributes to Growth. If you own an exempt well, Beware! If he gets in there it won’t be long before it is no longer exempt.
@ April 12, 2011 10:33 AM
Huh... go figure... the college kids want to protect the water for their future!
And, Mr. Boogie man, your fear spreading and lying isn't distraction enough for those of us who are watching you and what you are doing.
@ Anon 04/11/11 6:21 PM said:
Uh, I can see you skipped the bulk of my post and focused on a certain point that makes you sound a teensy bit like a broken record."
And,no… I am part of the “People who’ve been here forever” clan! YOU are of the “people that are here now” clan. But I suppose that makes us neighbors indeed, though not in deed. I love how you say things like “guru”,” clan”, “anti-growth”, blah, blah, blah.
Well you have confused me with someone else. I might refer to Baker as cult leader, participant in controversial land transactions, unscrupulous and unethical conduct, sure. But "guru" implies some sort of expertise. I would not want to be responsible for false accusations with respect to Baker. Accordingly, I would never refer to Baker as a "guru" - at least not groundwater district issues. He is very adept, however, at getting large contributions from the county and other persons which help pay for his WVWA salary.
The Einstein quote you preach from is interesting only in that you have twisted "widening our circle of compassion" into justification for attacking others.
"The Einstein quote you preach from is interesting only in that you have twisted "widening our circle of compassion" into justification for attacking others."
Really? Is that the only thing interesting about it?
To ask for clean, clear, abundant water for all people (which actually includes you!)and for the creatures of this earth is compassionate.
To suck it up for profit at the expense of others just to benefit few elite is not compassionate.
@Anonymous 04/12/2011 1:59 PM said:
To ask for clean, clear, abundant water for all people (which actually includes you!)and for the creatures of this earth is compassionate.
To suck it up for profit at the expense of others just to benefit few elite is not compassionate.
You can also "ask" that droughts and natural disasters not occur. Good luck with that. By the way, who are you asking?
Funny you should make the comment about "sucking it up for profit at the expense of others". That's exactly what CARD (McMeans), Friendship Alliance (i.e., Backus), WVWA (Baker) and others have promoted.
You see, these elitists want EVERYONE ELSE to be PROHIBITED from accessing groundwater while expecting themselves or their members to retain such a right. Your claim at elitism is appropriate but you have the wrong suspect. Go look in the mirror or at all the self-proclaimed conservationists whose idea of conservation means taking from other property owners.
These people defaming McMeans, Baker and Backus really do not know what they are talking about.
McMeans and Backus are both on rainwater systems, as is Ed Pope. Baker might be, too, I really don't know.
These people are working hard to protect a resource they don't even use in their own homes, but unlike some of you people, they recognize that preserving our groundwater means protecting Blue Hole, the Blanco, Jacob's Well and Cypress Creek....not to mention the economy of Wimberley!
These people are simply trying to figure out a way to manage the amount of water we have in the aquifer into the indefinite future, drought years as well as wet ones.
Do you really think that unlimited growth and development is the best approach to our future?
p.s. Far as I can tell, Mr. Pope has never once alluded to growth being the reason his well collapsed, it is just his way of saying he knows what it is to go without water and how expensive solutions to water problems can be.
Speaking of sign locations as indicators of who might be in cahoots with whom:
Erin Banks and Greg Nesbitt have at least two sign locations (strangely, both are in Dripping Springs) that are side by side, practically kissin' cousins. I guess we know who is on who's team this go 'round.
For a woman who claims to know something about water, she is sure fraternizing with the least knowledgeable person on the HTGCD.
I mean, really, the man is devoid of one iota of understanding of how the groundwater systems works, recently lecturing a whole captive audience about how permitting WSP 500 acre feet of water was no big deal because it was a fraction of what fell on the ground surface of Hays County with every rainfall....yep, the man doesn't know the difference between rainwater and well water!
Ms. Banks would do well not to sit too close to Mr. Nesbitt, his ignorance might well rub off.
@ water hugger who said:
These people defaming McMeans, Baker and Backus really do not know what they are talking about.
"Defaming" implies making statements that are false. Can you identify any false statements - or are the statements simply uncomfortable because you are unwilling to admit to them?
McMeans and Backus are both on rainwater systems, as is Ed Pope. Baker might be, too, I really don't know.
Baker doesn't live here and WVWA is relies upon Aquatex. Backus' HTGCD resume previously claimed he relied upon a shallow well. Your points merely suggest that McMeans never had any standing to protest permits because he was not affected by groundwater permits to others.
These people are simply trying to figure out a way to manage the amount of water we have in the aquifer into the indefinite future, drought years as well as wet ones.
... and their solutions are always about restrictions they want imposed on everyone else's property.
These people are simply trying to figure out a way to manage the amount of water we have in the aquifer into the indefinite future, drought years as well as wet ones.
Their uninvited interference always entails imposing restrictions on properties other than their own.
Water Hugger said in reference to Director Nesbitt...
“I mean, really, the man is devoid of one iota of understanding of how the groundwater systems works, recently lecturing a whole captive audience about how permitting WSP 500 acre feet of water was no big deal because it was a fraction of what fell on the ground surface of Hays County with every rainfall....yep, the man doesn't know the difference between rainwater and well water!”
“Really”, what an absurd statement about someone you don’t even know. Greg Nesbit was not lecturing to a captive audience when a similar statement about rainwater was uttered; it was at a public meeting and it was not a permit for 500 acre-feet, but a maximum of 250 AF per year with another one-time maximum of 250 AF for emergency and startup use. Notice the word “maximum”. The context of the statement was giving perspective to the permitted groundwater in relation to the rainwater that it comes from. It was an attempt to counter the scare tactics and lies told by CARD, the WVWA and some members of the audience. You obviously didn’t get it or you are following McMeans talking points. Maybe you are McMeans ..... no, Jim is smarter than that.
Just to help you understand what you are hugging, all groundwater is evolved from rainwater; it’s the same thing; all water comes from the sky. Get it?
Erin Banks probably knows more and does more about groundwater and rainwater than any past or present HTGCD Board member. It goes without saying; she will be a big improvement over the obstructionist Baker. The entire district will benefit from her education and experience, if you mud slingers will just listen instead of making false claims about her.
I had hoped that this campaign could be conducted without all of this hate and vitriol but you people are just so desperate you can’t help yourselves.
It would be difficult to see how David Baker ever "obstructed" anything the HTGCD has tried to do lately since those members from Dripping Springs have consistently hammered Wimberley and Woodcreek with their 3-2 majority at every opportunity. This has in essence prevented Wim/Wood from protecting their interests against those of the DS Chamber of Commerce and their friends, Winton Porterfield and Will Conley.
Talk about obstructionists!
Wimberley and Woodcreek are at the mercy of Dripping Springs and their total lack of interest in helping their neighbors make sure their creeks, springs and wells are safe is appalling.
These elections often come down to who we think will best protect our own interests, right?
So, without any plans to turn my acreage into a housing development or a golf course, my interests are keeping a steady supply of clean groundwater for me and my family. A modest request.
When one's interests have expanded to include big dreams of making money on land you bought and have no intention of living on, well those requests get a lot bigger. Not so modest anymore.
I do not see how anyone who lives here's interests are served by allowing anyone to pump large amounts of the groundwater out of the ground to water a golf course.
I also do not see how anyone who lives here's lives will be improved by encouraging thousands more people to move here, plant lawns and cover up the land with more houses and concrete driveways.
Does the whole world need to be one big suburb? I don't think so.
"I had hoped that this campaign could be conducted without all of this hate and vitriol but you people are just so desperate you can’t help yourselves."
Don't you think you are a hypocrite with that statement?
water hugger...
David Baker does not represent all the residents of Wimberley or Woodcreek. In addition, at least three different single member districts overlay Wimberley.
As far as the "3-2" voting bloc, a bloc implies an agreement made beforehand. That is simply not the case unless you want to claim that Baker and Jernigan have agreed to oppose anything that comes before the board. I am confident Jernigan, Skipton, Key, and Nesbitt are voting independently.
Baker on the other hand is voting in accordance with his employer, WVWA. He and the WVWA organization will eventually be held accountable. Perhaps the best sanction against WVWA is losing its 501(c)(3) status. It is nothing but a PAC engaged in full time lobbying and should not be entitled to 501(c)(3) status.
Baker has operated through deception, misdirection, misrepresentation, and other unsavory conduct. He claims to be an artist. Some recognize him as an artist - a con artist. The county should not be giving any more "grants" to Baker's organization.
You said: Wimberley and Woodcreek are at the mercy of Dripping Springs and their total lack of interest in helping their neighbors make sure their creeks, springs and wells are safe is appalling.
Creeks and springs aren't really the jurisdiction of the GCD. At best those are ancillary and they certainly don't belong to anyone in Wimberley or Woodcreek. Surface water belongs to the State of Texas. The GCD is directed to manage GROUNDWATER not surface water.
So, without any plans to turn my acreage into a housing development or a golf course, my interests are keeping a steady supply of clean groundwater for me and my family. A modest request.
1. It's not so modest when you seek to prevent other property owners from having access to groundwater
2. It's not an entitlement. You have a right to access what might be there - not a guarantee that there will be any there
3. You've benefitted from others not having wells for years. That, however, is also not an entitlement
4. The primary purpose of the golf course is a means of wastewater disposal/reuse. The area as a whole sorely needs wastewater treatment to avoid winding up like your downtown square
5. You are free to install rainwater collection - a "solution" frequently mentioned on this forum. You can also tie into WWSC or AquaTex if available in your area.
"Creeks and springs aren't really the jurisdiction of the GCD. At best those are ancillary and they certainly don't belong to anyone in Wimberley or Woodcreek. Surface water belongs to the State of Texas. The GCD is directed to manage GROUNDWATER not surface water."
Where do you think creeks GET their water? And what is a spring except underground water bubbling up, often to form a creek?
You really need to pull your head out of your....
I would/could/will say that the 3 members from the Dripping Springs area do indeed talk beforehand about these issues, likely in violation of the Open Meetings laws.
I suspect that Greg Nesbitt cannot tie his shoes without supervision, leaving Skipton and Key to call up the Tea Party or the DS Chamber for their marching orders.
Yes, there is collusion on these issues, these people are taking orders from someone and it shows in spades.
There is an agenda afoot and it sure ain't CONSERVATION.
“Lock Up” it appears that you are the type that when things don’t go your way you suspect wrongdoing on the part of others. You are making a serious charge about people you don’t even know and their supposed violations. You better be sure before you make these kinds of charges. Just for the hell of it, state your proof.
It is pretty hard to prove what goes on behind closed doors or in private phone conversations, you know?
I believe that is the essence of non-transparency in government.
Good point “Lock up” and that’s the reason you should not go around making charges you can't prove. You could face a law suit and lose a considerable amount of your fortune and all of you reputation.
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