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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Five file in May 12 Wimberley municipal election; lower speed limits set for RM 3237 & 12


The city council at its Thursday March 1 meeting voted to ease landscape watering restrictions and to resume issuing permits for the construction of in-ground swimming pools

Note: City Hall Briefs, written and edited by Bob Flocke to inform the citizens of Wimberley about city activities, is neither an official nor an authorized publication of the City of Wimberley. City Hall Briefs is distributed by email to anyone who wishes to receive it. Anyone who wishes to be added to the distribution list should send their email address to Mayor Flocke (below). The RoundUp has edited the Briefs for length and style.

Send your comments and questions to Mr. Flocke at rflocke@austin.rr.com, 512.847.5421, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the report


Former Mayor Tom Haley to challenge Mac McCullough for Place 2

Tom Haley, right photo front, at an April 2010
county strategic planning meeting.

Mr. McCullough, below


At Monday's March 5 five o'clock closing time for the filing period for the May 12 municipal election, five persons had filed for the three city council positions up for election this year. Former Mayor Tom Haley and incumbent Mac McCullough are running for the Place 2 council seat, and local business owner Lance Cawley is challenging Place 4 incumbent Steve Thurber. Mayor Bob Flocke is unopposed as he seeks a second term.

New speed limits coming to Wimberley

The Texas Department of Transportation has advised city officials that the state agency has authorized lowering the speed limits on two state highways within the city limits. After numerous citizen complaints about high speeds on RM s 3237 and 12 and two speed studies, TxDOT gave the go-ahead to lower the seed limits. The new speed on RM 3237 from the city limit sign to RM 12 will be 45 miles per hour. The current speed limits range from 50 to 60 mph. On RM 12 south of town from the city limit sign – near CR 1492 – to the Blanco River the speed limit will be 45 mph. The current speed limits are 45 and 55 mph in that area. At its March 1 meeting the city council enacted an ordinance confirming the speeds. TxDOT has ordered new speed limit signs, and no delivery date has been established.

Work to reopen Las Flores begins next week

Wimberley will begin work next week to reopen the intersection of Las Flores and La Buena Vista Drives. The intersection was closed in 2010 in an effort to reduce the volume and speed of traffic through the residential neighborhood. Council voted last year to reopen the intersection and to emplace other traffic calming devices, but budgetary constraints didn't allow work to begin until now. The current work includes reopening the intersection, establishing one-way traffic west-bound on La Buena Vista from the intersection to La Buena Vista's western intersection. Left turns from west-bound La Buena Vista onto Las Flores will be prohibited. Later improvements will include speed humps on Las Flores.

Watering restrictions, swimming pool prohibition rolled back

The city council at its Thursday March 1 meeting voted to ease landscape watering restrictions and to resume issuing permits for the construction of in-ground swimming pools. The move will bring city watering restrictions into harmony with those of the Wimberley Water Supply Corporation – landscape watering is allowed two days a week during specified hours. The vote to roll back the restrictions was unanimous. The action on the issuing of permits for swimming pool construction comes 90 days after the council voted in November to stop issuing such permits. The council voted four to one in favor of lifting the prohibition with Mayor Pro Tem Steve Thurber voting against it.

Wimberley community moon walks
resume next week


After a three-month break for the winter, Wimberley's community moon walks will resume next Monday, March 12. For the next few months, the walks will begin on the Wimberley Square at the Wimberley Cafe at 6:30 in the evening. This non-competitive fitness walk follows a course of about two miles over mostly level, smooth surfaces. Pets on leashes are invited to participate. Now beginning their third year, the community moon walks are one of the Mayors Fitness Council's programs to make Wimberley the fittest little town in Texas.


20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is Wimberley exceeding its municipal authority with respect to water?

Did Wimberley prevent homeowners from having pools and adding water to their pools with the hopes that more water would be available for Wimberley to dump on the ground at Blue Hole?

Seems like Wimberley is trying to re-define "beneficial use" of groundwater with the city and "Friends of Blue Hole" (i.e., business owners on the square) as the prime beneficiaries.

Wimberley is now trying to get a permit for a well at Blue Hole. The stories told by manager Don Ferguson keep changing: "agricultural use", "fire prevention", and now "irrigating soccer fields". This is the same city council that had just adopted a resolution to limit drawdown in the area to 5 feet while expecting a 15 acre foot permit just to throw on the ground at a park that has a creek running through it.

Wimberley should expect to be held to the same requirements as every other applicant for a permit. Let's see if Wimberley supports changing them for everybody or whether Wimberley expects exemptions.

Anonymous said...

At the last HTGCD Meeting, the most shocking thing seen was Mark key schmoozing Flockey and Ferguson, winks nods and a whole array of approvals from Key. I thought I was going to throw up. What is in it for Key? Wimberley is not even in his district! Mark had better be concerned about getting re-elected instead of sucking up to those outside his district.

Skipton seems to be steadfast in telling the Blow Hole bunch to pump the needed water out of the creek. I hope Jimmy stays the course and doesn't bow to the pressures of the Wimberley politicians. It is no coincidence that the Wimberley Council lifted the swimming pool ban just prior to the HTGCD meeting. The Wimberley Council's motto; "Do like I say not like I do".

Anonymous said...

Jim McMeans was asked directly by Skipton if CARD had any objection to pumping groundwater for soccer fields. This is the first time I've ever seen that blowhard choose to remain silent. Jack Holland and the rest of WVWA remained silent, too.

PEOPLE, WAKE UP!! If anyone other than Wimberley or WVWA tried to do this, they would be crucified in the square.

The WVWA, CARD, Jim McMeans, Jack Holland, and David Baker are all lying hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

to Jon Cobb:

It's Jack HOLLON.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Tom Haley the guy who was charged with sexual harrassment during his last tenure on the City Council but got the charges dropped by his buddies?

Just what we need. More sleazy right wing corruption in our local government.

Anonymous said...

Don't know anything about that. Sounds like another rumor from those fearing an election loss. Are things really getting that desperate in Wimberland?

I guess you need to engage in mud-slinging while you have mud to sling. Mud takes water, of course...

Hey, I hear that TWDB approved the 30 foot drawdown for the DFC. (Not a rumor) Good-bye JW and all the cronyism that kept sucking tax dollars from everybody in Hays County! Mud-slinging will be reduced to intermittent flow....

Anonymous said...

Who is JW?

Anonymous said...

JW = Jacobs Well

Anonymous said...

Jockamo Wakenfuss

Anonymous said...

Jacob's Well is my guess.

Jon Cobb said...

As even the late Charles Odell knew, I don't post anonymously.

He called me out by name but apologized later. If I have something to say, I say it. By the way, Hollon, Mcmeans, Baker, et al are all hypocrites.

Jon Cobb

Loves Cypress Creek said...

Why are you people who don't live in Wimberley (and obviously know nothing about Blue Hole and Jacob's Well and their worth to Wimberley and its people) why are you hoping these watering holes run dry?

What did cool, clean water ever do to you?

You are in great need of a summer afternoon soak in one of these fabulous swimming holes to cure whatever mendacity has gotten hold your soul.

Anonymous said...

@ Loves Cypress Creek:

You can "love" Cypress Creek all you want. No one is denying you that. But Wimberley and various "non-profit" inhabitants don't stop there.

When you demand millions in taxpayer subsidies, try to prevent citizens from enjoying their own property via "ordinances", seek special legislation to try to prevent other property owners in Hays County from having water, and even try to pull the same stunt with respect to property owners in a 9 county area known as GMA 9, then you certainly should not expect anyone but a few other property owners along Cypress Creek or business owners on the square to support you.

As far as the value of the creek: One, the creek does not belong to you nor the "people" of Wimberley at all. Two, the creek is "overflow" due to excess water according to hydrogeologists. Trying to limit access by other property owners to their own water in order to create an "excess water" situation that enables you to enjoy a local water amenity is incredibly hypocritical. Three, you overlook the value of water to all the other property owners outside of Wimberley - property owners that actually own the water you want to deny them.

Water levels falling in Wimberley are nothing new. Look how long ago the saw mill was shut down.

Anonymous said...

A small world for small minds, I guess.

I suppose you have never been to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana or Alaska. They all trump anything this part of the country has to offer. Your little spring, creek and blue hole pale in comparison; you need to get out more.

Anonymous said...

Sexual harassment is not mudslinging. It is addictive predator behavior.

Quit trying to deflect the truth with your non-denial denial.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous who said...
"Sexual harassment is not mudslinging. It is addictive predator behavior.

Quit trying to deflect the truth with your non-denial denial."

Perhaps so, but falsely claiming that someone was "charged" with a such an offense is itself defamatory and actionable as such.

Not sure what "truth" you are referring to - your opinion of reality or reality.

Hypocrisy Watch said...

The Las Flores fiasco is finally getting re-fixed.

The pandering city council members have reversed their decision - AGAIN - to allow the sons and daughters of the old Wimberley patriarchs and matriarchs to run roughshop on the Las Flores residents.

Already drivers are ignoring the one way designation on the street and the city council will probably do nothing about it.

Hey, Flocke, how about putting your new Wimberley speed trap cop at the Las Flores/La Buena Vista junction and give tickets to the arrogant drivers who are ignoring your laws?

And why shouldn't they? If they simply run a mob candidate against you, you will change your mind again anyway.

You Wimberley City Council members are like bottles in the ocean: you move in whatever direction the mass waves toss you.

Why not just hire Madonna and the father of the vitamin store kid to tell you what to do?

It would be a lot more honest and simple.

Anonymous said...

Typical right wing male response to women.

Of course Haley is innocent, just like all those women made that stuff up about Herman Cain.

Republican women need to wear chastity belts around their men - to be on the safe side.

Lilith said...

Time for a curfew.

Men should be locked up at night,allowing women to roam the streets without fear.

What's good for the goose... said...

Posters from Dripping Springs may
rightly be chiding the City of Wimberley for using so much water to water soccer fields at Blue Hole Regional Park.

When will those same people chew on Drippin' resident Jon Cobb's posterior for using water for a baseball field?