County to try another route to cushion or fend off sale of 290 water line

What the ad doesn't mention is that, like all PUAs, it will have authority to issue bonds (= debt) and will have limited power of eminent domain

Note: In a recent phone interview with Pct. 4 County Commissioner Ray Whisenant (R-Dripping Springs), Mr. Whisenant confirmed to the RoundUp an upcoming County resolution proposing to join the West Travis County PUA. By joining, Whisenant briefly explained, the county can have a say in moderating future increases in water utility rates in northern Hays County.

Last month, the county lost its bid to purchase LCRA's Hwy 290 water pipeline and distribution system that serves an estimated 7,000 customers in north Hays County subdivisions and supplies water to the member-owned Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation. LCRA's board of directors instead decided to review bids from the Canadian firm, Corix, and the California Water Group. Some members of the Dripping Springs Water Supply board of directors, the county and other interests, are reported to be determined to stop the sale of the 290 water line to the two out-of-state companies.

LCRA, for its part, is not saying whether Corix or California Water Group are the preferred buyers of the system. LCRA's public information office emailed this statement to the RoundUp today: “Since LCRA has not fully negotiated purchase/sale agreements with either party, LCRA has not determined with certainty that the system will go to either bidder.”

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By Barbara Hopson
Guest Commentary

Without much fanfare or information distribution that I'm aware of, Hays County Commissioners Court is now engaging in an effort to create – along with neighboring entities – a Public Utility Agency (per a public notice in a local newspaper).

Besides Hays County, the City of Bee Cave and the West Travis County MUD #5 have already signed to establish the PUA. Two maps accompany the published notice.

This PUA is a last ditch effort for north Hays County to acquire the West Travis properties of LCRA. The plan is that if, somehow, the UDC ("Coalition") should be successful in its bid to buy the West Travis properties, the UDC would immediately transfer ownership of those properties to a newly-formed West Travis County Public Utility Agency. North Hays County would then retain access to the Lake Travis surface water it covets via the Hwy 290 pipeline.

The published notice mentions that "The PUA will be a non-taxing public entity." What the ad doesn't mention is that, like all PUAs, it will have authority to issue bonds (= debt) and will have limited power of eminent domain.

The ad advises that "Hays County will consider the adoption of the resolution to create the PUA at a meeting of the Hays County Commissioners Court at 9:00 am on October 18, 2011 at Hays County Courthouse . . ."