Get to know your Wimberley candidates
Tiger students build prosthetic hand
Tigers take down Knights
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXIX No. 29
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
“This is about property rights, specifically of our citizens and residents in Texas. I think Texas can do better that what we’re doing right now with these projects. It’s not anything personal, but I think we can do better.”
The fight against Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) is now heading into the court system. On Monday, a multi-party –Lon Shell, County Commissioner, Pct. 3 lawsuit was filed in Travis County District Court on against Kinder Morgan an effort to create more behalf of several plainand the Texas Railroad oversight on the pipeline tiffs, including the city routing process. The suit of Kyle and Hays County, Commission (TRC) in
Newcomer leads the pack in campaign spending
also seeks to temporarily halt condemnation activity for Kinder Mor-
gan’s Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) until the state establishes more oversight. David Braun, an attorney representing the Texas Real Estate Advocacy Defense (TREAD) Coalition, a local nonprofit paying for the litigation, said the current
PIPELINE LAWSUIT, 6
Hard-fought loss
BY MOSES LEOS III A newcomer to the Dripping Springs political scene has vastly outspent the entire field running for a handful of city council seats up for grabs May 4. Geoffrey Tahuahua, who is running in the Place 5 city council race, spent more than $3,200 on his campaign, according to 30day campaign finance reports filed April 4. Additionally, Tahuahua collected more than $3,300 in political contributions from 15 different sources from Jan. 11 to March 25. Primary contributions to Tahuahua’s campaign include $500 from John Rowley, founder of CounterPoint Messaging, a Nashville, TN-based message media and digital firm. Tahuahua also received a $500 contribution from San Coleman of Coleman & Associates, an Austin-area landscape architect. A $400 contribution came from Pamela Medere, an attorney with Jackson Walker LLP. Tahuahua took out a $2,500 personal loan, according to the report. The majority of Tahuahua’s expenses went toward political advertising. Tahuahua has $2,775 cash left in his campaign fund.
D.S. CAMPAIGN FINANCE, 6
75¢ Thursday, April 25, 2019
County united in lawsuit against pipeline BY MOSES LEOS III
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Wimberley Okays debated short term rental rules BY EXSAR ARGUELLO Bypassing the recommendation from its Planning & Zoning Commission, Wimberley city leaders approved a contentious revision of its short term rental (STRs) ordinance. By a 4-0 vote, Wimberley’s City Council April 18 approved a recommendation made by Wimberley’s STR committee, which was a body of local residents and STR owners that sought to bring out of compliance STRs into compliance. Council member Allison Davis was absent from the meeting. One of the most controversial aspects of STR committee’s proposed ordinance, which was approved April 18, included an annual renewal for the conditional use permit required to operate an STR. However, Wimberley
WIMBO SHORT TERM, 5
Tigers state run comes to an end
WAYLAND D. CLARK, WFOTOS.COM
Legacy’s Lilee Simpson trips up Dripping Springs’ sophomore Georgia Irons while trying to get to the ball in last Thursday’s game that ended the Tigers’ run for state. See story on page 4.
Wastewater issue at center of Wimberley candidate debate BY EXSAR ARGUELLO The only debate slated for candidates seeking a seat on the Wimberley City Council dais centered on the city’s polarizing wastewater controversy. Hosted by the League of Women Voters, candidates debated on the wastewater project, the proposed boring under Cypress Creek and future of the Cypress Creek Nature Preserve. Wimberley Mayor Susan Jaggers, who is running for the Place 3 seat, as well as Place 1 candidate Tim Dodson and incumbent Place 5 council member Erik Wollam supported the city’s change of scope for its wastewater project, which scrapped a cityowned plant for a facility operated by Aqua Texas. Those three candidates said the change of scope is connected to an argument of no discharge. “This community needs to heal itself by getting this can kicked down the road done. It does that by completing this project and bringing us back together,” Wollam said. “It prevents discharge into the Blanco, it’s the financially correct thing to do…” Jaggers said she could not support the cityowned plant because it is located within Blue Hole Regional Park. Jaggers she will “fight tooth and nail” to keep a wastewater plant outside of the park to ensure the park stays protected.
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
of transparency and communication with the current city council and a broke trust in local leadership. Bowman said he would address transparency by hosting multiple town halls with both wastewater options laid out for people to see, if elected. “The trust has been broken and nothing I saw will satisfy the people in this room,” Bowman said. “I will commit to having four meetings after the election to look at our options…that’s the only way to get that trust back.” Proponents of the na-
Plans for a program that could prohibit former Hays County elected officials and employees from conducting business with the county led to a lengthy debate on the legality, intent and specifics of the policy. The idea, deemed a “revolving door policy,” was crafted by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and Chief of Staff Alex Villalobos. The item was discussed during a workshop at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, but no formal action was taken on the item. The effort is meant to promote the fair treatment of all potential contractors by putting firms and consultants on a level playing field, while promoting transparency to the public, officials said. The proposal was inspired by neighboring jurisdictions that have enacted similar polices. Kyle prohibits any former “member of a city body” from conducting business with the city for a two-year period. “I believe we need a revolving door policy,” Becerra said. “…As a community, we have some work to do to fortify the confidence that our residents of the county have with Hays County’s way of doing business.” Villalobos said he wasn’t aware of other counties that have revolving door policies, but pointed to “cooling off” periods other jurisdic-
WIMBERLEY DEBATE, 6
REVOLVING DOOR POLICY, 8
PHOTOS BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Most of the questions asked of Wimberley City Council candidates at last Wednesday’s candidates debate at Wimberley City Hall had to do with wastewater issues. Present at the debate were candidates (left to right) Rebecca Minnick, Tim Dodson, Susan Jaggers (behind Christine Byrne and in left photo), Christine Byrne, Eric Wollam and William Bowman. See Wimberley wastewate story on page 8.
“Unlikely is not good enough,” Dodson said in regard to the pipe potentially leaking. “We need a double-sleeved piece of pipe. I saw it happen in Bay Town and when it does happen, there is no However, Christine going back…” Byrne, who is running Rebecca Minnick, who against Jaggers in the Place 3 race, refuted her is running against Dodclaim and said the plant son in the Place 1 race, was not within the park. along with Byrne and Bowman also worried Byrne, who supported over the proposed borthe city-owned option, said those plans includ- ing. Minnick said a price for the boring has yet to ed irrigation to Blue be confirmed. She said Hole Park, which is lost there are major environin the change of scope. Dodson, however, was mental risks associated not a fan of the proposed with the boring. Place 5 candidate Bo boring under Cypress Bowman, Byrne and Creek that would transport raw sewage to Aqua Minnick discussed what they alleged is a lack Texas.
County debates revolving door policy