Tiger LAX ends in super regional
Tigers roar in bi-district playoff
Don’t think lesser of the goldfinch
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVIII No. 31
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
75¢ Thursday, May 10, 2018
returns $132M BOND PASSES EP Houston firm renews BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Dripping Springs ISD’s proposed $132 million bond measure passed by a slim 31 vote margin May 5, marking a victory in the district’s initiative to accommodate for growing classroom populations. The measure was approved by 50.47 percent of the 3,293 total voters who participated in the bond referendum. However, 49.53 percent of vot-
ers did not approve of the district’s bond package. Part of the bond package includes additions to Dripping Spring High that would allow for an increase to 2,500 students, as the campus has reached capacity. The bond came to fruition after the district’s projections showed the population of the campuses to double within
ELECTION RESULTS, 6
DSISD Bond Proposition: FOR AGAINST
1,662 1,631
50.47% 49.53%
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO
Board of Trustees: Carrie Fontana Kroll Mary Jane Hetrick Shannon O’Connor James Meeks Sharon Armke
1,652 1,598 1,564 897 882
25.06% 24.24% 23.72% 13.61% 13.38%
The new Silicon Valley?
PHOTO COURTESY OF RICK MILLER
Above, Rick Miller, CEO and owner of Rick Miller and Associates, a company that develops hardware and software for products and apps, works on a circuit board in his shop in Dripping Springs.
Tech industry slowly making its way to Dripping Springs BY KATERINA BARTON
The tech industry could slowly be creeping its way down Highway 290 toward Dripping Springs as some companies look for quieter communities where employees can raise their families. Austin has already claimed start-ups, but
Dripping Springs could be home for another type of tech company. Two CEOs of technology companies said they moved their companies to Dripping Springs for the community-feel of the small city. Although their companies have been established in Dripping Springs for some time,
they hope that tech could be a new trend in Dripping Springs in the future. Barry Boes, CEO of Accio Data, which creates employment screening software, is a high-tech solution to background checks and consumer reporting. Boes has been operating his tech company out of Dripping Springs
request for water
since 2005. Boes lived in a corner of Hays County until eight years ago when he moved to Dripping Springs. “I think that if tech companies or any companies of any kind are going to move to Dripping Springs, people are going
TECH INDUSTRY, 4
A Houston-based firm at the center of controversy in 2015 is now looking to draw roughly one billion gallons of water per year from the Trinity Aquifer. EP’s application was submitted on July 13, 2017 to the BSEACD for the purposes of wholesale water supply. The request for 915.5 million gallons annually amounts to pumping 2.5 million gallons of water from the Trinity Aquifer per day. The BSEACD holds authority over that portion of the Trinity Aquifer as a result of the 2015 Save our Wells bill. The bill was crafted, and later signed into law, after EP attempted in 2015 to pump close to 1.8 billion gallons of water annually from the Cow Creek formation of the Trinity Aquifer, which at the time was unregulated. The request led to a months-long fight between EP and concerned residents. “This doesn’t necessarily mean they will be issued their permit as is,” said Vanessa
Electro Purification (EP), which had failed in its attempt to secure water in 2015, submitted a request to the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) to pump water from wells on land located between Kyle and Wimberley. Escobar, regulatory compliance coordinator for the BSEACD. “We are currently reviewing the permit package and aquifer data and analysis and forming a staff recommendation.” On April 13, EP submitted a proposed Compliance Monitoring Plan created by Wet Rock Groundwater Services
ELECTRO PURIFICATION, 2
Motorcyclist killed in wreck on RR 12 BY MOSES LEOS III
The operator of a 2017 Ducati Multistrada A Dripping Springs 1200s, later identified as man has been identified Tamayo, was traveling as the victim in a fatal north on RR 12 at an single-vehicle wreck unsafe speed and was along Ranch Road 12 unable to negotiate a just outside of Dripping curve, according to the Springs. report. Ernest Tamayo, 58, The motorcycle then of Dripping Springs, entered a side skid and was killed in the wreck, struck a mailbox, then according to a Texas hit a concrete culvert, Department of Public causing the operator to Safety spokesperson. vault. According to a DPS The Ducati and the report, the incident driver came to rest in occurred around 7 p.m. the east barrow ditch of May 6 on RR 12 south of RR 12. Hays County Pct. Deer Creek Circle, which 4 Judge Terry Kyle prois roughly five miles nounced Tamayo dead from Dripping Springs. at the scene.
Former Dripping Springs $7.5M treatment water GM denied retirement plant greenlighted in Wimberley BY ESXAR ARGUELLO
the $731,417.40 awarded to him by the jury during his After seven years through trial, which accounts for his civil and criminal court, a retirement contract that was former Dripping Springs terminated when he was Water Supply Corporation hired by the corporation. (DSWSC) general man“It’s a disappointing deager is being denied over cision, but Cones has to fo$700,000 in retirement. cus on living his life now,” Doug Cones’ name was said Joe Pool, the attorney cleared in December 2017 representing Cones. “It’s after he was accused of steal- not perfect justice. I don’t ing up to $20,000 in propbelieve the final judgment erty, costing him his job at is made with good constiDSWSC and the termination tutionalism. A good repubof his retirement contract. lican or democrat enforces The criminal charges were the decision of the jury.” dropped in March 2018. Cones will have the opIn his final judgment portunity to appeal, but on the case filed April 30, the process could take any428th District Judge Bill where between 18 months Henry awarded Cones to two years. If deferred to $1,438,454.20 in damages the Texas Supreme Court, including attorney fees. Cones would not receive However, the district a final decision for at least judge did not award Cones four years.
At the time of publication of this article, Cones has not decided if he will appeal. He has 30 days to make a decision. Before the DSWSC board fired Cones in 2011, he signed a retirement contract that would grant him an annual salary of $46,761.16 a year for 20 years. Once he was terminated at the company on the false criminal charges, the retirement contract was revoked. “I’m not happy with the decision, but I have some time to decide what my next step is,” Cones said. “At this time I am not ready to comment what we will do.” The News-Dispatch reached out to Henry for comment on the ruling. Henry did not respond for comment before press time.
BY EXSAR ARGUELLO With funding now accounted for, Wimberley is moving forward with the addition of sewer lines in downtown, as well as its proposed $7.5 million wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The joint project marks the city’s initiative to accommodate a growing population and downtown tourist presence that drives Wimberley’s sales tax revenue. Located near the Blue Hole Regional Park,
the wastewater plant will have the capacity to store up to 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater which will be used for irrigation throughout Blue Hole Park and surrounding areas. The plant will be able to treat up to 75,000 gallons of wastewater per day. Currently, the city only has the capacity to treat up to 15,000 gallons of wastewater a day, 60,000 gallons less than the new plant will provide. “We currently do not
TREATMENT PLANT, 4