Tigers advance to next round
Teaching teens positive relationships
Tiger band heads to state
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News-Dispatch Volume XXXVIII No. 5
Serving Western Hays County, Texas since 1982
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75¢
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Jail expansion $7M over budget BY SAMANTHA SMITH
Seven million dollars is how much over budget the voter-approved project to expand and renovate the Hays County’s public safety facilities, including its jail, is. As a result of the overrun, Hays County Commissioners took no action Tuesday on accepting or
declining the proposed guaranteed maximum price (GMP) on its list of projects under Proposition 1 of the 2016 bond. Mike Kaiman, vice president of Turner Construction, the company which Hays County hired to compile a GMP, presented county leaders with an update on the cost of its bond project.
Kaiman said the reason for the inflation of the GMP was a combination of the effects of three hurricanes, in addition to the lack of builders equipped to take on the project of the jail expansion and renovation. Kaiman said Oct. 24 although Turner had 100 percent design development drawings, it did not yet have 100 percent con-
struction documents. Those construction documents are needed for the exact pricing and measurements required throughout the facilities. Currently, the GMP for projects under Proposition 1 is $85,191,542.00. This amount is $7.1 million over the initial budget of $78 million. The estimated total
includes the jail addition, a new public safety building, training building and fleet maintenance, as well as bonding for the jail renovation. Kaiman suggested the court either defers voting on the proposed GMP until Turner provides 100 percent construction documents in December, or that the court defers cer-
tain sections of the bond projects until a later date. Commissioners gave Turner Construction an additional week to review the GMP and try to make changes to bring it down. When they returned to court Oct. 31, the GMP was still higher than what voters approved last No-
JAIL BOND, 3
Man hit by bullet through hotel wall
Empty Bowls
BY MOSES LEOS III Hays County authorities are investigating an incident where a guest at a Dripping Springs hotel was hit by a bullet fired from an adjacent room FRAME Saturday. An investigation led authorities to arrest William Frame, 54, of New Braunfels, whom they
PHOTOS BY MARIA GARDNER
Revelers got their soup on while also donating to a worthy cause during the 20th annual Empty Bowl Project, Sunday Oct. 29 at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center. Monies raised at the event went toward Helping Hands, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that provides food and financial assistance for families in need in the Dripping Springs area. See more photos from the event online at HaysNewsDispatch.com.
LAGNIAPPE
State of the District
Dripping Springs ISD will hold a “State of the District” presentation for community members and parents on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. in the board room at the DSISD Administration Building. Superintendent Bruce Gearing will share information on topics such as the district’s vision and goals, academic performance and extracurricular
LAGNIAPPE, 5
SHOOTING, 2
Flood plain map appeal period pushed to 2018 BY MARIA GARDNER
The period where cities, developers and residents are able to appeal and comment on proposed new flood plain maps has been pushed back to 2018. According to a city of Dripping Springs press release, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA will begin its 90-day appeal period for its new flood maps in February 2018. The projected start of the appeal period allows more time for the community and officials to gather comments after the fall and winter holiday season, according to the release. FEMA had planned to start the appeal process in October or November. The delay will also allow FEMA and the community a chance to further discuss the remaining project timeline and share information with stakeholders, the release said. The appeal period could be a critical time for those who find their land in the proposed flood plain map. Some could see a loss in land value and could be required to buy flood insurance. Tom Pope, Hays
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA SMITH
Area residents view proposed FEMA flood plain maps at an August 2017 public meeting. The comment period for the maps has been extended to 2018.
County Floodplain Administrator, said the three appeals he has received thus far appear to be valid. Once FEMA investigates the protests and incorporate any changes, the maps are expected to go into effect fall 2018. Even though the most recent map has an effective date of 2005, the last approved flood plain map was in 1998, he said. The 1998 map dates back to the 1980s when field work was completed, Pope said. When the map was presented to the community in 1993, the county appealed it and five years later the map finally went into effect. “In 2005, FEMA really
didn’t change anything; they just renumbered it,” he said. For some areas in the county, the flood plains have increased significantly due to flooding that’s taken place over the past five years. Just north of downtown Buda, elevation of the flood plain went up about four feet. The Blanco River near Wimberley has seen a 3-foot increase in the flood plain, Pope said. He doesn’t expect many complaints coming from Wimberley since “they’ve seen for themselves the water, especially during the 2015 floods.” The huge increase in development in the area also creates changes in
New CEO for PEC STAFF REPORT
the flood plain, Buda Mayor Todd Ruge said. There is far more impervious cover, or more asphalt and concrete, covering what was fields and natural areas that previously would have absorbed the rainfall, he said. There is difficulty in predicting where the water will flow, he said. “You build in one area, but it could affect another side of town.” In Dripping Springs, the proposed map affects portions of the historic downtown and newly constructed areas that were considered safely out of the flood plains. Dripping Springs city engineer Rick Coneway said he finds the proposed FEMA map to be more conservative than accurate. “This can seriously impact the growth and the development of the city,” he said. He added the new map may affect development if large portions of land are now considered to be in the flood plain. Coneway cited developers could contest one area north of U.S Highway 290 and west of Highway 12 added to the flood plain.
A new leader has been selected to helm Pedernales Electric Cooperative months after the company’s former CEO resigned following allegations of intimidation against PARSLEY employees. Julie Parsley was selected by PEC’s board of directors to lead the cooperative, acDAUTERIVE cording to a press release. Parsley is a former partner of Parsley Coffin Renner, a law firm that specializes in utility regulations. “We’re proud to share that Julie Parsley will be joining the PEC family,” Board President Emily Pataki said. “As we approach our 80th anniversary, we’re confident we have found the leader who provides great value to the cooperative’s membership and will honor PEC’s rich tradition and history. Pataki said the board voted unanimously in support of Parsley, as they believe she will leverage her “deep knowledge of the electric utility industry to implement member-focused programs while keeping costs low and maintaining high
FLOOD MAPS, 3
PEC, 2