Weekly
Thursday, May 20
hillcountryweekly.com
HOUSE BILL 3883 UPDATE M AY 1 0 M E E T I N G
during the 88th Legislature. County Milan J. Michalec Director Precinct 2, President, Cow Creek Commissioners in attendance— Groundwater Conservation District. Richard Elkins, Don Durden and Richard Chapman, along with Cow A joint workshop between Kendall Creek GCD Directors Ben Eldredge, County Commissioners and Cow Bob Webster, Curt Campbell and Creek Directors was called to order at Milan Michalec all agreed to conduct 4:30 p.m. by Cow Creek GCD President more workshops like this in the future Milan J. Michalec. to find a way ahead. The meeting was In addition to a discussion of County Development Rules and Cow adjourned at 5:25 p.m. At 6:01 p.m. Michalec called to order Creek GCD Rules, the agenda also the regular meeting of the Cow Creek included an update on the 2021, 87th GCD. The high point of the agenda Legislature. was an application to drill a well for The bill’s champion for Kendall County Commissioners Court, Pct. 2 a Public Water Supply at 529 SH46E Commissioner Richard Elkins, briefed in Kendall County. The applicant the audience on House Bill (HB) 3883. requested 3.36 acre-feet for Boerne This bill was authored by Rep. Kyle Personal Storage. In Public Comments, three individBiedermann, who when he first took uals spoke against the permit because office in 2016, has worked closely with they had been told this well was linked both Cow Creek GCD and Kendall to a permit to supply water to a conCounty Commissioners Court to find a way to preserve the Hill Country and crete batch facility to be operated by ensure water issues in Texas met with Vulcan Materials Company. In reality, legislative action that is informed and this permit had no relation to the concrete batch plant. science-based. Discussion with the design engiDespite broad local support to include Cow Creek GCD, the neers representing Boerne Personal Commissioners Court, the Mayor Storage revealed the facility would of Boerne and a total of 141 citizens incorporate rainwater harvesting into who submitted written public com- the design of the building complex for ments on HB 3883 through the House fire protection and landscape would website and all were “FOR” the bill, have minimal demand with xeriscape. Subsequently Cow Creek GCD the bill could not advance out of the Committee on Land and Resource Directors voted unanimously voted to approve an operating permit for 2.55 Management. This was because of efforts by the acre-feet a year. In other action, after hearing an Texas Association of Builders (TAB), whose representative was the only one update from District staff on the status who testified against this bill. By this of monitors wells, Guadalupe River flows and local rainfall, Directors lobbying effort, TAB killed the bill. The workshop attendees discussed agreed to stay on stage 2 drought ways to bring this bill back in 2023 restrictions.
