2020
Volume 33, Issue 6
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
January 2, 2020 | 50 Cents
EDC contracts with Chapman to recruit businesses
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The Liberty Hill City Council and Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have both signed off on a contract that will bring a familiar face back for business recruiting assistance. Former EDC Board President Bill Chapman was contracted to assist with recruiting efforts, specifically at development conventions and conferences. Under the agreement approved Dec. 20 by the City Council, Chapman will not be paid, but will be reimbursed for travel, lodging and meal expenses connected to his recruiting efforts. Both the EDC Board and Council voted unanimously to approve the contract, though Council member Tony DeYoung raised the question of whether the contract created a conflict of interest for Chapman who now works in real estate and owns commercial property in the area. “We met in closed session with (City Attorney) Tad (Cleeves) and the rest of the board and discussed it quite extensively and we were all satisfied this is a good thing for the City,” said current EDC President John Johnston while addressing the Council on Dec. 20. “We talked about that extensively and we don’t feel like there is one.”
No one else on the Council spoke on the issue before a vote on the motion was made by Council member Steve McIntosh. In an interview prior to the Dec. 20 Council meeting, Johnston explained why Chapman was being brought on board for the work. “Basically it’s just a consulting agreement,” Johnston said. “He’s going to help represent the city with people like at ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers), the big trade show at the first of the year. This is his business, it is what he does for a living is work with commercial developers. He has the contacts and he knows the people, if not on a firsthand basis he knows who to contact to get in contact with the right people. We just need his expertise. “He has a wealth of knowledge in this field both in development and dealing with developers and retail and we felt it was imperative that we seek his knowledge in these matters to help us make proper decisions.” For Chapman, as it currently stands, this is a one-time assist to the City, following last year’s success at the same conference.
See CHAPMAN, Page 3
Council to consider impact fee increases
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor The new year may bring increased fees for new homeowners and businesses in Liberty Hill. At its meeting on Jan. 13, the Liberty Hill City Council will have its first discussion of potential water and wastewater impact fee increases and will hold a public hearing, inviting members of the community to address the issue. “We are presenting something to the Council, at least a first pass if you will, on impact fees at the Jan. 13 meeting, but right now I don’t have even a remote answer,” said Mayor Rick Hall. “We’re waiting for the financial analysis back from our rate study team to bring back to the impact fee committee. It will increase. How much I’m not quite sure yet. I know it will not be at the max level.” In required public notices the last two weeks, the City published the potential maximum rate that could be set by the Council for the water and wastewater impact fees. These fees are paid by property owners or developers when they connect to the city’s water and wastewater services. Currently, the water service fee is $3,500 for new homes, and the wastewater fee for commercial properties is $4,500 and new homes is $3,500. The new maximum possible fee for water service is post©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
ANTHONY FLORES PHOTO
Eli Tucker shows off his finished 3D printer product he made at Liberty Hill Intermediate after removing excess plastic.
3D printer opens new horizons for Liberty Hill Intermediate students
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer The first classroom down the hall when you enter Liberty Hill Intermediate belongs to Jennifer King. It’s hard not to notice because of the constant flow of students and staff coming and going at different in-
tervals throughout the day. The cause of the commotion surrounding Mrs. King’s room is Liberty Hill Intermediate’s new Dremel 3D printer. The $1600 machine – paid for with money raised by students and parents – is catching the attention of students across campus,
and King intends to make the most of that interest by using the technology to enhance students’ problem-solving skills. “I like them getting excited about solving some problems,” King said. “I like them thinking globally about the future and just being creative
and challenging themselves creatively.” The 3D printer is capable of printing a diverse number of objects out of a variety of materials. A variety of uses of the
See PRINTER, Page 5
EDC helping Liberty Hill makeover
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Liberty Hill is getting a makeover one business at a time as a steady stream of participants seek assistance through one of the Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) grant programs. Just before Christmas, the EDC and City Council approved the sign grant application for Prosperity Bank, the 18th matching grant awarded
ed at $7,037 and the max for wastewater service is $5,261. The City is legally obligated to post the potential maximum rate, but Hall said it is unlikely it will be set that high when the Council votes. “I’m confident that we won’t be at the max, but I’m also confident it will increase some only because we have so much growth coming here to Liberty Hill,” Hall said. “It’s not just Liberty Hill from the water standpoint, but we are the regional wastewater provider so it has a larger effect on the wastewater side.” The rates are expected to increase to help cover future infrastructure needs for water and wastewater, recently identified in the capital improvement plan. “In order to meet the requirements for the projected growth, we’ve got about $140 million in projects that need to be done over the next 10 to 15 years,” Hall said. “All that gets calculated based on need and how fast it needs to happen.” In November, the Council unanimously approved the 10-year capital improvement plan for its water and wastewater services, a critical step in determining if and when impact fees should be changed. The Impact Fee Committee proposed $61 million in water infrastructure improvements and just under $76 million in wastewater infrastructure improvements.
By RACHEL MADISON Staff Writer At Liberty Hill Orthodontics, what used to be a one-day-aweek practice has now expanded to full-time service to provide more to the community of Liberty Hill. Dr. Scot O’Donnell, owner and orthodontist at Liberty Hill Orthodontics, is originally from the Chicago, Ill., area, where he went to the University of Illinois for his undergrad degree and the College of Dentistry for dental school. For his residency and master’s degree, he went to the University of Oklahoma’s College of Dentistry. “As a student I gravitated toward science classes and considered both the medical and dental fields,” he said. “What appealed to me about dentistry was the opportunity to be both a business owner and a clinician. During dental school I worked as an orthodontic assistant and I thoroughly enjoyed the long-standing relationships that my mentor had with his patients and the community. It was also very fulfilling to see the joy on a patient’s face following completion of
See FEES, Page 5
See ORTHODONTICS, Page 4
See FACADE, Page 4
The former Liberty Hill ISD Administration building on SH 29 got a facelift with the help of a facade grant. Executive Director of the Liberty Hill EDC Lance Dean (left) presents a check reimbursing the new owner for work done to improve the facade of the building.
BUSINESS
Liberty Hill Orthodontics moves to full-time service
RACHEL MADISON PHOTO
Dr. Scot O’Donnell, owner at Liberty Hill Orthodontics, has been working as an orthodontist since the mid 1990s. In 2012, he opened his practice in Liberty Hill part-time, but became full time earlier this year to accommodate the local community.