| Board Chair Ray Wilkerson |
On Dec. 7, the LCRA Board of Directors voted in favor of providing water utility services to landowners for new development along Hamilton Pool Road.
The Board struggled with this difficult decision for nearly nine months, and it was made with full understanding of the issues raised by many. Through LCRA's extended public involvement process, the Board heard the voices and opinions of hundreds of people. The input of so many stakeholders enabled us to carefully consider all sides of the water service proposal.
The Board recognizes that the issues and concerns raised about the effects of growth are real. Communities tend to change with growth, and these changes can place pressure on residents and resources. Many of LCRA's Board members live in small communities, and we all have witnessed the effects of growth on the Central Texas region in recent years.
LCRA has neither the legal authority nor the intent to regulate land use. That is not our mission. Our task is to provide public utilities, including water services, in partnership with customers and communities, while also ensuring the protection of the area's natural resources. We are a resource for Central Texas, and we are accountable to the people who live in the area we serve.
The Hamilton Pool Road landowners' requests for water service brought a unique opportunity to deliver badly needed drinking water while also establishing strong water quality protection measures that otherwise would not exist. Controlling growth by withholding utilities is neither wise nor effective. It can lead to haphazard growth and expensive retrofitting of utilities. Postponing a decision yet again to wait for regional planning would have been irresponsible and potentially damaging to our basin's water resources. The Board was unwilling to take that risk.
I want to emphasize that the public's concerns were heard loud and clear by the Board. Existing residents told us that LCRA's proposal to bring them water was too costly. We have asked staff to continue working with these residents to find a long-term funding solution that makes service more affordable for homeowners while also allowing LCRA to recoup costs.
We heard concerns about LCRA seeking a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) to serve parts of western Travis County. Our general manager recommended, and the Board agreed, to hold off on this. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering changes to CCN regulations and it is likely that the Texas Legislature will consider changes to laws affecting CCNs. It would be prudent for LCRA to wait until we can fully understand the implications before moving forward with a CCN application. The public also asked the Board to consider extending LCRA's nonpoint-source pollution (NPS) ordinances to western Travis County. Water quality protection is a key part of LCRA's mission, and the Board has directed staff to study the applicability of LCRA's NPS ordinances in western Travis County and elsewhere in our statutory area, and bring this issue back for discussion.
Related work already is under way. Staff has been meeting with stakeholder groups since September to review the NPS ordinances, which have not been substantially changed since they were adopted in the early 1990s. After the review, staff will bring to the Board recommendations to improve the effectiveness and usability of the ordinances, while still protecting water quality and not impeding economic development.
Finally, the Board has pledged its support of the regional planning processes. LCRA has provided funding and has lent administrative and technical resources for these processes. The Board looks forward to reviewing the outcomes of these processes and we have promised to consider adopting, where appropriate, more stringent water quality measures that are part of a regional plan.
On behalf of the Board, I want to extend our appreciation to those who shared their comments and concerns with us.
Ray Wilkerson
LCRA Board Chair
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