Pro Texana

In November, 2005, Granite Shoals voters elected self governance and the city charter by a 3:1 margin, and they did so with the highest turnout recorded in Granite Shoals cit elections.  In the almost five and a half years since that election, the city has made remarkable progress in so many way.  Much remains to be done, and the city’s fate is once again in the hands of the voters on May 14, when they decide whether to approve the bonds to build the first phase of the city’s sewer system.

 

Fortunately, when I first ran for Mayor in 2005, my opponent dropped out of the race and endorsed me.  This allowed me to focus not on my own election, but on getting the information to the voters so they could make an informed choice about the city’s future in that election to adopt the city charter.  Between now and May 14, 2010, I will similarly focus on getting correct information to the voters about the benefits and necessity of the city’s sewer system.  This decision by the voters is the most important vote since 2005, and perhaps is even more important to the city’s future.  This city council has spent the last 5 and a half years in meeting after meeting, workshops, fact finding tours, and independent study to prepare them for tonight’s historic vote, and it is critical that we share that information with the voters over the next 60 plus days.

 

That is why I announce today that I will not run in a fourth election to return as Mayor of Granite Shoals.  While it has been an honor and pleasure to provide leadership to Granite Shoals, it is now up to the voters to decide whether that vision continues for this city, or whether the city, as it has done far too often in the past, kicks the can down the road.  I have faith that the voters, if properly informed as they were in 2005, will make the right choice for Granite Shoals’ future. Granite Shoals is poised to make so much more progress if the voters approve the bonds, as not only is the water quality in Lake LBJ at stake, but also true economic development that will spread the city’s tax burden across the city to new businesses, new homes, and new sales tax revenues.  The future of Granite Shoals is in your hands now.

 

To publicly serve the city in which I grew up has been an awesome experience, and I look forward to remaining involved with the community as a private citizen.    Because the service has been so rewarding, I will also keep open the possibility of serving the public again in a different forum.

 

Since the date that Granite Shoals voters approved the home rule charter by a wide margin and I began to serve, the City of Granite Shoals has made great progress toward becoming a better community for all of us.

 

In this five and a half year period, the city has accomplished many things in a number of areas including the following:

 

City Governance

 

 

n     Hired two first class interim city managers John Gayle and John Hatchel, who both led us through some rocky times and who have placed the city on an excellent foundation for future growth;

 

n     Hired its first permanent city manager, Judy Miller, who brings decades of experience in city management and planning services to the city;

 

n     Performed an employee classification study, modified salaries accordingly, and adopted professionally drawn employment policies and job descriptions tailored to GS’s needs.

 

n     Established a Beautification Advisory Group to advise and assist the city in its beautification efforts.  We had over 40 years of neglect in this city, and this group is responsible for close to $100,000 in grant funds that have been used to clean up the city through our city-wide cleanups and other activities.  The city’s code enforcement office utilized the cleanup events as an incentive to violators to remove junk from their properties.  During the aftermath of the 2007 flood, the city was able to leverage FEMA debris funds to help clean up a number of locations within Granite Shoals.   Tons of debris have been removed from Granite Shoals over the past 5 years, and it shows.  We have a long ways to go, but the progress is undeniable.  The BAG, with the support of the Highland Lakes Master Gardeners, also landscaped the former city hall, which is now the police station, and is landscaping around the new city hall.

 

n     Solved the issues pertaining to the Sherwood Shores Trust Fund, and have obtained the court’s authority to wind up the trust at the end of 2011.  Since those issues have been resolved and answered, the city council now has easily 30 minutes more each meeting in which to discuss matters that really affect the city. The accounting and administrative overhead of the trust fund will be eliminated at the end of this year.

 

n     Created a program to allow waterfront residents to purchase, if they so desire, narrow strips of land between the platted lot lines and the 825’ contour normal pool elevation of Lake LBJ; proceeds from this program paid for the large flags and flag poles at Veterans’ Memorial Park, replaced four dilapidated boat ramps, stabilized the lake shore in several parks, purchased playground equipment, picnic tables, trash receptacles and BBQ grills in all of the city’s parks.

 

n     Purchased 131.6 acres of land to use in part for the city’s sewer system, if approved by the voters, large park areas, and renovated the granite building into a city hall that not only will serve the city for generations to come, but will also be a beacon for the city to show its new commitment to progress.  That purchase implemented several key pieces in the city’s comprehensive plans:  obtain green space and open areas for ball fields as current neighborhood parks are too small; implement a sewer system; replace the existing overcrowded city hall that was built over 30 years ago.  People forget that our staff was stuffed into that small space, and that the city frequently had mechanical issues that would soon require significant expenditures.

 

n     A new city hall was estimated to cost $1.2 million to replace what we had and to add space, and a new very basic, bare bones, community center would cost $300,000.  The city spent $1.2 million to upgrade the existing building to ADA and other code requirements, and the city more than quadrupled its space, providing also for an upgraded community center.

 

n     360 Global paid $12 million for the property.  Original purchase price was $6.9 million, price ultimately dropped to $3.9 million, which spurred interest in the property by investors, and the city negotiated a price of $3.175 million, and the city later acquired the minerals for $395,000.  A recent appraisal of the land and city hall building (excluding the large metal quarry buildings which have hundreds of thousands of dollars of value) placed the investment value at $5,750,000 million, giving the city so far a net increase in value of $1.2 million, not including the metal buildings  and driveway improvements.   If a sewer system is developed the land will likely double in value.

 

n     Resolved boundary and ETJ issues with the City of Horseshoe Bay.

 

n     Adopted a city seal and flag.

 

n     Implemented a strong ethics ordinance.

 

n     Resolved the legal issues that divided the city from property owners on Beaver Island and WEB Isle, smoothing the road to future ultimate unification of all sides.

 

Techonology

 

n     Replaced the city’s accounting system, which was utilizing QuickBooks, into a fully integrated accounting system designed for small to medium sized cities, which is providing city management and policy makers with much more relevant, better and more current information, and allows water utility customers to pay their bills online.

 

n     Began the process to put all city ordinances on line so they will be available to the public at all times.

 

n     Created a presence for the city on the Internet’s social media applications, Facebook and Twitter, being the first city in the county to do so.

 

n     Implemented a GIS system to start documenting and better locating our city assets, including water lines and streets.

 

n     Engaged in a test program, at no cost to taxpayers, to archive city council meetings online so that the public can follow the city’s business without having to attend in person.

 

n     Set up city email addresses for all council members, which not only provides a more professional city presence, but also keeps personal email separate from city email.

 

Utilities

 

n     Replaced miles of water lines with CDBG grants and city revenues.  We have many more lines to replace, and those along the areas slated to receive sewer service will be replaced as the city adds in the new lines.

 

n     Completed a state of the art $6.2 million water treatment plant that is expandable to serve the city for generations to come.

 

 

n     Received over $1 million in grant funds to upgrade water lines, add fire hydrants and to upgrade water treatment plant features.

 

n     Completed a grant-funded sewer study that is the basis for the city’s current phased proposal to provide city-wide sewer service, which is on the ballot in May, 2011.

 

n     Sought a rule change at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to allow, as is allowed for all other water bodies in the state, the return of clean, reclaimed water into the watershed, which would save the city $5 million from the cost of the city’s sewer system.

 

Transportation

 

n     Encouraged TexDOT to replace the traffic light and reconfigure the intersection at Phillips Ranch Road and 1431 to allow for better traffic flow and to add protected turn signals and crosswalks, as well as to add directional signage along 1431 for major intersections.

 

n     Established a Streets and Water Advisory Group to advise the city staff on coordination and planning for street and water line improvements.  When that group started, they determined that the city was responsible for about 77 miles of roads, one-half of which were paved. The city had been paving 1 to 3 miles of road per year.  By working with the county and planning the street paving, we have paved the equivalent of 38.7 miles of road in the last five years. We have paved a number of unpaved roads and are working to get all of our dirt roads paved while maintaining our existing paved roads.

 

n     Systematically replaced and placed numerous street name and traffic signs across the city. With funds budgeted this year, we plan to complete the entire city’s current needs.

 

n     Purchased a new heavy duty vibrating roller, a new mowing tractor with hole-digging implements for signage, and a new dump truck to improve efficiency.

 

Recreation and Economic Development

 

n     Recruited the Andy Roddick Foundation International Tennis Center, to be located at the city’s municipal complex, which will not only bring tennis facilities and programs to Granite Shoals youth and residents at no cost, but will also bring in large tournaments that will contribute millions of dollars to the city’s economy (provided, of course, if the city builds a sewer system that will allow the construction of hotel rooms, restaurants and other service industry infrastructure.  The Foundation plans a number of high profile fundraising events to follow last year’s circus event that entertained over 4,000 people and raised thousands of dollars for the tennis complex.  These events will have the dual effect of bringing more people into Granite Shoals for the fundraisers, as well as generating revenues to build the tennis center.

 

n     Applied for, thus far, about $600,000 worth of grant funds to start developing the park in the city center, with the opportunity to apply for another $750,000 this year.  The city’s equivalent match to these funds will be made by contributing the land and structures that we already own, and will not require an additional city match.  Granite Shoals native and Olympic star Leo Manzano has lent his expertise and name toward developing about 2.5 miles of walking, hiking, biking and running trails.

 

n     Twice, with the help of local businesses, the city has saved the private postal contract unit.

 

n     Implemented a hotel-motel tax, which replaced the tax collected by the county, the proceeds of which can be used to for certain tourism and economic development purposes within the city.

 

n     Negotiated development agreements with two major landholders adjacent to the city to protect the city’s interests should those properties ever develop.

 

n     Completed a professionally prepared comprehensive plan with enormous public input, and the city has began implementing that plan with a new subdivision ordinance, and is currently developing a new zoning ordinance, non-point source ordinance, and impact fee ordinance to prepare the city for the growth that is already at our doorstep.

 

n     Annexed areas long considered part of Granite Shoals, but which were not within the city limits, so that the city would be able to provide full services to those areas, including police, fire and code enforcement.

 

 

Emergency Management and Public Safety

 

n     Survived and rebuilt after a 500 year flood event in 2007, using local funds and FEMA matches to repair roads and drainage facilities, as well as provided water front residents with a means and place to remove flood debris.  Secured grant funds for the city’s debris cleanup match to FEMA, and purchased a brush shredder with grant funds to help manage debris.

 

n     Added two part time paid fire fighters.

 

n     Obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for the police and fire departments for equipment and gear, including a new brush truck, mobile incident command and dive station.

 

n     Replaced the roof at the police station and retrofitted the structure for better efficiency.

 

n     Provided for 24/7 non-emergency phone service, as well as changed the city’s dispatch to Marble Falls Police Department, which results in increased efficiency.

 

n     Adopted a city sex-offender registration ordinance, which prohibits all sex offenders from residing or locating within 1,000 feet of any place where children gather, which includes public parks, schools and churches.

 

n     Stopped the practice of city taxpayer subsidization of out of city fire calls by implementing an insurance charge back program and contracting with individual cities and subdivisions on a truer cost recovery basis.

 

n     Contracted with Christ-Yoder Animal Shelter/Adoption Center to handle stray dogs and cats and enacted a new animal registration ordinance.

 

It is a pleasure to serve as your mayor, and as always, I welcome your input, comments and concerns.  Feel free to email me at mayor@graniteshoals.org.

 

If you wish to be removed from these mailings, just let me know, and if you know of others who want to be added to the distribution, please email me.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Graniite Shoals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.