City’s water talks with GBRA to continue

By Miles Smith
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The Lockhart City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to hold a special meeting on Jan. 9 to take another look at a deal that could secure water for the area in 2030 and beyond.
Council has heard presentations from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and is eyeing a deal that could enable the city to utilize water from the Carrizo Springs Aquifer in the future. The GBRA has has acquired groundwater leases from 42,000 acres of land in Gonzales and Caldwell County and a permit of 15,000 acre feet for production and transport.
The GBRA is also developing a few potential regional projects that the city could participate in and secure future water usage.
Lockhart City Manager Vance Rodgers said the city had plenty of water for now, but had to look ahead because the city’s agreement in Luling ends in 2030.
“Next Tuesday, the council is going to look at what needs to be done to fund the projects,” Rodgers said. “There are four or five different scenarios we need to look at.
“It’s hard to get people to understand that you have to set aside money to pay for future water use.”
Rodgers reiterated that there was plenty of water to go around for now, but that future growth also needed to be considered.
“We have 4,823 water customers which means 13,500 citizens last year,” Rodgers said. “We’re using an average of about 2 million gallons of water a day, and a peak of 2.15 million.”
Rodgers said the city also had the water plant built in 1952 to consider, and future upkeep on that.
“We have water wells in town that pick up the slack when we experience sudden growth,” he added.
In other action, council:
– Approved a resolution to waive up to $250 in development fees for JES Holdings as support for the proposed Maple Park Senior Village development project to be constructed at the northwest quadrant of Clearfork Street at City Line Road.
– Left in place a previous decision to close North Main in front of Black’s Barbecue during the Hot Rods and Hatters event that takes place the first weekend in February. The city will work to find alternative parking for Black’s customers during the event.
– Reappointed Jerry West to the construction board.
– Heard an update from Rodgers, who said sealed construction plans for the wall of remembrance and the eternal fountain at Lockhart’s city cemetery were received from Friends of the Cemeteries and will be placed on the Jan. 16 agenda for consideration by the council.