Wastewater change of scope approved by TWDB

The Texas Water Development Board approved the change in scope for the city of Wimberley’s wastewater project but required a number of conditions to be met before construction can move forward.

The TWDB will only finalize the change in scope if the city of Wimberley approves a property tax to back the loans. The tax would be issued to all properties within the city of Wimberley, not just the area receiving sewer service.

The city council will have to vote to refund the currently issued bonds, which are set to be paid for solely with revenues from the system. They would then have to issue General Obligation bonds for the project that would be backed by an ad valorem property tax. Revenues from the system would still be used to pay for the loan, but the tax would make up any difference the city could not pay for.

The resolution passed by the TWDB states “the City agrees to levy and collect sufficient ad valorem taxes and maintain sufficient rates, and charges to produce System revenues in an amount necessary to meet the debt service requirements of all outstanding obligations with the same pledge as the Refunding Bonds...”

The new bonds need approval from the Texas Attorney General before the change of scope could be officially processed. The city will also have to meet all of the additional recommendations from the TWDB.

A qualified biologist must perform a Golden Cheek Warbler habitat assessment within 300 feet of Cypress Creek, and the city must submit an amended environmental determination to include the new area that will be used to bring effluent to Aqua Texas. There will be a 30-day public review period once the environmental determination is made.

Both staff and board members from the Texas Water Development Board made it clear that the city of Wimberley was nearing the end of its rope with the back-and-forth requests that have come from differing makeups of the city council.

“I want to thank you and the staff… who have bent over backward for years, not many months, for years, to work on this and to provide the best service we can for the city of Wimberley,” Board member Peter Lake said. “As we have discussed before, our state water plan, all of our planning, is built from the ground up relying on locals to provide the leadership and direction at the local level. We never dictate from Austin… This problem needs to be solved. But the patience of this board is not infinite. I encourage current leadership, past leadership, the entire community of Wimberley to make sure this problem gets solved.”

Notes from the TWDB say that the city council is scheduled to consider approving the exchange of bonds during the April 4 City Council meeting at Wimberley City Hall.