The Lakeway Municipal Utility District board of directors reviewed the formation of a Community Advisory Committee on Oct. 27 for the second time in as many meetings.
The idea failed to reach a consensus both times as a pair of 2-2 votes deadlocked the motion at last week’s special meeting and again at the board’s Oct. 21 regular meeting to either table the item for a later meeting or vote on a resolution that formed the committee and named co-chair Cole Rowland and Peggy Point as two of its members.
The committee, which would include a second chairman and two other committee members, would act as ambassadors for LMUD to their friends and neighbors to share positive information about the utility district with them, but also bring important or controversial issues to the board. Committee members also would learn about LMUD’s operations on tours of its facilities and at board of directors meetings. The committee is modeled on the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Regional Council.
The district is taking applications until Nov. 13.
Board member Kay Andrews said she took issue not with the creation of the committee but with board President Tom Rogers’ announcement at both meetings of Rowland and Point as committee members before all board members had a chance to review potential appointees and before any board vote was called for regarding their selection.
The Administrative Personnel Community committee selected Rowland, a Lakeway resident and president of the Highland Lakes Group, and Point as possible candidates, Rogers said.
“We need to do things in the proper order. First of all, we need transparency among the board members,” Andrews stated.
Board member Allan Hitchcock said a Community Advisory Committee would be the ideal body for creating more accessibility and transparency.
“I’ve heard other members of this board say that they want an open, transparent organization and from my standpoint, the selection of a Community Advisory Committee that stands independent from our board, that meets and discusses and becomes knowledgeable about the operation of the Lakeway Municipal Utility District and then listens to the tone of reaction from the city and the district and out of the district, it sounds to me like a very open and transparent operation,” Hitchcock said. “This is an addition to the board, and it is an additional source of information that we can receive from our community.
“I don’t see why you are objecting to it. It’s so obvious we should be doing this. We probably should have had a committee like this all along” he said to Andrews.
She said the idea of the committee and selection of Rowland and Point had been done in secret without her or board member Jerry Hietpas’ knowledge until they received their board packets the Friday before the Oct. 21 meeting.
Rogers said the potential appointments had come before the APC committee and that the board had not appointed anyone yet.
“Our process was based upon looking out in our customer base and saying, ‘Who are the outstanding leaders that have a lot of respect in the community [and] are known for getting the job done,’” he said.
Speaking to Rogers specifically, she declared, “Until you learn that we are all equal on this board I cannot approve this committee. We have to clean up our own backyard right here, first.”
“We have not appointed them yet,” Rogers said. “The board is going to have the opportunity to vote on the co-chairs. All this [resolution] is saying is ‘OK, let’s set up the committee.’”
In Tuesday’s meeting, Hietpas said he thought three of the Community Advisory Committee’s stated goals duplicated efforts that the district’s APC committee or board members themselves were or should be undertaking.
“By being out and about the board can be just as effective or more effective. I do seek that [input] when I am out and about. I really do,” Hietpas said. “[This committee is] insulating us from the people.”
Rogers said the committee’s objectives should not deter board members from gathering input from the public and share information about the district with them.
LMUD General Manager Richard Eason asked Andrews what could be done differently so she would vote on the matter.
“Number 1 we need to table it until we clear the air a little bit. Why are you in such a rush?” Andrews asked Eason.
“Why are you so vindictive?” Hitchcock asked her.
“I am not vindictive. All of this is we do not go according to rules. We do not go according to policies,” she said.
Tuesday’s vote ended in a 2-2 tie with board member Tom Priddy absent. Rogers said no action could be taken and the item would be rescheduled for another meeting.
At the LMUD board of directors’ regular meeting Oct. 21, a deadlocked board missing Hitchcock split, 2-2, on forming the Community Advisory Committee.
Reading from a prepared statement, Rogers announced Rowland and Point as Community Advisory Committee members to lead off the agenda item but before the board discussed it.
Andrews said that she approved of the committee but not the manner in which Rogers made the announcement before the full board had discussed their credentials and voted on the appointments.
“I’m not against this. I think it’s a wonderful idea. The whole complaint by our entire community is the way our board is governed. We must do things in a democratic way,” Andrews said.
She said the board should be following Robert’s Rules of Order under which a board president is limited to setting the agenda and moderating the meetings.
“That does not mean you can dictate everything,” Andrews said.
Andrews and board member Hietpas voted to table action on the committee. Rogers and board member Priddy voted against the motion to table the item.
“Then nothing has happened because it’s a tie,” Rogers said.
In other action at Tuesday’s special meeting, board members:
• Approved an amendment to the district’s contract with developer Haythem Dawlett’s HSD company to split off 3.86 acres of 18.89 acres of district land at Tuscan Village II that he had purchased from them. Dawlett’s plan is to continue with his 150- to 170-unit independent-care development on the property but to sell the smaller parcel to Grace Senior Services Inc., a developer who would build a 64-bed assisted living facility.
In other action at the Oct. 21 meeting, board members:
• Adopted a resolution opposing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s potential repealing of a no-discharge effluent rule. The resolution is similar to the one the City of Lakeway passed at its Oct. 19 City Council meeting;
• Approved rate manual amendments;
• Established a district policy on providing wastewater services to areas outside the district boundaries;
• Amended LMUD’s out-of-district wastewater system extension policy;
• Created an e-mail policy that adheres to the Open Meetings Act;
• Passed a resolution providing for the disbursement and transfer of district funds and requiring surety bonds;
• Amended the district’s wastewater backup policy; and,
• Amended its reuse connection and rate policy.