HSB Council tackles water weeds, special events

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

In addition to swearing in the three victorious councilmen at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Horseshoe Bay City Council tabled a decision on whether to spend as much as $25,000 of city funds on water weed control.

Last month, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) General Manager Phil Wilson made a one-time offer of up $50,000 toward eradication efforts, an offer that was expected to be matched by regional municipalities affected by the proliferation of Milfoil and Hydrilla.

LCRA extended its deadline for each city’s plan to Jan. 15, which means the council must make a decision at its next meeting Dec. 9.

“We want to request as much of that $50,000 as we can, just like other cities will be doing,” said Mayor Steve Jordan, adding that a major war against milfoil could cost as much as $100,000.

He said spending $25,000, or possibly more, would be “beneficial to both lakeside residents and the entire community” who use the local waterways. Therefore, it would be in the public's best interest – a legal test many officials use to gauge the legality of such a decision.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Jordan said, acknowledging the move would be a treatment, not a cure. The treatment area would be up to 30 feet out from the shoreline, he said.

At its October council meeting, the city’s lawyer Rex Baker assured the council that water weed control meets the “public interest” requirement.

Jordan presented the problem to Wilson as a safety issue, outlining repairs to boat motors, children not being allowed by their parents to swim off docks, as well as “others taking the law in their own hands and dumping insecticide in our drinking water.”

Some insecticides do not affect drinking water quality as much as other chemicals. A permit is required by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to apply any chemical to the water, but some residents are suspected of skipping that step.

The city wants milfoil along the approximately 17 miles of shoreline in Horseshoe Bay to be eradicated with “one application, saving money, time and complication,” Jordan said.

However, not every councilman or citizen is in complete agreement.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.