It's Earth Day in Horseshoe Bay

Today is Earth Day in the City of Horseshoe Bay by the proclamation presented at the city council meeting Tuesday, April 19.

Mayor Steven T. “Steve” Jordan presented the proclamation making April 22, 2016 as Earth Day in recognition of the efforts of the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association (POA) to establish its first Earth Day Expo. POA President Sam Morrison accepted the proclamation as part of the “global community,” recognized for taking action to create a positive environmental change.

The Earth Day Expo, free to the public, will be conducted from 10 a.m.-1 p.m at the Quail Point, 107 Twilight Lane, in cooperation with the city and the Horseshoe Bay Business Alliance (HSBBA). In addition to free food and drinks, three speakers will be featured from 10-11:15 a.m. Peter Pfeiffer, an expert in green building techniques and architect with Barley Pfeiffer Architecture in Austin is the opening, keynote speaker. At 10:45 a.m., Luke Furfey of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will inform residents about recycling programs. Elias Guerrero, a new Horseshoe Bay resident and horticulturalist with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, will talk about native planting at 11 a.m.

Some 16 exhibitors from businesses and government agencies will provide more information from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Highland Lakes Farmers& Market representatives will provide information on organic food and gardening techniques

Also beginning at 11 a.m., Condor Document Services will shred documents for a $10 donation per banker's box and Tower Gardens/Juice Plus+ will demonstrate aeroponic growing systems.

Two new officers in the Horseshoe Bay Police Department were introduced at the meeting – Mike Kelly and Richard Ciolfi.

Fire Chief Joe Morris received approval from the council for the purchase of two new fire trucks for the Horseshoe Bay Fire Department fleet. The two Ferrera Custom Cinder Pumpers will cost $493,496 each, a savings of $40,000 for the purchase of two units.

The council awarded a bid of $754,670 to Alpha Paving Industries of Round Rock for seal coating 13.37 miles of streets in the areas north and south of Farm to Market Road 2147. In members approved an annual inter-local agreement with Llano County for paving and street improvement.

The four land use items on the agenda were approved, including a resolution directing a petition to municipal court for removal of a substandard structure in the 2900 Block of Deep Canyon in Horseshoe Bay West.

The preliminary and final plats were approved to combine through re-plats lots and portions of common area into larger lots for all of the Trails End Subdivision in the 700 Block of Trails Parkway and the 100 Block of Christine Circle. As a result of the re-plats the number of lots will change from 30 to 16 lots and no common area will remain.

Developer Sam Boyd was on hand at the meeting to receive approval of preliminary and final plats for undeveloped land for a 21-lot subdivision. The action set the stage for a request for rezoning part of the Hidden Coves Planned Development into Mixed Use Garden Home Lake Area Planned Development (MU-GH-LA PD). The 21 lots in the 2600 Block of Faultline Drive, the 2400 Block of Diagonal Drive and the 300 Block of Lost Echo will include 19 garden home lots, two lake-access lots and one lot for future garden home development.

The Grove at Summit Rock received approval for a sign ordinance variance for the placement of model home signs.