City of Marble Falls

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 16, put the force of a resolution behind an application for funding of a new hike, bike and nature trail on the city's north side.

The resolution supports application to to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) for a $200,000 grant for development of a trail at the Park View park site east of Mormon Mill Road and bounded on the east by Park View Drive and on the south by Park Ridge Drive.

The item was part of the council's consent agenda, so discussion was not part of the meeting, but the council based its decision on background material provided by Robert Moss, director of the Marble Falls Parks & Recreation Department.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Reports have been steady that things have been promising on the economic front in Marble Falls this year and the long-awaited downtown hotel/conference center seems to back on track.

“By just about every economic measurement, Marble Falls had a banner year in 2017,” said Christian Fletcher, executive director of the Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation in an end-of-year report posted online this last week.

In addition he said Thursday, Dec. 28, that the city's hotel/conference team has executed a term sheet with the operator.

The city of Marble Falls voted to fund a new way to deal with an “old way” of doing things.

At their Tuesday, Sept. 19, City Council meeting, the Marble Falls City Council awarded a bid to Tank Builders to replace the Via Viejo ground storage tank. “Via viejo” translates from Spanish to “old way” in English.

The existing 500,000-gallon tank at Via Viejo was built in the early 1960s and now has exceeded its designed lifespan. The new tank will have a 600,000-gallon capacity and is projected to keep up with the city's future growth. The project, which includes new piping and electrical work, is estimated at $800,000 and will be funded by previously issued bond proceeds.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The deadline for filings for city and school board elections in Texas is today, Friday, Feb. 17, and, as of Thursday, several contests had developed for the May 6 elections in Burnet County.

The mayors seats in Burnet and Granite Shoals are contested and the Meadowlakes and Highland Haven city councils will be on the ballot.

In cases where none develops, as may be the case in Bertram and Marble Falls, elections will not have to be held.

Marble Falls

In Marble Falls, Mayor John Packer filed for re-election but the other three incumbents, so far, are undeclared. They are Mayor Pro Tem Jane Mare Hurst, Place 2; Rachel Austin-Cook, Place 4 and Rayan Nash, Place 6.

Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman David Rhodes had filed for Place 2 and attorney Megan Klaeger had filed for Place 6.

Granite Shoals

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Citizens have one more chance today Tuesday, April 12, to review the work on a Comprehensive Plan Update for the City of Marble Falls.

An open house is set for 6 p.m. at Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive.

BY GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH

THE HIGHLANDER

The Marble Falls City Council at their meeting tonight, Tuesday, April 5, will hear an update on the centerpiece and oldest member of their cadre of parks—Johnson Park—and its designation this year as a Lone Star Legacy Park by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS).

By Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander

The $1.5 million expansion project at the City of Marble Falls Water Department plant on Circle Drive met its construction deadline March 10.

“It is up and running,” said Eric Belaj. “The construction involved the installation of a 60-foot diameter clarifier tank, including site piping, valves and electrical connecting the concrete tank to the rest of the

water plant.”