City of Granite Shoals Texas news

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Jason Brady was honored with the Granite Shoals Mayor's Award on April 21 in the meeting in which the city council  learned city attorney, Brad Young, is to depart.

Brady received applause from citizens at the meeting as well as accolades from Mayor Carl Brugger.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Highlander Candidate Forum, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21, will be one item of interest on the Granite Shoals City Council agenda tonight, Tuesday, April 10.

Candidates in the May 5 city council election have been invited to the 10 a.m. forum at Marble Falls Fire Rescue, 8410 West Ranch to Market Road 1431.

Those candidates are Bruce A. Jones and incumbent Shirley King for Place 2, and Terry Scott and Ryan Wolters for Place 4. Will Skinner is uncontested for Place 6.

In the mean time, the council will be urging citizens to be ready Saturday, April 14, for the annual City Wide Clean Up.

The gates will open at the city hall entrance, 2221 North Phillips Ranch Road at 8 a.m. and refuse will be accepted until noon for disposal in Republic Service dumpsters on the municipal complex. A shredder service for important documents will go on only until 11 a.m.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council will meet in a special session Wednesday, March 7, to make arrangements for administration of the city without city manager Ken Nickel.

Since Nickel resigned verbally during the council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27, no advance preparation had been made signatories or a search process for an interim, or new, city manager. That work will take place Wednesday and until then assistant city manager Peggy Smith will serve as interim CM.

The council did take action last Tuesday on two major projects Nickel has shepherded forward for the city—road improvement bonds and annexation.

The issuance of the $3 million in road bonds was approved by ordinance. The money, approved by voters in November 2016 and again in November 2017, should be available on March 21.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Victory in a years-long effort to establish a comfortable general fund balance seems to be in sight for the City of Granite Shoals.

City Manager Ken Nickel told the city council Tuesday night, Dec. 12, that he would have to wait for an official pronouncement from the upcoming audit, but the city's own summary of Fiscal Year 2016-2017 is promising.

“Between the increase in revenue and less money expended we are $243,456, net, to the good,” he said. “Added to current reserves, I believe we will hit the 90-day reserve of normal or best practices.

“It is nice to have the balance, but we have to remember, one major expense could knock it out.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council at its Tuesday night meeting voted unanimously for final acceptance of the $500,000 Texas Parks & Recreation Department (TPWD) grant for a multi-purpose sports center.

Teachers and families in the city had signed the original petition that accompanied the grant application, but it was two youth soccer coaches—Ulisses Solórzano and Irving Salgado-- who came to urge the council toward acceptance Tuesday night.

“More than 60 percent of Marble Falls soccer players are from Granite Shoals (and) 80 percent of varsity players have been from here,” said Solórzano. “But they need training to experience soccer clubs and college showcases, to get college scholarships. We have to drive to Marble Falls for that.”

Outside the meeting Salgado shared video of the drills for young players that could be done in any weather on practice areas planned for the new center.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Travelers of Ranch to Market Road (RM) 1431 west from Marble Falls can expect two new traffic signals.

One of them, a new caution light at the intersection of Burnet County Road 120 and Burnet County Road 125/Highland Drive, the entrance to the City of Highland Haven, is under construction.

“This is a safety issue that Highland Haven has been requesting from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for several years,” said Olan Kelley, mayor of city.

“Be sure to pass along your thanks to Burnet County Judge James Oakley, and Cathy Kratz, the Burnet Area engineer for TxDOT and Burnet County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr., who have been working to improve the safety at this intersection as well as others in Burnet County,” Kelley added in a message to Highland Haven citizens.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Friday and Saturday, June 23-24 will be busy in Granite Shoals with a community spaghetti dinner, a town hall meeting on urban deer and Movie Night at Bluebriar Park.

Spaghetti at the fire hall

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter or a member of the Granite Shoals Fire Auxiliary (GSFA) is especially invited to a free community spaghetti dinner for families in the city sponsored by Granite Shoals Fire Rescue (GSFR).

Two candidates for mayor of Granite Shoals will face off Saturday, May 6, in the General Election. They are incumbent Mayor Carl Brugger and challenger Mike Steenbergen.

Filing unopposed for re-election were businesswoman Anita Hisey and Jim Davant, a retiree who has served on the Planning & Zoning Commission and Street and Water Advisory Group, and local surveyor Todd Holland, for Places 1, 3 and 5, respectively.

The Highlander asked the two mayorial candidates five questions about their qualifications and ideas for being the city's chief municipal leader and their responses appear below. In the interest of fairness, we have alternated which candidate's answer appears first.

A grand opening of the new Granite Shoals Wildlife Viewing Station will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30.
The announcement was made at the April 11 meeting of the Granite Shoals City Council.
“This is the newest feature for Quarry Park,” said City Manager Ken Nickel. “It is similar to one at Inks Lake State Park. It was all at their expense.”
Directional signs will lead walkers to the station, just steps off the Leo Manzano Hike Bike & Run Trail. The trail begins near the entrance to city hall and 2221 North Phillips Ranch Road. Viewers will be able to observe and photograph birds and other wildlife at a small pond.

The annual Granite Shoals Spring Clean Up, set for Saturday, April 1, will again offer document shredding.

From 8 a.m.-noon, citizens can access the dumpsters and the shred station from the main city hall entrance, 2221 North Phillips Ranch Road. A current water bill and Driver License will be required for admission. No contractors will be allowed.

“Condor Document Services will be on site until 11 a.m.,” said City Secretary Elaine Simpson. “Residents who want secure shredding should bring their documents in boxes and all binders and large fasteners should be removed.”

Almost any refuse will be accepted, including bagged trash and leaves, furniture, appliances without Freon, scrap metal and even toilets. Tires with or without rims will be accepted for a $3 recycle fee.