Friends of Lake Wood taking its argument to Austin

The Friends of Lake Wood association met on Thursday evening to review strategies on keeping the necessity of rebuilding the spill gate at the H-5 dam before the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) board of directors and the Texas Sunset Commission.

After a lengthy discussion of possible actions and tactics, the group has decided to mount a letter-writing campaign to state elected officials and board members of the Texas Sunshine Commission.

Joe Solansky pointed out that the city of Victoria, Texas is suing the GBRA for its stated intention to divert over 3,000 acre feet of water to Comal County for mining operations and other business.

An administrative law judge has been asked to decide whether it is legal for another user of the Guadalupe River to divert water upstream and keep it from the city of Victoria.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has granted the city of Victoria a contested case hearing. The State Office of Administrative Hearing has scheduled a mediation between the two.

In addition, Solansky stated that the chairman of the GBRA Board of Directors is the director of Economic Development Corporation for the city of New Braunfels and Comal County. Solansky asserted that there is at the very least the appearance — if not in fact a real — of conflict of interest in the GBRA Board chairman voting to benefit Comal County at the expense of both Gonzales and Victoria Counties.

The Friends of Lake Wood are going to contact their elected officials and the board members of the Texas Sunset Commission to protest the latest news out involving GBRA.

According to Solansky, the Sunset Commission convenes on Aug. 29 in its decision phase. On that date, the Commission will issue its opinion on issues it wants the GBRA to do.

“The Sunset Commission is already on record as saying the GBRA has engaged in conduct that is a true conflict of interest, and that it has failed to plan and set aside monies for maintaining and repairing its operational equipment," Solansky stated. “Well, they did not maintain our dam and now they are claiming they have no money to repair it, but they do have millions to build an office facility in New Braunfels to give more space to management. I would say that is in clear violation of the Sunset Commissions recommendation.

“Plus, they criticized the GBRA for conflict of interest situations, yet their Board Chair who is the EDC director for Comal got the GBRA to build a new facility in his backyard plus now they want to divert water to benefit Comal County’s business development? That is a clear conflict of interest and we are going to say so to anyone who will listen.”

The membership also decided to hold off meeting until September—after the Sunset Commission ruling has been announced. They are also working on a membership recruitment plan.