Burnet County commissioners reviewed bylaws involved in the potential participation of the Central Texas Spaceport Development Corporation (SDC) with Williamson County, during the April 8 regular meeting.
Despite a push by Williamson County officials
to join the SDC, commissioners delayed action.
Williamson County commissioners voted in March to approve the formation of the space development entity with the idea that Burnet County would participate as well.
During a public workshop in April, Cedar Park Assistant Economic Director Scott Smith pleaded with the commissioners to enter the partnership with Williamson County to advance several SDC goals including the new federal and state grants to both counties for more space research.
Also, during that same workshop, FireFly Chief Operating Officer Dan Fermon indicated his firm supports expansion of the SDC.
FireFly operates a “Rocket Ranch” over 200 acres in Briggs within Burnet County precinct 2, where it develops space exploration technology.
Back to the April 8 meeting earlier this week, Pct. 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle reported that his constituents have provided him with “99 percent negative feedback” toward Burnet County joining the SDC.
He explained that a number of Briggs residents object to the pos- sible monopoly of future land use by SDC and how the corporation could upset the administrative or governmental “balance of power” between Burnet and Williamson counties.
“The folks I represent are saying ‘no’ at this time,” Beierle told Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson and fellow commissioners. “There may be some good things (about the SDC) but its negatives outweigh the positives now.”
Wilson asked the commissioners for a motion on the spaceport issue. Stone silence followed. No motion, no action.
Child Abuse Awareness Also during the meeting, the court proclaimed April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.
“It does exist in our county,” Burnet County Welfare Board President Caroline Ragsdill told the commissioners. “It exists in every county. If you see something, say something. It might save a child’s life.”
Super Visit
During public comments, Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Jeff Gasaway mentioned the district plans to hold a “zero-rate tax increase” election on four propositions May 3.
If voters approve all the propositions, the district would take on debt of more than $170 million to implement several facility and technology upgrades as well as transportation and security improvements.
Funding for the upgrades would come from the district debt service fund (funded by the interest and sinking rate) not the general operations fund.
“It is not going to increase the (property) tax rate one penny,” Gasaway said.
Furthermore, the funds would not be “compressed and recaptured” by the Texas Education Agency for sharing it with other districts under the so-called “Robin Hood” legislation.
Crime Software
In other business, the commissioners approved more than $25,000 to procure the new iCrime and iCrimeFighter software to help the Burnet County Attorney and 33rd/424th Judicial District Attorney store and transfer evidence information to trial defense counsels as the law requires.
“I expect this to be a big improvement,” County Attorney Eddie Arredondo said.
“I think it is our best choice,” District Attorney Perry Thomas said.
Continued use of the Odyssey software for the same purpose would cost the county more than $80,000, Arredondo added.
“It looks like a good system,” Wilson said. “We are spending a little bit of money to make things go right.”
Associate Editor Connie Swinney contributed to this report.
