Wimberley City Council is beginning to set end dates and deadlines for the wastewater project that has taken at least three years of negotiations.
The council agreed on Wednesday that in order to cross Cypress Creek to get to Aqua Texas, the city needs to complete easement negotiations with landowners by Oct. 25.
Once negotiations are complete, city attorneys and the city project manager can make a timeline, which will be voted on at the Nov. 7 meeting.
Place one council member Rebecca Minnick said that a handshake with landowners is the first domino to fall.
“I think it’s important that we have a projected date. We have been saying as soon as possible, but now we need a structured schedule. Next meeting, we will have that lined out. First, we have to nail down the handshake with landowners. Once this critical step is taken, everything will fall into place,” Minnick said.
In an additional stride towards completion, the council agreed to spend $3,500 to survey city owned property at the end of Blue Hole Lane for a possible easement. Compared to the original route, this new route will be shorter and not cut through Blue Hole Park.
Place Two Council Member Craig Fore said he is prepared to move forward with setting dates, but also would like to take further steps.
“I also would like to take it a step further and talk to TxDOT so we can get this moving as quickly as possible for our community,” Fore said.
In an interview place three Council member Christine Byrne, who made the motion for the Oct. 25 date for a handshake, said she has seen the community struggle long enough.
“We are in this situation and we’re trying to make the best of the situation. Really, we are just trying to move forward. We have restaurants downtown that are hurting, pumping and hauling. We need to do this and get it done,” Byrne said.
