Prior to a scheduled contested case hearing involving the city’s discharge permit, Dripping Springs city officials this month will hold a closed-door meeting with various entities in hopes of reaching a settlement.
The meeting, to be held May 7 and mediated by a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) representative, involves the city and affected parties which includes water districts in the Hill Country.
City leaders hope to reach a settlement with the affected parties so that they withdraw from the contested hearing.
The meeting, to be held May 7 and mediated by a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) representative, involves the city and affected parties which includes water districts in the Hill Country.
At the April 17 council meeting, council and city staff discussed in executive session which members of council will represent the city at the mediation. Council voted to approve Mayor Todd Purcell, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Foulds and Councilmember Taline Manassian as representatives.
“We estimate the contested hearing will cost the city around one million dollars with legal fees and engineering assessments,” said Ginger Faught, deputy city administrator for the city of Dripping Springs. “If a settlement is reached, the city could use that money for more irrigation land, more storage and better treatment for the plant.”
The meeting comes after the TCEQ commissioners in March approved a shortlist of nine entities for a contested hearing regarding Dripping Springs’ wastewater discharge permit.
The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) was not selected by TCEQ as an affected party, but the district still has the opportunity to have its concerns heard at the contested hearing.
Kirk Holland, interim general manager for the BSEACD, said the district could be selected to join the mediation if all parties agree, including the city of Dripping Springs.
Holland said the water district will also have the opportunity to be granted affected party status at the contested hearing on May 21.
“We’ve had discussion with the city to try and reach an agreement and we are continuing to have those discussions,” Holland said.
The mediation will be a closed meeting where the city of Dripping Springs and the affected parties will be held in separate rooms. The mediator will pass along information between parties during the meeting.
