The Franklin County Water District Board of Directors took another step forward in addressing the flooding events of December 2015 at its meeting on April 19.
After a delay necessitated by credible threats of litigation, the Board voted to have Carollo Engineers follow up on the public forum discussion of April 5 and prepare a Scope of Work to evaluate options to address dam operations. The engineers will present that Scope of Work and associated costs to the Board at its May board meeting. This scope will include costs associated with conceptual modifications to the spillway, as well as both regulatory and permitting requirements. Public input will be an essential part of the PER process.
In regards to the threat of litigation, the Board consulted with its legal team and is continuing to work to resolve the issues that are requiring the temporary restriction on the issuance of some construction permits. The Board and Management are very aware of the effect that this moratorium is having on the lake community and homeowners, as well as the people and businesses that rely on Lake Cypress Springs for their livelihood. The Board and Management are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible. But at the same time, the Board must exercise appropriate due diligence and honor their fiduciary responsibility to the State of Texas, as well as all of the citizens and taxpayers of Franklin County which they represent. The Board members must strike the right balance with any decision that they make. The interests of any one particular group cannot be the only deciding factor in the resolution of this issue. The District's legal team and engineers must be given the necessary time to do their job correctly so that they can give the Board the appropriate advice and information that it needs. Rushing them in that process is counter productive to all parties involved. We hope to be able to work through issues related to the permit moratorium in approximately 30 to 60 days.
All of us at the District, the Board, Management and Staff, understand the hardships that this flood event and its repercussions have caused to some of our friends and neighbors and we are committed to getting through this situation as quickly as possible. We appreciate your support and understanding during this difficult time.