City Council unanimously appointed local developer Don Walden Sept. 27 to serve as its Place 2 representative on the West Travis County Public Utility Agency board of trustees. Walden replaces board member Mike Murphy who resigned Aug. 9 but remained on the dais until a replacement was found.

The agency provides water and wastewater service to Bee Cave; Travis County Municipal Utility District No. 5, or Lake Pointe; and a portion of Hays County. The board has two appointees from Bee Cave—including Mayor Pro Tem Bill Goodwin—two appointees from Hays County and one appointee from MUD No. 5.

Walden, Jon Cobb, Fred Goff, Peter Golde and Jeremy Wright submitted applications, but Goff later withdrew his application.

At the meeting, Wright cited his business experience as a chief financial officer; Cobb cited his work with water agencies and desire to have new members not associated with the agency’s founding; and Walden cited his advocacy for a publicly owned water system as the basis for their applications. Golde was not present.

In 2012, the Lower Colorado River Authority divested itself of its water and wastewater utility systems, including the systems covered by WTCPUA’s current service area.

“I still maintain the [WTC] PUA is the best answer and a great successor to Lower Colorado River Authority’s failed management operations,” Walden said.

Walden’s term will expire Sept. 30, 2020, and Goodwin’s term expires Sept. 30, 2018.