Travis County Commissioners Court discussed a recommended list of projects July 18 for a proposed bond issue in November that included the following western Travis County improvements: Bee Creek Sports Complex, Westminster Glen sidewalks, Hamilton Pool Road safety, Bullick Hollow Road at FM 2769 roadway capacity Pedernales Canyon Trail at Lick Creek drainage stream crossing, Great Divide at Little Barton Creek drainage stream crossing (engineering only) and Phase II of the Arkansas Bend Park.[/caption]

Cost estimates for a proposed 2017 Travis County bond increased by about $14 million from last week’s $144 million recommendation, said Cynthia McDonald, deputy chief of Travis County’s Transportation and Natural Resources Department during today’s Commissioner’s Court meeting. Ron Wattinger, county staff member and citizen bond advisory committee chairman, gave an update on the proposal before opening a public hearing.

Reimers-Peacock Road

The majority of the speakers today—including Clark Hancock, president of the Save Barton Creek Association and Bill Bunch, president of the Save Our Springs Alliance—were focused on leaving the bond recommendation as it was presented last week, without the inclusion of Reimers-Peacock Road. This road, proposed to connect Hamilton Pool Road to West Hwy. 71., was originally included in the Travis County Citizens Bond Advisory Committee project list before members pared down its recommended 50 projects.

Travis Houseman, who lives off Bob Wire Road near the intersection of West Hwy. 71 at Reimers-Peacock Road, addresses Travis County Commissioners July 25 regarding his opposition to constructing a Reimers-Peacock connection to Hamilton Pool Road.[/caption]

"Including Reimers-Peacock [Road] is giving taxpayer money to build a road that a few wealthy landowners want so they can develop their property," Hamilton Pool Road resident Nell Penridge said. Penridge also served as Emergency Services District 6 fire commissioner and serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations concerned about maintaining the Hamilton Pool corridor.

"If the property owners want to do develop it, fine," she said. "But let it be a process whereby the market will bear development and infrastructure costs—not Travis County taxpayers."

She said although both ESD 6 and the Pedernales Fire Department have stated support for the project, the greatest fire safety concern is having fire stations on the western end of Hamilton Pool Road and Hwy. 71. She said properties have been purchased in the corridor that would alleviate a fire safety issue and a new station is planned to be onboard within two years.

Pct. 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty asks a speaker if he would be opposed to any road connecting West Hwy. 71 to Hamilton Pool Road on July 25.[/caption]

Having also served on the CBAC in 2005 and 2011, Penridge said a project to construct the Reimers-Peacock Road was brought up and dismissed in each of those bond proposal discussions.

"Three different CBACs have said 'no' to Reimers-Peacock Road," she said. "And I ask that you follow their advice and not fund [the project]."

Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty asked several speakers if they would be opposed to any road connection between Hamilton Pool Road and West Hwy. 71.

"For me, it was that the Commissioner [Daugherty] pointed out that he is just for a road," resident Ari Axelrod said. "Well, if he is just for a road, we’ve had 10 years of him trying to get Reimers-Peacock [Road] without any proposal by him of any other road. So, he’s not for a road. He’s for Reimers-Peacock."

Accounting for added project costs

At a July 15 meeting, the CBAC recommended the approval of a $144 million bond referendum that will fund specific projects to help the county’s transportation, park and roadway issues. The tally is in addition to a $90.5 million recommended annual appropriation from certificates of obligation that does not need to be presented to the voters in November. A total of $236 million is proposed for park and roadway improvements.

“There are a lot of changes happening at the last minute,” McDonald said. “Once we look[ed] at [the items in review], we [did] one last cost estimation and, unfortunately, there was an increase of about $14 million.”

She said the bicycle safety project cost estimates for Fitzhugh, Old San Antonio and Old Lockhart roads saw the biggest increase, estimated at $6 million to widen the proposed lanes so they are safe for both riders and drivers.

Staff also increased the cost estimate for the following improvements: South Pleasant Valley Road by $2.6 million to improve curving; Gilleland Creek Greenway by $2.25 million to include engineering and design for the entire portion of the 19-mile trail; and $800,000 for an increase in construction costs for bridge safety surrounding Littig and Manda Carlson roads.

Revised costs now total an estimated $67 million for transportation improvements, up from an initial $58 million estimate, and $75 million for park improvements, up from an initial $73 million. Certificates of Obligation, which do not require voter approval, were increased by almost $1 million, from $82.3 million to $83.1 million. With an additional 10 percent of the new cost total allocated to project management fees and 1 percent of the new cost total allocated to bond issuance, the overall county funds to be spent on proposed parks, transportation and bridges projects totals $249 million.

Commissioners expressed some concern with the increase in costs because of the effect it could have on taxpayers. The $144 million bond proposal was initially not expected to result in a tax rate increase.

“Our goal as a county is to deliver projects on time and within budget,” County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said. “We want to be transparent about the costs to the public and the time frame [the projects] will be delivered.”

Wattinger recommended a few solutions to get back to the recommended numbers that include the removal of the drainage stream crossing engineering for Great Divide at Little Barton Creek, which was estimated to cost $766,600.

Eckhardt said the county plans to deliberate on this during the Aug. 1 meeting and Commissioners are expected to make a decision as soon as Aug. 8.