After 13 months of negotiations, the City of Leander finally signed on the dotted line for the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant on Jan. 5. The Lower Colorado River Authority announced it would sell 32 of its facilities as a package deal, but Leander petitioned to purchase SCWTP in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of a private company.

City officials and staff said keeping the facility in the hands of the city would ensure the city's water customers paid the lowest fees possible.

"We believe that by owning and operating our own system, we can save our citizens money. On paper, it looks like we can, and I believe that we can in reality," Leander Mayor John Cowman said. "So, it's a win-win for the city, for its citizens, for LCRA—which has relieved itself of an asset—so it's a win-win-win."

The Leander City Council considered several options to purchase SCWTP, including legal action. The council acknowledged the sale at its Jan. 5 meeting. The council then approved a timeline to voluntarily annex approximately 51 acres into the city.

The land, located behind the Leander Public Library, is under contract with Oryx Development, which also developed the Merritt Leander Station Senior Village Apartments on West Old 2243. According to city documents, if Oryx completes the purchase, the developer plans to build a residential project with single-family and multifamily uses.

Leander resident Blanche Corley said there is a need in Leander for affordable housing.

"We ask the council to approve this project for the good of the community," Corley said.

The council approved the timeline, which scheduled public hearings for May 3 and May 17, a first reading for June 7, and the final vote would be July 5.

The council also dismissed a condemnation suit for the Wise property in relation to the County Glen neighborhood's drainage improvements. The project originally called for storm sewers and new streets with curbs, gutters and a water detention facility to address flooding in County Glen and nearby neighborhoods.

City engineer Wayne Watts said the city doesn't have any final answers, but the council has decided to regroup and see if there is a more cost-effective way to accomplish the project's goals.

"We don't want to spend half or two-thirds of our money on land cost and not do roadway and drainage improvements in the neighborhood, so we're going to re-evaluate what the approved project is and look at doing this a different way," Watts said.

Other action:

• In order to provide further funding for city-sponsored cleanup efforts, the council approved a $1 increase in city residents' waste collection bill for one month of the year.