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Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting This is an aerial of the IC ISD campus on April 1, 2026. The lower half is the new flood detention area at 4th and W. Fleming. Technically it is still under construction since the street component is going to be redone during the summer so that more water flows off the street into the detention area. Mertzon City Council Agenda A. Agenda Analysis 2nd Street drainage, item 5 : This item has been rescheduled from a previous meeting. See my photos here . In a nutshell, the IC ISD campus for the most part sits atop a hill that divides two water basins. The basin to the west is the W. Fleming and 4th St. basin, pictured at the top of this page. The basin to the east is the 2nd Street basin that flows between Fayette and Juanita streets east of the campus. Both basins flow directly into City Park, just a few blocks away. City Park has property that the City owns, the City leases (the football field is leased to IC ISD) and the County owns (pool, Community Center and arena). Thus, stormwater runoff that comes off of the impervious cover on the IC ISD campus impacts the entire community. Lions Club, item 6: The Lions Club has been approved to put in a pavilion at the river close to the baseball fields. My recollection is that when this project was initially proposed an electric line was rejected because TCEQ would not allow it. It is in a flood zone they regulated. In addition to the unsightliness of yet another line in the city, an open outlet next to an open air pavilion is going to encourage RV'ers to come use it as a free hookup. And, the bill. Who is going to pay the electric bill each month? (The City shouldn't.) Here's a solution: build the pavilion with solar panels on the roof, then when the Lion's Club needs electricity they can bring in their own Anker Solix (or similar brand) solar generator when they need power. That's a quick remedy that won't put the City in the position of managing another electric meter, while at the same time not encouraging mission creep with the entire project. (This year it's a power outlet for a slow cooker, next year its an added closed in kitchen, the following year it's an added band stand for dances...) B. Meeting Review I attended this meeting, but I am pressed for time to get a brief out on Friday for the Oncor/LCRA 765 kV case. Bear with me. (It was a good meeting worth knowing about.) C. Commentary 765 kV case update: the trial was 2 and 1/2 days March 25 - 27th. I think it may come down to how much weight will be given to the University Lands letter that was filed immediately after the trial ended. A final decision by the Commission is not due out until July. Pending. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Dump trucks lined the intersection at 4th and West Fleming during the early morning hours of March 18, 2026. They were waiting their turn to dump the cement for the parking around the new IC ISD transportation facility up the hill from my home. Ten years ago on this date is when I first started my efforts to get relief from the stormwater flooding from the campus of my next door neighbor, Irion County ISD. The email that started it all. So much has changed, indeed, improved , especially with the efforts of Supt. Nikki Moore. Yet, in so many ways, the issues remain identical today as they were back then. The apron around the new transportation facility was poured early this morning. Try as I did, I was not able to convince the District to put this facility elsewhere. This location will add stormwater to the basin where my home is located. Part of my morning today was spent in a walking meeting on 4th Street with Mertzon Mayor Aubrey Stewart.* We met so I could show him my concerns about whether the design of the new detention pond was going to work sufficiently to give me some relief. Go here to see some photos . Mayor Stewart is well seasoned now and we are accustomed to one another. It was a good meeting. Lest anyone doubt it, at 10 years in I’m not at a stopping point. There is still more left to do… *Why the Mayor? In Mertzon, as is the case in all Texas cities, the city streets are owned and regulated by the municipality. The primary authority to go to when there is street flooding is the local municipality. Mertzon is unique in that it does not have a municipal flood plan or building codes. This gives great latitude to IC ISD and its design and construction agents (Parkhill and Gallagher) to build with little regulatory oversight. And, this puts the onus on the property owner to protect their own property. Thus, I met with the Mayor to see if he would intervene with IC ISD. The street, 4th St., is still closed due to the flooding, so the City of Mertzon has a real incentive to get this flooding corrected. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting The engineers for IC ISD have to contend with rainwater runoff from 4 different sources in order to make good use of the new detention pond at 4th and W. Fleming. The arrows show the direction of the flow from those sources. The detention pond on 2nd street has multiple sources as well. The school sits on a hill between two different basins. A. Agenda Analysis 2nd Street Drainage, item 5: I posted several aerial photos of this area when this matter was first on the agenda back at the February 2 2026 Council meeting . Since then I have confirmed that the District is going to convert the tennis court area at 4th and Fayette (Immediately west of the Ibarra's) into paved parking. This will send even more rain water down Fayette towards the proposed detention pond at 3rd and Fayette. Another consideration for the Council is whether any proposed flood diversion plan is scalable for future IC ISD growth. My guess is there will likely be another bond in 4-6 years. This means more flooding for the same streets. The rest: The remainder of the agenda is the stock agenda for the Council. The concrete is now set on the west side of the new IC ISD transportation facility, and it is more transparent where the water is designed to drain. The stormwater runoff will drain into the City owned alley and go down to join the runoff on 4th Street. B. Meeting Review 2nd Street drainage, item 5: The engineer wasn't able to make this meeting, so this was tabled until the next meeting. This is probably best given what I am learning about the new drainage project at 4th and W. Fleming...as shown by the pictures on this page. As it stands today, March 17, 2026, Parkhill and Gallagher have very likely worsened the flood drainage because the street diversion will be easily overwhelmed when it rains. Bottom line: this means the water from the new transportation facility will flood my residence and increase water flow on W. Fleming. Also see my Commentary below. Waste water treatment plant, item 6: Hibbs and Todd did in fact pay for the aerator that went down. This came up in a prior meeting when it was disclosed that the delays in funding of the bonds for upgrades to the facility were costing the City extra in repairs for equipment that was outdated. The discussion at this meeting raised the issue of whether Hibbs and Todd should also pay for the installation of the aerator, as that remains unclear. (They should. Installation costs are part of the delays.) The ~2% increase in grade where the arrow points is not going to be enough. I predict that as little as 1/2” rain will overwhelm this diversion system on 4th St. C. Commentary See my Commentary at C 1 here for more on the drainage of the other flood detention pond at 4th and W Fleming. Without any kind of flood plan or building code enforcement by the City of Mertzon, it is solely up to the residents to advocate for themselves. The meager street water diversion in the picture above is the signal that I have to keep after it. Tomorrow, March 18, 2026, makes this a 10 year effort . Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting On March 5 cement trucks on 4th Street started pouring the area that will direct the water into the detention pond. A. Agenda Analysis Redemption of bonds, item 12: This is the most important item on this agenda. See my Meeting Review at B.2. for last month's meeting . Paying off the 2019 bonds will also make the District a more attractive draw for new superintendent candidates. If accomplished, the District won't be awash in debt. Discuss Supt. search, item 10: Expect the Region 15 folks to be present to give an update. I’m not certain just yet, but the job may have been posted on March 6. Of course, candidates are kept under wraps for the majority of the process. Administrator/Teacher contracts and renewals, items 15, 18 and 19: These are done each March and are a barometer of employee security and contentedness with the District. With a new superintendent in the not too distant future, I imagine the administrators want to burrow in and the teachers are wondering whether they need to look elsewhere. Band travel, item 7: The band has been invited to be the only Texas band to play in the Liberty Bowl, I believe it is, as discussed at the last board meeting. Fundraising is going to have to be top level because the trip could reach the $75,000 to $100,000 mark. Pending construction projects, item 5: This is the placeholder in case bond funding of a project is necessary. Nomination for Supt. of year, item 6: They really don’t want her to leave. Noted. The operative question about the aqueduct design here is whether it is going to be robust enough to channel the large amounts of water that are intended to go into the detention area. My initial impression is no (I have been in this very location many times during rain storms), but it’s concrete now so we are going to find out. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting documents . Paydown of bonds, item 12: This matter has been tabled. This issue has become all the more important with Board Member Taylor Douglas' housing development that could bring more children to the district. There's no way around it - more children equals more classrooms, more bond debt and higher student to teacher ratios. Having bond capacity will be essential. Bond purchasing, item 5: The Board approved a bid for maintenance building equipment. Nomination for Region 15 Supt. of the Year , item 6: President Carlile spearheaded this nomination. The Board unanimously approved. It is a good sign that the Board President is endorsing the Superintendent like this, particularly as their relationship is ending. Supt search, item 10: They will conduct initial interviews April 20-21 for a start date of May 19. See page 8 of the meeting documents for the deadlines. The Board went into closed to discuss board profiles. Administrative Report - a. Coach Morrow: There was a Hellas meeting on March 9 about the track imperfections at the new track, and Hellas was a no show. So, the problems aren't being resolved by Hellas. The District is still retaining final payment. Put "Hellas" in the search bar to see the history. b. Special programs: This was a very informative update by Ms. Jackson. The numbers: Special ed census - elementary 36; secondary 24. The 504 program has 22 in elementary and 22 in secondary. ESL 8 total, last year 14. c. Kandra Lakey: The interest return from unspent bond investments is substantial. This is interest the District gets to keep. (Under the prior administration, in fact, it saved their bacon when they over spent on the 2019 bond funds.) Go to the meeting documents pages 11-23 to see this month's board report on the budget . The District's fund balance is typically $8-9 million, btw. d. Supt. Moore: Transportation is getting its parking area poured this week. (In the background: I am in ongoing discussions with her on this project because this means the time has finally arrived for addressing the engineers' design for stormwater runoff of this facility into the alley. See my commentary below.) Transfer applications will go out in April. (No discussion here, but this was a hot button issue last year when the District refused to grant some transfers; it stands to become even more controversial if a new neighborhood comes in, as residents get an automatic seat.) She is also addressing roof and A/C quotes. Band travel, item 8 : The Board approved out of state travel next December to the Liberty Bowl. Fundraising for $80-90 k is now underway. (An estimated 50 students can go, with an approximate tab of $1,500 per student for the trip.) Life Skills MOU, item 9 : The District and Sonora are content with current agreement, so no action here. Interior keyless entry contract with Verkada , item 11: The Board approved the $485,000 bid. This bid doesn't include the1909 building, as construction hasn't started there yet. Consent agenda, item 13 : Approved. Teacher Contracts, Return after closed, items 17, 18 and 19 : See pages 1and 2 of the meeting documents . All teacher contracts were approved, with the exception of Tell Rutledge, the head football coach, and action on his contract was tabled. As tempting as it is, her teeth have to come in first. C. Commentary A reminder to Parkhill/Gallagher hydraulic engineers: Way back in 2023, I posted this about the stormwater runoff entering 4th Street from the new gymnasium: Stormwater from the Roof of City Gym . My relationship with the District has greatly improved since that post, I'm pleased to say. But, that math is still good math...and the aqueduct on 4th street going into the new storm detention area has to account for it... and the new storm water coming from the transportation facility . Keyless door locks: Don't overlook the District spending $485,000 on an interior keyless door lock system. These are security upgrades that the state has hoisted upon districts and taxpayers in part because our state leadership has failed to properly address mass shootings in public schools. We are on the treadmill here, as these upgrades will likely only be operational for a limited time. (Ten years?) Additional bond funds will be needed at that time to replace this system. Rolling bonds are a dangerous slippery slope. We all now have the memory of Covid dropping oil prices into the negative. None of our current mineral wealth is a sure thing. 765 kV transmission line update: As previously mentioned, I filed as an intervenor. Again, you can go here , put in 59182 in the control number box and press search. The Rocker B Ranch is putting up their dukes, so I recommend reading anything relating to them (do a word search on the page for Scottish Rite Hospital). In time I will highlight the post trial briefs. (The hearing on the merits before the State Office of Administrative Hearings is set for March 25-27th. This is a rocket docket, and if you were an interested landowner and sat on your hands, you are voiceless.) Big Bend Border Wall : I'm unable to dedicate time to this, but please look into it by searching "Big Bend Border Wall". Here is the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection map for the proposal. See also Sheriffs unite against border wall. I have biked a Texas state park along the border; I wrote about it here and here . My bottom line is that public recreational areas are not a major migrant corridor and should be kept free of border walls. This is what the site looked like before the construction of the new maintenance building. The yellow arrow represents where the Parkhill/Gallagher engineers are directing the storm water flow. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting Dr. Moore's letter announcing her departure. A. Agenda Analysis Approve Supt. search firm, item 3 . These searches are intensive and require more resources than a typical board can dedicate on its own. Options for outside assistance are typically either Region 15 or TASB . In terms of track record of those two, TASB brought in former Supt. Ray DeSpain, and Region 15 brought in Supt. Moore. My bet, then, will be on Region 15. Closed session, personnel, item 4 : The Board gets a lot of latitude in closed sessions to discuss the transition and hiring. So, the vast majority of the deliberative process on all this will be done behind closed doors. Read my Commentary below for my impressions on her leaving and what the future looks like. I also write about her in my Commentary for this Mertzon City Council meeting . Construction on 4th Street looking north. Some of the problems here date back to the 2012 bonds that paid for the tennis courts on the left. The courts drastically redirected the flow of water, which is not permitted under state law. B. Meeting Review Search firm, item 3: Casey Callahan and Laura Strube were present at the meeting, so it was transparent from the beginning that the Board wished to go with Region 15. The Board voted to approve Region 15 to be the search team. Timing: the rest of the public part of the meeting was about timing and strategy. The agreed upon calendar is to name the lone finalist at the end of April, basically at the time Supt. Moore is leaving. The thinking is that the best pool of candidates is available now. Watch for a staff and community survey to be put out regarding what the District should look for in a new superintendent. Board election in May: Part of the discussion revolved around the potential of having 1 to 2 new board members come the May election. (A new superintendent might be less likely to come on with a board in transition.) This was a worthwhile discussion and showed the higher experience level of this current group, as opposed to years past. Some of these board members have 3-4 superintendent searches to draw upon, so they aren't new to this. Potentially 1-2 new board members is not 4, as it was revealed during the discussion that there were 4 new board members when former Supt. Brian Gray was hired back in 2018. (That no doubt lead to some of the bad decisions with the 2019 bonds, especially given Gray left only two months after the April 2019 bond election; he basically was a 1 year hire. Inexperienced board members can be easily lead astray by an experienced superintendent. Notably, the 2019 bond funds were largely spent on athletic facilities, and not a single classroom was built. Moreover, Gray was entirely unsympathetic to my claims of stormwater flooding. These mistakes did not happen with the 2024 bond funds in part because this board is more experienced, and Nikki Moore is uniquely different than Brian Gray.) The state of construction: cement for the new elementary started pouring the week of Supt. Moore’s announcement. C. Commentary The "Why" part of "She is leaving?!": I didn't see Supt. Moore's departure coming, though I should have. Go here, at C 1 , where I recently heaped praise on her and expressed my relief that she would be present beyond the expenditure of the 2024 bonds. Supt. Moore reached out to me within hours of posting the letter at the top of this page, and she invited me to meet with her to discuss. We met the following morning, Feb. 26, in her office and had a frank discussion. (I do a monthly open records requests, and our practice has been to meet in person for me to deliver that and to address bond construction. We have a functioning cooperative relationship, which was most definitely not the type of relationship I had with the prior superintendent.) Several things came out of our meeting. The opportunity for her at Merkel and the decision to go there came up quickly, even faster than she had planned. She is not leaving as a result of Board displeasure in her. (I think the Board is quite sorry she is leaving.) Rather, she is leaving to be closer to her new husband who works in the area. I did not discuss with her the perks of going to a larger school and whether a better financial package was part of her decision. I assumed it was, and left all of that out of our discussion. The financial reality for all public employees is that they have to maximize earnings to get the best retirement package down the road. The economic reality of this is that, as a wealthy district under the school finance system, IC ISD is a nice stepping stone for a superintendent to a more lucrative retirement. The larger part of our discussion was about how not to waste our mutual efforts at improved community relations. She and I have accomplished a lot, and neither of us want to dismiss that upon her leaving. (A blog like Government in the Sun in a county with a population of less than 2,000 makes its own gravy, or sweet and sour sauce or even vinegar, depending on one's perspective and taste buds. It suits me well, because I'm not particularly interested in reviews, and Supt. Moore knows this.) The immediate future: Based on my discussions with her, I am hopeful that the search effort and new hire process moves fast. Apparently all of the ordering and design work is done on the bond construction, so now the reality is execution. But, I don't care who the contractor is, a contractor that knows the principal is distracted will tend toward cutting corners to maximize profits. The District cannot allow Gallagher for one moment to think it has more important things than the construction to tend to. Long term future: I'm hopeful for long term stability given this particular board, even with the board election coming up. President Maegin Carlile has done a great job managing Supt. Moore and the Board as well. The Board has weathered some disagreement in the past year, and that's a sign of a healthy board. I'm more worried about the kooky things coming down from the Governor, Texas legislature, TEA, the Dept. of Education and the U.S. Supreme Court than I am about the functioning capacity of this particular board. "Local control" is a misnomer, and managing outside forces is really challenging. Another challenge: financing all this and staying calm when the tax base expands yet again . The Eiger pipeline , the pipeline following the already existing Matterhorn pipeline, will be completed in 2028. That pipeline will add a tax base of an additional 3.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas per day traveling through Irion County. (The Matterhorn is 2.5 billion cubic feet per day .) That's yet another shot in the arm for the District. It will make it very attractive, once again, for a new superintendent to promote another bond package for capital improvements. Beware what you dream for, folks. "Rolling" bonds are dangerous things, particularly during this AI revolution. We are as close as one AI mega donor to a sycophantic governor's campaign account away from replacing living, breathing teachers with AI robots managed by TEA. (See also Optimus .) This is about the almighty dollar, not about party affiliation or the children of Texas. The Board is going to need to be disciplined with the next superintendent to not allow that person to propose yet more debt just because the tax base is flush with new revenue. Now is the time to pay down debt as rapidly as possible, and the current Board and Supt. Moore appear to understand that. New Readers: I'll fill in my "Meeting Review" above a day or two after the meeting. Candidates for superintendent: I caution against using this blog as a bellwether for anything. At times I am the District's harshest critic, while simultaneously being an unabashed proponent of public education. I am, however, the only community member that regularly attends board meetings, so I suppose that counts for something. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting 4th Street between W Fleming and Juanita is under construction to redirect the flow of stormwater off of the street into the new detention area. A. Agenda Analysis Animal control ordinance, item 5. Animal control is a constant. See below. That’s City Gym in the background, right, and Estes Gym background, left. Both were designed to dump the stormwater from their roofs into 4th Street. Those leading IC ISD at the time City Gym was built (from 2019 bonds) took advantage of the City of Mertzon’s lack of stormwater ordinances. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting documents . Animal control, item 5. The Council took no formal action, but is considering the ordinance attached in the meeting documents. Administrative report, item 6: The BOD level at the wastewater treatment plant is seriously out of whack, in large part because of aerator failure, which in turn has been worsened by the delays from the engineers leaving Hibbs and Todd. C. Commentary I had a brief discussion before this meeting with Councilman Crutchfield about the prior IC ISD superintendent, current superintendent and what a future superintendent might be like. I pointed out that the difference between past and present is that Supt. Moore came to me at the beginning of her tenure and said, "I understand you have a disagreement with the District, tell me your side". She was able to do that because new board leadership at the time she came in directed her to start mending the relationship. The prior superintendent, Ray DeSpain, was effectively told by that board to build a gym and let me swim in the flood waters for all they cared. That board simply did not care that I pointed out before, during and after construction that they were violating the law. I've never seen such callousness in government, frankly. The skill set that Supt. Moore has that Supt. DeSpain did not have involves transparency. The ability to be transparent is a skill necessary for good government leadership, and it seems to me it comes natural to her. She is also better at managing conflict than he was. And, finally, I think she has more courage than he did. She didn't just come to me at the beginning of her tenure trying to better understand my complaint, she kept coming back trying to get things corrected. That takes a lot of courage to address, face to face, a community member who has been as upset as I have been (legitimately so) for going on 10 years. So, here's an advocacy tip for council members, board members and superintendents: you are molding the type of community you are leading by the skills and personal traits, or lack thereof, that you bring to the job. Someone reached out to me today and they were unaware of how available the 765kV dispute was online. So, I am posting again: The Oncor / LCRA 765 kV transmission line dispute is very much unfolding in public documents online. I have intervened in the PUC case because one of the proposals is to put the line across my property at Cowboy Hill on Hwy 67. To do a deep dive, go here  and put in 59182 in the Control Number box. Look for a local neighbor in the party column, and click on the hyperlinked number on the left to access the document. The “Direct Testimony” documents will be the most easy to understand. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting The IC ISD detention pond at 4th and W. Fleming is nearing completion. In the next week or so the pavement on 4th Street will be redesigned so that water flows into the detention area. A. Agenda Analysis City Engineers, item 5: Hibbs and Todd will be present to discuss the waste water treatment plant. The project is way behind schedule, so its appropriate the engineers will coming to hopefully move this forward. PACE interlocal agreement, item 6: Best I can tell with a quick search that PACE stands for Purchasing Association of Cooperative Entities. Right of way, item 7: There appears to be an encroachment issue here... Caliche pit, item 8: Have a concern about something you think the City needs to address? You have 2 options. You can speak about it during the public comments part of the meeting...or...you can do what apparently Mr. Oglesby has done. You can ask that it be placed on the agenda. The benefit of putting it on the agenda like it is here is that the Council can actually talk with you about it. In open forum discussion is prohibited under the Open Meetings Act. Canceling the Council election, item 9: If there are no seats being contested, then there is no need to have an election. Council pay, item 11: I missed a special meeting last week. Typically if a meeting lasts for only a few minutes there will be agenda like this one where the Council votes to waive their pay. I point these out because some of what I try to do on this site is to build up government when the facts call for it. Yes, I have my gripes, and I air those. But, I also point out when selfless service to our community occurs. This is a good example of that. What's not on the agenda: A few weeks back there was an agenda item about the Council's input on the water detention project at 2nd and Fayette . They (wisely) punted, and it appears to have dropped off the agenda... Model T’s weren’t available until 1909, coincidentally the same year the 1909 IC ISD legacy building in Mertzon was built. And, my home in Mertzon was built in 1910 . So, back then there would have been more horses in Mertzon than cars. Most of the property within the city limits then would have been undeveloped pasture land. Enough of it was undeveloped that no one was likely concerned with rainwater runoff from impervious cover. Today, of course, there are a few horses here and there, and there are way more cars and paved parking spots than horses. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting documents . Hibbs and Todd , item 5: Mr. Rich gave an informative update on both the sewer and water bond projects. Bottom line -breaking ground should be early summer, though there are some significant unknowns (like the Texas Water Development Board). I am monitoring for two reasons. First, staff transitions at H&T have significantly slowed the completion of these projects. Second, when one looks at the various public works projects around town their stamp is on the design pages. They are repeatedly getting a portion of our public dollars, and we need to expect a lot from them. Delays = higher costs. PACE, item 6: Yes, that is a purchasing cooperative. They approved. Right of way, item 7: This was an appropriately lengthy discussion about how to address a number of newly constructed driveways placed in the City's right of way, without contacting the City, on top of City water lines. The Council's longstanding hesitation to regulate by ordinance was evident in their discussions. See my commentary below . Caliche pit, item 8: There's a lot of meat on this bone, and I'm not sure just yet of whether to jump in the fracas. But the Mayor said, and he’s right, it is the people’s caliche. Cancellation of election, item 9: No one filed against members Councilman and Crutchfield, so they skate in for another term. Council pay, item 11. Selfless service to one's government is a worthwhile ideal to promote. One should not come to serve the people to make a profit. The Council rightfully denied themselves pay for attending a short meeting last week. Thank them for their service. Administrative report: Ms. Rabenaldt confirmed the upcoming closure of 4th Street between W. Fleming and Juanita in order for IC ISD to redirect the flow of stormwater into the stormwater detention field. See the photo below. The alterations to 4th St. should direct the flow of water in the direction of the arrow. C. Commentary Right of ways: Regulating encroachments on City right of ways is a good thing because it creates certainty for future owners of the property who will be going out to a bank for for a loan to purchase. Regulations are especially appropriate when they help citizens build and transfer their most valuable asset - their home. See also the situation faced by the Tillman's back in 2025 . My drum beat for the last almost 10 years of trying to protect my property in Mertzon is essentially this: municipal regulation creates certainty, and certainty protects property value and preserves wealth. And, thus, preserving property values also preserves the tax base the City relies upon. Regulation is a mutual wealth building necessity for both property owners and the City. Allow me (this part of my analysis being published on the morning of the State of the Union, February 24, 2026), to restate the following for emphasis: Selfless service to one's government is a worthwhile ideal to promote. It is impossible to thank an office holder for their selfless service when they are busy thanking themself. The Oncor / LCRA 765 kV transmission line dispute is very much unfolding in public documents online. I have intervened in the PUC case because one of the proposals is to put the line across my property at Cowboy Hill on Hwy 67. To do a deep dive, go here  and put in 59182 in the Control Number box. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting The design for the IC ISD flood detention walls includes a cement foundation, cement blocks, vertical rebar to stabilize the blocks and, not shown here, additional bricking and riprap. Back in 2023 I criticized the District for pretending a cement wall put up to hold a safety fence was adequate flood protection for the stadium. That wall wasn't built even close to these specs. The question of whether these walls will be robust enough is going to depend a lot on the future growth of the campus and how much more impervious cover is added. A. Agenda Analysis TAPR, Texas Academic Performance Report, item 7: Go here at the TEA site and search for "Irion" in the district box. Prioritizing loans to pay down, item 11: Debt free districts will do better when the time comes that the Texas legislature puts a stop to wealthy districts being able to use local funds on bonds. I’m betting that time will come. Election season, item 9 : Three seats are up for re-election. Where they fall on the ballot perhaps isn't as important in Mertzon as in other cities where campaigns are financed and races are highly competitive. Pending construction projects, bond purchasing, item 5 : This language is the safe harbor language regularly used when spending bond money comes up. Administrative reports, item 6 : Always relevant. Closed session, guardian update, supt. evaluation and action on closed session, action on Supt. contract, items 15, 17 and 18 : What's not to be curious about here - guns possessed by a secret police force and the superintendent's job performance? The recent deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by the Border Patrol I think fairly raise the question of whether law enforcement is receiving proper training on when to shoot to kill. I don't envy anyone serving as a guardian. As to Supt. Moore's job performance, in my experience in the past year she has been quite responsive and always professional. I am well aware of the freedoms I have under the 1st Amendment to turn GovernmentintheSun into an edgy, muckraker style journal, but her disarming approach has made that style of advocacy unnecessary. A portion of the foundation for new elementary school is nearing the pouring stage. Photo taken February 12. B. Meeting Review Closed session, guardian update, Superintendent evaluation and appraisal, action on closed, action on Supt. contract, items 15, 17 and 18: One reason I recommend sticking meetings out to the very end is sometimes really important matters come up at the close. That's the case here where the Board after about a 2.5 hour closed session voted at around 10:30 pm to extend Supt. Moore's contract 1 year and approve a stipend for the guardians. There is more on each of these down in my Commentary below. Discuss over collection and pay down on loans, item 11: No action was taken, but the discussion was essential. Because of additional tax revenue, the District is in a terrific position to pay off its 2019 bonds and save a ton on interest. The motivation is more than financial savings, though. It is also to build back capacity so that additional bonds can be sought later if there is a growth spurt in folks moving in to the district with a passel of kids. Remember, the 2019 bonds built no classrooms, one of my key criticisms of all that effort. And, while the 2024 bonds are rebuilding the elementary and more, the District is not seeing substantive growth. It would be over a barrel if it didn't have the financial capacity to go out for more bonds if a growth spurt were to occur. No action was taken on this item, but the discussion showed that Supt. Moore and the Board are thankfully on the same page for getting 2019 bonds rapidly paid off. Expect to see a follow up board meeting agenda item where they formally vote to pay off the bonds. Drawing of place on ballot, board election, item 9: Here's how the drawing (and it was a drawing) played out, in this order: Tony Martinez Taylor Douglas Jayton Lindley Anthony Baumann There are 3 seats open, as member Ashley Hill opted not to run for re-election. I'm not making any endorsements. 4. Admin Reports, Coach Morrow, item 6b: Coach Morrow gave an update on the District's ongoing dispute with Hellas regarding the quality of the new track around the football field at OK Wolfenbarger stadium. While the District is pleased with the installation of the field (there were hiccups though), the track has itself has become a major point of contention. Coach Morrow reported that a patch has been put in with mismatched colors and the lanes aren't level in places. Quite a number of issues have come up regarding the quality of Hellas' installation of the track. (Search "Hellas" in the search bar to get more on my coverage of Hellas' performance.) Also, timing is now an issue because track season is starting on a project that was planned to be complete late last summer. I continue to cover the Hellas' dispute for a couple reasons. Mainly, its a good example of the terrific leverage the District has during construction to demand quality performance; they can, as they are doing here, refuse the final payment to them. (One reason I believe the audit of how WBK Construction spent the 2019 bond funds fizzled out (intentionally?) is that WBK was paid in full by the previous IC ISD superintendent before the audit began. Once they were fully paid they had no incentive to cooperate with an audit.) I also cover Hellas as perhaps an example (warning?) to other contractor that, even though there isn't traditional media coverage of their performance in this remote neck of the desert, all it takes is a blogger like myself to get perturbed about where his tax dollars are being spent to start writing about it on the web. (To think harder about the impact of blogging, consider the 4th Estate and the 5th Estate . To put this in perspective, in my youth in Mertzon the San Angelo Standard Times was delivered by bicycle every morning and afternoon by Brent Evans, teacher Janet Rathmell and Superintendent Stew Evans' son. I subbed on occasion for Brent when he couldn't ride.) The flood detention walls at 4th and W. Fleming, as of February 12. C. Commentary Superintendent contract: The Board added a 1 year extension to Supt. Moore's contract at this meeting. This means that the term of her contract remains at 5 years. That was a good decision. She's doing a great job, and from my personal experience I can say she is excelling on the myriad of construction projects. Importantly, this 5 year term is going to invest her beyond the completion of the bonds so that this isn't a wham, bam, thank you taxpayers scenario of her leaving upon the completion of the construction. (The last superintendent, and I no longer need to mention names every time this comes up, wished us "Godspeed" when he bolted for the door, just as the budget literally blew up and construction was barely complete. And, from what I can see the problems with the construction build are ongoing.) So, a 5 year term is good for everyone in this situation. Thank God for another horse born in Texas. Guardian stipends - In any other time, I might not pay much attention to law enforcement on a school campus. This is not any ordinary law enforcement, though, and these are extraordinary times. The Guardians are allowed, indeed required, to operate anonymously and their identity is shielded from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of masked Border Patrol officers have me evaluating the assumptions I make on a regular basis around law enforcement. Are those assumptions appropriate around a publicly financed but private police force? What assumptions do you make, and is it time to re-evaluate them? Oncor/LCRA 765 kV transmission line : I have intervened in this PUC case because one of the proposals is to put the line across my property at Cowboy Hill on Hwy 67. To do a deep dive, go here and put in 59182 in the Control Number box. On occasion, I will post matters about the case here in the commentary. The documents filed in the case are all public. (Here's a question to ask yourself: why are the oil and gas companies intervening when the issue is a high voltage transmission line?) One reason to pay attention is that once a high transmission lines come in, more will follow. The primary (though misplaced) issue for the electric companies (Oncor and LCRA) is the number of habitable structures within 500 feet of the wires. The fewer the number, the less the outcry, the easier to get lines approved. Counties like Irion, thus, will become popular to cross because the population is so sparce. (Less than 2,000) I am strenuously opposing the placement of high voltage lines on my property and anywhere in Irion County . Implied easements : Carla Lindley forwarded me this article about implied easements . See page 8. The article doesn't identify the landowner, but…she’s local. Here's the thing about private land ownership and the government: there's always a tension, and a landowner who sits on their hands will absolutely lose their use and enjoyment of their land to the government/private companies who have been given the right of eminent domain. Whether it is from stormwater runoff like I've been dealing with my neighbor IC ISD for almost 10 years now, or Oncor and LCRA deciding it is time to put a 765 kV (5,000+ amp!) transmission line, or Matterhorn and Eiger claiming their right to put a combined total of 90" of compressed natural gas pipelines through my property, our government and its agents will take my property with abandon unless I protest. Our Texas and U.S. Constitutions prohibit the taking of private property without just compensation, but those provisions don't automatically stop anything, even transparent injustice at the hands of the government. To be sure, there's no plea for a pity party on my behalf here, but Texas government leaders should not forget that their source of funding is largely through taxation of private property. There's a mutual reliance here, without one the other doesn't exist, and vice versa. Contouring the flood detention area is underway. 4th Street between W Fleming and Juanita will be closed in a week or so from this meeting date in order rework its shape so that it directs water into the basin of the detention area. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting The cement foundation for the stormwater detention project at 4th and W. Fleming, as of January 19, 2026. A. Agenda Analysis Meeting date : Note that this falls on the last Monday of the month. The Council's regular schedule is on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, unless it falls on a holiday. Last Monday was MLK. Appointment of City Council Member, item 5 : Former Mayor Pro Tem Lindley resigned at the last meeting so he could run for school board. This leaves two seats open on the Council. City right of ways, item 6 : Here's the posted wording, "Discuss and approve any action necessary for city right of ways". What does that mean? It says "any action necessary", which could be anything . This piques my curiosity in the same way the posting last meeting by IC ISD that read "Discuss next projects". See A 4 here . I don't understand this agenda item, so I'm interested in it . This matter could be about anything, and when a governmental body so generally describes an agenda item citizens should take note. For the sake of considering whether this agenda item is too vague under the Texas Open Meetings Act, I'll intuit here that this matter is about campaign election signs being placed in the City's right of ways by candidates for public office. Then the question is: Does this agenda item have to give specific notice to identified candidates that the City Council is about to take action concerning them? No. " The intended beneficiaries of the Act are not individual citizens, but members of the interested public. City of San Antonio v. Fourth Ct. of Appeals, 820 S.W.2d 762, 765 (Tex. 1991) . If a reader is given adequate notice of the proposed governmental action, the requirement of the Act is satisfied." City of Houston v. 4 Families of Hobby, 702 SW3d 698. Administrative Report, other announcements, and Daily operations update, items 8b and 9: I highlight these items because they are typically where City staff report about operations during weather events. At initial posting of this page on January 25, Mertzon has had about 1/4 inch of snow and the temp is 14 degrees. How do cities with real snow issues manage? Check out this page for the City of Ames Iowa . B. Meeting Review Public Comments, City right of way, items 4 and 7: My intuition was correct - this was about political signs in the right of way. See these meeting documents. It is against state law to place signs in a public right of way. A candidate for Justice of the Peace and her supporters came out to protest the removal of the signs and ended up receiving a warning from the City Attorney, Jeff Betty. The Council took no action. See my commentary below about this brouhaha. New City Council Member, item 5: David Olivan, a resident of the city for 20 years, was sworn in to fill a vacancy. And, an apparent nuance in the resign to run statute has allowed Council Member Lindley to return to his seat, at least until such time as he wins his school board race. Administrative report, item 8 b, and Daily Operations Report, item 9: If you don't attend the meetings it is easy to overlook the importance of this part of the meeting. A few things worth noting; a. City water during major freeze: Operations staff is literally restarting a faulty valve every two and half hours, around the clock, so that the water tower level stays up. Folks, these guys are working really hard . Temps have gone at least down to 9 degrees and the City continues to have water. Truly amazing dedication to their jobs. Thank you. b. The City passed its 3 year water inspection by TCEQ without any deficiencies. This is really significant because successfully staying out of TCEQ's sights in any enforcement matter counts as a win. It is time consuming and costly to deal with TCEQ when things get off track. c. The Mayor reported favorably on the joint operations efforts among the City, Irion County, Irion County ISD and the Irion County Sheriff's Office to address weather related issues and emergencies. This is significant because local government in the area tends to operate in silos and personal conflicts get in the way of serving the community. (I've been saying this since my efforts in 2019 to get the City, County and IC ISD to coordinate with one another about stormwater.) Their cooperation is all the more critical now that Washington has so hamstrung FEMA. C. Commentary I don't want to dwell on the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on January 24, but I also don't intend to fail to recognize the horrific nature of the event. I think there are times when events involving our government are so impossible to understand that, at least for a moment, silence is appropriate. In this age of constant distraction, perhaps we have lost sight of acknowledging stunned silence. I'm not going to get bogged down in the politics of campaign sign issue raised in the open forum and item 7. The candidate, her supporters and even the City's attorney said some unfortunate things that, if published here, would only elevate tensions. (I am publishing the meeting documents , but I do that for each meeting.) I started Government In the Sun by posting audio of the public meetings I was attending. When someone said something controversial I often elevated it. While stirring the pot was fun at first, in time I realized I was missing an opportunity to teach the community about the law, ethics and civics. Those things are more intellectually challenging to me than being a muckraker. So, here's the lesson on civics and the law for this meeting: Do not ever forget that the open forum and the meeting itself is public . That means if you are a candidate for public office anything you say about anything can and will be used against you. Since I'm not posting the audio, all the opposing candidate has to do is appear at City Hall and ask to listen to the audio tape. The audio is available to anyone. Perhaps a better approach to the sign wars is this simple: The candidate should appear before the Council and say something to the effect of: "If there is a valid complaint against my campaign for public office, I certainly regret that it has taken up your time. It has not been my intent to violate the law. I look forward to talking to your staff about it after the meeting to resolve any misunderstandings." A bit more on the vagueness of item 7 on right of ways: After this meeting City Manager Ms. Rabenaldt visited with me and said, "You know, George, just call me up if you don't know what something is about." And, of course, that is what everyone should do when confused about a public meeting. Call the governmental body up. I blog about vagueness to hopefully get my readers out of neutral gear when they read about public meetings. One should not accept agendas for face value, especially when a conflict is brewing. Agenda drafters choose their wording very carefully. Where it really matters is where the governmental body is taking a property right (a professional license) away. But, that's not the case here. This all falls in my "how to read an agenda" bucket. Word choice on agendas matter. Call the government body who posted the agenda if you don't understand it. A bit more on Alex Pretti: Now is a good time to revisit the old saw "The way to get rid of bad guys with guns is to have more good guys with guns." Suddenly open/concealed carry laws have a troubling wrinkle. What if a lawful citizen's weapon is used as a pretext for state sanctioned murder because their exercise of 1st Amendment speech is opposed by the government? Exactly who is the good guy with the gun and who is the bad guy with the gun? Being in a situation where everyone is armed may not be the solution some think it to be, particularly when the government is claiming it has absolute immunity. Copyright 2025 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting The intersection at the lower left is 2nd and Juanita, and the one above that is 2nd and Fayette. See item 6 and the photo below. A. Agenda Analysis Executive session, item 5: This is the same language used at several of the Council's recent meetings. Detention pond, item 6: The 2024 IC ISD bond package included money for 2 flood control projects. One is currently under construction at 4th and W. Fleming. The second is this one along 2nd Street between Juanita and Fayette. The walls of the one at 4th and W. Fleming will range from 3 to 5 feet. Detention vs Retention ponds: IC ISD has known about the flooding problem in this area for some while now. Then Supt. Brian Grey, the architect of the 2019 bond package, asserted that the District could solve the flooding problem by putting in a pond where the water would be stored. (He said it could even be used by the kids as a place to fish.) Well, storing water creates a "retention" pond and brings with it all sorts of regulatory and safety issues. This won't be a place for the children to fish. This will be a detention pond that is intended for stormwater to be slowed down as it passes on to lower elevations. If constructed properly, it will remain dry most of the year. If the Council is addressing the depth of the walls, I suppose this raises the question of where the walls will be placed - on IC ISD property or on the City's right of way? This is an essential question because flood barriers and berms and the like are not maintenance free . This isn't a one and done public works project. As the District continues to grow its capital plant, and all indications are that a larger tax base is on the way with the new Eiger pipeline , the District is likely going to direct even more stormwater into this area. The District is going to be once again tempted to go out for another bond in just a few short years because it’s tax base is going to balloon from the pipeline. (The pipeline will track the existing Matterhorn pipeline and will be even larger in diameter.) The City and the District should both assume in time that additional water will flow into this detention project. They should avoid the Grand Mistake by planning ahead for additional costs down the road for maintenance, upkeep and, yes, more stormwater. The intersection in the lower left is 2nd and Fayette. The blue arrow shows the flow of stormwater. A few blocks away it reaches City Park, which is where the IC ISD stadium and the Community Center are located. The entire city block where the blue arrow is placed is owned by IC ISD. I estimate as recently as 10 to 20 years ago it looked like the lot to the left - completely undeveloped. Again, as the District gobbles up space for its impervious cover, less stormwater is absorbed into the soil and more of it is sent down to City Park. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting documents . Public comments, item 4: The incumbent candidate for the Justice of the Peace position spoke briefly and apologized for putting his campaign signs in the right of way. He also thanked the Council for not destroying the signs and for not prosecuting him. He did not mention his opponent's name, nor did he make any accusations in her direction. See my commentary below for a bit more on this issue. Detention pond, item 6: The Council is playing it straight and narrow on this issue. They don't want to advise IC ISD on anything flood project related because, one, they don't have any particular expertise in these types of public works projects and, two, they don't want to risk legal liability down the road. The issue and a request to IC ISD to attend may be placed on the next meeting agenda to answer their questions about the impact of the project on the adjacent streets. Executive session: none. Admin report, item 7: A complaint has been made to the City regarding the dilapidated state of the historic 2 story hotel downtown across from Mertzon Meat. City staff is evaluating the City’s abandoned buildings ordinance, or, really, the lack thereof. Misc: Mayor Pro Tem Lindley lead the meeting as Mayor Stewart was out. The bricks have arrived for the detention pond at W Fleming and 4th. Stormwater from this location also reaches City Park. C. Commentary The Oncor 765 kV transmission line deadline to intervene is February 16. Go here for information from the Edward’s Plateau Alliance . There is also a box of information at the MB Noelke Jr Library in Mertzon. The Livestock Weekly is also doing a a good job at keeping folks informed. And you can go to this LCRA page to search for the route. Here are the potential routes through Irion County. This line will devastate local ranch land and the scenic beauty of our area. Please get involved and oppose this project. You do not have to be a landowner to file an objection with the PUC. More on the sign battles: Stand up, take your lump and get off the stage. That's the approach that was taken at this meeting by the opponent to the events at last week's public comments . I am weary of candidates and office holders constantly blaming someone else. Owning up to mistakes is a forgotten art among our elected leaders and candidates for public office. Why is that? Note: Election Day is March 3. I am not making any endorsements. There, I said it: A&M University's announcement last week that it was getting rid of it's women studies program because it doesn’t comply with their DEI policies is about as misogynist as it gets. Good grief! This is the project at 4th and W. Fleming on January 30. The outflow was under construction on February 2, 2026. Copyright 2025 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting This circa 1948 artist/architect rendition of the auditorium, gym and elementary school suggests that these buildings lasted around 75 years. They were razed in 2025 as part of the 2024 IC ISD school bonds. A. Agenda Analysis Location change : Note the meeting is at the cafeteria. Pending construction and bond purchasing, item 6 : This item has become a placeholder/catch all for any bond matters that are timely. Administrative reports, item 7 : I went back and reviewed a handful of previous meeting minutes to see the detail for this part of the meeting. I've not paid much attention to the minutes for this part in the past, but it confirms my belief that attending - or listening if posted - to a meeting is the best way to get at what is going on. The minutes on administrative reports are sparse... Anyway, this is a vital part of every meeting. Discuss next projects, item 8 : My reading standard for each and every agenda I read is this simple: If I don’t understand it, I am interested. I am interested in this item. Joint election with City of Mertzon, item 9: School board and city council elections land on the same day. There is a probability that candidates for both will run unopposed. If so, there will be a decoupling of the joint election approved here because no election is required when only one candidate runs. All that is known publicly to date is that now former City Council Member / Mayor Pro Tem Jayton Lindley is running for a school board position. Here is a bit more info . Special Ed compliance audit, item 10 : Keep a light on special ed. Supt. evaluation tool, item 11 : My understanding is that superintendents must be evaluated yearly, though this might not be the evaluation meeting. This item is about the "tool" or standards document by which she will be measured. Closed session and action, items 15 and 17 : "Personnel" is a constant for closed session. It is unclear from the agenda whether this could also include the Superintendent's eval since it is covered in item 11. The money, item 13 b : The monthly outgo happens in the consent agenda with little, if any, discussion. Though total bond expenditures haven't come up during a meeting, I am looking at that in the background using the PIA. This January 1, 2026 aerial shows the old gym, auditorium and classrooms all razed. B. Meeting Review Discuss next projects, item 8: This item gives me yet another opportunity to puzzle about the historical lack of community engagement with the IC ISD Board. This item was an open ended discussion about additional projects that bond monies might be spent on. Part of the discussion, for example, was about the need for storage space and whether to build additional storage. No vote was taken, though there was an some indication that specific project items might be on next month's agenda. The community gets a say in how any unused bond money, if any, gets spent. The tenor of this part of the meeting wasn't a shut out of the community, but it is an area of great import to the community, in my opinion. See my commentary below. Pending construction projects/purchasing, item 6: there were no votes on the award of any bond money here. Administrative reports, item 7 : Supt. Moore gave several bond updates, notably including that cement foundation of the flood detention wall would be poured this week (see photo at bottom of page), and the elementary would be poured at the end of this month. The new transportation building has been inspected and new equipment is being ordered. Joint election, item 9 : The Board approved the joint election with the City of Mertzon. I had hoped that any of the 3 holders of the open seats might make a public announcement of their intentions, but none did. Special Ed Compliance Audit, item 10: The District has successfully completed the corrective actions required as part of this audit. If I understood correctly, the next audit is not until 2029. A lot of water can flow under the bridge in that time frame, particularly with the Dept. of Education being in a state of intentional disrepair. Supt. evaluation tool, item 12 : The Board approved the document she submitted. As noted above, this wasn't a public review. Closed session, item 15: There was a closed session, but I was informed that it was a "no action" closed session. (Note that the agenda also lacks their typical "action on closed agenda" item at the end.) W. Fleming Ave. between 3rd and 4th streets has become a barometer for IC ISD’s understanding of its environmental impact upon the community. The street stayed closed for safety reasons for all of 2025. By December the District began trenching for flood prevention walls, shown here behind the black erosion fence. January 1, 2026 photo. C. Commentary It is articles like this, Nearly $100 million gone. How Austin ISD spent bond money on schools it will soon close , that cause me to be concerned about IC ISD’s rolling bond approach to funding capital, technology and transportation improvements. There’s no indication that IC ISD is about to close a school. But, the Texas legislature loves to hate on Austin, and this will cross their radar screens as bond misappropriation…potentially putting a spotlight on bonds statewide. No one should assume that the loophole allowing wealthy school districts like IC ISD to retain local tax revenue for bonds is going to last forever. Yet another reasons for community engagement with the school board is this: how the money is spent does not end with the bond election. Bond project parameters change with the wind and the availability of funds. The issue of unspent funds is regulated by the Texas Education Code: Sec. 45.1105. USE OF UNSPENT GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROCEEDS.   (a) A school district may use the unspent proceeds of issued general obligation bonds only:(1) for the specific purposes for which the bonds were authorized;(2) to retire the bonds; or(3) for a purpose other than the specific purposes for which the bonds were authorized if:(A) the specific purposes are accomplished or abandoned; and(B) the board of trustees at a public meeting held only for the purpose of considering the use of the unspent bond proceeds approves in separate votes the use of the proceeds for:(i) a purpose other than to retire the bonds; and(ii) the purpose specified at the time the vote is taken.(b) In addition to other requirements of law, notice of a public meeting held under this section must include a statement that the board of trustees will consider the use of unspent bond proceeds for a purpose other than the specific purposes for which the bonds were authorized.(c) A public meeting held under this section must provide the public an opportunity to address the board of trustees on the question of using the unspent bond proceeds for a purpose other than the specific purposes for which the bonds were authorized. Notably here, there has to be a public hearing so the public can have their say. It's too early to say definitively that the agenda item "discuss next projects" is about unspent funds. The community, however, should be alert and forever vigilant and present. Why? First, a present community helps keep board members honest about spending the bond money for the projects the voters approved. Second, the community is a spending stopgap. We are a reminder that the Board is spending our tax dollars. And, third, the community needs to be present for accountability at the end before all the money is spent. One goal of course is to not overspend, as was done with the previous administration and the 2019 bond funds. I am in particular interested in avoiding the Grand Mistake - failing to proactively maintain budgeted funds to correct for environmental mistakes made during development. (Just because, for example, the District's engineers have designed a plan to alter the roadway on 4th street so that runoff flows into the flood detention area instead of onto my property does not necessarily mean their plan will work. " The Grand Mistake is particularly pernicious with flood control because forecasting the force and direction of floodwaters is often random," I wrote back in 2023. Such is the case with these floodwaters because the flow will be coming from two different directions.) While sharing a table at this meeting with former Mayor Pro Tem and current school board candidate Jayton Lindley, he confided with me that he, too, played with mercury, Hg, during his science lab at IC ISD. See the last photo on this page about my experience with Hg at IC ISD. Go figure. Hg spans the generations at IC ISD. This is a bit much: Texas A&M abruptly cancels ethics course over race, gender policy . The course is a graduate level course called “Ethics and Public Policy”. Why not instead outlaw the words “race” and “gender” altogether and have a government rewrite of history as if everyone is / was a white male?! (I reread Orwell’s 1984 last year…) Or, perhaps the next step is a government approved dictionary like the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Federation . These governmental efforts at attempting to control how race and gender are discussed will fail in time. Here is the scene along 4th and W. Fleming the day after this meeting: As I told the Gallagher rep at the location, in April I will have been working 10 years to get to this point where the street and my property were not being flooded by IC ISD. Copyright 2025 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents  | Commentary  | Last Meeting The Oak trees at the IC ISD OK Wolfenbarger field highlighted in yellow are at issue in this agenda. The highlighted roof is the new storage extension to the fieldhouse. The field and track are also new. Imagine it as a grass field about 20 yard further east (to the right) and closely bordered with a caliche track. That was the footprint until about 1979. The trees highlighted on the left up to then were where the discus and shot put rings were located. The City is involved in this issue because it owns the land and leases the property to IC ISD. A. Agenda Analysis Executive session, item 5: This is the third meeting for this particular executive session. It might be a "placeholder", as was the case during the last meeting. Memorandum of Understanding with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, item 6: As covered before, an "MOU" is typically an unenforceable agreement between two governmental entities. Here is the link for the Texas Division of Emergency Management . Professional arborist hire and input, item 7 : This is either about acorns or low limbs, or both. I know from attending IC ISD board meetings that the acorns from the overhanging Oaks are threatening to damage the new track around the field. The Board recently approved some blower equipment to blow the acorns away. There would have to be huge cuts made to the trees to completely eliminate the problem. (But, I assume that, without citizen involvement , trees will be removed. That said, both Supt. Moore and Mayor Stewart have a history of tree friendly approaches, so excessive pruning or tree removal is not likely being considered here.) I also recollect that some of the limbs are getting too low over the track, so this may also be a pruning to raise the canopy. Coincidentally, the District hired Hellas Construction for $1.03 million for the new field and track. You can do a search for "Hellas" in the search bar for more; I have taken issue with some of their work. Recent discussions at Board meetings suggest that, while Hellas was great to work with with the field construction, the track construction has been a problem. The rest, items 8-10: These are standards for all Council meetings. B. Meeting Review Here are the meeting docs for this meeting. MOU with TDEM, item 6: The Council approved the MOU, provided here at page 3 of the meeting docs , without much discussion. The same evening of the meeting, within just a few hours of the meeting in fact, national press announced more critical layoffs at FEMA. See my commentary below. Professional arborist, item 7 : Supt. Moore was present and advised the Council that if it would approve, IC ISD would hire a professional arborist to make formal recommendations about the oaks inside the District's leased boundaries. The Council approved. No particular company was mentioned, but in time the chosen arborist will make formal recommendations that IC ISD will present to the Council. Administrative reports, other announcements, item 8b : One of the large Tankersley water wells (60 gallons per minute) is blowing air. Pay attention to municipal water supplies, folks. If you lose water, you lose sewer. The City doesn’t provide any other utilities, so that pretty much relegates it to being a provider of streets if there isn’t water around. Other announcements, items from the Council, item 10b : Mayor Pro-Tem Jayton Lindley announced that this would be his last meeting on the Council. He is running for a school board seat and has to resign to run. See my Commentary below. We had a surprise visitor on Cowboy Hill on Christmas Eve. I hope all of you had a great holiday season. (I uploaded one of my game camera photos here to Google’s Gemini app and merely asked it to put a Rudolf like nose on this deer. It is frightening how easy it is to distort reality with AI.) C. Commentary How to Tell What is Real Online by Neil deGrasse Tyson is worthwhile watching on YouTube. Emergency management: Within hours of the Council approving the MOU with TDEM, national press released news about more cuts at FEMA . I've addressed this before: Washington is trying to download responsibility of emergency management - without any transfer of funds - to the states. Don't fool yourself that this MOU is evidence of government becoming more efficient and responsive in an emergency. Buried on page 7 of this document at VII A 2 is the following: All financial commitments made herein are subject to the availability of funds from the State of Texas . The City should be mindful that these types of MOU's will be used as "gotcha" documents to deflect blame of state officials in an emergency onto city officials. Lindley resignation: Council Member Lindley's resignation leaves open two seats at the Council. Achieving a quorum to conduct business will become more difficult, though not impossible. Apparently, the slot opening at the school board is the result of terms expiring for its board this Spring. According to Supt. Moore at this meeting, the expiring seats of board members Martinez, Douglas and Hill. Supt. Moore was discreet on which one/ones were not re-upping. If memory serves, Mr. Lindley's grandfather, Jay Lindley, served on the IC ISD board at the same time with my father back in the 70's. (Another example of the past is never past, but is the present.) I regret seeing Council Member Lindley leave the city council, but welcome his presence at the school board if he wins. He voted "for" the closure of 4th Street that allowed for the new gym, but later also voted "for" the closure of W. Fleming Ave. because of its flooding. (I continue to view the votes to keep W. Fleming closed as votes that finally came to grips with the legal reality of localized flooding. The City faces its own liabilities for knowingly allowing streets to be unsafe.) Arborist: The decision to hire a professional was a good one. I’ve had to do it on occasion and they make a difference. Copyright 2025 G. Noelke