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Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting The IC ISD campus on April 22, 2026. The remaining blue foundation will become the new gymnasium, if I remember the plans correctly. The construction is moving along quickly; I hear cement trucks traveling to and from throughout the night. April 27, 2026 ~ 3:00 pm update: Dr Michael Heath named as Lone Finalist. A. Agenda Analysis Interim Supt., items 3 and 4: By law, a school district cannot go without a superintendent at the helm. There is also a waiting period of 21 days once an offer is made to a candidate for superintendent. So, items 3 and 4 acknowledge: Supt. Moore is leaving (on April 30), an interim will be named, and that interim will need hiring authority (presumably to hire teachers and staff). The interim will not be hiring the new superintendent. The authority to hire a superintendent rests with the Board. Closed session and action from closed session, items 5 and 7: This is the identical language for each of the previous meetings during the process of hiring a superintendent. I know from attending the open part of the meetings once the Board began the process that they want to hire in April for a starting date 21 days later in May. If so, maybe this is the meeting the Board names its lone finalist. At the time of this posting, however, the Board is still conducting interviews. So, if none of the candidates were to their liking, this agenda is written broadly enough that they could continue to interview. I prefer to not read the tea leaves when it comes to board action on hiring the executive. In a general counsel capacity as an Assistant Attorney General, I’ve been on the inside of quite a number of state agency executive sessions when the agency board was hiring an executive director. It is an agonizing and thankless process for agency board members, and I’m sure it’s the same for school board members. No one knows for sure how it will turn out. Remember, they don’t get paid for any of this. (Though there are a number of Indirect benefits!) And, the superintendent contracts are somewhat illusory - in practice, superintendents jump ship all the time without contractual consequences. (Dr. Moore has 4 years left on her contract, and she is leaving a board that appears to be quite approving of her performance.) As of the date of posting, there are 96 vacancies in Texas for superintendent positions. Check out TexasISD.com. Another angle. B. Meeting Review Interim Supt, item 3: The Board approved Mike Underwood as the interim Supt. He will serve for 21 days. No other action was taken. C. Commentary The last day for early voting for the IC ISD school board positions is April 24, 2026. The voting location is the “Hornet Gym” aka elsewhere on this site as City Gym. I don’t do political endorsements on this site. (Well, I once did and that ended terribly!) Here’s some local media on the IC ISD band trip to the Liberty Bowl in January. The band is accepting donations for the trip, which could run $80,000+. Contact the IC ISD Administration office to donate. I have mentioned before in these pages my theory that one reason for Mertzon’s localized flooding problem is a decades if not century long practice of IC ISD taking out the native Oaks and replacing them with impervious cover - concrete. Consider this article about the practice of using green space to control flooding: Taking on water. The future of flood control is looking less like a wall and more like a park. Using green space to control flooding is not at all a novel concept, though it is apparently foreign to companies like Parkhill and Gallagher who design and construct school properties. In time they too will disappear from our community, like Jeff Potter Architects and WBK Construction did before them, never to witness the long term impact of stormwater on their completed work and the community. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting The new IC ISD transportation facility drains stormwater into a City owned alley between the facility and the IC ISD tennis courts. This is the southwest corner of the building, and the arrow is the direction of the water flow. A. Agenda Analysis 2nd Street drainage, item 5 a: This item has been rescheduled a number of times. I have previously covered it in my Agenda Analysis at A 1, here . Animal control ordinance, item 6: The last proposed draft was addressed at this meeting and can be found in the meeting documents here at page 3 . The southeast corner also drains into the alley. B. Meeting Review 2nd Street drainage, item 5: This matter was tabled again because of another scheduling conflict on the part of IC ISD's engineer. I think an alternate explanation might also be that this matter is caught up in the superintendent transition vortex. By the time of the next Council meeting, May 4, Supt. Moore will no longer be Superintendent (her last day is April 30) and a new interim Superintendent will be named. (The interim will likely have to serve a minimum of 21 days, by law, so if a new supt. is hired this week or next, the interim will serve for 21 days from the date of offer.) I recommend that the City Administrator and Mayor Stewart meet with the District's engineer, President Carlile and Supt. Moore before April 30 to firm up the District's commitment to this project. The agenda for the meeting should include the 2nd Street drainage, the drainage into the alley as shown in the photos on this page, the re-do of the drainage project on 4th between Juanita and W. Fleming, and the new water drainage coming down W. Fleming from the new transportation facility at 5th and W. Fleming. The City and IC ISD should be mindful that an MOU is in place addressing this drainage and that these public works projects regarding drainage were voter approved in the 2024 bond election. As I've said elsewhere, I have a pending PIA request with the District to get the Gallagher plans for the re-do of the 4th street project. To put it plainly, I am doing my part to make sure no one suffers from amnesia once Supt. Moore is off the payroll on April 30. Animal Control ordinance, item 6: The Council passed the ordinance without dissent. You can find it on page 3 here . In theory, this storm water will drain into the new stormwater detention area at 4th and W. Fleming. In practice, Gallagher Construction has yet to construct anything that directs this water into the detention area, however. In the background I am keeping the flooding of this alley on the table so that when Dr. Moore leaves at the end of this month the issue isn't relegated to the next bond election or forgotten about forever. The other side of the building on the north drains into W. Fleming, so that drainage needs to be corrected as well. C. Commentary Too much of a bad thing: I have relatives with ranches in Menard County that are on the next stretch of the Oncor/LCRA 765 kV transmission line (Bell County East to Big Hill), and I'm pitching in where I can to help with that. Here's what Texas landowners are facing when they fight the condemnation of their land: Texas grid operator forecasts massive growth in demand, but says data is likely flawed . It is plenty discouraging. One solution is to not make it so damn attractive for data centers to come to Texas, as in rescind their tax breaks . Stormwater drainage is a community issue. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting This blog, GovernmentintheSun, got its start 3 years ago in March as a protest against the closure of 4th Street and alley, shown here in red arrows, for the construction of the IC ISD gymnasium. The gym, along with the earlier construction of the tennis courts in the upper left, have created an inverse condemnation of my 1910 home by stormwater running off the impervious cover on campus. My relationship with the District has improved dramatically with their recent efforts using 2024 bond funds to control the flooding. It's not all about me, though. The same stormwater that floods me also floods City Park and the District's football stadium just a few blocks away, so the District has come to better understand its own interests in managing stormwater. Stormwater management is a community issue. A. Agenda Analysis Closed session, interviews, item 3 a: At its last meeting the Board evaluated the applications for the superintendent position. It is probable that this meeting is for the first interview of the candidates. If at least one of the interviews goes well, another meeting will be scheduled (next week?) to do a final interview of the lone finalist and their family. B. Meeting Review I was unable to attend this meeting, but I reached out to President Carlile. The Board did an interview today, and there are additional interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday. A final interview may be next weekend, but that is not set. C. Commentary New reader disclaimer: I don't advertise on this site, and to date haven't earned a penny from it. Though I am a licensed lawyer, I am not practicing so nothing here is used as an advertisement for a law firm. I don't promote it on social media because social media tends to draw the extremist crowds. What started out as a protest site is turning into an experiment in civics. I consider being only critical of government not productive. Being critical is easy, and it does have its place. I find it more challenging, and interesting, to push back and work with it at the same time. The 1st Amendment is an absolutely amazing tool to do just that. So, don't mistake this as a muckraking journal. It is way more than that. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting This is the exit for the stormwater at the new stormwater detention area at 4th and W. Fleming. It isn’t a “pond” since, if it is designed properly, then water never pools here. As of the date of this meeting, it has only been tested with .2” an.6” rains. A. Agenda Analysis Redemption of outstanding bonds, item 6: Paying off bonds as early as possible is key to the future for the District. If they don’t do this, and do it aggressively, nobody gets raises down the road. I just don’t have the time for a full analysis of this agenda…. Note that another meeting has been posted on the IC ISD site for next Tuesday, April 14. B. Meeting Review Redemption of District’s outstanding bonds, item 6: After a presentation by John Blackburn with Live Oak Public Finance , the Board voted to pay off the 2019 bonds. Here are Blackburn’s presentation slides to the Board . In any event, this is a significant move by the Board. First, there will be some interest income while the funds are resting in escrow. Second, it opens bond capacity again in case there is an influx of new families. Third, it is going to significantly alleviate the financial pressures on the new Supt., who should be named in the next week or two. In the meantime, here is the Board Packet and Supplemental Board Packet for this meeting. Pending: As of April 15, I have one more item here. Even without any Spring rains, this Horse Crippler cactus on Cowboy Hill found a way to bloom on March 31. C. Commentary Oncor/LCRA 765kV case update: Anyone saying they know where the line will go simply hasn’t read the latest reply briefs. I will say this much…the Rocker b Ranch, owned by Scottish Rite Hospital, presented a quite persuasive case at trial. Another group of landowners, known as the Q 11 and Q 12 Intervenors, also did quite well. That said, this case - and other 765 kV cases- can be appealed all the way to the Tx Supreme Court, and that is a long way from now. “Rolling” bonds - a sell and redeem approach to school finance - works for schools just like debt does for a family that lives off of credit cards. When the income fails, the payoff becomes impossible. Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

Agenda Analysis  | Meeting Review  | Meeting Documents | Commentary  | Last Meeting IC ISD’s 2024 bond construction the day before this meeting. A. Agenda Analysis Closed session, item 3 a: this is standard language that the Board will use to privately interview candidates for Superintendent, and privately discuss the candidates and make a decision who gets the job and the terms of employment…without formerly voting. Yes, it is lawful to have these discussions in a closed session. Return to open session and action items on closed session, items 4 & 5: The Open Meetings Act prohibits a formal vote in a closed session, so this is the part of the meeting where a motion is made to approve a particular candidate, with terms, and the formal vote occurs. The “lone finalist” language in 3 a above satisfies a legal requirement that the contract isn’t finalized until after 21 days…sort of a buyers remorse protection agreement. Open forum, item 2: Just a reminder, if it is a public meeting, Texas law requires that there be a place on the agenda for an open forum. The content or purpose for the meeting doesn’t matter. New marching field, also part of the 2024 bonds, with pending water detention area. B. Meeting Review Deliberate regarding the applicants, item 3 a: So, I jumped the gun. This was a meeting for the Board to screen the applications . No applicants were present. So, of course no lone finalists will be named today. Quorum review of documents: even when a meeting is limited to document review, it must still be publicly posted. Since reviewing applications constitutes the conduct of public business and a quorum is present, it qualifies as a public meeting subject to standard notice requirements. Next meeting: the next meeting will likely be when the candidates are interviewed. But it still may not be when a lone finalist is named. Current water detention area at 4th and Fleming, with reconstruction of street pending . I have a pending Public Information Act request to find out more about the street. C. Commentary 765 kV case update: The WW II practice bombing ranges in Irion, Crockett and Schleicher counties came up during the 765 kV trial. I referenced one of my father’s Livestock Weekly articles about it in my brief. Read his Shortgrass article here . (The part about Bode Owens putting an unexploded bomb in his truck and it going off in Barnhart is… true !) Meeting on a proposed data center which affects Spring Creek and water of the area.   6:30 pm Apr 16 456 church West cross lane (Dove Creek, Texas) Pending Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

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