The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors has met quarterly for many years, but that’s about to change.
On Jan. 25, the Board approved increasing the number of times it meets throughout the year to accommodate the organization's increased project activity.
General Manager/CEO David Collinsworth said the BRA is busier now and has more priority projects than ever before.
Photo courtesy of Leb Riebe
“I don’t see that slowing down,” Collinsworth said.
The action taken by the Board during the meeting will expand its scheduling flexibility while still requiring at least four meetings a year. The change won’t preclude the Board from calling a special meeting and does not affect committee meetings. Action taken during the meeting will also allow the Board the flexibility to continue meeting virtually if it so desires after the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end. The Board and BRA staff have been meeting virtually via Microsoft Teams since its July 27, 2020 meeting.
By voting to increase the number of meetings, the Board now plans to meet every other month. Meeting dates for 2021 include March 29, May 24, July 26, September 27, and November 15.
Also at the meeting, the Board:
• approved plans to hire Halff Associates, LLC to perform consulting services for the first phase of a Property Master Plan. Blake Kettler, BRA technical services manager, said there are three phases to the project. This first phase includes accumulating data on each BRA-owned property to develop an extensive property management database and interface. The project is expected to span several years and will develop a comprehensive view to allow the BRA to determine the best route for managing or divesting those properties in the future.
• accepted the Brazos River Authority’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year ended 2020.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Cunningham
• authorized the BRA to accept the administrative sponsor designation for the Lower Brazos Regional Flood Planning Group. Aaron Abel, BRA water services manager, said the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019 directed the Texas Water Development Board to create flood planning groups. In March 2020, the TWDB adopted boundaries of those planning groups, splitting the Brazos River into two regions. The Upper Region Flood Planning Group will focus on the area upstream of Possum Kingdom Lake to the New Mexico border. The Lower Region Flood Planning Group will focus on the area just above Possum Kingdom Lake to the Gulf Coast. That group designated the Brazos River Authority to be the administrative sponsor. The group is responsible for developing a regional flood plan that identifies flood risks, establishes flood mitigation and floodplain management goals, and recommends evaluations, strategies, and projects to reduce flood risks. The BRA will have dedicated staff to assist this important planning process in ensuring the success of flood planning needs.
• authorized the General Manager/CEO to allow trade-in of the 2-slip boathouse at Lake Granbury, allowing a credit toward the purchase of a new boathouse for Lake Ranger watercraft.
• authorized and approved amendments to the Fiscal Year 2021 Cost Reimbursable Operating Budget.
• ratified the 2021 two-tier rates of $27.98 per acre-foot for Election Use Water and $13.99 per acre-foot for Option Use Water as adjusted in accordance with the formula stated in the existing Replacement Water Supply Agreements.
• reviewed and adopted the Brazos River Authority Investment Policy
• approved presented bylaw changes.
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The next board meeting will be March 29, 2021. To see a full list of board actions, go here.