Perspectives from the Capitol & regional water experts

By David Brown

By David Brown
Chairman Government Affairs Council
Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce

It's anyone's guess. Will the Hill Country be blessed with rains or will we see a repeat of last summer, when Trinity Aquifer wells fell to record low levels and the river's flow dwindled to almost a trickle? We're all talking about, reading about it, looking for answers. We already know it's hot. How will it affect the region and what are we going to do about it?

The Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce, the Kendall County Economic Development Corporation, and the City of Boerne are holding their 2012 Water Forum and Luncheon from 11 am until 1 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Boerne Convention and Community Center. Tickets are $30 with reservations made by Wednesday, Sept. 12 and $40 after that date.

The 2012 Water Forum's subject is "Water and the 2013 Legislative Session: Perspectives from the State Capitol and Regional Water Experts."

Thomas "Tommy" Mathews II from Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District will moderate the panel discussion with water policy experts from the Texas State House, Texas Water Development Board and SAWS that will include:

• Representative Allan Ritter, current chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources and member of the sits on the Calendars and Ways and Means committees. He is the president of Ritter Lumber Company and has represented Texas House District 21 since 1999.

• Ed Vaughan, an attorney in private practice in Boerne, has been a member of the Texas Water Development Board since 2008, a past board chairman and serves as the board's representative on the Texas Bioenergy Policy Council. He also serves as a director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and as an advisory director of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust.

• State Representative Doug Miller from District 73 is the chairman of the Edwards Aquifer Legislative Oversight Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Committee's Sub-Committee on Business & Economic Development and the Natural Resources Sub Committee. In 1993, Miller worked with the legislature to help write SB1477, which created the Edwards Aquifer Authority in statute. One of the original members of the EAA Board, he was its longest serving member.

• Steve Clouse is the chief operating officer and senior vice president for the San Antonio Water System, leading a team of more than 800 water and wastewater professionals providing essential services to San Antonio, the seventh largest city in the United States. His positions within SAWS have included operations engineer, operations manager, operations director, technical services director, maintenance director and vice president of production and treatment.

The 2012 Greater Boerne Water Forum will showcase regional and state water policy considerations and look at next year's 83rd Texas Legislative Session to determine the prominence of water on the agenda. Water availability, quality and cost will be some of the biggest challenges faced in Texas.

To reserve a place for the water conference, contact Mary Sue Hurdt, chamber events director, at 830-249-8000 or online at http://boerne.org.