About Lakeway's Travis Lake

Dear Friends,

This post is to ask you to VOTE EARLY and VOTE YES in favor of the LTISD bond package. Here's why:

77% of the bond money is dedicated to building, expanding, and maintaining schools

1. The middle schools are out of capacity next year, the high school the year after that and the elementary schools are out of total capacity the subsequent years.

2. The Technology component directly outfits classrooms (computers, smart boards, overhead projectors) and items that are part of the infrastructure (i.e. network, phones, security cameras, building access controls, copper and fiber optic cabling, servers, management software, and PA/bell/clocks)

100% of bond money stays in our district and will be used for needed capital improvements.
If we cannot use bond money, we will be forced to use the part of our school budget that is subject to almost 50% recapture back to the state which will require us to levy twice as much as we need to address our student growth. In addition, this part of the budget funds teacher salaries and daily operating costs. Using these funds instead of bond money, will directly impact teacher employment, class size, and the daily operation of our classrooms.

None of the bond money is for athletics or extracurricular activities, with the exception of new band uniforms and safety improvements at the Performing Arts Center.

There are several organized groups who oppose passage of this bond, and they have joined forces in an attempt to defeat this bond package. They have professional looking materials that unfortunately are based on misleading assumptions and incorrect comparisons. (I have a factual response that addresses the points made in this opposition presentation, please let me know if you would like me to send it to you.)

Please don't assume that the bond will pass. Our last bond package only passed by 130 votes. YOU MUST GO VOTE, and get your friends and family to vote.

Please VOTE EARLY and VOTE YES for the bond package.

Early voting is at Randall's in Lakeway from October 24 to November 4. You can also vote early at the following schools on the following days, from 7am to 7pm:

· 10/24 Lake Travis Elementary

· 10/25 Lakeway Elementary

· 10/26 Bee Cave Elementary

· 10/27 Lake Pointe Elementary

· 10/28 Lake Travis High School

· 11/1 Lake Travis Middle School

· 11/2 Hudson Bend Middle School

· 11/3 Serene Hills Elementary

The general election is November 8, with polls open from 7am to 7pm. For more information, please visit www.voteyesbuildschools.com or www.ltisdschools.org

Do not miss this opportunity to maintain an exemplary education and learning environment for the children in this school district.

Lakeway TX Private Marina?

As long as I have lived in Lakeway (20+ years) I have heard rumors of a Lakeway TX Marina at the end of Hurst Creek Road. Since I live just off of Hurst Creek road, I have been always been interested in the subject.

I remember years ago, when plans for a Lakeway City Park were being developed, there was talk of a boat launch being part of the park. All I could visualize was streams of public cars (non-Lakeway residents) driving along Hurst Creek Road to pay a daily fee and launch their boats in lake. Yikes! Not a pretty picture.

Obviously that did not happen and the Lakeway City Park - which is located on Hurst Creek Road, has been a wonderful addition for the Lakeway residents - without a boat launch.

The January issue of Impact News, has confirmed the Lakeway TX Private Marina is finally coming to fruition. The developers have settled a number of lawsuits from the residents of Graveyard Point and come to terms with The City of Lakeway. December 20, 2010 Lakeway City Council approved the development plans for a "private marina at the corner of Hurst Creek and Chipmunk roads, to begin construction in early 2011."

This is not the last "OK" the Lakeway TX Private Marina has to get, but it is a major one.

Personally, with all the concessions the developers made, I think the Lakeway TX Private Marina will be a positive addition to Lakeway. Following are some facts:

• There will be no public boat ramp. The only use of the boat ramp will be for "extraction of impaired watercraft owned by members...and other such use requested by state or local law enforcement or emergency service providers, the Lower Colorado River Authority or the city" only.
• No restaurants
• No trailer parking on-site
• Two fuel tanks to be serviced by a truck smaller than a tanker up to twice a week during busy season and possibly once a month. The tanks will be stored at an elevation that will not create a hazard to residents or the environment. They will be surrounded with a 2-foot retaining wall.
• Staff or security personnel will be on-site from 7 AM - 9 PM daily, with 24-hour camera surveillance and "frequent security sweeps" by a third-party security provider from 9 PM - 7 AM daily.
• Specific quiet hours that marina members must observe from 10 PM - 7 AM daily.
• Marina will cover 111 acres, with 107 of which are submerged
• Engineering docs show 249 boat slips extending north, out from the shoreline, with a boat fuel station, 3,000 sf office space and 2,000 sf of space for a ship store.
• The docks would be surrounded with wasve attenuators to protect watercraft inside
• 125-space parking lot
• 6-8 foot privacy fence along the public frontage

Food for Thought: A Lakeway TX Private Marina could very well raise property values and will allow lake access to some of the homes in the area that are not on the water or waterfront.