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Montgomery officials consider economic impact of low lake levels
By Brad Meyer
Updated: 04.27.10
MONTGOMERY – If area residents thought the 4-foot drop in Lake Conroe associated with Hurricane Rita had a negative impact on the local economy, imagine the effect of a sustained drop of 12 feet or more.
That’s the message delivered to the Montgomery City Council by Lake Conroe Communities Network members Dan Davis and Kermit Black Tuesday night in a bid for financial support to fund a quantitative study of the impact lower lake levels would have in the area.
“We are rapidly approaching a very serious problem that will impact the finances of everyone who lives and does business on Lake Conroe,” Davis said. “When the lake goes down, sales tax revenue goes down; and if it stays down, property values will plummet.”
LCCN is asking Montgomery officials for a contribution of $5,000 to help fund an economic study of the area based on declining water levels. The proposed study by Texas A&M University would cost approximately $140,000 and take up to 16 months to complete.
Black said the Lake Conroe Association, the city of Conroe and Commissioners Court have pledged support to the project. The objective would be to provide an assessment of the economic impact from sustained lower water levels of the lake. The study would include surveys of local residents, historical analysis and study of other communities in comparable circumstances.
“We’ve seen the impact weather can have,” Davis said. “Imagine Houston drawing 100,000 acre-feet or more of water out of the lake.”
Without some sort of legal action, the lake level could drop to 190 feet above sea level – 11 feet below normal.
“So-called waterfront property wouldn’t be anywhere close to the lake,” Black said. “People will be selling property for what they can get and not many people are going to be coming to the lake to fish.”
While the proposed study is not designed to produce answers to finding adequate surface water and groundwater, Black said, having a formal survey done by an independent university could be beneficial to the community.
“If we can prove drawing down the lake presents an unfair hardship, we have a foundation for making a legal challenge,” he said. “Without it, we have little ability to control what happens.”
City officials tabled the request until the next meeting with a request for Chip VanSteenberg, Montgomery’s consultant on finance, to review the budget to determine whether the city could make a contribution.
In other business, Mayor Travis Mabry said the city is no longer accepting resumes for city administrator. Mabry said he has been going through more than 50 resumes received to pare down the list to four by Thursday. Mabry and Councilman Kirk Jones will conduct preliminary interviews with the four candidates Friday.
The City Council will meet with the final applicants before a decision is made, Mabry said.
For more information about the LCCN effort to raise support for a study of the economic impact of lower water levels on Lake Conroe, call (936) 448-1809.
By Brad Meyer
Updated: 04.27.10
MONTGOMERY – If area residents thought the 4-foot drop in Lake Conroe associated with Hurricane Rita had a negative impact on the local economy, imagine the effect of a sustained drop of 12 feet or more.
That’s the message delivered to the Montgomery City Council by Lake Conroe Communities Network members Dan Davis and Kermit Black Tuesday night in a bid for financial support to fund a quantitative study of the impact lower lake levels would have in the area.
“We are rapidly approaching a very serious problem that will impact the finances of everyone who lives and does business on Lake Conroe,” Davis said. “When the lake goes down, sales tax revenue goes down; and if it stays down, property values will plummet.”
LCCN is asking Montgomery officials for a contribution of $5,000 to help fund an economic study of the area based on declining water levels. The proposed study by Texas A&M University would cost approximately $140,000 and take up to 16 months to complete.
Black said the Lake Conroe Association, the city of Conroe and Commissioners Court have pledged support to the project. The objective would be to provide an assessment of the economic impact from sustained lower water levels of the lake. The study would include surveys of local residents, historical analysis and study of other communities in comparable circumstances.
“We’ve seen the impact weather can have,” Davis said. “Imagine Houston drawing 100,000 acre-feet or more of water out of the lake.”
Without some sort of legal action, the lake level could drop to 190 feet above sea level – 11 feet below normal.
“So-called waterfront property wouldn’t be anywhere close to the lake,” Black said. “People will be selling property for what they can get and not many people are going to be coming to the lake to fish.”
While the proposed study is not designed to produce answers to finding adequate surface water and groundwater, Black said, having a formal survey done by an independent university could be beneficial to the community.
“If we can prove drawing down the lake presents an unfair hardship, we have a foundation for making a legal challenge,” he said. “Without it, we have little ability to control what happens.”
City officials tabled the request until the next meeting with a request for Chip VanSteenberg, Montgomery’s consultant on finance, to review the budget to determine whether the city could make a contribution.
In other business, Mayor Travis Mabry said the city is no longer accepting resumes for city administrator. Mabry said he has been going through more than 50 resumes received to pare down the list to four by Thursday. Mabry and Councilman Kirk Jones will conduct preliminary interviews with the four candidates Friday.
The City Council will meet with the final applicants before a decision is made, Mabry said.
For more information about the LCCN effort to raise support for a study of the economic impact of lower water levels on Lake Conroe, call (936) 448-1809.
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