At Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Directors of the Brown County Water Improvement District, a number of pieces of routine business were discussed and handled:

*** The Board was addressed by Adam Conner with the Freese and Nichols engineering firm.  Conner presented a 2024 update to the District’s plan for Water Conservation, Drought Contingency, and Water Emergency Response.  The Board voted to accept and adopt the updated plan.

*** The Board voted to hire the accounting firm of Merritt, McLane & Hamby, P.C. of Abilene, Texas as auditor for the District’s 2023/2024 fiscal year audit.  This will be the third year in a row that Merritt, McLane & Hamby has audited the District’s financial books.

*** The Board voted to enter into a contract with Joe Morris of Austin, Texas for rural issues consultant services.  Morris will serve as the eyes and ears of the District with the Texas Legislature and the State government, informing the District of issues in the Legislature or State government that would affect the District.

***General Manager John Allen reported that Lake Brownwood is currently 9.3-feet below full, or 59.3% of capacity.  One year ago the lake was at 60.8% capacity.  The statewide average for the capacity of Texas lakes is currently 72.3%.  Allen commented that while we have had some good rains in Central Texas this year, we have not had a big rain on the watershed north and west of Lake Brownwood.  The ground is wet, and a good rain now on the watershed would produce some good runoff into the lake.