2009 changed the landscape of Leander and forced city leaders to make some hard decisions. MetroRail, now two years behind schedule, met with problems and delays. Meanwhile, a contentious election ended with runoffs and a victory for the incumbent City Council members. In addition, the entire Central Texas region dealt with one of the worst droughts on record while the city continued its efforts on a controversial tri-city water pipeline project.  Here are a few of the Ledgers’s top stories from this landmark year.

January
Slower building expected for ‘09
A slow down in local development, a new presidential administration and an unavoidable connection to the global economy are all ingredients impacting development in Leander for the new year.

Opportunity tax for transportation
Mayor John Cowman has drafted a plan for new legislation state-wide to create a local opportunity fund – through a transactional real estate tax – as a reward for Leander and other cities state-wide which have a mass transit/public transportation system.
He is suggesting Leander be a “test case for the state.”

Layoffs begin for Aquatic Industries
Local luxury spa manufacturer Aquatic Industries has phased out almost 25 percent of its production line, moving closer to its factory shutdown this summer.
David McFarland, marketing director of Lasco Bathware, the parent company of Aquatic Industries, said the “first phase of the plant’s closing is supposed to be complete around Monday, Jan. 26.”

Drought conditions worry farmers for ’09 season
Because of generally hot and dry conditions, 2008 was a hard year for Williamson County farmers and ranchers. But 2009 might be even worse.
Unless there’s a break in the drought, the new year could bring tough times for the approximately 2,500 county residents who make their living in agriculture.

Rouse HS to go varsity in 2009-10
Students at Rouse High School will be taking things to a new level next year.
The school administration has requested the University Interscholastic League (UIL) place the Raiders in a district for the 2009-10 school year, the second year of the school’s existence, and to allow them to compete at the varsity level in academics and athletics, with the exception of football.

ACC land search in Leander progresses
Land banking in Leander by Austin Community College is quietly underway.
Ben Ferrell, ACC executive vice president of finance and administration, said the real estate firm hired by the college has gone through the selection process, and is identifying sites that fit with the school’s criteria.

February
Leander goes Metro
You won’t see a price tag on Capital Metro’s shiny red-gray-and-white passenger trains when the 32-mile Leander-to-downtown-Austin line opens March 30. But if there were such a label, it would say, “$105 million.”
That amounts to a cost overrun of $15 million, or about 17 percent, from the $90 million estimate that the transit agency put before voters in 2004.

Unpaid tolls bring charges
Ten violators, with 13 vehicles between them, have rolled through 183A toll gates 6,721 times since the toll road opened, collecting almost $16,000 in toll charges, fees and fines.
Steve Pustelnyk, spokesman for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, said the agency referred the worst cases to the county for prosecution and charges against additional violators are being prepared.

Superintendent Champion defers raise
While the Leander Independent School District  continues working on developing the upcoming 2009-10 budget, LISD Superintendent Bret Champion decided to defer his recently approved pay raise.
Satisfied with Champion’s ongoing efforts, last month the LISD school board gave Champion a vote of approval and awarded the superintendent a 2.9 percent pay raise by a vote of 6-to-1, with trustee Elizabeth Frey the lone dissenter.

Leander sales tax consistent
Leander saw a 20.7 percent increase in sales revenue from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, the city has seen new retail openings in recent months.
“It was a positive number,” Economic Director Kirk Clennan said. “It’s been that way since we started monitoring those numbers back in 2000.”

City rescinds parking rules
Residents filled seats and stood along the back wall during the Feb. 19 City Council meeting to voice their dissatisfaction with the city’s parking ordinance.
For almost two hours, City Council listened to staff recommendations and resident’s comments, all opposing the recent enforcement of the parking code.
The parking code, amended on July 17, 2008, declared parking on any unimproved surface illegal.
In the end, the Council voted unanimously to rescind Section C of the parking ordinance.

March
Rail car opens doors for sneak preview
The journey went seven minutes over schedule, but after months of delays, a slight overage did not hinder the enthusiasm as Austin’s light rail system had finally arrived in Leander.
“It was just a great ride today,” Capital Metro spokesperson Adam Shaivitz said. “For the staff and the three board members that worked on this project it was a great experience. Having the media on board and having everything go well was a great benefit.”

Sen. Watson calls for Cap Metro board overhaul
State Senator Kirk Watson is proposing the overhaul of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority board and easing the requirement for public rail votes.
The Austin Democrat, after giving the Cap Metro board and various other local officials a week or so to review and comment on what he has in mind, probably will file legislation to make the changes. Cap Metro, like all transit authorities in the state, was created through state law and is governed by requirements set by legislators in the transportation code.

Council creates parking ordinance committee, talks transportation
Uncle Leander wants you and your suggestions for a citywide parking plan.
At the March 5 meeting, the Leander City Council decided to appoint 12 volunteers to a temporary resident committee that will draft suggestions for a replacement of a section of the city’s amended parking ordinance.

Capital Metro may receive $37 million
For Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, $37 million of funding will be at stake when Congress commences negotiations over the federal budget for fiscal year 2010 on Capitol Hill.
The transportation company’s MetroRapid bus system has already progressed past two of the three stages toward the award of a grant for up to 80 percent of its $47 million total price tag through the Federal Transit Authority’s Very Small Starts Program.

Leander rail opening delayed indefinitely
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Friday that it is indefinitely delaying the opening of its Leander-to-downtown-Austin rail service in the wake of further allegations of federal safety violations and because of continued technical problems.
In addition, the transit agency called on Veolia Transportation, its rail operations contractor, to fire its local safety director. Cap Metro is bringing in rail officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which has a dozen commuter rail lines in the greater Boston area, “to assist with startup operations and safety implementation.”

Council approves transit village plans
Steps taken by the city council approving the development of the city’s first project within the transit-oriented development brings relief to some and a bone of contention for others.
The council, to the chagrin of many Old Town residents, approved stage one of a concept plan for the Village at Leander Station within the TOD community. The vote was 5-1, with council member John Perez voting against the plan; Council member Michell Cantwell was not present.

April
Tumbleweed stumbles out of favor
The name Tumbleweed Stadium has stumbled out of the Leander school board’s favor as it pursues a different process to find a name for the Vandegrift High School stadium.
Public comments both in person and by e-mail showed an overall disagreement over the name. The board voted 3-2 for the name Tumbleweed Stadium at its March 5 meeting, with trustees Don McCall, Jim Sneeringer and Elizabeth Frey voting for it. Trustees Will Streit and Russell Bundy voted against the name.

Aquatic Industries set for third stage of layoffs in April
The luxury spa manufacturer Aquatic Industries is halfway through its prolonged shut-down and operating with about 50 employees.
Roger Tebbe, plant manager, said the factory is on schedule for a mid-June closing.

Construction begins on 2243
The city of Leander has begun work on a project to improve the flow of traffic at the intersection of Bagdad Road and FM 2243.
The city will be adding dedicated turn lanes in each direction, expanding the roadways from two to five lanes.

BCRUA: Industrial or public works?
Don’t Empty Lake Travis Association President Judy Graci spoke up at the Cedar Park City Council meeting April 9 against the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority.
“This is an industrial facility in a residential neighborhood,” Graci said, bringing to the forefront the latest issue the BCRUA and Volente have to resolve: whether the pipeline is an industrial or public works project.
The city of Cedar Park disagrees the project is industrial.

Council debates water leaks
Debate over the amount of water lost through city pipelines continued at the April 16 Leander City Council meeting.
For the fourth month in a row, Councilman John Perez commented on city’s monthly water report, taking issue with the 1.8 million gallons of water lost through identified leaks. The loss represents 8.39 percent of the city’s total billed water of 66.4 million gallons of water.

LISD board changes academic standards
The Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees changed the district’s standards for issuing credit, released teaching positions for hire and learned about new measuring standards for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills during its regular meeting April 16.
The board agreed to average students’ semester scores to determine credit for one-year courses. Previously, students received credit for each semester.

Positive energy for TOD, Leander
Active interest in an industry formerly untapped in Leander is energizing economic development within the city, creating hope for thousands of new jobs and dollars coming to town.
Two alternative energy manufacturing companies are considering locations in and near the Transit Oriented Development in Leander.

May
Capital Metro reserve lower than believed
An update on the long awaited MetroRail, delayed because of safety and regulation issues, is expected next week, without a start date for service.
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials “will report back to the community with the status of the project and an action plan” by May 15, but have said not to expect an opening date announcement, they said.

Eight remain in runoffs
With only one clearly decided race from the May 9 election, and four runoff elections needed, the future of Leander remains undecided.
City Council Place 2 incumbent Kirsten Lynch was the one clear winner with more than 62 percent of the vote against challenger Carl Wake.
None of the remaining 13 candidates earned a 50 percent majority of the vote, forcing a runoff election in each of the four races between the two candidates with the most votes from May 9.

Mallory, Hisle to serve on LISD board of trustees
The Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees will have a new member starting May 21.
Lisa Mallory won the Place 1 seat, which is being vacated by Don McCall. She defeated opponents James Spires and Dustin Weibel, garnering 46 percent of the vote. Incumbent Don Hisle defeated opponents Nathan Deckinga and Nacole McDonald Thompson to keep his Place 2 seat.

Still no date for Cap Metro opening
Capital Metro Transit Authority still has not set a target date to initiate services for its MetroRail program, according to a progress report released May 13.
The previously sceduled March 30 opening of the light rail system was delayed for safety reasons following a Federal Railroad Administration report that included 26 violations.
This week Cap Metro also announced it would be taking a $10 million line of credit that can be used for the Metro Rail operations.

TWDB approves BCRUA bonds
After more than two hours of testimony—and after moving all other agenda items to the consent agenda to allow for more consideration on agenda item 19—the TWDB approved the issuance of $182 million in bonds for Phase 1A of the BCRUA project. The bonds cover all expenses for Phase 1A.

June
HB 1263 changes Cap Metro
The Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority board will have some new members soon.
After tinkering with the wording of Senate Bill 1263 for months, the Texas House and Senate passed a bill restructuring the transit authority’s board.

Valence applies for federal dollars
Austin-based, alternative energy Valence Technology, Inc. wants to build its battery components manufacturing facility in Leander.
City, county and state officials want the lithium ion, energy storage company to build in Leander, too, and have put together an incentive package worth $359.4 million for Valence that’s ready and waiting.

SWAT called to scene
A string of events begun by a 911 phone call led the Williamson County SWAT team to intervene in a suspected hostage situation, leading to the arrest of Vasilios Dimitrios Kotsalis.
Kotsalis, 25, also known as William Demetri Kotsalis, was arrested Friday afternoon on assault family violence with bodily injury. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office filed additional charges of aggravated assault with deadly weapon and possession of controlled substance against Kotsalis Monday morning.

Incumbents win
Leadership for the city will remain in the hands of the incumbents for the next two years, according to results from the city’s runoff election.
More than 1,375 Leander residents voted Saturday and reelected the mayor and two sitting council members and added Andrea Navarrette to Place 1.

Start date indefinite
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is citing safety as its first priority and the reason behind not issuing an opening date for its new Red Line rail system, according to a June 19 progress report.
Cap Metro officials called off its initial opening date only to call off a second opening date and canceling any set opening date altogether.

July
Car wrecks leave two dead
A pair of accidents last week left two people dead, according to reports from the Leander Police Department.
Roxann Carlson, of Leander, died Saturday morning when she lost control of her vehicle near 183 and FM 2243 in Leander. Glenn Ray Brooks, of San Antonio, died June 25 when he lost control of his tractor-trailer on the 3300 block of 183. Lt. A.J. Keirn said alcohol did not appear to be a factor in either accident, though both were still under investigation.

WilCo farmers, ranchers suffer through drought
With triple-digit temperatures becoming an everyday occurrance and no rain in sight, Williamson County residents are feeling the heat. But most probably aren’t suffering as much as area farmers and ranchers.
Williamson County Agriculture Extension Agent Bob Whitney last week said this year’s corn crop is going to be poor. Farmers planted about 110,000 acres this spring and the late-summer harvest might only bring about one-third the normal yield.

BCRUA hires accounting firm
In another no-nonsense meeting, the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, the board of directors opened and closed business on their nine-item agenda before anyone could read through the accompanying 23-page meeting packet.
During the meeting, the BCRUA board of directors — minus Round Rock representative George White who was absent because of health issues —hired Pena Swayze & Company for its accounting services. Previously the firm has provided budget audits for the cities of Round Rock and Cedar Park.

Cap Metro tests rail, no opening date set
Though Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is not ready to announce an official opening date for its Red Line rail service from Leander to downtown Austin, officials said the testing phase is moving along smoothly.
“At this point, we’re certainly looking forward to getting this up and running,” Spokesman Adam Shaivitz said. “We know it’s taking extra time, but in the long run it will be better for everyone.”

Resident unhappy with sewer backup
Backflow from clogged city sewer lines seems to have flooded two homes, and it’s no stretch to say that’s not a good thing for the homeowners.
Sewage stinks, it’s supposed to flow out of the house, not come back in and the thing that plays with you mentally, that stuff isn’t yours.
Concern over the incident brought Paula and Abel Ruiz to the July 16 City Council meeting who, during citizen comments, expressed concerned the city wasn’t taking responsibility for the problem.

City economy down but not out
In spite of the area’s economic downturn, two local companies shuttering their doors this year and an unemployment rate of almost 7.7 percent for the area, the city’s economic development director wants people to see that Leander is better than a few years ago.

LCRA, city prepare as drought conditions continue
Lower Colorado River Authority officials made comparisons to the ongoing two-year-long drought throughout Central Texas with the worst drought on record during a special briefing July 22.
The briefing painted a landscape of a dry, prolonged stretch of little water saturation, which has left area cities, homeowners and farmers conserving water use through the fall.

August
TEA rates LISD ‘recognized’
Leander Independent School District improved its Texas Education Association accountability ratings this year.
The district earned a rating of “recognized” based on the students’ scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills as well as completion and dropout rates. This was an improvement from last year’s “academically acceptable” rating, despite more stringent guidelines for dropout rates.

Leander, Granite Shoals petition TCEQ effluent no-discharge rule for area lakes
Along the Colorado River, municipalities and water utilities are joining together to change rules regarding releasing effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants back into the Highland Lakes.
A petition to change the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality rules was started by the cities of Granite Shoals and Leander. The cities seek to reverse the Highland Lakes Discharge Ban, which would then allow water providers to return treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes.

Valence, Texas denied funding
The news of the dispersal of $2 billion in federal stimulus funds to companies manufacturing electric vehicle components sounded a lot of like the current weather forecast for Central Texas.
Weather systems parked overhead keep temperatures high and skies dry over Leander and Central Texas and the current political climate and high pressure systems kept any of the $2 billion in federal money from reaching Texas and Valence Technology, Inc.

Insurance weighs down county budget
The rising cost of health insurance isn’t just the subject of congressional debates and town hall meetings. The Williamson County Commissioners Court is wrestling with the same issue, with county government officials stating last week the county’s health insurance premiums are expected to increase by an estimated $3 to $4 million this coming fiscal year.

City loses 2 stops in new CapMetro rail plan
Capital MetroRail is in the final stages of compliance for fully operational status according to its Aug. 19 status update. While four milestones remain before the red line is officially opened, completion of the “final system validation process” that commenced Aug. 3 will allow MetroRail to set a date for the inauguration of services.
Capital Metro officials are unwilling to estimate the time to completion for this step, according to spokesperson Erica McEwen, urging caution in anticipating commuter service from Leander to downtown Austin in the near future.

September
Drought forces cooperation
High temperatures, no rain and dropping lake levels have city officials of Leander and Cedar Park working together on a temporary, deeper intake site on Lake Travis. The two-phase project will ensure an uninterrupted water supply if the ongoing drought continues through the winter.
On Aug. 20, the City Council approved joining the city of Cedar Park’s efforts to build a temporary raw water intake barge at a lower elevation in Lake Travis.

Road repairs irk businesses
Progress on the expansion of East Crystal Falls Parkway this week brought drivers the first smooth section of road to travel on, but placement of some raised medians along the road continue to raise concerns of others over access to businesses.
The section of Crystal Falls between toll road 183A to CR 271 was opened after construction crews laid the first layer of asphalt last week.

BCRUA hires construction manager
The Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority is ready to turn dirt and dig.
On Aug. 25, the utility authority board announced the hiring of a construction manager and the construction company as steps toward construction of its regional water utility system.

LISD debates grad standards
The Leander Independent School District Board of Trustees discussed lowering the required number of credits on its minimum graduation plan during its regular meeting Sept. 3.
Todd Washburn, director of secondary curriculum at LISD, said the district’s current requirement of 26 credits was holding certain students back.

Asst. City Manager leaving Leander
Assistant City Manager Scott Wall is leaving Leander to be the new assistant city manager in Tyler, Texas.
Wall has been Leander’s assistant city manager of operations since March 2007; his last day will be Oct. 8.

Drought continues despite recent rain
Recent rains have done little to improve drought conditions, Lower Colorado River Authority meteorologist Bob Rose said.
As of Monday, Leander had measured 4.7 inches since a low-pressure system moved in from the Midwest on Sept. 10. Rose said the area would need approximately 15 to 20 inches of rain spread across the entire watershed to break the drought that started in early 2007.

MetroRail meets new challenges
Capital Metro still doesn’t have a start date for the opening of the commuter rail, but CapMetro spokesperson Erica McKewen is hopeful by the time they submit their next progress report to the community in mid-October there will at least be some sort of a timeline in place.

October
Park and pool fees increase
Swimming in the city pool, renting athletic fields and certain park facilities and a round of golf at the city’s golf course will cost more due to a price increase passed by the City Council.
On Oct. 1, the Council approved fee increases for several parks and recreation facilities.

Council supports Siebold in joining CapMetro board
The ongoing shuffle of personnel, politics and the future of transportation issues related to the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has reached the city of Leander.
Taking more than an hour to discuss the issue, the Leander City Council took a 4-2 vote Tuesday directing Mayor John Cowman to support Councilman David Siebold for a possible seat on the Small Cities Mayor’s Capital Metro position. Councilwoman Michell Cantwell was absent from the specially called Council meeting.

Devoe sentenced to death for murders
After a jury sentenced  Paul  Devoe to death Thursday, the mother of one of his victims—17-year-old Danielle Hensley— took the witness stand in a Travis County courtroom and told  Devoe it would be nice to know if he cared what she and other victims’ family members had to say.

CPRMC CEO accused of extortion
Abraham “Abe” Martinez, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center’s chief executive officer, has been accused of extortion, racketeering and unjust enrichment among other charges by two doctors at his former hospital, Laredo Medical Center.
On Oct. 6, two Laredo doctors, Jose Berlioz, M.D. and Eliel Ntakirutimana, M.D., also known as Dr. Nataki, filed the lawsuit against Martinez and his former employer Laredo Medical Center in Webb County District Court.

Cowman stays on Cap Metro board
Mayor John Cowman is changing seats on the Cap Metro’s board of directors.
Having spent five years on the board as the Williamson County representative, Cowman gained his new spot through the Small Cities Mayor’s Committee on Oct. 15.

MetroRail makes progress
The Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority released its October progress report for the MetroRail, and while there wasn’t much new information to report, it included a tentative timetable, suggesting that the system would be ready for launch some time in the first quarter of 2010.
The report says that the system will be ready to undergo testing in January 2010. CapMetro representative Misty Whited said, CapMetro has gotten a considerable amount of work done since the last progress report was issued in September.

November
Effluent discharge plan meets resistance
Austin and a major water authority are lining up to oppose a request to allow discharging sewage effluent into the Highland Lakes.
On Thursday, the city could join Travis County and the Lower Colorado River Authority in formally opposing a petition by the cities of Leander and Granite Shoals that asks the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to end restrictions on discharging effluent into the Highland Lakes, which include Lake Travis.

Water rates to increase
Water rates will increase by 7.1 percent overall for city customers.
The Council approved the increase at the Nov. 5 meeting in a 6-1 vote with Councilman John Perez dissenting.

BCRUA approves contracts
Construction on the $182 million water pipeline and treatment plant inches closer to reality as the tri-city water project hires engineers and inspectors.
To date, the project is $30 million under budget, according to Chris Lippe, general manager of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority.

Commission denies city petition on effluent rule
No treated wastewater will be returned to the waters of Lake Travis and the surrounding Colorado Basin.
On Nov. 18, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said no to the joint request by the cities of Leander and Granite Shoals to allow the discharge of treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes.

December
Police reach Accreditation status
The Leander Police Department reached a significant milestone of best business practices with a newly acquired, national Accreditation status.
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA) granted Leander’s police department’s Accreditation status on Nov. 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LISD earns financial award
The Leander Independent School District received the JP Morgan Best Practices Award for management of its procurement card program, the board of trustees announced at its regular meeting Dec. 3.
“We’re very proud of this,” Assistant Superintendent Ellen Skoviera said. “I was thrilled because this is for handling that (program) well. It’s not for volume.”

City approves Joule lease
With two unanimous votes, the City Council approved a zoning change and an agreement to lease five acres of city land to a bio-energy firm working to develop its process for producing renewable forms of transportation fuels.
The lease, a one-year, renewable agreement, will allow Joule Biotechnologies, Inc., to use five acres of the city’s seven-acre lot for $1-a-year for its first large-scale pilot plant for producing bio-energy fuels.

Ledger online
Readers can now find content from the award-winning Leander Ledger online at its new Web site, leanderledger.com.
Austin Community Newspapers Northwest Group Publisher Bob Freer said having the Ledger online will be a huge asset for editorial staff as it covers events, happenings and other news items that matter to local residents.