"From the Mayor's Desk" as published in Tribune Progress 12/09/09

FROM THE MAYOR'S DESK

Greetings from City Hall.
Here is an update concerning the City of Bartlett operations.

Financially the City ended the month of November in pretty good shape. There was a reasonable surplus after all bills were paid, including the monthly payroll. The $28,700.00 reinvestment from the Bartlett Electric Coop was an unexpected but welcome surprise. That has been deposited to the general fund. Another welcome happening is that the penalties (approximately $38,000.00) by the IRS we anticipated due to late payments of payroll taxes in the past have been forgiven by the IRS. Credit this to the efforts of Ms. Mattie Ingram, councilmember Grove and city attorney Paige SAenz. All “overdue” taxes were paid a few months ago and the anticipated penalties were forgiven by the IRS. In face the city received a refund of $1,800.00 or so from the IRS.

The city council hired Ms. Jana Henderson to the position of “city secretary” and she took over the job Monday, Nov. 30. For the time being Ms. Ingram, former interim city secretary, will remain as an administrative assistant, assisting Henderson in getting acquainted with the job of city secretary.

Ms. Ingram and council member Grove continue to work on determining revenue and disbursements from Oct. 2008 thru Sept. 2009. I expect that to be completed the end of this week, so we may begin to make propert adjustments to the budget.

Also, we anticipate that beginning in February work on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project will begin. This project has been in the making for several months and will involve the laying of a new eight-inch water line down Pietzsch Street from Lillian west under Hwy. 95 and under the railroad tracks to Emma Street, connecting with another new water line running south from Clark to Jackson streets. The present line, which is under the south side of Clark Street, will be capped off and bandoned in place. This will provide better water pressure to the east side of town as well as abandoning the ancient troublesome water line under Clark Street.

Additionally, a system is now in place where should you need to contact the “on duty” Bartlettpolice officer when he is not at the police department. Each officer has a city-provided cell phone and, by dialing 527-3733 or -3733, the call is automatically switched to his cell phone. Of course, if an officer is not on duty, you need to call 911 (Emergency) or 933-5412 (Bell County Dispatch) for non-emergency Bartlett police assistance.

Next, the repair and maintenance of our 400,000-gallon ground water storage tank on Jackson and Southwest Front Street. This will begin soon as a company sets up a pump and tank system which will provide water pressure throughout the city while this GWST is “off line” so repair and cleaning can be done by Utility Services Company.

That’s about all for the time being, but I’ll provide an update such as this from time to time. I expect the next regular city council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21 in Town Hall. I urge you to attend and see first hand the progress being made. There are not any “illegal council meetings” taking place and the city is not in dire straits as some would have you believe. Yes, talk with your elected city officials for straight answers rather than gossip and information.

Thank you for your time and support.

Arthur J. White, Mayor

Debbie McKeon

Tribune-Progress

SANTA *WALT SAVERSE* 12/19/09 RAILROAD CAFE BARTLETT TEXAS

Lanada Hill BORN 02/13/21 DIED 12/08/09

VIDEO PART ONE



Unfortunately I only took two video's of Momma just prior to her severe heart attack. I had the camera only a few days, when she fell ill on Nov.09, 2009. Sometimes you think you have forever to do things. Below is Part 1 and a group of 11 video shorts. When one ends click the arrow for the next to start.
1.Nov 06 Momma sang Mary Had a Little Lamb---pic dark--
2.Nov 07 Lanada Hill and grandson Kevin--width of pic is off
3.Nov 09 911--Mother short of breath
4.Bartlett 1st Responders come quick
5.Momma on Oxygen, she states it helps
6.Transport to Scott & White Hospital
7.Going inside Hospital
8.Met Jane Vorwerk of Taylor her brother was in ICU
9.Momma is on the 4th floor Cardiac Vasuclar. My brother William (Buzz) his wife Joyce, my daughter Jana, and Jana's daddy James Vasek are there.
10.Momma looks very tired. Dr. Stone stated she had only 12 percent of heart function left, and was terminal, and they had done all they could. Dr. Stone, and the social worker Pam declined to be on camera. Dr. Stone and I signed a DNR (I said CPR was ok but no intubation) It's called a conditional Do Not Recusitate. They released momma later that day--it was the 12 of November.
11.I visited Jane Vorwerk's brother Jim Matyastik in Surgical ICU on the 2nd floor. He expired a few days later.


PART TWO




PART THREE


Link Below is to my Mother Lanada Hill's Brief Biography.
Please Sign the Guest Book

I will be posting a lot more information and also video of my Mother and Family in the near future. Right now I am still grieving.

Make donations to the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Dept. in the name of Lanada Hill. They did a GREAT JOB.


LANADA WILLIAM CRUMBLEY HILL

My Favorite Video of The Month Dec 2009

Rockabilly Dance 1993 at Gersbach Wacker Building Bartlett,Texas Featured Artist in this 35 minute clip is Marti Brom who sings in the style of Patsy Cline and Janis Martin. ENJOY


Marti Brom Today Singng an Orginal Song Blue Tattoo.

VETERAN'S DAY CELEBRATION BARTLETT

Seven Clips, When 1 Finishes CLICK the arrow to start the Next

A Veteran’s Day Celebration is being planned for November 11, 2009 from 8:00-12:00 noon for WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Gulf War and Desert Storm veterans.

Breakfast will be served from 8:00-10:00 A.M. There is no charge to veterans and their spouses, or spouses of deceased veterans. The breakfast will be held at the Bartlett Cultural Center, formerly the American Legion Hall, 200 E. Professor Powell, Bartlett.

Games will be played e.g. checkers, cards and dominoes. Time will be allotted to share your war stories. Your ticket to attend will include a military I.D. or DD214. Bring your military memorabilia, e.g. photos, dog tags, uniform, boots, shoes and guns as these items will be on display.

Non-veterans are invited to attend; however, we are asking for a donation to offset the cost of the meal.

For more information call:
Bruce Sanders (512) 926-0027 (Austin)
Kathy Jones (254) 527-3775 (Bartlett)
Deana Shiplett (254) 527-4342 (Bartlett)

Out & About in Bartlett 1st & 2nd Week Nov. 2009

2nd Week Nov CLICK arrow to start each clip
1. Fog In Bartlett
2. New Antique Store Ivey
3. Beth at Duchess
4. Captain & Dogs
5. Inside of Filling Station


Several short Clips, when one ends CLICK arrow to start next clip.
If you would like me to do a film clip email LanaHill@Att.Net

1. Power outage for parts of Bartlett Nov 4th (Red & White)
2. Bartlett Auction Nov 1 David Vanicek 130 East Clark
3. Ambulance to Library Nov 5th--City Employee Alice Cortez to Hospt.
4. Take the truck apart to get to fuel pump? Texaco Jim
5. Nov 5th electric work in alley behind Carl Powell downtown Bartlett
6. Bartlett Filling Station moved, new location is 100 North Dalton. HI from owner Mike Payne. GREAT SPECIALS in the near future.
Call 254 527 4440

Nov 2009 My Favorite Video of The Month 1957 "Ranch Party" Hosted by Tex Ritter

1957 Two episodes of "Ranch Party", Host Tex Ritter. THIS IS GREAT.
When Episode 1 finishes CLICK arrow to start Episode 2 with
Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Bobby Helms & MORE

1. Carl Perkins ("Blue Suede Shoes", "Your True Love"), Lorrie Collins ("There He Goes"), Ranch Party Gang ("Night Train To Memphis"), Smiley Burnette ("Hominy Grits"), Wes and Marilyn Tuttle ("Hey Good Lookin'"), Tex Ritter ("Children and Fools"), Mac Wiseman ("Wabash Cannonball") and the Collins Kids ("Kaw-liga").

2. Johnny Cash ("I Walk The Line"), Ranch Party Gang ("Blue Tail Fly"), Patsy Cline ("I've Loved and Lost Again"), Les 'Carrot Top' Anderson ("Dimples or the Dumplins"), Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Kate ("Instrumental Hoedown"), Dorothy Wright ("Just a Closer Walk with Thee"), Bobby Helms ("Long Gone Daddy"), Collins Kids ("Let's Have A Party"), Lorrie Collins ("Young Heart") and the Ranch Party Gang ("Deep In the Heart of Texas").

From The Mayor's Desk as Published in the Bartlett Tribune

Oct 21, 2009

A few words here to counter the misinformation and radical comments by the few persons who believe that I, your council and those persons working in City Hall are incompetent. Since I and your city council terminated the employment of Diane Evans from the the job of “city secretary” on July 20, there have been three other persons besides myself and a city council member working diligently to straighten out the disarrayed mess we found. Documents essential for daily operation are difficult to locate and in some instances do not exist far as we can determine.

An Internal Revenue agent came to Bartlett in June 2009 and made a “compliance check.” Well, it has been found that the City owes a substantial amount of “back taxes” to the IRS. This money is the amount withheld from each employee’s paycheck that is then supposed to be sent to the IRS; except that all money owed has not been paid the IRS for several quarters. The City has paid all of the outstanding taxes owed for a number of recent quarters. Our city attorney is currently working with the IRS to determine and reduce a larger amount owed on earlier violations.

Also, a new fiscal year budget for October 1, ‘09 through September 1, ‘10 has not been created and here is why. As advised by the city attorney, when a city does not produce such a new budget for the new fiscal year, the previous year’s budget automatically becomes the new budget by state law. I (city budget officer) and the council have not created a new budget because of the poor filing and record keeping in City Hall. It is my ultimate responsibility, but is first the primary responsibility of the City Secretary who was well paid for that duty.

To maintain an accurate record of income and expenditures, the total revenue for the last budget year (revenue from electric, water, sewer, garbage, ad valorem--property taxes--etc.) are not readily available. How can a budget be composed when we have no way to determine the amount of revenue last year, then determine what can be expected for this new year? Further, last year’s budget was not maintained whatsoever. Not one amendment was made because a record was not kept as to what was paid and to what agency/person. For instance, there are no records readily available showing what was paid to Act Pipe Company, Wal-Mart, AT&T, Atmos Energy, etc., and so on. Other than the bank statements themselves, but you get the picture. The only way to determine income and expenses from last year will be to review all bank statements and invoices since last November and that is a mountain of a job. It is being done but there is a long way to go. Therefore, I cannot produce a new budget/amendments at this time and cannot even give a definite “timeline” for such. However, we are working hard to make it happen. Once I know the revenue and where all such revenue went, then I can propose specific amendments to this budget for council review at workshops to be scheduled. Anything prior to that would be “guesswork” which wold really excite some citizens.

There are 34 different sources of revenue in the budget, some minor and others major and all contribute to the total. There arer 234 line items in the budget detailing where this revenue went. Neither deposits nor expenditures were maintained current in the last fiscal year budget document.

On to the tax rate. The tax rate (your property taxes) were not raised by the City this year nor last year. There were no hearings on the tax rate last year or this year because the rate has not been raised. (And by the way, this is the first time I’ve heard people complain about the tax rate NOT being rasied). The City adopted the rollback rate. The effective rax rate was higher than the rollback rarte this year. To adopt the effective tax rate, the City would have had to hold hearings to increase the tax rate. According to the Comptroller’s Truth-In-Taxation manual, the rollback rate is the tax rate that provides the City with about the same amount of tax revenue it spent the previous year for day-to-day operations, plus an extra 8 percent increase for those operations plus sufficient funds to pay debts in the coming year. We get the total indebtedness of the City from First State Bank Central Texas (Granger) then pass that information to the Bell County Tax Appraisal District Office in Belton. The appraisal district does the actual calculations and then publishes the results in a newspaper (Temple Daily Telegram this year as well as last year and the year before that) which was Saturday, September 12, 2009. Should the information we get from FSBCT in Granger be erroneous/inaccurate then a problem will arise next year. But the City has been paying the same amount on the loans from the bank for a few years and the Appraisal District has assured me several times (even calling me at home) that the calculations are correct.

The City has not been audited for four consecutive years. Why? Records essential for an auditor to do such work have not been nor are they currently filed in any appropriate manner. Financial material pertaining to an audit are not readily available, and no auditor is going to spend days or weeks looking for such. Our auditor has already told us as much. I cannot at this time even make a guess as to when the City will be prepared for an audit, but we working diligently so that an audit can be done. The City is currently following the auditor’s recommendations for getting the financial files in order, and as soon as the records are in order, the most recent fiscal year will be audited. then we will work back to previous years.

Last but not least (and I’m not even going to mention the condition of the Municipal Court), I have been told by a few citizens that the city secretary job is too much for one employee. I agreed and have agreed with this for a long time. But every time I brought this up, it was strongly rejected by Diane Evans. Looking at the state of the files and financial records of the city (unpaid payroll taxes, undocumented financial transactions, no maintained filing system), it does not make sense to me that she would reject help.

In closing, I do acknowledge that I, as mayor, have the ultimate responsibility for the inexcusable condition in the City Hall city secretary function. I, and I hope you, the good citizens of Bartlett, also accept the fact that this was all the job of the former city secretary who was well paid and additionally paid well at time and a half overtime. I ask you to not take all the “tripe” and “poison” spewed out of some citizens as gospel. Ask me or some other city council member for truthful, accurate information. Thank you for yoru time and rest assured progress is being made daily despite the negative efforts of some who seem determined to derail our efforst. Their motivation??? Also, I will work to make sure this does not happen again.

P. S.--I own a few minor shares in the Prudential Insurance Agency Company. Does that meal all employees of that company are my employees? How about if I own any shares in Wal-Mart of any other corporation, large or small? How ridiculous!

(As the sign along the road to Davilla read years ago . . . “Bartlett-Best Little Town in Texas” was then and still is far as I’m concerned. Most folks won’t remember that though, it goest back into the ‘50s and ‘60s.)

Arthur J. White, Mayor

City of Bartlett, Texas

Debbie McKeon

Tribune-Progress

Oct 2009 My Favorite Video of The MonthWho Is It?

YES YOU DO KNOW THIS GUY WATCH THE WHOLE VIDEO
Then Click the Video Below

Oct 31 2000 Bartlett Budget Hearing Art White, Arthur Mason

Part1


Part2

Video 2009 Bartlett Texas Budget Hearing

Tribune Progess Article on Public Budget Hearing

Meeting recorded by James Grant Audio Above--Video Coming Soon Takes 5 minutes for meeting to start

Bartlett Adopts Rollback Rate, Old Budget

Link to Posted Agenda's
News Article By Gayle Bielss
   A vocal audience challenged the mayor and council at a public hearing for the City of Bartlett budget  Monday night. Mayor Pro Tem Arthur Mason was not present.

   Mayor Arthur White told the council and audience that if the council did not adopt a budget by the September 30 deadline, the old budget goes into effect. He said it would be monitored closely. White said he was unable to work up a new budget since he did not have an accurate accounting of income and expenses for the previous year.

   White stated "they" were working diligently in city hall reviewing checks to see how much went out and what came in for the previous fiscal year.

   Former city secretary Diane Evans asked how a tax rate could be passed without a current budget. She said last year (2008) an ordinance had to be passed to go into the next month until a budget was ready.White said he did not know.

   City attorney Paige Saenz was present to answer questions.

   Ms. Evans and Kathy Jones, also a former city secretary for Bartlett, stated that the budget is supposed to be available 30 days prior to the tax rate hearing. Ms. Jones said the budget was supposed to be available on the counter, and individuals should not have to ask for copies.

   Councilwoman Alice Rodriguez said she had asked about a budget and had not received her copy until noon the previous day.

   Ms. Saenz said a budget is required to be adopted each year following statutes to adopt the tax rate. She said things need to be done in an orderly fashion to adopt a tax rate. She said cities frequently come back with budget amendments one or twice a year.

   Ms. Evans said the way it stands, the public will have no input on the budget. Mayor White said that budget hearings will be held through October with another public hearing at the end of October. Ms. Evans said, so this meeting was for nothing. She said a lot of things could have been changed but were not. White stated, "You created the budget, so I beg to differ." Ms. Evans responded with, it was correct last year, but things have changed since then.

   James Grant asked when last year's budget was amended and was told it had not been. He then asked when was the last full year's audit and was told 2005. Grant wanted to know why there had not been an audit. White said Grant would have to ask the previous city secretary. Grant pointed out that the mayor is responsible and culpable. Grant said these are not new questions. White said he had no recollection. White said the information for the auditor was not available. Grant stated that the city is required to have an audit.

   Mayor White discussed setting the tax rate at the rollback rate. Ms. Evans asked why go with the rollback rate, what if it's not sufficient for the budget. Who decided on the tax rate? Mayor White said the rate was set by the county, but Ms. Evans insisted that the council had a choice. She asked why choose the lower tax rate? She said the council could choose between the effective tax rate and the rollback rate. As Ms. Evans continued to query the mayor about who picked the tax rate, first he said no further comment, and then said the council is about to vote on it.

   Grant inquired about the newspaper of record for the city of Bartlett and asked when the proposed tax rate had been published. White said it was probably not published.

   Mayor White stated that since Ms. Evans was released on July 20, there had been one city secretary who stayed 30 days and one who stayed five. Ms. Evans told him that's not her problem, "I'm just trying to get answers you don't want to answer." White told her he did not have the experience she had. When White mentioned Mattie (as city secretary), Councilwoman Alice Rodriguez said the council had not appointed her city secretary and White asked, What's your problem there?

   Grant stated that last year's budget still had shortfalls and questioned how one could adopt a budget with shortfalls with a rollback tax rate. White said the council was at fault, him primarily. Grant asked if the council planned to use Plan B and raise utility rates.

   Mayor White closed the public hearing promptly at 7:30 p.m. White convened the called meeting at 7:30 p.m. and called for a motion on the tax rate based on the appraised value of property. He read ordinance No. 2009-7 levying ad valorem taxes for use and support of the municipal government of the city for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2009 and ending September 30, 2010. White stated that the total tax rate should be set at $.5244 on each $100 valuation with $.2749 for maintenance and operation and $.2495 for interest and sinking.

   When Mayor White asked for a motion, Councilman Charlie Johnson that he was of the understanding that the current budget would be extended 30 days. He said he felt misled and wanted no part of it.

   White asked the council's wishes, stating they had to adopt or disapprove the tax rate. Johnson made the motion to disapprove with a second by Ms. Rodriguez.

Councilwoman Gina Grove asked the city attorney if another ordinance could be created. Ms. Saenz said that the old year's budget went into effect if a new one was not prepared. Saenz said the city was meeting statutory requirements, and extending the budget year was an usual circumstance.

   Johnson said, "That the council did not have information that the city was using this budget. Now we have a deadline and have to take whatever is thrown at us."

   Once again, Saenz stated that the city was meeting statutory requirements and Johnson said you tell me about the process, but other processes have not been followed. Saenz said the city is trying to do the right thing.

   Ms. Evans said the city would be better with the default budget. Three council members voted to disapprove the tax rate with Councilman Reuben Lindemann not voting, since "I don't understand everything being said."

   Saenz said the old budget would be extended and that the council should go ahead and establish a tax rate. October 1 starts new budget regardless of what we do, White said.

   White reread the ordinance and Lindemann made the motion to approve it based on what was read. His motion died for lack of a second. After White asked the council what they wished to do, Lindemann asked what's our problem, why can't we approve, what's wrong with it? Saenz asked if the council was concerned about the tax rate. Lindemann again made the motion to approve the tax rate with a second by Grove. It passed 3-1 with a yes by Johnson and a no by Rodriguez.

   An agenda item regarding invoices for technical services by Lon Hammonds was deleted, since Mayor White said it was pretty much straightened out.

   The minutes for the regular meeting on September 21 were approved and the meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

Debbie McKeon
Tribune-Progress
254-527-4424

CowBoy Song Old Paint Written In Bartlett

Ol' Paint's Ride Started in Bartlett by Clay Coppedge

From TexasEscapes.Com Click & Go for More about BARTLETT TEXAS

Identifying who actually penned the classic trail drive song "Goodbye Old Paint" is about as easy as trying to figure out which horse on which cattle drive inspired the song. One thing we can say with certainty is that the song's journey from trail drive ditty to enduring American classic passed through here.

The man most often credited as composer of the song is Jess Morris, who was born in Bartlett in 1878. Jess Morris never claimed to have written the song; he said he learned it from a black cowboy named Charley Willis.


Woody Guthrie

"Charley played a Jews-harp and taught me how to play it," Morris said. "It was on this Jews-harp that I learned to play 'Old' Paint' at the age of seven.

"In later years I learned to play 'Old Paint' on the fiddle, in my own special arrangement - tuning the fiddle accordingly."

Fiddlers recognize Morris' arrangement as sophisticated and difficult, adding credence to rumors that he studied violin in Austin and at Valparaiso, Indiana. But Jess Morris he always identified himself as a cowboy fiddler.

His unique "Old Paint" arrangement caught the attention of folk music collector John Lomax. Lomax wrote to Morris that he (Morris) had "the best tune that exists to Goodbye, Old Paint" and he wanted to record it as Morris performed it. That version is included on the album "Cowboy Songs, Ballads and Cattle Calls From Texas."

Jess Morris left Bartlett when he was 12 and settled on the Texas panhandle where he was known as a good ranch hand as well as a superb fiddler.

An Amarillo newspaper first identified Jess Morris with the song in 1928. Reporting on a tri-state fiddle contest, Morris is singled out for "Goodbye Old Paint." "The audience forgot all dignity and joined in a hearty yell on 'Goodbye Old Paint,'" the reporter wrote.

The song was probably credited to Jess Morris because of the unique way he tuned his fiddle for the song.

Other versions of the song invariably surfaced, all of them "original compositions." "Many publishers swiped my song and had it published, and many old maverick 'Paints' were running wild and unbranded," Morris later said.

Charley Willis' great-grandson, Artie Morris, grew up in Temple, the son of a railroad man. He says his great grandfather was born a slave in Milam County in 1850 and learned the cowboy trade as a slave.

The book "Black Cowboys of Texas," published by Texas A&M University Press, reports that in 1871 Willis was hired to help the Snyder brothers of Georgetown take several thousand cattle up the Chisholm Trail to Wyoming.

Willis returned to Milam County and settled in Davilla. He went to work for E.J. Morris on the Morris Ranch near Bartlett. Willis' specialty, both on the trail and on the Morris Ranch, is said to have been breaking horses.

Willis taught E.J. Morris' seven-year old son, Jesse, how to play "Goodbye Old Paint" in about 1885. Jess Morris' first fiddle lesson came from another black cowboy on the ranch, Jerry Neely.

Two generations later, Artie Morris grew up in Temple wanting to be a country singer. Hank Williams - not Charley Willis - inspired his passion. "I wanted to be a country singer and I couldn't do it because there were no black country singers," he says. "I'd go in clubs and the band didn't want to play for me. They would play off-key, they'd do all sorts of stuff just to make me mess up."

Artie Morris went to Nashville in 1955, a decade before Charley Pride became the first black superstar of country music. Doors opened for him when record executives heard his tapes, but closed just as quickly when he showed up in person.

"He said he was afraid 'blacks won't buy it because it's country and country won't buy it because you're black,'" he said of one record executive in a 2001 interview. Things weren't any better at home. "Even in Temple, you go into a club, one club had two stages and two bands," he said. "One stage was where the white musicians played and the other side was where the blacks played and they couldn't play on the same stage together."

He left Texas for California and stayed there 30 years, working as a television host, a recording artist for Adkorp Records and, for seven years, as a writer for Buck Owens' publishing company.

Ten years ago, Artie Morris left the Golden State for the Lone Star State. He released a 10-song CD featuring traditional cowboy songs, including "Good-bye Old Paint." He said he tried to put himself in the mindset of his great grandfather, on a 2,000-mile trail drive up the Chisholm Trail. "I always wanted to be a cowboy, but I was afraid of cows, so I thought it was best to sing about it," he says.

Western writer and singer Jim Bob Tinsle believes there is enough credit to go around for "Goodbye Old Paint." Credit for saving the song must be given to three Texans: a black cowboy (Willis) who sang it on cattle drives, a cowboy who remembered it (Jess Morris) and a college professor (Lomax) who put it down on paper," Tinsle wrote.

Leave it to a man named Jim Bob to get it right. .

Donahoe Creek Watershed Dams Story by Temple Daily Telegram

READ TCEQ Doc "Texas Dam Guidelines"

BREECH IMPACT PUT IN SPOTLIGHT: Officials Analyze Earthen Dams
by Paul A. Romer
Published: April 5, 2009
Dale Mengers looks over the Elm Creek Watershed Dam shortly after its completion last year. (Scott Gaulin/Telegram)
Part of Bell County’s infrastructure has been classified as “high hazard” by the National Resources Conservation Service, a designation that requires the development of emergency action plans.

Many people may not have considered the earthen dams spread around the county in three different watersheds as infrastructure, but during times of heavy rains the dams are critical for preventing flooding.

The designation has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the dams, but is instead a reflection of increased development downstream.

Eight of 25 earthen dams in the Bell County jurisdiction of the Elm Creek Watershed Authority are being analyzed to determine the impact a breech from one or more of the dams would have downstream.

Another three dams in the Donahoe Creek Watershed, which spans southern Bell County, are being analyzed because they are potentially “high hazard.”

Dale Mengers, a consultant with Elm Creek Watershed, said the NRCS classification was based purely on a visual inspection of the area downstream from the dams. Since it looked like loss of life or significant loss of property could result in the event of a breech, the state agency moved the dams up on the classification list.

“The dams are inspected every year,” Mengers said. “They are in a safe state, but new roads, homes and businesses could be inundated in the event of a breech.”

Bell County Engineer Bryan Neaves said the county entered into an agreement with the watershed authorities in December to pay half the cost of engineering studies of the dams, which are now under way.

The Elm Creek project is $96,000 and Donahoe Creek $26,000.

When the studies are complete, the county and watershed authorities will understand better the impact of potential breeches.

“We expect to receive models and maps this spring,” Neaves said.

Mengers characterized the studies as “a preventative thing,” something that emergency officials could use in a catastrophic event to quickly determine people who might need assistance or could be in danger.

In the Elm Creek Watershed most of the dams being analyzed are in the Zabcikville area.

One dam off Brewster Road is close to Temple’s industrial park and has lots of homes downstream. Another dam near Pecan Road has homes downstream that could be in a breech zone.

The studies at Donahoe Creek Watershed are in a more rural area of the county near the Milam County line. The Donahoe Creek Watershed also includes part of Williamson County.

Elm Creek Watershed maintains more than 30 dams in a four-county basin area. Most are located in rural parts of northeast Bell County.

Former Little River Police Chief Arrested

Michael Meissner

Posed as a Woman to Solicit Nude Photos from Boys


MEISSNER TCLEOSE RECORDS
WARNING EXPLICIT PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT



By MITCH MITCHELL and DARREN BARBEE
mitchmitchell@star-telegram.com

A 39-year-old former police chief being held in the Dallas County Jail on Wednesday posed as a woman to solicit nude photos from a 17-year-old, investigators said.

According to court documents, Michael Meissner used a bogus MySpace page, then asked for nude photos of teen boys.

Some of the boys who sent nude pictures to Meissner are barely legal and appear to have multiple criminal incidents on their records, an arrest warrant affidavit said. Investigators said they believe that Meissner used his position as police chief in Little River-Academy to find potential victims and has obtained nude pictures from people in the Belton, Killeen, Temple and Waco areas.

One investigator said that in 2006, while Meissner was police chief in Caney City, a 15-year-old boy spent the night with him without his parents’ knowledge or consent and looked at pornography stored in a police computer. The teen told one of Meissner’s friends what had happened and began to get threats from Meissner, the affidavit said.

Meissner altered the computer’s hard drive and operating system, and as a result, the district attorney chose not to pursue the case, the investigator said.

But now, investigators have more than 4,900 text messages and e-mails that they say outline the scope of Meissner’s enterprise, according to the affidavit. The stored messages show numerous pornographic pictures, as well as messages with references to sexual acts with boys and videotaping.

Those text messages show that Meissner filmed at a residence off Collins Street in Arlington. The text messages also describe the use of narcotics, the promotion of prostitution and other illegal activities, the affidavit said. A 17-year-old has agreed to be a witness for the state, according to the affidavit.

If he’s convicted on the six felony charges he faces, Meissner could spend 110 years in prison and be fined $70,000, police said. Meissner faces charges of aggravated promotion of prostitution, sexual performance by a child, possession or promotion of child pornography, engaging in organized criminal activity, misuse of official information, and obstruction or retaliation, Dallas County Jail records show. Bail has been set at $1.5 million.

Joseph Dauben, whom police suspect in connection with the case, was arrested on warrants in Plymouth, N.H. Dauben was in the Grafton County Jail in Plymouth on Wednesday, awaiting extradition to Texas, police said.

Dauben faces charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, obstruction or retaliation, and misuse of official information.

Meissner has a been a itinerate police officer and chief, once serving six days as the chief of the New Summerfield Police Department.

Meissner was charged in Tarrant County with impersonating a public servant in May 2005, but was no-billed by the grand jury.