The November 3rd election is less than 90 days away, and as lakefront residents, we will be asked to approve the plan developed by the PLDA to finance the dam and approve the Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District as part of that election.
Because the usual methods of bringing people together are not available to us in these COVID-19 times, a group of lakefront residents and friends of the PLDA who live within the Lake Dunlap community have launched an independent specific-purpose political action committee (PAC) focused on the passage of the three LDWCID measures on the November 3 ballot.
PLDA is a strong supporter of this effort but as a 501(c)3, the association cannot directly engage in political activities. Nonetheless, its members stand solidly with the new PAC in favor of the Lake Dunlap WCID’s ballot measures to restore our lake. The values of these two groups are aligned around a common purpose: to step up as a community to do what is needed to ensure that Lake Dunlap is restored affordably and as soon as possible — and preserved for generations to come. Our plan is to work very closely with the PLDA throughout the election season.
As lakefront owners, the members of this email list have the greatest stake in this election, and we want to ensure you have the facts and that all your questions get answered. To do this, we plan to create a group of 40-50 "Neighborhood Captains" that reside in every neighborhood on the lake, provide them with access to all the information we have, and begin hosting small "BYO Lawnchair" events in driveways or yards all around the lake.
Please Help! Become a Neighborhood Captain!
We want to invite volunteers from any neighborhood on the lake to step forward to help us by serving as Neighborhood Captains. These volunteers will receive special training and packets of sharable information with talking points, facts and figures, and details on every aspect of the plan. Neighborhood Captains will have access to all the most current, most accurate information available right up until the election, November 3.
The main thing we will ask of this vitally important group is to host an informal meeting of about 8-10 of their neighbors in their driveway or yard to answer their questions, surface any concerns, and generally get everyone on the lake that we can up to speed on the three key propositions on the WCID ballot that all have to pass if we want the lake back. It is the best way we can think of to try to get to everyone.
If you are interested in serving as a Neighborhood Captain for your street, please reply to this email and we'll be in touch with you with the details. There is no better way to know all the facts, and to get our lake back!
Please encourage your neighbors to join this email list. Along with PLDA, we will be providing the most accurate information we can — PLDA to their members, and CRLD to WCID homeowners and residents. Anyone can subscribe in seconds at LakeDunlap.org - the subscription form is at the bottom of the home page.
Learn more at our new website, http://LakeDunlap.org, and consider joining our private, verified-owners-only group on Facebook, "Lake Dunlap WCID Property Owners."
More to come as we work to get the word out to everyone.
Lake Dunlap Needs Your Help!
As you know, the PLDA and the new Lake Dunlap WCID Board are working hard to secure the resources we need to fix the dam at an affordable cost. We have a tremendous opportunity to do that through the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) with a zero percent 30-year loan!! Securing funds at zero percent would greatly reduce the cost to repair the dam, as you can imagine!
We are not alone in going after these funds though — this is a very competitive and political process. We really need our community to step up right now and let the TWDB know how important this project is to our community, our economy, and our families. We are hoping to reach everyone that wants to see this project succeed to get them involved! For that, we need your help!
GBRA is the entity that would borrow the funds on our behalf, and working together with them, we have already submitted the required pre-application. The process is designed so that if the TWDB looks favorably on our project, we'll be invited to submit a full application. We need you, your family, your neighbors, and anyone else to let the TWDB know how important this project is, and that we should absolutely be invited to submit a full application.
Several Texas lakes are asking for TWDB support to upgrade their infrastructure, but our lake, Lake Dunlap, is the ONLY lake applying for funds that no longer has any functioning spillgates because the original dam failed more than a year ago on May 14, 2019.
Please help us by sending a letter and/or emails to the TWCB as a whole and/or to its members individually. We need to get hundreds of emails to them in the next week! Many of you have asked how you can help us keep this project on track, and this is a simple but very important way you can!
Clearly, a personal letter would make the most impact, but I have included one you can simply "cut and paste" below that you can use if you're busy but want to help. Just copy it, add or change whatever you like, and send it off as soon as you can. Keep in mind, letters from ANYONE can help us — these letters can be from your family, your neighbors, people you know that live in other cities. The MORE they hear from us, the BETTER!!
Pro Tip: Sending a separate email to each board member will have a greater impact than copying all of them on a single email.
Sample Email or Letter
__________________
Dear (insert a board member's name from the list below, or address it to the Texas Water Development Board as a group):
I write today to ask you to look favorably on the GBRA pre-application to apply for a zero-percent 30-year loan that would be used to restore Lake Dunlap's dam, which failed catastrophically just over a year ago. The citizens who live on this lake are not asking for a handout, but rather a LOAN.
My family and my neighbors strongly support this project, and we ask that you do as well.
Please take a good look at the pre-application, and find it in your heart to recommend that GBRA and the newly created Lake Dunlap WCID be invited to submit a full application in support of qualifying for the zero-percent loans the TWDB is considering.
Sincerely,
___________________
If you want to write a personal letter, here are some key points you might make:
1) On May 14, 2019, a catastrophic failure of one of the Dunlap dam’s spillway gates occurred, and the spillgate explosively detached from the dam. The lake subsequently dewatered within 24 hours.
2) The failure of the dam has had a devastating effect on the local and regional economy. Property values on the lake for 2020 are estimated to be down by 20% or more. Businesses whose livelihood was related to the lake or lake recreation have seen revenues plummet, and the ability of residents, their families, tourists, and visitors to enjoy and use the lake is greatly diminished.
3) The Lake Dunlap community is committed to restoring Lake Dunlap and reversing the effects of this disaster and is working in partnership with the GBRA to do so. Residents have successfully created the Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District (WCID) and plan to tax themselves to fund the repairs. A zero-percent loan would make this citizen-funded project affordable. The entire State of Texas will benefit from having this important water resource returned to service, as will all the citizens who use the hydroelectric power generated, all the businesses whose livelihoods are based on the lake, and thousands of citizens in Comal and Guadalupe counties, the City of New Braunfels, and indeed this entire community.
To contact the TWDB by mail, use this address:
Director's Name (see list below)
Texas Water Development Board
P.O. BOX 13231
Austin, TX 78711
To contact the TWDB or an individual director via email
General email:
Boardmembers@twdb.texas.gov
Peter Lake, Chairman
Peter.Lake@twdb.texas.gov
Kathleen Jackson, Director
Kathleen.Jackson@twdb.texas.gov
Brooke Paup, Director
Brooke.Paup@ttwdb.texas.gov
Jeff Walker, Executive Administrator
Jeff.Walker@twdb.texas.gov
—————————
I guess that is enough for now. From us here at PLDA, we very much appreciate your support, and hope you and your families are safe and managing things as best you can. We look forward to seeing all of you again as soon as we are able. In the meantime, please know we are all still working hard to bring back our lake. We know you are busy, and hope that you can take a few moments to send a note to the members of the TWDB, and encourage your family, your neighbors, and your friends to also do so. Together, we can make this happen!
Thank you.
J Harmon
President PLDA
jrharmon123@yahoo.com
Update - May 14, 2020
Dear neighbors,
We hope all of you have managed the storm on Tuesday and that the effects of this most recent mini-flood have not caused you new problems to deal with. We know some of you lost docks or other items to the flooding, and if you can let us know, we will put together a Facebook campaign to help locate them downstream if we can. If you pulled something out or saved one of those floating docks, snap a picture, let us know, and we'll try to find its owner. Meanwhile, forecasts predict another big rain event tomorrow, with 24 hours of rain starting tomorrow afternoon, all night, and into Saturday. Please take precautions!
Now let's get to it:
1. Today is the First-Year Anniversary of the Dam Failure. One year ago today, all of our lives changed significantly when the dam failed about 8 am on May 14, 2019. The video made national news, and highlighted infrastructure challenges across the US. For us in this community though, this past year has been one in which ordinary people have come together to do extraordinary things. We now have a WCID and a plan approved by both the Lake Dunlap WCID and the GBRA boards that can restore our lake once and for all. One day, soon we hope, we'll all remember this day as the day we all realized our common interests and came together.
A year later, now we have a solid active community -- one in which we see examples almost on a daily basis of neighbors helping neighbors, of people making plans for the future, and yes, many of us drinking the lemonade we made from the lemons the dam failure left us with. For us here at the PLDA, today marks a time for us to be grateful that we live here, on Lake Dunlap, amongst all of you. This journey is one we are all making, and I am so proud to be part of this "can do," "get 'er done" amazing group of people.
2. Two quick recaps of good-news headlines from the April 29th Update: 1) The GBRA and the Lake Dunlap WCID boards have reached agreement on the contract to finance and manage the dam repairs and ongoing operations. Both boards voted unanimously to approve the 30-page agreement, which was reviewed by both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Attorney General. 2) In other good news, the engineering for the dam is now 100% complete. The WCID has teams involved in all levels of discussions around construction, bidding, and more, and this will continue as one of the core terms of our contract with GBRA. See the April 29th update for more details.
3. Please encourage your neighbors and friends to join the PLDA! We are planning to start up the annual PLDA membership drive in the next few weeks, which will culminate with the Annual Membership Meeting which we hope can be held in late summer or early fall. We'd like everyone on the lake to be a member, especially now, when it is so hard to get information in a timely way. This is where being a member of the PLDA definitely helps people stay in the loop.
The PLDA provides regular written updates on the progress of the dam project on all levels, delivered right to your inbox. If you are reading this because it was shared by a friend and would like these updates sent to you, please consider joining the PLDA (PLDA.org). That is the best way to get the most accurate and up to date info. Since the dam failed a year ago today, we've sent more than 50 updates directly to PLDA members, an average of one per week. Basically, as soon as we have something to report, we want to let members know -- as a matter of principle.
4. PLDA Town Hall to be rescheduled. With the election now moved into the fall (November 3), PLDA plans to reschedule the Town Hall sometime in September. With the additional time, we expect that much more information will be in place and that we will be able to provide pretty accurate estimates of both costs and taxes well ahead of the election. If that is not possible for whatever reason, we have a plan B to do it in smaller sessions, or even neighborhood by neighborhood or online if need be.
I guess that is enough for now. From us here at PLDA, we hope you and your families are safe and managing things as best you can. Once things open back up, we look forward to seeing all of you again. In the meantime, please know we are all still working hard to bring back our lake.
J Harmon
President PLDA
jrharmon123@yahoo.com
Update - April 29, 2020
Dear neighbors,
Although we, like all of you, have been adjusting to the lockdown and rightly focused on family and other pressing matters over the last few weeks, we want to update you, as work on the dam project continues to progress.
1. GBRA approves contract. The big news is that the GBRA board of directors approved the Lake Dunlap WCID’s contract with them to finance and manage the dam in a 9-0 unanimous vote. We had hoped to see this last month, but with the restrictions on meetings, their March meeting was cancelled like so many others. With this officially behind us, and both the Lake Dunlap WCID and the GBRA board approving the contract, we are well on our way.
2. WCID election is November 3, 2020. As most of you know, I am sure, the Lake Dunlap WCID board, in response to Comal County’s decision to not conduct the May 2 election several weeks ago, approved the paperwork to move the election to November 3, 2020, where our WCID members will be able to vote at any polling location in their respective counties.
3. Town Hall to be rescheduled. With the election now moved into the fall, PLDA plans to reschedule the Town Hall sometime in September. With the additional time, we expect that much more information will be in place and that we will be able to provide pretty accurate estimates of both costs and taxes well ahead of the election.
4. Dam engineering is complete. In more good news, the engineering for the dam is now 100% complete. The image below shows a rendering of what the dam will look like from the upstream side. As you can see, one of the gates is down for maintenance, with a stop log keeping the water level constant. The WCID has teams involved in all levels of discussions around construction, bidding, and more, and this will continue as one of the core terms of our contract with GBRA.
5. The construction and financing timelines are currently unchanged. I am sure many of are wondering how the timelines for construction and financing may have changed due to the rescheduling of the election. As far as we can tell, we think the timeline is still pretty accurate, as we were not going to be able to access the low-cost financing we are seeking from the Water Development Board until November in any case.
From us here at PLDA, we hope you and your families are safe and managing things as best you can. Once things open back up, we will also plan to reschedule the annual PLDA membership meeting. In the meantime, please know we are all still working hard to bring back our lake.
J Harmon
President PLDA
jrharmon123@yahoo.com
OFFICIAL: The Lake Dunlap WCID election planned for May 2 will now be held on November 3.
PLDA Update - March 20th
Dear neighbors,
I think it is safe to say that the impact of this virus is impacting all of us in ways we never could have expected.
After the news that meetings over 50, then 10 people or more, led to the postponement of the Town Hall planned for earlier this week, Governor Abbot released a proclamation allowing counties and other jurisdictions to move May 2 elections to November.
This morning we were informed by the Elections Coordinator that all May 2 elections coordinated by Comal County will be moved to November. This group includes the school districts, the city, and newly formed Lake Dunlap WCID.
OFFICIAL: The Lake Dunlap WCID election planned for May 2 will now be held on November 3.
This is disappointing news, but the health and safety of our community are always paramount.
Please keep yourselves, your family, and our community safe and healthy in these very challenging times. That has to be our overriding concern.
We'll continue to update you as we have news to report.
J Harmon
President PLDA
jrharmon123@yahoo.com
PLDA Town Hall meeting postponed due to Coronavirus concerns
The PLDA Town Hall meeting scheduled for this Wednesday, March 18, is being postponed. I am sure many of you have been expecting this news, given the rapidly growing concerns across the country over the Coronavirus.
The PLDA decided over the weekend to reschedule the planned Town Hall gathering. Last night, the Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines recommending that all public gatherings involving more than 50 people be postponed for eight weeks, which means at least to mid-May. This means it is likely PLDA will also have to move the annual PLDA membership meeting that was planned for April 3 to sometime after mid-May.
COVID-19 is an evolving challenge for all of us, to be sure, and our collective health and safety are of paramount concern. We are looking at options to possibly reconvene in some other manner as soon as it is practical, and will let you know as soon as we can.
For now, please just do all you can to keep yourself, your families, and our community safe.
We will continue to keep you posted. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please let us know.
Third PLDA Town Hall is March 18, 2020 at 6:30 pm.
The third in the series of PLDA Town Halls will be in the same location as our last one, at the New Braunfels Convention Center at 375 S Castell Avenue in New Braunfels, on March 18, 2020 at 6:30 pm. This Town Hall will mark a huge milestone for us as it will also be the kickoff for the special election to formalize our district.
A major focus of the meeting will be detailed information about our formal agreement with GBRA, our new WCID, and how we plan to finance and build our new dam.
As we promised back in October, we are planning to provide a considerable amount of detail on questions you've asked us to address ahead of the May election.
The meeting is open to the public, and all Lake Dunlap property owners are encouraged to attend.
Guadalupe County Appraisal District Releases Valuation Study
Dear neighbors,
This morning the Guadalupe County Appraisal District released a study of the impact of the May 14th dam failure on lakefront property values for the next few years. The report assumes that the values of waterfront property on Dunlap will drop an average of 28% in 2020, another 2% in 2021, then stabilize for two years before beginning to increase by 10% a year ultimately to previous levels once the dam comes online.
For those intending to hold on to their properties, this is probably good news, as those owners will all get some significant tax relief on school, county and road taxes in the short term, and then once the lake is back, will still have lower tax values than our non-waterfront neighbors, while market vales are expected to bounce back fairly quickly once the dam construction begins, and certainly once the dam is online.
For those looking to sell in the short-term, this is probably not the result you were hoping for.
The report does not address the values for non-waterfront owners, whose valuations will likely remain roughly the same.
Download the full report here: http://guadalupead.org/data/_uploaded/file/PDFs/Postings/2020%20Lake%20Report%20-%20Public%20Version%2002062020.pdf
The Lake Dunlap WCID is now Officially Created!
Dear neighbors,
We have some really good news to share!
The Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District has been approved!
As of 5 pm, February 7, 2020, the Lake Dunlap WCID Creation Order was formally issued by the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The order also named these five temporary board members:
Doug Harrison
J Harmon
Dr. Larry Johnson
Harry Moeller
Gary Schaub
This effort took those closely involved over 7 months to accomplish, and countless hours to put all the pieces in place to get it completed and through the administrative and public reviews. The next steps related to the WCID are to have the TCEQ's decisions ratified by the registered voters of the district in the May 2, 2020 election. We will be sharing more information on that point as it becomes available.
It is hard to list all the many many people who aided us in this effort, but we should point out some of the major players — notably our attorney, Tony Corbett, our Advisory Committee, everyone who donated or signed a petition, those whose voices we heard at our town meetings, and of course, the PLDA and its members, where this effort all started.
On an administrative note, as we go forward under the banner of the Lake Dunlap WCID, we will need to detach the work of the WCID and the PLDA, and let the PLDA return to its longstanding, community-focused mission. The role of the PLDA and its board and members cannot be understated. This accomplishment will always be part of the PLDA's long and hugely positive legacy.
As part of this, this will the last dam update under a PLDA logo. Going forward, future updates will come to you under the auspices of the Lake Dunlap WCID, but will feel quite familiar I am sure. You do not need to make any changes to continue to receive these updates from the WCID.
There is a new website for the WCID community (LakeDunlap.org) that is live now, and will continue to grow in information and detail as we get closer to the March 18 Town Hall and the May 2 election. If you have not already, please take a minute to take a look and add your name to the mailing list via the Subscribe form at the bottom of any page on the site.
We cannot emphasize enough how important this milestone is, as now we will be working with local government and local government agencies as a peer, and we have real standing with our city, county, and state officials.
This has truly been a grassroots effort in the best sense of that phrase, and we're humbled by the support of our friends and neighbors and what we can accomplish together.
Thank you, to all of you.
PLDA Launches $100,000 WCID Funding Campaign
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead.
The Preserve Lake Dunlap Association (PLDA) is kicking off a campaign to raise operating funds needed to take our WCID and the Lake Dunlap Restoration Project forward as swiftly as possible.
Up to this point, the PLDA has funded 100% of the direct costs of this effort. Last week, we shared our plans to get our dam back with an audience of nearly 500 lakefront property owners and other interested parties, and the response was tremendous!
With that solid road map in place, now we want to move forward with all due speed. To do that, we’ll anticipate we will need a substantial reserve. The funds will cover expected engineering, legal, financial advising, and other operating costs directly related to the formation of our district.
PLDA is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, so your contributions are tax-deductible. Please give what you can to support our plan to bring Lake Dunlap back. Any level of support is welcome!
You can contribute two ways: online or via a check or money order.
Make your tax-deductible donation online here.
-or-
Send your tax-deductible check to PLDA, Inc., PO Box 312448, New Braunfels, Tx 78131.
Because many non-waterfront owners and businesses have asked how they can help, we’re also sharing this invitation to contribute across the entire Lake Dunlap community! We encourage anyone with an interest in restoring Lake Dunlap to its previous beauty to help us and to donate what they can.
This campaign is planned to strictly cover the operational costs of the dam restoration effort, and we are already off to a great start! We have already received pledges and payments that have put us more than halfway towards our goal in just the first few days!
To take it the rest of the way, though, we need your help!
You and the other members of the Lake Dunlap community are our strongest asset in this effort. We could not do this work without your support.
Thank you to all who have already contributed and to those who are considering contributing. Your generosity will help us to bring valuable expertise to the task of getting our dam back