Countdown Tuesday: 35 days till Nov 3rd

Lake Dunlap Election Update
September 29, 2020

It's Countdown Tuesday! 35 days till November 3rd ... Dear Neighbors, Wow!  It is hard to believe we are just five weeks away from getting our lake back November 3rd!  Today's update shares the latest campaign video, and provides details about the Lake Dunlap "Float-a-Palooza" event Oct 3rd ... We're keeping this one short, but there is lots of good stuff happening!  ummmmmm ..... like this next item: Construction Update This is big, folks:  The bid process to find the contractor that will rebuild our dam is officially open!  Yes, please read that again!  This means GBRA is now actively seeking bids on the work to Restore Lake Dunlap.  We are soooo close to having construction start!  Literally, the only thing between us and turning dirt for the new dam is the election. We need to all be making our plans on how and when we are going to vote, and seeing Props A, B, and C pass. GBRA has posted complete info on Bidnet.com — its publicly available if you subscribe to that service.  For those of us closest to the center of this effort, this is fantastic news.  While it is unlikely we'll know the final selection before November 3, we should have the range of bids by the end of this month.   New Campaign Video Related in a way to the preceding topic, we dropped the next in the series of Campaign Videos today which tells the story of the earliest days of the planning effort thourhg October 9 last year, when we finally had a draft plan in place with GBRA.  The way the community came together over that time to get this plan done is a great story of resilience.  The video is called "Building the Plan"  See it and all our videos here on our brand new Youtube Channel!  Please subscribe to see them as they come out each week! Lake Dunlap "Float-a-Palooza" is next weekend, Saturday, Oct 3rd!! It's finally almost here!  The weather looks good — sunny, mid 80's — looks like a perfect day for it! We'll start assembling at 10 am and officially continue till noon.  It'll be a MAJOR press event for the Restore Lake Dunlap campaign. We'll also have our own video crew to record the story of this amazing community and the plans we have to bring our lake back!  Everyone is invited to support Lake Dunlap in her time of need.  Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp.  We're very grateful for their hospitality!  We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back. This will truly be a Lake Dunlap event! Plan to bring whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  You can launch kayaks, paddle boards, and boats up to about 16 ft there. Register to Vote! Holy moly!  October 5 , now just 6 days from now, is the last day to register to vote for the November election!  Learn all you need to know about registering to vote, the voting calendar, the ballots, or any other aspect of the election here!  Time to start making your voting plan — early voting start Oct 13! Next Steps Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and there is much more coming over the next six critical weeks. Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!    That's it for now, I guess.  Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 35 (gulp!) days! Sincerely, Larry Johnson

Five clear benefits of restoring our lake

• Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone.

• Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses

• A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.

• Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife

• Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes

#VoteABCNov3!!

Countdown Tuesday: 42 days till Nov 3rd

Lake Dunlap Election Update
September 22, 2020

It's Countdown Tuesday! 42 days till November 3rd ...

Dear Neighbors,

Wow!  It is hard to believe we are just six weeks away from getting our lake back November 3rd!  Today's update shares the latest campaign video, and provides details about the Lake Dunlap "Float 'n Boat" event Oct 3rd ... We're keeping this one short, but there is lots of good stuff happening!

New Campaign Video
We dropped the next in the series of Campaign Videos today, which focuses on why Lake Dunlap matters to all of us — times with family and friends. The video is called "Remembrance."  See all the videos here!  Please subscribe!

"Float 'n Boat" in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
HOLD THE DATE!  A week from this coming Saturday, please bring your boat, kayak, paddle board, tube, or float and join us on Schumann's Beach (878 Schumans Beach Rd, New Braunfels).  Plan to drive onto the beach, where you can launch, park for free, and relax, or come downstream or up to meet us!  

We'll start assembling at 10 am and officially continue till noon.  It'll be a MAJOR press event for the Restore Lake Dunlap campaign. We'll also have our own video crew to record the story of this amazing community and the plans we have to bring our lake back!  Everyone is invited to support Lake Dunlap in her time of need. 

Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp.  We're very grateful for their hospitality!  We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back. This will truly be a Lake Dunlap event!

Plan to bring whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  You can launch kayaks, paddle boards, and boats up to about 16 ft there.

We hope to see you there!   (The weather looks to be sunny and lovely temps!)

Register to Vote!
October 5 is the last day to register to vote for the November election.  Learn all you need to know about registering to vote, the voting calendar, the ballots, or any other aspect of the election here! 

Next Steps
Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and there is much more coming over the next six critical weeks.

Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!   

That's it for now, I guess.  Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 42 days!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

Five clear benefits of restoring our lake

• Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone.

• Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses

• A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.

• Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife

• Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes

#VoteABCNov3!!

FAQ Friday: What About GBRA's Role?

Dear Neighbors

As you know, FAQ Friday looks at one Frequently Asked Question each week.  This week, the topic is "What About GBRA's Role?"

Check out this video for more on this topic and please feel free to share this link on your social media and elsewhere!: https://vimeo.com/457188821/6e6b2ad417 

so ... What About GBRA's Role?

Some Background. 
We chose this topic for this week's FAQ Friday because for a significant portion of district residents, there is a concern that GBRA has not earned our trust, and we acknowledge that yes indeed, the past administration of GBRA made very few friends. 

At the same time, a key part of what we have been able to accomplish working with the GBRA is that there is a new team in place there. They inherited these dams and the terrible state they were in.

The current leaders at GBRA were not responsible for that negligence, and have a different view than their predecessors did. I believe that they too felt a deep loss when our dam failed — not like ours, but real nonetheless — and that they truly want to see these lakes restored. My personal sense, from meeting with them, by now many times, is that the executive management of GBRA deeply wants this plan to succeed, and for all the right reasons.  They have worked with us hand-in-hand to find creative ways to get this dam fixed, and yes, we will have to pay part of the cost, but we CAN get our dam back.

What all of us need to understand is that the plan we have developed with them over more than a year — the plan going before voters November 3  — that is the only plan there is. 

There is no Plan B. 

We have turned over every stone we could, and looked under lots of others to see if they had any potential to help us.  This is the plan, and GBRA has done much to make it workable for district taxpayers.

Now, all that said, I come from Texas, as almost all of us do, and there is an old saying here:  "Money talks ... you-know-what walks." 

Let's start there:

How much is GBRA contributing?
GBRA’s contributions are substantial. We will receive 100% of the gross hydroelectric revenues from Lake Dunlap over the life of the loan.  For the past ten years, these revenues have averaged $750,000 per year. We expect that with the more modern dam technology, we will be able to produce even more revenue from the hydroelectric operations than has been possible before the dam failed.  In addition, GBRA has contributed the entire cost of the engineering for the dam reconstruction.
 
The total GBRA contribution breaks down like this: GBRA has already spent $3 million to design our dam. They are planning to spend $21 million over the 30 years to pay for their share of construction via the hydro revenues. 
 
Before we put in a dime, GBRA has stepped up and committed well over $24 million for a $35 million project. By any measure, that is the lion's share of the cost.  That project total could actually cost a good deal less, and that is a number that we will know soon, based on the contractors' bids.  
 
In terms of what GBRA has agreed to contribute over the life of the project, the bottom line, this is a great plan for Dunlap’s waterfront owners. 
 
What is the status of our contract with GBRA?  
We have reached agreement on the detailed formal contract with GBRA and it has been passed unanimously by both boards. The agreement is currently being reviewed by the TCEQ and the Attorney General.  In the broad scope, this contract is based on the MOU we reached with GBRA ahead of our last town hall. The formal agreement adds considerable detail to those overarching points in the MOU, and expands the agreement from the single page MOU to a 30-page formal contract that in the big picture, conforms completely to those guiding principles.

What safeguards do we have to ensure the contract is honored over its lifetime?
The contract provides for a multitude of safeguards for the WCID including construction and engineering design oversight and approvals, financing oversight and approvals, limitations on costs to the WCID, limitations on minimum Hydroelectric revenues paid to the WCID, legal restraints and limits on liability of the WCID and many more.

Will the WCID own the dam and operate it or will GBRA still operate and maintain the dam.
We had intensive discussions both internally and with our legal and financial counsel about the benefits and downsides of owning the dam. That was a complex choice and we spent a good deal of time learning as much as we could about the pros and cons before we made a decision.

GBRA will own, operate and maintain the dam as well as finance the construction and repair of the dam, oversee the repairs, and operate the hydroelectric facilities so as to maximize the gross revenues available to the WCID.

The potential for litigation claims arising out of a dam failure or dam operations is one of the reasons why it was decided that it was not prudent for the WCID to acquire ownership of the dam or responsibility for operations.
 
What are the GBRA’s responsibilities in the event of a flood? As an example, what if the gates are not lowered in a timely manner?
The new dam will enable the gates to be operated remotely, which will both reduce the response time significantly, and make this kind of situation much less likely.  It is currently contemplated that the WCID will contract with GBRA to manage all aspects of the dam operations, including flood events.  Anything related to the operation and maintenance of the dam would be their contractual responsibility, but an interlocal agreement would protect the interests of the WCID and its property owners.

Hopefully that gets to most questions people might have on that topic.  If we missed yours, hit reply and send it along!   One last announcement:
 
Boat/Float Parade in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
The long-term forecast for October 3rd looks to be sunshine and nice weather, so we are hopeful it will stay that way.  As you know. we are planning a fun event in support of the plan to #RestoreLakeDunlap on October 3rd, and we want you to be part of it!  Mush more will come out next week, but we plan to kick off at 10am at Schumann's Beach and will stick to the lower part of the lake for our float.

Plan to bring your kayak, canoe, paddleboard, Jon boat, inner tube, floaty, party boat, or whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  Much more detail will be coming out ahead of that date, but we already hope to see you there!   (Rain dates are Oct 4 and Oct 10). See you there!

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

Lake Dunlap Election Update: 49 days to Nov 3rd

It's Countdown Tuesday!   49 days till November 3rd ... 

Dear Neighbors,

Wow!  It is hard to believe we are less than 50 days away from getting our lake back November 3rd!  Today's update shares the latest campaign video, and makes the case for why this plan is a good one for lakefront property owners.  We gained another prestigious endorsement, and we'll have some reminders of things coming up.... lots of good stuff happening!

New Campaign Video
We dropped the next in the series of Campaign Videos today, which focuses on the engineering choices  imbedded in the plan to Restore Lake Dunlap. See the video here!

Why Should I Vote For This?
Folks, this is the ONLY plan that is under consideration anywhere that will refill our lake.  It is a cost-effective, timely, and viable plan that will fix the dam, keep it maintained so it never fails again, and includes stop logs so we can easily fix it safely and quickly even if it does break, without the need to dewater the lake. (For more on Stop Logs, see the video above.)

When the three propositions pass, we will have the WCID in place, financing to restore the lake, and a real voice in how our lake is used and cared for. With a solid “FOR” vote across the three Propositions on November 3rd, we could start this project in 2020 and have our lake back in 24 months (and maybe less). 
 
For fully half of our property owners, this plan will cost less than $47/month!  For some, a lot less.  What would it be worth to you to have your lake back?
 
One thing to consider is that there is no other plan anywhere.  If voters do not approve all three propositions, there is almost no chance our lake will ever be restored — but if they do approve A, B and C on November 3rd, we could see construction start very fast.  We have all the engineering and blueprints complete and in hand. Prebid consultations are set to begin.  This plan is real.

Five clear benefits of restoring our lake

• Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone. 

• Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses

• A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.

• Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife

• Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes

Financially, this is a great plan for Dunlap’s waterfront owners. 
From a financial perspective, even if your taxes increase by $1K per year for 30 years because you have a $500K property, it equals what is likely going to be a 150-250K dollar increase in the true market value of your property.  That $30K investment is equivalent to a $150-250K increase in net worth today ... immediately ... not in 30 years. 
 
At the end of 30 years, when the dam is paid for, I won't be here, but my kids and grandkids will, and the market price of lakefront property in this area is likely going to be astronomical.
 
Among the growing number of owners who have really looked at this part of the plan, outlined in the FAQ, there is strong agreement that the ROI on this deal is a no-brainer.  This plan will produce equity and value that we can either recognize now on a financial statement, or in cash if we sell sooner rather than later.  If you look long term, it will build on that immediate increase and build more equity year upon year — value that we can leave to our kids and grandkids.

That value is going to be whole a lot lower if we still have a muddy, algae-filled stagnant river like most of us do now. 
 
For most folks, this is likely to be the single highest return financial investment a property owner in the WCID could make right now in these uncertain times.

John Kuempel Endorses The Restore Lake Dunlap Campaign!
Texas State Representative John Keumpel sent a letter out to his constituents this week strongly in favor of the Plan to Restore Lake Dunlap.  You can read his letter here.   The support of local leaders like John have meant a great deal to this effort, and John has been with us from the start.  Thank you, John!

Boat/Float Parade in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
HOLD THE DATE!  Bring your boat, kayak, paddle board, tube or float and join us on Schumann's Beach starting at 10 am.  We will send out full details in next week's email, but here are the important bits:

Starting at 10 am and continuing till noon, we plan to meet at Schumann's Beach to assemble a boat parade of supporters that want to see the lake back, and everyone is invited.  Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp.  We're very grateful for their hospitality!  We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back. 

It might not match the July 4th boat parades of old, but we hope to evoke that same spirit.  Plan to bring whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  We hope to see you there!   (Rain dates are Oct 4 and Oct 10)

Next Steps
Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and next week we will be rolling out our first direct mail piece, another video from real people who live right here on Lake Dunlap, and digital ads aimed at social media users.  

Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!   

That's it for now, I guess.  Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 49 days!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

#VoteABCNov3!!

FAQ Friday: How about those spill gates?

Dear Neighbors

FAQ Friday looks at one Frequently Asked Question each week.  This week, the topic is "How about those spill gates?"

Background.  Starting last summer (2019) and into the fall, we had our Technical Workgroup (composed of qualified community-based engineers, commercial builders, and other experts) look at this deeply for several months.  As our folks and the GBRAs consulting engineers assessed the damage after the dam failure, it was clear that the dam took a huge wallop when it explosively failed on May 14, 2019.  (Houses nearby shook from the boom!) 

Bottom line, the concrete dam beneath the gates was found to be unsafe, and whatever gates were to be chosen, major repairs were needed for the 100-year-old structure before any kind of gate could be installed.  It became clear by Fall 2019 that the main dam structure needed to be fortified, whatever gates were chosen.

Another important choice became apparent as we grew more knowledgeable about dams and dam technology.  Stop logs are a ready-to-use way to isolate the spill gates on a dam for inspection or repair on very short notice. it greatly increases the safety for crews doing this work, and minimizes the costs of maintenance and repair.  Almost all modern dams have them.  If our dam had had stop logs when the dam broke, our lake would still have water.

Stop Logs.  Stop logs are an easy way to seal off the dam and allow it to be maintained with a much higher margin of safety, without the need to remove the water from the lake; both factors greatly reduce maintenance costs.  The stop logs are built along with the dam improvements, so they are always on-site and ready to be used on very short notice as needed.

PLDA’s leadership, its advisory board, and the GBRA are all in agreement that the most important option we want first is the ability to use stop logs. The Technical Group looked at the three spill gage options very closely, and given all the facts, they advised us that with stop logs, the costs for all spill gate options are virtually the same.

Once that decision was made, and the realization that the dam itself needed serious work, the choice of gates became secondary. The decision to use hydraulic crest gates was made based on which gates would be best for our dam.

Hydraulic Crest Gates.  Hydraulic crest gates are a very reliable, proven spill gate technology that is used all over the US and the world.  It is a workhorse design, durable, practical, and efficient, as well as safe and easy to maintain. Once the essential restoration work to the main dam structure was factored in that simply has to take place, plus the safety and lake-level stability that stop logs offer, the cost of any of the three spill gate candidates was essentially the same.
 
One source of confusion that persists is that the lower cost initially attributed to the bear trap gates was not realistic once the true issues with the dam surfaced.  Of the $35 million estimated for the dam restoration, only about 10% ($3.6 million) is allocated to the actual gates, which will cost about $1.2 million apiece.  The remainder is to ensure the core dam structure is sound and that we have stop logs.

The PLDA’s leadership, its advisory board, our skilled Technical Workgroup, and the GBRA are all in agreement on the engineering choices that have been made. All of us  have looked at all the options very hard, and all are in agreement that the plans GBRA has made are based on the overall best choice of action available to us.

 
So who will own the dam?  We had intensive discussions both internally and with our legal and financial counsel about the benefits and downsides of owning the dam.  That was a complex choice and we spent a good deal of time learning as much as we could about the pros and cons before we made a decision.

In the end, the potential liabilities of dam ownership outweighed any benefits. GBRA will own, operate and maintain the dam as well as finance the construction and repair of the dam, oversee the repairs, and operate the hydroelectric facilities so as to maximize the gross revenues available to the WCID.

And there you have it!  We're put a lot of work into it, and crest gates officially became part of the plan in Fall 2019. 

One last announcement:
 
SAVE THE DATE!! 
Boat/Float Parade in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
We are planning a fun event in support of the plan to #RestoreLakeDunlap on October 3rd, and we want you to be part of it!  Starting at 10 am and continuing till noon, we plan to meet at Schumann's Beach to assemble a boat parade of supporters that want to see the lake back. Everyone is invited.  Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp.  We're very grateful for their hospitality!  We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back. 

It might not match the July 4th boat parades of old, but we hope to evoke that same spirit.  Plan to bring your kayak, canoe, paddleboard, Jon boat, inner tube, floaty, party boat, or whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  Much more detail will be coming out ahead of that date, but we already hope to see you there!   (Rain dates are Oct 4 and Oct 10)

See you there!

#VoteABCNov3!!

Lake Dunlap Election Update: 56 days to Nov 3rd

It's Countdown Tuesday!   56 days till November 3rd ... 

Dear Neighbors,

Today's update is about a major upcoming event, the election efforts overall, our recent and upcoming videos, and keeping the excitement going .... lots of good stuff happening!

Boat/Float Parade in Support of Lake Dunlap Oct 3rd!!
HOLD THE DATE!  We are planning a fun event in support of the plan to #RestoreLakeDunlap on October 3rd, and we want you to be part of it!  Starting at 10 am and continuing till noon, we plan to meet at Schumann's Beach to assemble a boat parade of supporters that want to see the lake back, and everyone is invited.  Graciously, the owners of the ramp at Schumann's Beach have agreed to let us use the "beach" and boat ramp as our base camp.  We're very grateful for their hospitality!  We hope to attract people from all parts of the lake to participate and to show support for the effort to bring our lake back. 

It might not match the July 4th boat parades of old, but we hope to evoke that same spirit.  Plan to bring your kayak, canoe, paddleboard, Jon boat, inner tube, floaty, party boat, or whatever you have for a leisurely cruise/paddle/float with your neighbors down the lake from Schumann's and back!  Much more detail will be coming out ahead of that date, but we already hope to see you there!   (Rain dates are Oct 4 and Oct 10)

Restore Lake Dunlap Video Series Launched This Week.
This week we soft-launched a new series of videos that are intended to put a human face onto the campaign to bring our lake back. A series of ten videos is being produced to bring the stories of real residents forward, to hear why they miss the great place we had before May 14, 2019, and how this amazing grassroots effort took hold to become a genuinely real plan to bring our lake back!  See the first video here.

We continue to shoot more videos — if you would like to be included among those adding their voices, please reply to this email and we'll be in touch.  We will also have our crews out at Schumann's Beach on October 3, and plan to shoot interviews there as well!

Restore Lake Dunlap Signs are Out!
We began putting out signs in neighborhoods all around the lake last week, and the response has been fantastic!  Some 300 are already out all over the district, and some neighborhoods are at 100%!

The response in Guadalupe County has been tremendous!  Now, we're especially looking for places to put signs in Comal County, on Keuhler Ave, E Klein Rd, Rio Dr, and homes along Placid Cove and Riverbend Drive. Yard signs are free, but if you want to pay it forward so someone else can get a free sign, any donations will be used to buy more signs!  

Next Steps
Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and next week we will be rolling out our first direct mail piece, another video from real people who live right here on Lake Dunlap, and digital ads aimed at social media users.  

Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!   

That's it for now, I guess.  As we did last week, I will again leave you with this little list to  consider:

Five clear benefits of restoring our lake

• Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone. 

• Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses

• A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.

• Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife

• Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes

#VoteABCNov3!!

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 56 days! Sincerely, Larry Johnson

FAQ Friday: What is on the Ballot?

Dear Neighbors

Today we launch a focused set of updates that look a one Frequently Asked Question each week.  This week, the topic is "What's on the Ballot?"

90-second TIDBIT: For a little background on why we are voting, see this new video we just made!  

What WCID questions will be decided Nov 3?

There will be three WCID propositions on the November ballot, plus the election of directors.  All three propositions — A, B, and C — need to pass on November 3 for the plan to move forward and construction to start.  A discussion of each proposition appears below.  See the actual ballots here.
 
A. “Confirming the creation of Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District” 

A vote of "FOR" Proposition A is a vote to formally approve the creation of the Lake Dunlap WCID.
 
A vote against Proposition A is a vote to not have a WCID, and essentially a vote to kill the project entirely. Without a WCID, we cannot raise the money to pay for the restoration.
 
B.  “An Operation and Maintenance Tax for the District not to Exceed 10 Cents per One Hundred Dollars ($100) Valuation of Taxable Property” 

A vote of "FOR" Proposition B is a vote to set an upper limit on any taxes related to the operations and maintenance of the Lake Dunlap WCID.
 
This tax allows the WCID to pay its bills.  They include business costs like audits, legal representation, and accounting,  Districts are required to set an upper limit on these costs. To keep the operating costs of the Lake Dunlap WCID low, there are no staff contemplated, no salaries for directors, and no offices or buildings planned.
 
The operations and maintenance tax rate planned for our district is 3 cents per $100 valuation; that rate is included in the $0.20/$100 total tax estimate. 
 
A vote against this proposal is a vote to not fund the district’s operations, which include things like a website, a phone, future staff, as well as accounting, audit, and legal services, among other usual kinds of business expenses. 
 
C. “Approval of the Contract and the Levy of Taxes for Payment of Obligations under the Contract with Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Including the Levy of Taxes to Make Payment on Bonds Issued by Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in a Maximum Principal Amount of $40,000,000.”

 
A vote of "FOR" Proposition C is a vote to authorize the Lake Dunlap WCID to levy a tax to fund the restoration of Lake Dunlap, its dam, and its hydroelectric capacity.
 
The proposition asks the voters to approve an upper limit on borrowing of $40 million.  Because we have not gotten bids on the construction yet, we have set a limit that we know will allow the dam to be built. The plan, embedded in our contract with the GBRA,  is to only borrow exactly as much as is required.
 
A vote against this proposition is a vote to cripple the plan, and deprive it of the needed financial mechanism to fund the restoration of the lake.
 
Our best estimate today, with 100% of the engineering complete and a conservative estimate of the cost to restore the lake at $35 million, is that the contract tax rate will be about $0.17/$100 and the total tax (including WCID operations and maintenance) is estimated at $0.20/$100 if the project is awarded the zero percent financing from the Texas Water Control Board. 

Board of Directors

The final item on the WCID portion of the ballot is the election of the Board of Directors.  There are five directors running for five seats, and voters may vote for none, one, two, three, four, or all five directors.  We, of course, recommend that voters confirm all the directors Nov 3.

#VoteABCNov3!!

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

Lake Dunlap Election Update: 63 days to Nov 3rd

It's Countdown Tuesday!   63 days till November 3rd ... 

Dear Neighbors

It has been quite a busy week, and judging by all the signs in people's yards, things are looking good!   Let's dive in!

Results of Last Week's Poll
Now clearly, this was not a scientific poll, but it did give me a chance to try the new feature, and the results were encouraging.  More on voter sentiment a little further down.  About half of the people who opened the email submitted a response, and here are the results!

Option Votes Percentage 

FOR 83 95.4% 

AGAINST 0 0.0% 

UNDECIDED 4 4.6%

If you have suggestions for future polls, please hit reply and let me know.

Restore Lake Dunlap Signs are Popping Up Everywhere!
We began putting out signs in neighborhoods all around the lake this week, and the response has been fantastic!  Some 300 are already out all over the district, and we're looking for places — especially local businesses to put out more.  We also have some big ones we are looking to get out along 46 and 725, and the frontage roads on both sides of I35.  If you know of a spot, please let us know!   

If you need one for your yard, just reply with your name and address and a contact number, and we'll get on to you. Yard signs are free, but if you want to pay it forward so someone else can get a free sign, any donations will be used to buy more signs! 

Neighborhood Captains
One of the biggest challenges we have been facing in this election is how to effectively reach people who have questions or just want accurate information.  Of course, we think the plan to bring the lake back is really solid, but we also know there is a lot to this plan. We want to be sure every voter gets the information they need to make their decision. 

This week, we launched what we hope will be a great way to do this, and one that will resonate with our community.  We have a group of 20 designated volunteers that represent almost all the neighborhoods around the lake.  Each of them has had the chance to get all their own questions answered, and to hear questions from all the other captains.  Last weekend, we held an outdoor briefing where we all really engaged on every aspect of this plan. It helped them to really get up to speed on everything related to the dam and the lake.  The captains are a real resource — for example, they are the way we got 300 signs out so quickly!  If you haven't already heard from one of these amazing neighbors of yours, all of them volunteers as are all of us in this effort, you can reach out to them directly.  Follow this link to see how to contact any of them.

The captains are the way we can bring face-to-face conversation back to this election — and a way we can enjoy talking to a neighbor at the same time.  The Captains are all sensitive to the need for social distancing and our mutual safety, and are happy to grab a lawn chair and sit down in the open air for a nice talk by the lakeside with you.  The goal of the whole thing is to ensure that every voter has the most up-to-date, most accurate information about the plans to restore the dam, the ballot measures (A, B, and C) that will make it happen, and what each measure will contribute to the plan.

Another contribution they are making is to ask people how they feel about the plan, what areas they need to know more about, and how they might vote.  Early indications are very positive, especially in Guadalupe County!

State Senator Dr. Donna Campbell Adds her Official Endorsement!
Today we received a really nice surprise from Senator Donna Campbell, who has stepped up to endorse our collective efforts and encourage everyone to do their part on Nov 3 to bring our lake back.  Senator Campbell was an early champion for the effort to set up the WCID and partner with the GBRA in restoring our lake and our lifestyles, and her continuing support is very much appreciated.  Read her full letter here!

Please Help us to Reach Your Neighbors
Our team has been hard at work on new elements for the campaign to Restore Lake Dunlap, and soon we will be rolling out direct mail, videos from real people who live right here on Lake Dunlap, and much more.  Basically, all that we need to do at this point to get our lake back is to win on November 3rd.  For that, we need your help!

Please encourage your neighbors and lakeside friends to subscribe to this weekly update. It takes just a few seconds on LakeDunlap.org — if they just complete the Subscribe box at the bottom of any page, we'll make sure they start getting these updates right away!   

That's it for now, I guess.  I will leave you this week with this little list to  consider:

Five clear benefits of restoring our lake

• Clean, safe, and fun year-round recreation opportunities for everyone. 

• Restored economic vitality for property owners and local businesses.

• A safe, affordable, modern dam that will last for generations to come.

• Ecologically sound habitats for all our lake residents, including our fish and wildlife.

• Enough clean, renewable hydroelectric energy to supply over 1,500 homes.

#VoteABCNov3!!

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 63 days!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

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Lake Dunlap Election Update: 70 days to Nov 3rd

... 70 days till November 3rd ...

Dear neighbors,

Today's update is about the numbers — the cost, GBRA's share, our share, the taxes, and what you can expect them to be.   

While these are estimates, we think they are conservative and are likely to continue to go down.  We are confident they will not go up. Our construction team is working hard to try to get the actual bids in hand before the election. When we have those, and the final confirmation on the zero percent, we will be very close to the actual figures.

All numbers are “best current estimates”  and assume a zero-percent interest rate.

Our contract with GBRA is in essence a mortgage.  The tax level will be set to “pay the mortgage.” Under our contract, we will be liable for a fixed annual payment, just as you would if you were to buy a house. That payment will be the result of the actual bid cost of the dam and the interest rate we receive.  Our contract tax will be set at the rate to make that payment, less the amount of hydroelectric revenues we receive. 
 
If our properties were appraised at full value, the tax rate to generate our annual contract payment would be less, but the actual dollar amount of tax would be about the same. Because we will use the total valuation to set the rate we need to raise the fixed payment, everyone will still be paying their prorata share, which is based not on the rate, but current property values and the actual debt payment the district will pay annually.
 
THE NUMBERS
These numbers start with the estimate for construction costs from the engineering plans, which is $35 million.  It also includes the armoring, which GBRA is planning to pay once they know the exact cost.  From our pre-bid consultations with contractors, we know that $35 million is likely to be a very conservative estimate. 

Construction Costs                       $35 million — likely to be much less
Annual Debt Payment                ~ $1.2 million/yr ( 0% interest/30 yrs)
Hydro Revenue                             $700,000/yr (10-year average)
Total Contract Tax                         $500,000/yr  ($15 million total)
 
Contract Tax                                  $.17/ $100 valuation — or lower
WCID Operations Tax                 $.03 /$100 valuation — or lower
 
Total Tax Rate                               $.20/$100 valuation — or lower


WHAT IS GBRA'S SHARE?
GBRA has already spent $3 million on the engineering and design of our dam.  They are planning to spend some $21 million ($700K for 30 years) to pay for its construction via the hydro revenues, as well as the cost of armoring the dam, which is estimated to be $6-7M. 
 
Before we put in a dime of our money into new taxes, GBRA has already contractually committed $30 million for a $35 million project that could actually cost a good deal less once we see the bids. 

GBRA's contribution will be substantial.  

 
BUT WHAT ABOUT MY TAXES?
More than 75% of properties on the lake are valued less than $500,000.  The median property value is $281,341 —half are above that, half below.
 
$100,000 Property Valuation    Tax = $   200/yr   $17/mo or less
$200,000 Property Valuation    Tax = $   400/yr   $34/mo or less
$300,000 Property Valuation    Tax = $   600/yr   $50/mo or less
$400,000 Property Valuation    Tax = $   800/yr   $67/mo or less
$500,000 Property Valuation    Tax = $1,000/yr   $83/mo or less
 
So those are the numbers as we know them today.  We think once the bids come in, the picture will be even better.

Now, please bear with me, as I am going to editorialize a bit from here ...

Financially, this is a great plan for Dunlap’s waterfront owners.  From a financial perspective, even if your taxes increase by $1K per year for 30 years because you have a $500K property, it equals what is likely going to be a 150-250K dollar increase in the true market value of your property.  That $30K investment is equivalent to a $150-250K increase in net worth today... immediately... not in 30 years. 
 
At the end of 30 years, when the dam is paid for, I won't be here, but my kids and grandkids will, and the market price of lakefront property in this area is likely going to be astronomical.
 
Among the growing number of owners who have really looked at this part of the plan, outlined in the FAQ, there is strong agreement that the ROI on this deal is a no-brainer.  This plan will produce equity and value that we can either recognize now on a financial statement, or in cash if we sell sooner rather than later.  If you look long term, it will build on that immediate increase and build more equity year upon year — value that we can leave to our kids and grandkids.

That value is going to be whole a lot lower if we still have a muddy, algae-filled stagnant river like most of us do now. 
 
For most folks, this is likely to be the single highest return financial investment a property owner in the WCID could make right now in these uncertain times. [end editorial]

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  Much more coming over the next 70 days!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson

Vote A-B-C!
Restore Lake Dunlap November 3! 

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Lake Dunlap Election Update: 77 days to Nov 3rd

... 77 days till November 3rd ...

Dear neighbors,

Today the Committee to Restore Lake Dunlap begins a series of 11 weekly election updates that will run right up until we vote this November.   We finally have the final ballot language we'll see in November, and I want to share it with you.  Download the ballot language here.

In November, we will be asked to vote on three propositions and five candidates for the WCID Board of Directors.  The focus of the Committee to Restore Lake Dunlap, however, is on the three propositions — A, B, and C — that must be passed to restore the dam.  The CRLD was not organized to promote any of the candidates for the Board of Directors.  [Full disclosure: I am one of the candidates.]  

Proposition A asks voters to formally approve the Lake Dunlap Water Control & Improvement District (WCID).

Proposition B asks voters to approve an operations and maintenance tax to cover the required expenses of the district for legal, accounting, audit, and other services and to set an upper limit on this tax. Proposition B sets a maximum allowable rate of ten cents per hundred dollars in valuation for these costs, but the tax itself will be set each year in a public and transparent process completely based on the proposed district budget, which itself is created in a transparent, public process. 

The tax rate needed for these Proposition B costs is estimated to be just $0.03/$100 in valuation.  No buildings, office space, or staff are planned, and the board of directors will not receive any salaries. 

Proposition C asks voters to allow the WCID to enter into a contract with the GBRA that provides significant cost sharing by directing 100% of the gross hydroelectric revenues to the debt and the balance to be paid via a tax paid by lakefront property owners.  The GBRA will borrow the needed funds (to be set at the actual cost of the dam reconstruction) and the WCID will repay those funds on a fixed annual payment plan that is very similar to a mortgage.  The contract tax rate is estimated to be at or below $0.17/$100 valuation.

Taken as a whole, A, B, and C  would result in a total estimated tax rate of $0.20/$100 or below.  That is already down to two-thirds of our estimate last October, and we hope to get it down still further.

The key point to understand about these propositions is that all three must pass if we want to see construction start and our dam restored.   It's as easy as A, B, C!

In future updates, we'll dive into all the key aspects of the plan — but hey!  You can see all that detail right now if you wish - download the FAQ!

Next week, two important new parts of the election effort will roll out.  You'll begin to see yard signs promoting the effort to #RestoreLakeDunlap appearing all around the lake.  We plan to put as many of these out as we can.  While the signs are free to anyone interested, we are asking folks to consider paying it forward.  A donation of $10 would allow us to buy another sign.  Want a sign?  We want you to have one!   Hit reply and let us know!

Also this coming week, we are rolling out our program to ensure that there are lots of people in your neighborhoods with the facts about and benefits of the plan to bring back the lake.  In this time when it is so hard to meet in person, we hope this grassroots face-to-face approach will help people get the info they need.  If you would be willing to serve as a Neighborhood Captain, just hit reply and we'll set you up!

Questions?  Hit reply and send 'em along.  More over the next 77 days!

Sincerely,

Larry Johnson
 

Vote A-B-C! 
#RestoreLakeDunlap November 3!