OCTOBER 26, 2022 CENTER STREET TRICK-OR-TREAT
MAN SENTENCED FOR 2020 HIT-AND-RUN
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Hays Free Press
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HaysFreePress.com
Vol. 128 • No. 33
Serving Hays County, TX
HCSO hosts Coffee with a Cop
Residents speak out about cracking homes “I don’t have $30,000 to fix this foundation” BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
PHOTO BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office hosted Coffee with a Cop on Oct. 20 at Meridian, located on Main Street in Buda, giving community members an opportunity to meet and talk with constables, deputies and police officers while also supporting a local coffee shop. The event aims to connect law enforcement and residents and build positive relationships with each other. The next Coffee with a Cop event will take place starting at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 at Summer Moon Coffee in Kyle.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Several community members attended the latest Coffee with a Cop in Buda, including Hays CISD representatives Meredith Keller, Esperanza Orosco, Suzi Mitchell and Courtney Runkle.
BUDA — Whispering Hollow residents are trying to ‘crack’ the code as to why they are having home infrastructure issues. Paul Tenney is one of the many residents of Whispering Hollow in Buda who have begun noticing cracks spreading throughout his home. The neighborhood was originally built by
Ryland Homes, that was bought out by Lennar – a homebuilder that residents have had issues with in the area. Tenney and his family moved to Buda in 2007 after outgrowing their home in South Austin. “I was contracting, not around [the are], for quite some time, and the city was doing this water study; they thought
See HOLLOW, page 6
Landowner opposes Limestone Creek water diversion
“I did not agree to take this water” BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
KYLE– Kyle City Council voted 5-1 on Oct. 18 to create the Limestone Creek Public Improvement District. Council member Yvonne Flores-Cale was the dissenting vote. According to the Vice President of Land Acquisition of Meritage Homes Justin Belmore, stormwater flows and is collected at the Limestone Creek property’s southeast corner. Developers are planning on detaining and improving the detention of the area to reduce the water flow off of their site below existing conditions. The project has been designed and is in phase one of construction. Brandon Hammond,
vice president of the development, said they don’t anticipate drainage issues within their development because that’s what they have control of. But Rick Coleman, who is a general partner of FM 158 Land, LTD, which owns 600 acres that adjoin the developer’s property, said he recently discovered the City formed two agreements with Sandera Land Development Company, LLC and LaSalle Mud No. 1, which deals with roadway and drainage improvements from Dec. 15, 2020, but he didn’t agree to take the water. “In that agreement, the city and the developer agreed to build berms that divert and channelize onto FM 158’s property,” he said. “I did not agree to take this water.” And, according to
Sec. 11.086 of the Texas Water Code, Coleman shouldn’t have to. The code states: (a) No person may divert or impound the natural flow of surface waters in this state, or permit a diversion or impounding by him to continue, in a manner that damages the property of another by the overflow of the water diverted or impounded. (b) A person whose property is injured by an overflow of water caused by an unlawful diversion or impounding has remedies at law and in equity and may recover damages occasioned by the overflow. Coleman noted that no one came to speak to him about this when the agreements were being drafted. He only learned about the agreements because he noticed construction near his property.
“What they’re not telling you is once it comes off of their property, and they’re right, it belongs to the next guy over, but that is LaSalle. And what they have done is they have an agreement with the city to build diversion dikes,” Coleman continued. “And it’s an illegal move.” Coleman also said that the millions of gallons of water being diverted to the FM 158 property will eventually cause massive flooding and damage. “I will not let FM 158 Land’s property rights be diminished so that the city, Meritage, Lennar, LaSalle, Waterstone and TACK Development can benefit with more homes in their developments from this illegal diversion of water,” Coleman said. “We are not the regional
See PID, page 2
PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
Cracks across Paul Tenney’s kitchen tile.
PHOTO BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
A hole in Mark Venditelli’s yard.
RECOGNIZING LEADERS
Buda PD awarded TPCA accreditation STAFF REPORT
BUDA– The Buda Police Department recently earned the “Accredited Law Enforcement Agency” award from the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA) Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd presented the details about the accreditation and presentation of the award at the Buda City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The
TPCA Accreditation Program evaluates a police department’s compliance with more than 168 best business practices for Texas law enforcement. These best practices, which cover all aspects of law enforcement operations including the use of force, protection of citizen rights, vehicle pursuits, property and evidence management, and patrol and investigative operations, have been carefully developed by Texas law enforcement
HAYS HAWKS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER COMMITS TO UTAH TECH PAGE 9
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
From left, Buda City Council members Matt Smith and Paul Daugereau; Mayor Pro Tem Evan Ture; Mayor Lee Urbanovsky; Police Chief Bo Kidd; and council members Terry Cummings, LaVonia Horne-Williams and Monica Davidson. professionals to assist agencies in the efficient and effective delivery of service and the
protection of individuals’ rights. “Evaluation for TPCA is a voluntary process that
The Hays Free Press Barton Publications, Inc. The Hays Free Press (USPS 361-430) published weekly by Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. Periodicals postage paid at Buda, TX 78610 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Barton Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 339, Buda, TX 78610. ISSN#1087-9323
required the Buda Police Department to conduct
See BUDA PD, page 3