The Dallas Morning News
By KEVIN KRAUSE
April 23, 2005

The Upper Trinity Regional Water District says it has a majority of the community's support for Lake Ralph Hall, the reservoir it wants to build as a water source.

The district's president, Oscar Burchard, has been an outspoken proponent of the lake. But last week, the town he represents on Upper Trinity's board - Double Oak - passed a resolution opposing the district's plans.

The resolution said the lake should remain on a list of potential projects, but that the town doesn't support any spending for the lake, which is expected to cost more than $200 million. It also said that if the reservoir is built, communities needing the water should pay for the lake, which would be about 65 miles northeast of Dallas.

That is Flower Mound's position. The town, Upper Trinity's largest customer, had been the lone dissenter in the decision to build the lake in Fannin County.

Mr. Burchard is now faced with a dual role with conflicting interests.

As Upper Trinity's president, he can speak publicly in favor of the lake, which is the majority position on the board. But as Double Oak's delegate, he is expected to vote in line with the town's position, said Tracy Scott Miller, the town's mayor pro tem.

Mr. Burchard said he would abstain from voting on spending issues. But he said engineering contracts for the lake's planning phase have been approved and that further spending would not be needed for eight to 10 years.

However, he said Double Oak's resolution surprised him.

"The situation my council has put me in is an awkward one," he said.

Mr. Burchard has served as Upper Trinity's president for two years. He said he doesn't know if he will be re-elected this June when the board selects new officers.

Flower Mound officials oppose the lake, saying it's unneeded and won't produce much water; it is too expensive, they say, and cheaper alternatives exist. Upper Trinity officials say the lake must be considered as a water source.

Mr. Miller said Double Oak council members agree with a Flower Mound engineering report that called for studying cheaper alternatives to the lake. He said the lake should remain an option but be placed on the "back burner until all other options are explored."

"We as a majority are not convinced yet," he said.

Flower Mound spokesman Randy Evans said the Double Oak Town Council "demonstrated an unprecedented initiative and understanding" of the issue with its resolution.

Double Oak buys its water from the Bartonville Water Supply Corp., which buys a majority of its water from Upper Trinity, Mr. Miller said.

When Upper Trinity raised its rates last year, Bartonville raised Double Oak's water rates, he said. His town subscribes to about 60 percent of Bartonville's water supply, he said.

"We're very concerned about our water rates," he said.

Because the town is roughly built out, Double Oak officials say, any more water rate increases the town has to pay will not benefit them.

"We're funding development elsewhere," Mr. Miller said.

Larry Patterson, director of engineering services for Upper Trinity, said Double Oak's resolution was unfortunate but that the district's plans still have wide community support. He said towns like Flower Mound and Double Oak are benefiting from lakes paid for years ago by other communities.

"'I got mine, to heck with everyone else' is not a good approach," he said.

Upper Trinity officials last week released a list of municipalities that have supported the district's water plans, including nine cities and towns in three different counties, Collin County commissioners, five Denton County fresh water supply districts, the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Cities Municipal Utility Authority.

Mr. Patterson said he hopes Double Oak officials will change their position when they receive more information.

"There is more work to be done in fully informing them," he said.

He said consumers would pay less than $2 extra per year for about the next eight years for Lake Ralph Hall's planning costs. He said future water customers would pay for much of the lake's final tab.

"We try to structure programs and lakes so the costs are pushed to the far, far future," he said. "We're planning for our children."