Dear Neighbors,
The MSLA Trustees met on Sunday afternoon, and we’d like to provide a quick update on the road and the association.
As you’ve seen, we have focused a lot of work this spring on the condition of the road. We rented a maintainer and roller back in March, and were able to grade and shape the entire length of road. We installed several loads of material at that point, and have added a number of loads since then. Our overall plan is to continue to add road base throughout the summer, and plan another bigger maintenance event in September. The work on the road has been done entirely by volunteer residents, largely with their own equipment, and would have been completely impossible without them. We’re also hoping to assemble a group of volunteers in the next month to help clear brush on a few sections of road where it’s overhanging the ditch. Let us know if you’re able to help with this or other future projects by emailing Steve at simmonsinthewoods@gmail.com.
What’s happening with the bridge? We’re continuing to talk with County Judge Pape and Commissioner Meuth to obtain any assistance we can from County, State or Federal funding sources. One option the county has put forward is using a section (Chapter 253) of the Texas Transportation Code which allows a county to take over a private road when resident health and safety are at risk. Under this option, the project would be funded by a combination of state/federal grant funds and direct taxation of residents through a special utility district. We have asked Commissioner Meuth for more specific details about what that option would cost overall and how the SUD would operate. We’re also planning to work with our State Senator Watson and Representive Cyrier’s offices to educate them about our situation and advocate with us for potential sources of state and Federal funds. When we have more information, we’ll bring it back to the community for discussion.
The other option is funding the project ourselves, with funds from our landowner dues and the recent fundraising campaign. We believe that the best option that we could potentially afford to build is a low water crossing. We are currently soliciting bids for a low water crossing installation. This is a huge decision whose outcome affects us all; we’ll be working closely with the community as we have more information to share and discuss.
A few other updates:
Nextdoor is a website and app that allows residents of a neighborhood to connect with each other and share updates and news – everything from lost dogs to recommendations for plumbers to emergency notifications. The service is completely free, and the “Red Rock Ranch” neighborhood now covers our subdivision along with all of Red Rock Ranch road. I’ve joined and I love the idea, but I think it will only be useful if a critical mass of residents sign up. If you’re interested, here’s a link to join: https://nextdoor.com/invite/xgqkwyrybpdtqwrdggyk
The Bowers have listed their house on Fealy: https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/tx/red-rock/159-fealy-rd/pid_24619169/
Finally, I want to acknowledge the great work that Bastrop Interfaith did on behalf of our community with the County Government. Sabrina Jennings, community organizer for the group, worked tirelessly to help us convince the two Judge candidates to commit to helping us, and I’m grateful they included us among other underserved groups in Bastrop County. The group is continuing to work with us to open doors and ensure our leaders are representing us. I recently made a small donation to the organization’s parent group to support their ongoing work. If you’re interested in supporting them, please contact Sabrina directly at sabrinarjennings@gmail.com or (512) 309-0691. I’ve attached a brochure with more information about the group.
Thanks,
Joe
