Welcome Back!

The stats say you've been missing us, though we are pretty sure it was Mary Kelleher on the Water Board you were actually missing.

Look, we know you had high hopes-

Mary was reelected, there were some newbies on the board and Jim Oliver's 30 year reign was over.  But alas...we've learned except for Mary's return, it's more of the same.  The ousted President, Jack Stevens, (Kay Granger's candidate that came in dead last by the way) made his last act an embarrassing one by signing over $360,000 of your money to Jim Oliver and JD Granger.  Supposedly, unbeknownst to the board (there is some question as to when Marty Leonard knew).  

The board voted to stop the payments and Tarrant County residents breathed a sigh of relief, that they finally had a board representing THEM.

Then came Dan Buhman, the new GM, who was trained by WHO?  You guessed it, Jim Oliver.  The voters had questions on how the process worked when there were no mention of the other candidates and all the emails lead right back to the plan of Dan taking over the show.

And last but not least, when Oliver leaned he wasn't getting his payment, he threatened to sue the board for age discrimination - "one of the things threatened in lawsuit".  Many thought the newbies would stick to their guns and not give the taxpayers money away on another frivolous lawsuit.  Some of the old school knew better.  The vote was once again 4-1.  Welcome back, Mary Kelleher.  We, the taxpayers, have missed you. 

The TRWD has never been afraid to spend your money on a lawsuit.  From employee harassment cases, eminent domain cases, suing Oklahoma to take their water, the IPL pipeline...the list goes on and it's long and very expensive.  So if you run into TRWD board members out and about ask them what they were really afraid of.  YOU deserve to know.

And if you're not reading the Fort Worth report, you're missing out.  They've blown the doors of that Startlegram "news" rag.

Tarrant water district to pay former GM about $257K

Water district board strikes down former president’s attempt to pay retiring GM

Former Tarrant water district manager hired girlfriend despite past nepotism criticism

Star-Telegram "News" Paper prints funnies

The reason no one takes the Star-Telegram anymore is because they are nuts.  Like Bat Sh*t Crazy Nuts.

 Let us count the ways -

A week ago we got a call about hiring block walkers for the TRWD race. For three candidates.  Living the Fort Worth Way, one would assume the status quo, the three incumbents.  But no, hold up.  They want two of the incumbents and one of the ones the establishment continues to run.  If you're wondering why, he's in real estate.  Duh.

And here we are a week later and we are sure no one finds it odd, that the ST just came up with these same three candidates all on their own!  (If you buy that, we have a bridge to sell you.) They are endorsing candidates who have not made any waves or stood up for their constituents during their time on the board. Looking at one of the incumbents signs, it seems they aren't even clear what the board they serve on is called.  This is the same candidate that happens to be the treasurer for a certain Fort Worth Mayoral Candidate. Apparently the ST is okay with that, too. It's Fort Worth, it's all relative.

We understand not backing the president of the board again, though the ST's excuse for that doesn't hold water.  They feigned shock over his "arrogance" and unwillingness to listen to the voters.  Um, are they new?  Have they ever been to a meeting? This is who he is and what the water board does.  Granted other local papers have done a much better job on reporting that over the years. Did the ST forget they’ve always endorsed him? (see pic above).

The ST has a reputation for being derogatory and dismissive when it comes to the People's Candidate, Mary Kelleher.  The one time they did endorse her, they called her "the squeaky wheel".  When she won a seat on the Tarrant Regional Water District, a food critic at the Star-Telegram insulted all Texas women and beyond by saying her win had something to do with her being the only woman on the ballot.  It couldn't be because she's a highly intelligent, caring, hard working citizen, could it?  This time they label her as a "disruptor".  Well, sign us up!  We're voting for the disruptor and asking you to do the same.  Had the ST been focused on disrupting the Fort Worth Way that the TRWD has practiced for years, the taxpayers wouldn't have wasted $40 million to date on the Billion Dollar Boondoggle. 

What do half a million Dallas dollars buy you in Fort Worth?

Three more "YES" votes with no questions.

You can kiss your water goodbye Fort Worth.

You were just sold down the river.

Congrats Mary Kelleher For Four Years Of Being An Honest Fort Worth Public Servant

Vote - Saturday

PLEASE VOTE FOR

MARY KELLEHER
&
ANDRA BEATTY

Another Woodard says....

Wake up, Fort Worth!

Water Board election: Blake Woodard's letter to voters

April 29, 2017

Breaking News: Cities of Fort Worth and Dallas merge pension plans

Fellow Tarrant Regional Water District voter:

I’m only joking about Fort Worth’s pension plan. Of course, no sane Fort Worth leader would recommend merging our city’s retirement plan with Dallas’ ailing pension plan. However, our Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) leaders are physically merging TRWD’s precious lakes with Dallas’ water system with a $2.3 billion pipeline called the Integrated Pipeline (IPL).

Which is more important: Fort Worth’s pension plan or Fort Worth’s water?

You may have received a mailer from Mike Moncrief or read a Star-Telegram editorial written by retiring TRWD president Vic Henderson about the importance of local control of Fort Worth water. Henderson and Moncrief imply that if you re-elect our independent candidate, TRWD director Mary Kelleher, Fort Worth’s water will be taken over by Monty Bennett, who donated to Mary’s campaign.

Bennett, whose company owns the Ashton and Hilton Hotels in downtown Fort Worth, lives in east Texas and has sued the TRWD over its use of eminent domain to build Dallas’ portion of the IPL across his land. That’s right: Our TRWD Board is wasting millions of taxpayer dollars in a lawsuit over their construction of Dallas’ sections of the IPL.

And where does that litigated Dallas portion of the IPL go? It goes to Lake Palestine, a lake so distant that even TRWD engineers stated in a disturbing 2012 “Water Sharing Plan” for Fort Worth and Dallas that there is “little to no benefit . . . for TRWD to pump water from Lake Palestine.” Access to Lake Palestine was the box of beads Dallas gave TRWD for access to Fort Worth’s prize lakes.

The irony is that it is the other TRWD directors, not Mary, who relentlessly have pursued a water sharing plan with Dallas. That explains why numerous Dallas billionaires and millionaires have donated vast sums to TRWD board candidates (other than Mary) these past two election cycles.

Big D has big water problems. During the 2013-2014 drought, their water levels were much worse than ours, and Lake Palestine, their remote southeastern lake, has no pipeline connecting it to Dallas’ other lakes. Building a 50-mile pipeline is costly, as is the energy to pump water uphill to Dallas’ higher-elevation northern lakes.

TRWD has no such problems. It has two pipelines connecting its prized Cedar Creek and Richland Chambers reservoirs to Lake Benbrook, and these lakes require much less energy to pump water to Fort Worth or Dallas than would Lake Palestine.

The IPL increases TRWD’s pipeline redundancy but isn’t a significant source of new water for Fort Worth, as it adds no new Fort Worth lakes. Meanwhile, the IPL gives Dallas a connection to Lake Palestine and its first siphon into our lakes, creating the possibility that someday Fort Worth will be fighting Dallas for water.

Do you want Dallas to use Fort Worth’s water during droughts? The IPL makes the unimaginable possible: Once the TRWD and Dallas lakes are connected, we are but one legislative session away from a de facto merger of the two water districts.

As TRWD voters, we already have no input into our local water policy. We are told when to water our yards and what kind of toilets to sit on. How much say will we have with a DFW Water District?

It’s no surprise that when I wrote a letter like this two years ago the only hate mail I received came from Dallas. Stop by my office, and I’ll show it to you. Dallas desperately needs the IPL. Fort Worth doesn’t.

So if the other four TRWD directors are the ones helping Dallas tap into our lakes, why are Henderson and Moncrief telling us that re-electing Mary Kelleher will jeopardize control of Fort Worth’s water? Of course it’s a nonsensical statement, as Mary is but one of five directors. The other four still can win every vote 4-1. When the expensive mailers hit your mailbox, let logic guide your reading.

I think Henderson and Moncrief are telling you that Mary is a threat to Fort Worth water, because they can’t stand having an outsider in their exclusive club. Mary Kelleher is your candidate. She is our only sunlight on a shadowy government body with a long history of backroom, good-ol’ boy behavior. Let me be clear that I am not speaking of the dedicated TRWD employees who operate the lakes and pipelines and take care of the district’s daily business.

You may be familiar with some of the legendary TRWD management shenanigans, which are beyond the scope of this letter. The local media cannot keep an eye on these guys constantly. Mary Kelleher’s eyes are your eyes. Mary is you.

If we fail to re-elect Mary, we have lost our seat at the table of a Board whose other four directors all are recruited by the same people, funded by the same people, and influenced by the same people. The only way we can retain one seat at the table is if we vote in droves this TRWD election. The special interests will vote. Will you?

Combine the gerrymandered TRWD boundaries, which deny many TRWD customers a vote, with the 1960s-era at-large voting and a small turnout for a sleepy Water District race, and the special interests who profit from TRWD’s lucrative contracts easily can win an election with just their family, friends, and a few thousand mysterious mail-in ballots. (By the way, if you received a mail-in ballot that you did not request, please e-mail me.)

Everyone benefits from having one independent citizen at the TRWD Board table asking the tough questions the others may be too conflicted to ask. 4-1 is much better for Fort Worth than 5-0.

Let’s put Fort Worth first and turn out by the thousands in this year’s TRWD Board election on Saturday, May 6.

You get three votes: Please vote for Mary Kelleher and then discard your other two votes.

Sincerely,
Blake Woodard

P.S. This letter is going to a limited number of voters, so please e-mail me at blake@woodardcompanies.com for a PDF you can send your friends or post on social media.

(Blake Woodard is a Fort Worth insurance executive and serves as treasurer for incumbent water board member Mary Kelleher's re-election campaign.)

Durango Knows----

We need more local control over Fort Worth Star-Telegram Hit Pieces Attacking Mary Kelleher.

The Rest of the Story

We're  voting for Mary Kelleher and Andra Beatty.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Endorses Mary "Squeaky" Kelleher, Jack "Gibberish" Stevens & James "Kushner" Hill For TRWD Board

Say WHAT???

No one was surprised when the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors (we know -WHO??) endorsed all the incumbents, it's what they do. They fall in line and stay in line.

What was surprising (laughable, really) was their Tarrant Regional Water District race endorsements.

There are currently 3 seats up for election.

No one was surprised they picked the two establishment puppet candidates, but some were surprised they didn't pick a third candidate. Not the establishment incumbent (not a big surprise as he doesn't speak) but they didn't pick one of their own!  Not just a Fort Worth realtor, but the - Fort Worth Texas Magazine top realtor.

Sound fishy? Almost as fishy as that Trinity River smell.

We'll be taking a closer look at this board of 17 'realtors' and getting back with you.  Maybe we'll be seeing them at their candidate fundraiser hosted by Mike Moncrief. Smell that?

Texas Lone Star will be endorsing Mary Kelleher & Andra Beatty, two citizens who will work for YOU, not the FW establishment or their kids.

Join us. YOU can't afford not to.

The Fort Worth Way

After you read the article on what Judge Glen Whitley is up to this time, think about WHO do YOU want representing YOU.

Read the comment left from Tarrant Regional Water District candidate below---

Another Example of Cronyism?

Andra Estes Beatty I have been attending the TRWD Tarrant Regional Water District meetings for the past 2 years. I was at a meeting that happened right after the election where they awarded their accounting contract to Whitley-Penn. Mary Kelleher questioned the other board members about the ethical implications and how this would appear. They truly had no problem with moving forward to change the accounting firm from one that had been with them many years to one that helped them campaign. I was very proud of Mary for asking the tough questions. It was a difficult meeting but she stood strong.

Mary says...

Devastated!

We lost the TRWD election!

Mary Kelleher says.....

Dear Friends,

Thank you again for taking the time to read my story and for your phone calls, e-mails, and most of all your support! I’m so blessed!!

Most of you were surprised I answered the phone, which says a lot about the sorry state of our political world. I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to visit with you, talk with you about my story, and answer your questions.

Many of you asked me to write another letter with additional information about this election. I’m flattered and glad you want to know more.  I’ve learned so much being on the TRWD Board and I’m happy to share what I know with you!

I guess first off, I need to prepare you for the nasty mailer you will be receiving within the next few days. Wow…politics are so ugly!

Just FYI…the incumbent’s political strategist is Bryan Eppstein.  Here’s a link to information on this man.  If you want insight into Fort Worth politics, read this, you’ll be absolutely amazed!

The mailer depicts Craig Bickley, Michele Von Luckner, and me as puppets for the evil puppet master Monty Bennett. It’s hard to believe people actually fall for this kind of stuff!

Michele Von Luckner is portrayed as a dead beat who doesn’t pay her bills, doesn’t vote in local elections, and uses a different name (Hojnacki…her maiden name).

Craig Bickley is criticized for not being able to vote in this race (well many of you can’t) and for running for election once before and losing.  (Incumbent Jim Lane has lost the last 3 races he has run.)

I’m being accused of “falsely attacking” my colleagues.  I guess I could do that, but it’s not really in my nature so I won’t.
   
I’m also under investigation by the Texas Ethics Commission for “not disclosing hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind campaign contributions funded by Bennett.”  The truth:  I didn’t know I needed to file a campaign finance report in July so I filed it a day late.

It’s also being said I was censured for “making false statements to the Fort Worth City Council”.  The truth:  I advocated for a water conservation plan that would allow citizens the right to choose when they want to water their lawns.  This plan was contrary to TRWD’s. I guess I don’t have the right to my own opinion!

It’s also being said “the Tarrant County DA confirmed that Kelleher and Bennett traveled together on an out-of-state trip to New Orleans that was funded by Bennett.”  The truth: I traveled with Monty Bennett and several others to observe a court hearing at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals which addressed alleged violations by the TRWD of the Texas Open Meetings Act.  The attorney hired by TRWD with taxpayer dollars asked the Tarrant County DA to indict me for this, but the Tarrant County DA refused and explained to this attorney that there was nothing illegal about it.  

Monty Bennett is being accused of forcing “TRWD taxpayers to spend an additional $6 to $10 million on rerouting a critically needed water pipeline away from his weekend ranch that he uses for para-military hog hunting.” The truth:  This route of the pipeline is a TRWD decision.  And what exactly is para-military hog hunting?

The incumbents state, “To date, Bennett has lost ALL of the lawsuits he has funded against TRWD.”  The truth: Texas Supreme Court is still reviewing TRWD’s assertion they have sovereign immunity from the Texas Open Meetings Act.

I think the worst one is that “Bennett has even stooped to an ALL TIME LOW by relocating bodies of deceased individuals into a phony cemetery.” The truth: A World War II veteran and another person are laid to rest on Monty Bennett’s property. It’s his property after-all.  TRWD will be the ones forcing the relocation of the deceased.

Many of you were surprised to learn that the majority of our water comes from east Texas where TRWD owns 100% of the water rights to Richland Chambers and Cedar Creek reservoirs. TRWD already operates 2 pipelines; one at Richland Chambers reservoir and another at Cedar Creek reservoir. These pipelines transport water to a larger pipeline that delivers water to our area lakes where it’s held for future use.  TRWD does not sell treated water. We sell raw water to our customer cities which in turn treat it and then sell it to you.

You wanted more information about the IPL (Integrated Pipeline). The IPL is a collaborative effort between Dallas Water Utilities and TRWD to build another major pipeline that will bring water from Lake Palestine to the metroplex.  Sharing this pipeline will result in reduced construction costs and electricity use. The projected cost of the IPL project is approximately $2.4 billion. TRWD is responsible for about 60% of the costs and Dallas 40%. This pipeline will be able to transport 200 million gallons of water per day to the TRWD area and 150 million gallons of water per day to Dallas. TRWD will construct, maintain, and own the pipeline. Dallas has water rights to Lake Palestine, but it’s so far away the electricity needed to transport the water makes it very costly. As part of the agreement, Dallas would be allowed to purchase up to 25% of their water needs from our reservoirs if it’s available.  This is the part causing the uproar as the idea of selling our water to Dallas is not very popular.

Some of you said you had heard Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner were against the IPL project and, if elected, Tarrant County will go dry. This is ridiculous and just more campaign fiction. Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner do have questions about Dallas being able to tap into our water supply but they’re certainly not against a pipeline that will bring water to our area. Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner are however, against the way TRWD misuses their power of eminent domain and want to make sure all private property owners, from Dallas businessmen to farmers, are treated respectfully throughout the eminent domain process.

Another very popular discussion centered around the difference between the public servant and politician. It seems many of us are fed up with our politicians these days and justifiably so. While we want more public servants, it’s hard to beat an incumbent, especially when he/she has money, name, and status in the community.  It’s even more difficult when the incumbent’s supporters do as well. This race is a perfect example of this. We’re seeing expensive mailers and huge ads in the Star Telegram from politicians Mike Moncrief, Betsy Price, and Glen Whitley who are telling us how to vote. These politicians are so arrogant they actually believe we just blindly vote as they tell us to, as if we don’t have a mind of our own. Many of you talked about your or your family’s military service and how you object to these politicians (most of whom have never served their country) telling you how to vote. My father fought in the Korean War, my father-in-law fought in Pearl Harbor, my husband’s great grandfather fought in the Civil War, and my husband fought in Vietnam and I take exception to these people telling me how to vote too.

Many of you wanted more information about Monty Bennett, the Dallas businessman Mike Moncrief and Betsy Price claim is trying to steal our water. After I explained to you that Monty Bennett has been a property owner and tax payer in Fort Worth for more than 20 years and owns the historic Ashton and Hilton hotels in downtown Fort Worth you realized right away what Mike Moncrief and Betsy Price were trying to do.  But this is politics and this is what politicians do…..they fabricate, deceive, and manipulate the people and then pompously presume people will do as they say simply because of who they are.

Many of you were shocked when I told you Mike Moncrief had solicited almost a half of a million dollars in donations from at least 5 Dallas billionaires while Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner are being criticized for accepting campaign contributions from Monty Bennett, a businessman who lives in Dallas but owns property and pays taxes in Fort Worth, and, who along with many others, has been legitimately wronged by the TRWD’s misuse of their power of eminent domain.

According to Leonard and Lane’s campaign finance reports, they have received donations from people and businesses with whom TRWD gives contracts. Here are the high-roller donors: the Betsy Price Campaign ($4,500); attorney Dee J. Kelly ($10,000) with whom TRWD regularly contracts; businessman John B. Kleinheinz ($25,000); Dallas auto dealership owner Carl Sewell ($25,000); Dallas-based liquor distributor Barry Andrews ($10,000); Texas Rangers co-owner and Dallas oil billionaire Ray Davis ($10,000); Dallas oil billionaire Ray Hunt ($25,000); Hunt heiress Lyda Hill ($5,000); Dallas software entrepreneur Milledge Hart III ($5,000); Dallas oil billionaire Trevor Rees-Jones ($10,000); Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton ($25,000); Bass family Good Government Fund ($25,000); Bass family PSEL PAC ($25,000); Texas Progress Fund/Ross Perot, Jr. ($25,000) and Ed Bass ($25,000).

The most spirited conversations were definitely the conspiracy theories as to why these 2 TRWD seats are so important to the 7th street good ole’ boy establishment that they’re willing to spend a half of a million dollars. I’m so glad you see through their desperation.

This race truly is about the public servant vs. the politician.  I hope and pray the public servants get elected.  No pressure but it all depends on you. I’m encouraged by your support for Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner. They will serve you well.

This is going to be a difficult election to win. We’re up against big money and big names and unfortunately some people still vote for the incumbents just because they tell them to.

I've included a link to the documentary “Up a Creek”.  This was filmed here in 2011 by local people who discovered how our local politics affect our water issues. Unfortunately, it’s 2015 and not much has changed. This film later went on to win an award in the Conservation category at the Glen Rose Film Festival.  Just watch the first 5 minutes…you’ll be amazed by what you will hear.

Up a Creek

Please be part of TRWD election history and vote public servants Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner onto the TRWD Board. Tell your friends and family and neighbors how important it is to vote in this race. It’s time to show the politicians we’re not their servants, they’re supposed to be ours.

Sincerely,
Mary Kelleher

P.S. Feel free to contact me on my cell phone number at (817) 880-5419 and/or email  mkk4263@gmail.com.  Early voting starts today and the election is May 9th!

Woodard says....

Dozens of citizens lost their property to the Trinity River Boondoggle. They had the will to preserve their property but did not have the wherewithal to continue the fight.

Eminent Domain! It’s been around a very long time. Its use is recorded in the Bible in the story of Ahab and Jezebel, who coveted and seized poor Naboth’s property. (KJV 1st Kings – Chapter 21).

Dozens of our citizens through the use of eminent domain lost their property to the nepotistic Trinity River Boondoggle which they believe was more for economic development than for flood control. They had the will to preserve their property. They did not have the wherewithal to continue the long fight against their government. They fought bravely, but like the defenders of the Alamo their meager provisions ran out and they were financially slaughtered.

Now comes along Monty Bennett, a man of wealth will who will not be bulldozed or bamboozled by those who hold the levers of authority in their hands. He supports Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner for the Water Board. The incumbents are running big ads that blare forth: DON’T LET A DALLAS BUSINESSMAN TAKE CONTROL OF TARRANT’S WATER BOARD.

Bennett’s answer, as reported by a local newspaper: “The entrenched incumbents continue to try and scare the voters with grandiose stories about an evil Dallasite trying to steal their water. This is absurd. For the record, I have no interest in Fort Worth’s water, or the Trinity River Vision or the Integrated Pipeline project. I’ve successfully blocked the TRWD from snatching my mother’s family land in east Texas. My only interest now is to help Mary Kelleher continue the fight against a heavy handed government agency with numerous allegations of corruption, cronyism, and self-dealing, that treats citizens, including me, very poorly while neglecting its core duties of water provision and flood control.”

Bennett is disparaged by his opponents as a Dallas hotelier. True, but the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce could well take note of the fact that Bennett is also a Fort Worth hotelier. He owns the Hilton and Ashton hotels in downtown Fort Worth. Monty Bennett a Dallasite? Horrors! The Chamber might also consider that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is printed in Dallas but the Fort Worth Chamber reads it just the same.

Texans rose up when the governor of Texas a few years ago proposed a grand multi-lane boulevard all across the state. Its construction would have uprooted farms, ranches and homes from the Gulf to the Red River. Like those Texans at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, today’s Texans fought and defeated Rick Perry’s land grab, and the Perry super highway was consigned to the dust bin of history.

Even now, ranchers and farmers are up in arms over a proposal to build a bullet train railroad from Dallas to Houston. They are ready to do whatever it takes to preserve their property.

In the 1700s, William Pitt, the prime minister of England, stood up to King George III. Pitt is remembered for his powerful defense of the rights of American colonists. One of his memorable “a man’s home is his castle” speeches that bespeaks the limits of eminent domain rings down the halls of history:

“The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail – its roof may shake – the wind may blow through it – the storm may enter – the rain may enter – but the King of England cannot enter – all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!”

Don Woodard is a Fort Worth businessman and author of Black Diamonds! Black Gold!: The Saga of Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company.

Stand With Mary Kelleher Against Abuse of Power

#StandWithMaryKelleher

Water District Bully

Fort Worth Weekly calls out Jim Oliver, again. When Karma finally gets here, we have a feeling she is going to be PISSED.

Water Disputes

Kelleher, Fort Worth Weekly, and many others have danced with the district when it comes to public information, and this is how it often goes: You ask for information. Within 10 working days you get a letter from a lawyer saying district records do not correspond to information you are seeking. For instance, it’s well known that top water district officials put relatives on the agency’s lucrative payroll. But ask the agency for a list of relatives who work there. Ask how many of Oliver’s relatives work there. You won’t get a straight answer. You’ll get a non-answer from a lawyer. However, in Oliver’s mind, that counts as the agency responding to a public information request in a timely manner.

Kelleher closed with a final thought, expressed in the straightforward style that has earned her fans and foes alike. “If we are to move forward in the best interests of the residents and taxpayers of the district, your attempts to bully, intimidate, and harass public officials who demand transparency from the board must stop,” she said. “Your behavior has resulted in a hostile work environment for me and has damaged the reputation of the district.”

Mary Kelleher censures the TRWD Board

We did not see Durango in the large crowd of Mary Kelleher's supporters at the TRWD  Board's special meeting called to censure Mary.

But, Durango must have been an eye witness to the nonsense, judging by his description of the meeting in his blog post titled Today Mary Kelleher Received The Badge Of Honor Of A TRWD Board Censure While Censuring The Board Herself.

Apparently Durango thought he was watching an animated sit-com combined with a soap opera.

Our 5th Birthday present

Yesterday, April 10, was the 5th anniversary of the day we started this blog, with our primary motivation being flood control and water issues.

Click this link to watch the video about flooding in Fort Worth and residents joining together to save lives and property.

WHO is in the background of the video shots?

Mary Kelleher.

A Tarrant Regional Water District Board member meeting with residents about flooding? With the Flood Plain Administrator? We couldn't ask for a better present.

Thank you to The Historic Randol’s Mill Valley Alliance and Channel 11.

And to all our dear friends, here's to the next five!

Shame on them!

From Melissa McDougall

Tonight, I urge you all to at least watch the city council meeting in action. The particular item of interest on the agenda is the approval of the permanent twice a week water restriction ordinance. It is a controversial topic that last week caused a division amongst councilpersons. I won't say that you will be shocked tonight by what you see but, you will see a little about my concerns at the TRWD in action and that is lack of transparency in government, and obvious strong a...rming IMO by someone outside of city hall. Could it be the TRWD, the Chamber of Commerce, or what?

Last week, TRWD Director Mary Kelleher and myself attended the Council mtg. and to her surprise, there was three of her five member Board of Directors from the TRWD. Mary was there as a concerned citizen. The other three were there to support the passing of the permanent water restrictions. The chairman of her board spoke in front of council supporting the ordinance change. While speaking he introduced his fellow board members BUT, HE DID NOT INTRODUCE MARY KELLEHER! Mary was elected by the people of Fort Worth that are sick and tired of the lack of transparency! I was beside myself and very obviously did my SHAME, SHAME FINGERS at him as he departed the podium. The blatant disrespect they have for a fellow director. UNBELIEVABLE! Why you may ask? Because she is forcing ethics and transparency and they don't like it!

Here's my questions....

TRWD directors get paid $150 per appearance up to a annual maximum. Are the directors that showed up last Tuesday going to expect their $150 each although only one spoke? Was it necessary for all three to be there? And how many will show up tonight? Mary does not expect a payout, she was there as a concerned citizen.

When did the three TRWD directors discuss attending the council meeting without Mary Kelleher present? Three of five members discussing and making decisions is a quorum. A public notice should have been posted so that the public could attend the "open meeting"! IT'S THE LAW!!!! Isn't this one of the hot topics we are all furious about? Here is perfect example and proof that decisions are being made BEHIND CLOSED DOORS! They made the decision to attend council and spoke as if the TRWD directors all agreed to support the cities new ordinance WITHOUT Mary Kelleher present and without a PUBLIC MEETING!

SHAME ON THEM!!!

Watch the council mtg tonight! Go to the city website and click on the live stream of the council meeting. See for yourself what we've been talking about!

The records belong to THE PEOPLE

Apparently the Tarrant Regional Water District still doesn't get that.  WHY would a board member's request to see records be denied?

It's YOUR water and YOUR money.

Bless Mary Kelleher.  YOUR local hero.

Tarrant Regional Water District Board Member Mary Kelleher has begun legal action in her continuing effort to obtain documents detailing business operations at the agency.

Kelleher has filed a petition in district court in Tarrant County seeking to depose key TRWD officials and force them to turn over an extensive list of documents.

"The city has an excellent gas ordinance"

Said no one ever.

Okay, maybe a paid representative from the gas industry who doesn't live in the city, let alone the state.

Last night actual Fort Worth residents packed the Fort Worth City Council concerned about THEIR property, neighborhoods and quality of life.  Isn't that what the council is there to protect?  Come election season, some should be reminded of that instead of this - Bob Manthei of XTO Energy told the council, “We need language that protects our investments.”

Residents of Fort Worth should thank their lucky stars for women like Mary Kelleher and Libby Willis.

Mallard Cove residents triggered the ordinance review after it fought off an industry attempt to locate a compressor station on agriculturally zoned land in their neighborhood. The city’s ordinance currently allows compressors on agriculturally zoned property by right.

Mary Kelleher, a Mallard Cove-area resident who recently won an upset election to a seat on the Tarrant Regional Water District board, reminded the council residents have been “begging” the city for two years to act on the compressor issue.

“We’re tired of begging in three-minute increments,” she said.

Libby Willis, chairwoman of the gas drilling committee of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhood Associations, told the council that the league favors the 1,000-foot setbacks and opposes compressor stations by right in any district besides industrial.

WHO is

J. Parker Ragland?

And what happened to the reporter who was covering TRWD for the Fort Worth Business Press?

The latest article about yesterday's meeting leaves a lot of questions to be answered.

Like are those newly voted on "governance policies" legal?

And if Lane wants to get Mary to vote, get her the info she requested.  Simple.  Stop orchestrating roadblocks.

“I requested records from the board members ... a month has gone by now, and most of the records I have requested have still not been made available to me. This is the first time I have served on a board, and while I may lack procedural knowledge, my common sense remains in tact.”

While there was a small group of observers at a board meeting last month, the Monday, July 22 meeting took place in front of a larger crowd.

“Y’all [Kelleher and her supporters] are all here, and this is all orchestrated, and we all know that, and that’s fine. I’m trying to figure out how to get you [Kelleher] to vote on things at this board and to participate,” said Jim Lane, a TRWD board member.