THE FLYING L PUD IS A LOCAL SWAMP!
When I learned that the Flying L Public Utility District (PUD) had already decided to sell water to Dollar General without consulting with their constituents or the community at large, I was shocked. How was this possible? I was relieved when I discovered a meeting was called. I just knew everything would be cleared. To my dismay, I was completely wrong.
I arrived at the meeting and signed up to ask the board to reconsider their decision. As I listened to the speakers before me, I was appalled. It turned out that their initial vote to provide water was illegal as they voted with at least one ineligible board member. As I would come to find out, this board has seemingly operated multiple times against their own bylaws, the Texas Water Code as well as the Texas Open Meeting Act (TOMA) laws.
A very large number of concerned community members were present at the November 8th PUD meeting. They all pleaded with the board to rescind their vote and not sell water to the chain store giant. The room was over the capacity listed on the wall and people were spilled out into the adjacent room/ warehouse.
I questioned my safety when I saw we were over the posted capacity, when there wasn’t a fire extinguisher in sight and when we were all like sardines in the tiny area during an invisible pandemic. Every speaker that night was
Every speaker that night was opposed to selling water to Dollar General. The board did respond to many of our questions. However, each time someone made a point, Board member, Judd Ryan, came back with reasons why he wanted to sell. No matter what anyone said, he was against every single person who spoke. At one point, he leaned back in his chair, put his boots on the table, and made multiple rude remarks. He called us the “Peanut Gallery.” When I asked to make certain for the record that he called us “Peanuts” he commented that he did not call us peanuts and clarified with, “I called you the Peanut Gallery” which is the highest part of the theatre - where the cheap seats are. Behavior like this is unacceptable from an elected official. A pointed moment and one
A pointed moment and one that will remain with me was when the owner of the Flying L Ranch Resort, Doug Stevens, stood and begged them not to sell us out. Some things he mentioned were concerns over traffic safety, the eyesore and loss/obstruction of beautiful views at the entrance, and the inevitable loss of property values.
By the end of the meeting, we were happy that the vote was rescinded. What did that really mean, however? We were certainly shocked when we discovered the 2nd meeting announcement on the website. It was inconveniently made for the Sunday evening before Thanksgiving.
At the second meeting on November 17th, many people showed up with signs that said, “VOTE NO!” New faces were present. Ironically, there were a few speaking for the sale of water and in support of the board. One speaker in favor was the wife of the PUD president and the others seemed to be close friends of the board. The majority in attendance were strongly opposed to the PUD selling water.
As the meeting started, we were told we were limited to 3 minutes each and could share our concerns for only 30 minutes. There were way more than 10 people who showed up to speak and they were not allowed. Four of the five who were allowed to speak against DG, were cut off. At exactly the 30-minute mark, the president responded arrogantly, “We’re done,” and repeated that at least four more times. The PUD administrator, Steve Childers, interjected and said, “There’s so much noise out there. Can we either shut the door or get the people outside to be quiet?” I was shocked that that these officials would want to close their constituents out. Some of us told him he could not shut them out. As we explained at the previous meeting and this one, the board members could not be heard. It was pathetic. It was quickly evident why they pressed on, lawless, muddy, and dishonorable. They didn’t care. They showed up to vote to sell the water whether their constituents wanted them to or not.
At the end of the meeting, someone said “I’d like to speak on this agenda item now that it has been called. I’m allowed to do that per TOMA.” The woman then offered the section of TOMA and the president stopped her with a defiant, “No!” She then said, “I’m allowed to speak on this section!” But, once again, the president cut her off with “No you’re not.” She mentioned another violation and he responded, “Good! Keep ‘em coming” as he nodded his head and made a check mark in the air. She mentioned the section violation, 551.007, and he moved his hand forward telling her “Have at it!”
I left in utter disbelief and disgust at this rude, arrogant, and rogue board’s actions. It was the most disgraceful meeting I’ve ever attended, and the one prior was a close second. I’ve served on different boards and behavior like this would never have been allowed and would have shamed everyone.
This place, the Flying L, has been a gift to me and my family for over four decades. It’s what I’ve often referred to as “My PEACE on Earth.” Thanks to the Flying L PUD, that peace that we’ve all loved, enjoyed, and returned to for years could forever be gone in exchange for a few bucks!
-By Doris Waid
Doris Waid is an owner of a Flying L Resort Timeshare. She and her family have been part of the Flying L Resort Community for 42 years.